Never say words in anger that you'll regret later.Her mother had tried to teach her that years ago when she was a child.
Laying in her daughter’s bed, clutching onto Kitkat, Marinette’s favorite cat toy as a baby, while weeping Sabine could hear the echo of the time she’d forgotten her Mama’s lesson. The cost wasn’t just regret. The cost was knowing that her own words were part of what drove her daughter to...
When their daughter had begun to tell them of a girl, worse than Chloe, Maman, worse than Chloe! They’d assumed it was just teenage drama. Alya and her other friends seemed to like the girl just fine and she’d begun going to photo shoots with Adrien. Alya insisted Marinette was just jealous and they’d agreed. They’d not even considered that Marinette’s feelings might be valid.
Then Lila came into the bakery sometimes when Marinette was too busy in her room or elsewhere and she was just a charming, well mannered girl, nothing like that rude brat Chloe. Lila was such a sweet girl. There’s no way she was a liar, who’d threatened Marinette. Their daughter was just creating drama in the name of jealousy.
Then came the day that the school had called them about Marinette bullying innocent sweet Lila, sending her rude messages, pushing her down the stairs, stealing Lila’s belongings… And their daughter was expelled.
They’d been furious. Not at the school or the girl their daughter had warned them about but at their own daughter.
“I’m so disappointed in you. I’m ashamed you’re my daughter.”
The awful words echoed in her head.
She’d been angry that her daughter would do such things out of jealousy and become a bully. Where had they gone wrong in teaching her?
The next day, Marinette hadn’t spoken to her since that moment. Hadn’t come down for dinner. Now, of course, Sabine knows that her daughter was writing those awful letters. Then she’d just been glad not to have to deal with her suddenly troublesome child.
That awful Thursday, The day would always have infamy in Sabine’s world because her daughter had hung herself. But that awful day her daughter had silently made her way downstairs.
Had looked over to them, lip quivering slightly, mouth open like she wanted to say something. Her and Tom had both glared at her.
She’d left without a sound after that.
Now Sabine’s brain fills in how pale she had looked. How her face had filled with a sudden resolve.
She was the woman who’d pushed her stressed teen to the edge. Her daughter had hung herself, if it wasn’t for Adrien who had gotten her down, her daughter would be dead.
The awful letter.
I don’t know why I expected you to believe me. Or support me. You never did. Chloe bullied me for years and you did nothing.
I told you the truth as I always have. But you, like everyone else, didn’t believe in me.
I don’t know why I was surprised.
I know I’m clumsy and I have very little self confidence. You helped me with that. How often did you insist that I could carry this or do that because I might trip… Making me feel even less confident in myself.
How long did you do nothing while Chloe bullied me at school Never once speaking to the headmaster on my behalf?
When Chloe accused me of theft, you berated me right back for accusing someone else of the same.
I’m sorry I was such a disappointment.
I worked so hard to be a good daughter. A daughter you could be proud of and love.
Maybe your next child will be less of a disappointment to you.
The letter that drove home how hurt their child was. How much damage they had done. They were busy with the bakery and hadn’t wanted to go up against the Mayor but couldn’t they have done something.
And Lila. The girl seemed pure and innocent but Marinette was so insistent. Could they have been wrong?
Tom couldn’t stop shaking. For the first time in 15 years the bakery was closed and would be closed for the foreseeable future.
His baby girl had hung herself. He could still remember the day 14 years ago that he’d been handed a pink wrapped bundle, such a tiny thing for his giant hands. He’d sworn always to protect her.
The fact that his daughter had tried to leave the world at age 14 feeling like she had no one and nothing left, showcased his failure.
How long had they made her feel like she came in second to their business? That they didn’t believe in her?
If she was telling the truth about Lila then she was right to feel like they didn’t believe in her. Why had they believed the others about Lila/Marinette rather than listening to their normally honest and reliable little girl.
Lila had been charming when she’d come into their bakery, but even before that, they’d decided that Marinette was exaggerating because of her huge crush on Adrien.
Where had it gone so wrong?
Marinette was awake now but would not see them. The psychiatrist in charge of her care had sided with their little girl. Only those people that Marinette was willing to see were allowed anywhere near her.
So far that list consisted of Adrien Agreste and Chat Noir. Both boys had been in to see her today.
‘I will uncover the truth and I will be a much better parent after this’, he whispered as he rubbed his shaking hands over his weeping eyes.
