35 ᴍᴍ ꜰɪʟᴍ ᴀɴᴅ ᴀ ʙʟᴀᴄᴋ ᴄᴏꜰꜰᴇᴇ I 🎀 𝒢𝓇𝒶𝒸𝒾𝑒 𝒜𝒷𝓇𝒶𝓂𝓈 [𝑔𝓍𝑔] 🎀

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝟏𝟖: 𝐌𝐞𝐚𝐧 𝐢𝐭 [𝐓𝐖]/[𝐌]

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 18 [ᴛᴡ]/[ᴍ]

Charlie froze in her chair, her heart sinking instantly as she recognised the voice. Slowly, she turned around, her eyes wide with shock. The rest of the room shifted their heads towards the source of the voice—standing in the doorway was Ellie, her small figure framed by the soft light of the hallway. Her face was pale, her wide eyes brimming with sadness and confusion.

"Ellie..." Charlie stammered, her voice barely above a whisper. She stood up quickly, panic flooding her chest. "How... how long have you been standing there?"

Ellie didn't answer right away, her lips pressed into a thin line as she looked at her sister with a mixture of hurt and sadness. Charlie could feel the weight of Ellie's gaze, the innocent understanding that only a child could carry. She had heard everything.

"I didn't mean it," Charlie rushed out, her voice cracking as she tried to explain herself. "Ellie, I swear, I didn't mean any of it." Instantly all anger faded away and there was a split in the mask she was wearing. The look on her younger sibling's face was heartbreaking. It was like she didn't recognise her older sister. "Shit, no, you have to believe me. Why are you—Ellie, why are you down here? I told you to go upstairs."

Charlie took a step forward and before she could get any closer, Ellie turned on her heel and bolted back upstairs, her small feet pounding up the steps. The sound of the bedroom door slamming echoed through the house.

"Ellie, wait!" Charlie called after her, panic rising in her voice, but it was too late. The door was already shut.

Mark and Susan exchanged quick glances before standing up hurriedly. "We'll talk to her," Susan muttered, already moving towards the stairs. Mark followed close behind, his face dark with anger. The two disappeared up the staircase, leaving Charlie and the others in the dining room, the atmosphere heavy and suffocating.

Charlie stood frozen, her mind racing, her heart pounding in her chest. She had hurt Ellie.

The thought consumed her, twisting her insides with guilt. She turned to Gracie, her eyes wide and panicked, but before Gracie could say anything, Mark came storming back down the stairs.

The look on his face was pure fury.

"Mark, I—" Charlie began, but before she could get another word out, Mark's hand flew across her face with a resounding slap. The force of it left her reeling, her cheek stinging with the sudden shock of pain. She stumbled back, her hand instinctively flying to her face.

"You're unbelievable," Mark spat, his voice filled with venom as he grabbed Charlie by the collar of her shirt, his fingers twisting the fabric with a brutal grip. In an instant, he shoved her back against the wall, pinning her there with a force that knocked the breath out of her.

The room erupted in chaos. Elizabeth gasped, her hands flying to her mouth in shock. Anthony and Marlowe stood up from their chairs, their eyes wide with disbelief as they rushed towards them. Gracie was on her feet instantly, her eyes wide with panic, but it was Jackson who reacted the fastest, already moving towards Mark to intervene.

Charlie didn't fight back at first, her mind too stunned to process what was happening. She could feel Mark's breath hot against her face, his eyes blazing with anger as he glared down at her. "You think you can just say whatever you want?" Mark hissed. "You think you're the only one who's been through hell? You're selfish, Charlie. You've always been selfish."

Charlie's breath hitched, the words hitting her like a blow to the chest. "I'm not—" she tried to say, but Mark cut her off.

"You should have been there for your family. Not running off to LA and leaving us behind to pick up the pieces," Mark seethed, his grip on her collar tightening. "You think you're the victim in all this? You're nothing but a disappointment."