Ethereal Inferno

Chapter 13: First Kiss?

                  Wednesday 20/7/2021

I woke up and did my morning exercise like I always do but this time, I dragged Harriet along with me. That girl has to move her lazy bum at least thrice in a month except for when she trains for shooting.

She did those simple workouts and went to the shooting range while I did my own.

After an hour and thirty minutes of working out and training, we showered and it was finally time to eat. Oh the way I'm going to absolutely destroy and devour the food.

All those thoughts go away when I hear father's angry voice yelling out my name as I was on my way to the dining hall but I end up letting out a smile hearing his voice crack while Harriet took a deep breath and pursed her lips.

Knowing that the voice crack would only fuel his anger, I rushed downstairs only to find father standing whilst holding up a newspaper. I don't like where this is heading.

Liam's mum and mine were whispering to each other looking at me, just then his mother gasped and put her hand over her mouth. Like how she will when Liam succeeds in his mission.

Liam walked in with the same button up white shirt he wore yesterday and he looked just as confused as me. When his eyes met mine, I don't know what I felt, but I felt something.

My gaze shifted to father who is currently throwing daggers at me with those eyes and oh gosh.. I guess I was true after all. I did appear in the newspaper.. But not relating to Liam's case.

"ERICA YUVINA! GET DOWN HERE." He shouted at me. Well crap. As we all sat in our seat, my father slammed the newspaper to the table and slided it to me.

There it was, a gigantic photograph of me at the children's hospital yesterday when I went to visit Owen. Not surprised. The entire article took up the whole front page. What did they even write.

"DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU HAVE DONE?!" my dad roared. I kept quiet but maintained eye contact.

"NOW THE HOSPITAL THINKS WE'RE DONATING THEM NINE-HUNDRED THOUSAND!" This man should calm down. Speaking all that like he does not carry millions in his pockets.

He continued, "NOW WE ACTUALLY HAVE TO DONATE IT TO SOME USELESS AND BULLSHIT CHARITY, WASTING OUR  MONEY." Oh. Wasting?

From the corner of my eye, I think I saw Liam stop eating at those words too. I thought I'd keep quiet the entire time because I was very hungry but I guess my appetite died.

"Father, may I ask how is doing something which will uplift the coming generation and people of this kingdom ' Wasting?' " I asked in a calm but strict manner with husk in my voice.

I maintained my composure as I wanted the screaming and anger for the very last moment. Of their lives.

He kept on yelling, "What are yo- ARE YOU A FUCKING IMBECILE ERICA? WE COULD'VE USED OUR MONEY FOR MORE GREATER THINGS THAN THIS! IN FACT, THE HOSPITAL HAS ENOUGH MONEY. I SHOULD HAVE ENDED YOUR LIFE WHEN I FIRST FOUND YOU WERE A GIRL YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

"What do you mean by 'something greater'? Are you saying our children are not going to be the ones working under you, FOR you in the future? Are you saying they're not going to be the greater ones? They're going to be the ones helping, fighting for you in the future and dying for you. Huh of course you think that way.

Your filthy self only care about the money you'll be spending on liquor And misstresses." It was mother's turn to gasp. I continued, "And ahh yes.

Of course the hospital has enough money to the point where staffs don't get paid enough so they work 17+ hours to feed their family but some still die of starvation and weakness, the toilets are barely clean and the beds around there are dusty, children don't get proper food, the electricity there is bull shit and people who didn't get time to get checked up immediately by doctors die in ER's because there are only few doctors!"