A battle I won't lose

Chapter 1

Katherine's POV - 17 Years Old

"Shit, shit, shit... Why did I freaking not complete my assignment? Ma will kill me," Katherine muttered under her breath as she tiptoed to her room, carefully removing her shoes.

She paused, glancing around the dimly lit hallway. "Katherine Ellis," she murmured to herself with a sigh. "Great... just great."

Turning slowly, she noticed Nicole standing there, holding Katherine's shoes in her hands.

"Kat, must you always leave your shoes in the kitchen?" Nicole asked, her tone tinged with a slight frown.

Katherine exhaled a breath of relief. "Must you always catch me doing it?"

"Yes, I am your mother, and I should teach manners, as I have been trying to do," Nicole replied, a proud grin on her face.

"Sure, Ma. Sure," Katherine retorted, a hint of sarcasm in her voice. "Yesterday, I caught you eavesdropping on the neighbor's drama. But yeah, manners."

"As you young people say, whatever," Nicole chuckled, heading back towards the kitchen. "Now go get fresh and come down. I made cheese sticks for you."

Katherine's Thoughts

I can't quite put into words how profoundly my life has changed—it's like a miracle, a complete turnaround. The day Nicole found me wasn't the exact turning point; things had been deteriorating until she managed to persuade William to let her visit on Sundays. That was the day I broke free from that prison. It's been ten years now, and I'm seventeen.

Since then, I haven't always been this cheerful. Even now, except when I'm with Ma and Ava—whom I'll explain later—I struggle to maintain that same positivity. I was in a very dark place mentally, barely speaking for months and avoiding physical contact due to deep-seated trauma. While I've grown more comfortable with Ma's touch and occasionally Ava's, I still keep my distance from others, often seeming distant and reserved. I know they don't deserve my coldness, but it's hard to let go.

I attend "The Ever Stone Dream" high school without making friends, despite extroverts approaching me. It's not that I lack opportunities; I'm simply hesitant to trust anyone on a whim. Ma urges me to open up more, but I resist forming new bonds. I'm indifferent to how others might perceive my aloofness, aware it may come off as rude. Some have even proposed to me, which felt unsettling given our lack of prior connection. Let's not dwell on those encounters, brain.

"Kat!" Nicole's voice called from downstairs. "Come down for dinner, sweetie."

Katherine's POV Continues

Oh yeah... my assignment...

Third Person POV

Katherine went downstairs to find Nicole setting up dishes on the dining table. Turning around, Nicole glanced at her daughter and flashed a quick, genuine smile before returning to the kitchen to fetch the food. Katherine sighed and sat down, idly fiddling with her fingers.

"So, how was school, beta?" Nicole asked as she came back and sat down, serving herself a few rotis from the casserole.

"The usual," Katherine replied nonchalantly.

Nicole sighed, raising an eyebrow. "Nothing out of the ordinary?"

Katherine stopped eating, sensing a shift in her mother's demeanor. "Why, is everything okay?"

Nicole nodded, her expression thoughtful. "Yes, yes. Eat, eat."

Katherine's POV - Continued