CHAPTER EIGHT

151 8 2
                                    

Mia and Char immediately walked toward Marjorie's and Autumn's office. Amelia, still a little shaken up from the conversation with Roger, showed her distress clearly.
From an outside perspective, it was evident that something was wrong with Mia; she wasn't her usual confident self. Even Winter and Sorscha, who were working in the rooms, could tell that something was off as the couple walked through the corridor.

Finally, in front of the office door, Char knocked three times.
They entered, still holding hands, when Marjorie replied with a soft "Yes." Autumn and Marjorie were surprised to see who had entered their office.

"Hi, Aut. Hello, Marjorie," Char said softly, trying to mask her worry.

"Hello, my love—and Mia," Marjorie replied. Autumn simply nodded towards the couple.

Mia, almost back to her normal confident self, said, "Hello, Marjorie," only taking a small glance at Autumn.
Amelia and Char then sat down on the tiny couch Marjorie had just had delivered a few weeks ago.

Marjorie asked, "What can I do for you? Is everything alright?"

Char, leaning against Mia with Amelia's arm around her, replied, "Well—uhm, so..." She struggled to find the right words.

Amelia continued for her, "So, I was just at a, well, let's just call it a meeting, with Daddy Dearest."

Autumn suddenly looked up at Mia. "And to make a long story short, my very own mother was there, whom, by the way, I hadn't seen in over a decade. She then proceeded to tell me about my father's passing and his upcoming death anniversary."

Marjorie, Char, and Autumn all looked at each other with confusion and pure shock. Before Mia could continue, Autumn said, "Death anniversary? That would mean that—"

Mia interrupted, "That a year of his death had already passed? Yes, that's right, Autumn"

Marjorie, in absolute shock, covered her mouth with her hands. Char just looked at Mia with a reassuring gaze, holding her hands.

Marjorie then tried to calmly ask, "Well, how long has your father been... you know, dead for?"

Char still looked at Mia, who tried to swallow her tears down and somewhat succeeded.
"For nine years. It'll be ten soon," Mia's voice slowly broke as she tried to look away from everyone.

Silence filled the room as everyone realized what that meant.
Autumn finally broke the silence and carefully asked, "And you didn't know? All those years, you didn't know?"

Mia turned to the woman she once saw as a little sister, her voice becoming quieter. "I didn't know."

Marjorie quickly added, "But would that not mean that you've been—"

Amelia cut her off again, "Used? Manipulated? Taken advantage of? For Roger's entertainment? For so long? Yes, Marjorie. Yeah."

Silence filled the room once again. Char, now teary-eyed, hugged Amelia. Marjorie's mouth hadn't closed once.

She looked at Mia and her devastated face and said, "Mia, I can't believe I am saying this, but I am so sorry."

Immediately after finishing that sentence, Autumn got up in a hurry and left the office without a word, leaving everyone looking at each other in confusion.

___________________________________________

A/N: All I can say at this point is #BinRoger2024 and #FreeShibby

Amelia Roberts - The Person She Could've Been Where stories live. Discover now