How to be loved

40 - One thing

How to be loved

40 – One thing

Becky's POV

"Swee—" I began to reply, but my phone buzzed, cutting me off. The screen flashed with an unfamiliar number—my mother. My heart sank instantly, a tight knot forming in my chest.

"Is everything alright, babe?" Freen asked, her eyes searching mine, probably sensing the shift in my mood.

I forced a smile, gesturing towards the phone. "Yeah, it's fine. I just need to take this," I said, my voice a bit more strained than intended. Freen nodded, though her concern lingered in her gaze.

"Hello?" I answered, bracing myself.

"Becky, what is this mess?" My mother's voice came through the line, low and sharp, filled with a familiar irritation that made my stomach churn.

I swallowed hard, keeping my tone steady. "What do you mean?" I asked cautiously, knowing that Freen and Nam were within earshot. Every word felt like I was walking on glass.

"Huh!" She scoffed bitterly. "Don't play dumb with me. The picture, Becky. You kissing your star model—how scandalous. Do you even realize what you've done?"

My pulse quickened. I knew exactly what she was talking about, but hearing her say it felt like the ground shifting beneath me.

I could feel my pulse quicken as her words sunk in. The weight of them, the judgment, the disdain—it wasn't new, but this time, it stung deeper.

"Mom, I'll deal with it," I replied, my voice barely a whisper. I stole a glance at Freen, who was now chatting with Nam, unaware of the storm brewing on the other end of my phone. How I wished I could disappear into her world right now, safe from this inevitable confrontation.

"You better," she snapped, her voice rising with impatience. I winced, my heart thudding in my chest, praying no one around me could hear the venom in her tone. "This picture is everywhere. Have you even looked at it? You're all over the internet, Becky! People are talking."

I pressed a hand to my forehead, feeling the stress build like a rising tide. "Mom, she—" I started, but she cut me off with that cold, clipped voice I knew too well.

"We'll be in California tomorrow," she announced, her words landing like a gavel. "Bring that girl with you. Your father wants a family dinner. I want to see who the hell dares to stain our reputation like this."

Her words hit me harder than I expected, slicing through the fragile defenses I had built over the years. This wasn't the first time her obsession with appearances overshadowed any shred of concern for my happiness. I bit the inside of my cheek, forcing myself to stay calm, to hold back the retort bubbling up inside me. I couldn't let her see me break. Not now. Not ever.

"Mom," I said as evenly as I could, though my voice wavered just a little, "She's my girlfriend."

There was a brief pause on the other end, a dangerous silence before she spoke again. "I don't care who she is to you," she spat, her voice venomous. "What I care about is the mess you've dragged us into. So, you bring her, or don't bother showing up at all."

The phone line went dead before I could respond, leaving me standing there, phone still in hand, a hollow pit forming in my stomach. My mother's ultimatum echoed in my ears, cold and final.

I slipped my phone back into my pocket and exhaled shakily, the weight of the conversation pressing down on me like a thousand-pound stone.

"Everything okay?" Freen's voice broke through my thoughts, gentle but laced with concern. She had finished talking with Nam and was now watching me closely, her brow furrowed.