YOU, ME, & SHE • |KTH AU| •

five

It was not just abandonment, it was betrayal at its cruelest.

I wasn't all that surprised. The signs had been there, scattered throughout the days leading up to this harsh revelation, each one a painful hint of the blow on it's way.

"You fucking cunt!" Dad screamed, struggling in the holds of mom's thugs. "Don't you fucking dare!"

Mom just smirked, one hand toying with the handle of her suitcase. She looked out of place in our shabby home in her billowy midi dress, red as rubies, her hair styled up all fancy; She looked every inch the trophy wife she'd always dreamed of being.

She teasingly held up her other hand, showing off the huge, sparkling diamond on her ring.

"Who knew," She drawled, "that I'd end up being grateful to you for never putting a ring on it. Why, it made it easier for another man, better and wealthier by far, to do the same."

Dad responded with a fresh string of curses, which she ignored as she locked her cold gaze on mine.

"Don't look at me like that, sweetheart. You don't really need me, you'll be fine. You take after me, after all, everything from your looks to your slyness. With these two assets, darling, you'll be invincible when you are older. If you get your priorities right, you'll take yourself to heights most females of our class can only dream of. And unlike me, never let trash beneath your league hold you back from achieving your dreams." With that, she fixed dad with a venomous glare.

I said nothing, struck dumb by the whirlwind of emotions coursing through me. How could she turn her back on Thea and me so callously?

My poor baby sister, too young to fully understand, ran to mom and clung to her hand, pleading to be taken along. But she was brutally shoved aside.

Apparently, the allure of a glittering future with a new man had overshadowed this woman's love for her own children.

Ignoring dad's roars and Thea's wails, mom turned to leave, her heels echoing with finality with each step. Her men knocked dad out cold before lumbering out after her.

I just stood there, stuck in place as everything changed, and let the full weight of responsibility - once shared with Mom - settle on me alone.

_______________________________________

I open my eyes.

Hmm...?

And then with several, rapid blinks, it all comes back to me.

I made it.

My head feels heavy as I lift it a little to look around. Sterile white walls surround me, along with the faint smell of antiseptic. The room is quiet, except for the soft beeping of some machines nearby.

I shift in the bed, wincing when I feel the dull ache in my limbs.

Just then, the door opens and an older woman dressed in teal scrubs walks in. At seeing me awake, her kind eyes fill with concern and she quickly approaches the bedside.

"How are you feeling, sweetheart? Can you move your arms and legs?"

"Yeah?" I croak, stirring a little for her. "I feel real shitty, though."

The nurse's lips twitch. "As expected; You went through a hellish experience. The paramedics brought you here after the accident. Your arm broke, so it had to operated on - you've been out for almost a day now. Except for some bruises and abrasions here and there, that's about it. The helmet you had on prevented any damage to your head. You're quite lucky."