Lorelei and Cora

Chapter 5

PS From this chapter onwards, some characters tell the story from their POVs. You'll know who is telling the story because their POV will be next to their name. For Lorelei, her hell begins on her 13th birthday, whereas for Cora, it begins at age five and worsens at age 11.

Cora's POV

It was the first time I saw Lorelei with her father, and I could tell she was nervous around him. I guessed he'd abused her, too, as she seemed afraid to come over to him, and I realized she had oversized clothes, which made me wonder if he'd gotten her pregnant as well. This time that I saw Lorelei, I realized she didn't need makeup, as she was naturally beautiful. I wished she had a better father, and although I always wanted her to be my sister, I wished for someone better to be my father. When I came out of hiding, my mom gave Lorelei the dress. "Lorelei, this dress is for the day after tomorrow. Please take care of it, as it's for our wedding. Goodbye, Lorelei, and see you in two days," Ella said before my mom and I went to the door to exit their home. For some reason, we didn't leave right away, and I figured out why, as my mom wanted to hear the conversation between Jaylen and his daughter. "You better take care of that dress, Lorelei," Jaylen chirped. "Don't worry, I'll keep it clean," Lorelei said. My mom gave him a slight smile, and then we both left their home. My mom spoke to me happily during the drive home. "I hope the wedding goes smoothly, Cora. However, if that girl messes up the dress, I'll give you both the spare dresses, as those dresses are essential since you're both the bridesmaids. Tomorrow, David, could you take Leslie's place as the maid and cook, as I need her to buy new clothes for Jaylen and Lorelei with Cora's help?" She asked David after talking to me, and I could see he was annoyed in the rearview mirror. "Of course, I can, and I don't mind, Ella. As I said when we applied for the position, anything necessary is okay for us, and I'm sticking to that." David said happily to Ella, and she faced me as she closed the driver's window so he couldn't hear what was being said to me. "What I wanted to say to you before is that if anything happens to you or Lorelei's dress for the day after tomorrow, you'll both be punished, and I mean it, Cora! Ensure Leslie grabs anything valuable for Lorelei and Jaylen; if not, you'll be punished twice as badly!" She threatened, and it was dark when we got home. So, I forced myself to grab an apple, eat it to the core, and go straight to sleep.

As I gradually stirred from sleep the following morning, Leslie appeared in the doorway of my room with a warm greeting. "Good morning, Cora. I've prepared a bowl of cornflakes with freshly sliced bananas for you. Quickly prepare and eat, as my brother will prepare lunch for your mother and dinner for your mom, you, and us. I'll be waiting for you in the limo. See you soon," Leslie said before departing. I savored my breakfast, got dressed, and then handed the empty bowl to David with a grateful smile. "Thanks, David. I'll catch up with you later!" As I made my way to the awaiting limo, Leslie gestured for me to take the passenger seat beside her, kindly pointing out, "The back must be lonely all by itself!" I obliged and settled into the front seat. The unfamiliar sensation of sitting in the front passenger seat made the driving feel peculiar to me. During the ride, Leslie inquired about Lorelei's fashion preferences, and I was more than happy to provide insight. "Lorelei tends to gravitate towards colorful attire with animal patterns, as well as clothing that represents the LGBTQ+ community, and she's particularly fond of gothic styles, given her love for Halloween, witches, and zombies," I informed Leslie, who seemed appreciative of my knowledge of Lorelei's taste in fashion. "Okay, then I'll give you the responsibility of retrieving Lorelei's clothes while I grab Jaylen's outfits. Do you know what your mom wants for Jaylen?" Leslie asked, so I said the only thing I knew Ella would want me to say was, "My mom always leans towards anything that exudes opulence, and that is what she wants Jaylen to wear." I replied, hoping it would offer some guidance. "So basically, anything overly rich got it. What would you like for lunch, as I'm buying that for us!" She asked, and I was left unsure. "I don't know, as I've never eaten out of home, so anything you want, I'll have," I said truthfully, and so she took me to a fish and chip shop and got a bit of everything. "Try whatever you want; my fave is the fish in the batter, as I love its flavor." So, I tried everything, and I realized I loved fish, as well as potato cakes. I ate so much that I was finally no longer starved, as I barely got to eat anything. "Wow, that's a lot you just ate; anyway, let's get shopping!" Leslie said, and so I followed her to the shop where we were both going to be looking. We both separated as Leslie went to the men's section, so I went where I usually went to find my clothes and grabbed nearly everything in her size and some new things. They also had new styles she liked to wear, so I grabbed them too; I hoped my mom would be happy with my choices as Leslie was meant to pick Lorelei's clothes, not me. "Is that everything for Lorelei, Cora?" I nodded and allowed her to pay for everything as I waited outside for Leslie. "Finally, that's all paid for; let's head home unless you want some ice cream," Leslie said happily. I wanted to go home, but at the same time, I couldn't help but give in. "Ice cream, then home," I said excitedly, and so she got two chocolate sundaes, one for both of us, so we could eat them as we drove home. On the drive home, we found a bin in someone's yard, so we placed the rubbish in it and went straight home. "Finally, you're both home. Put the clothes in your bedroom, Cora. Leslie, tomorrow during the wedding, I want you and your brother to buy another bed with bedding for Lorelei and more toys to make her feel at home as she and her father move in tomorrow night." My mom said, and that was when Leslie looked sad. "Oh...of course, Ella, we'll leave you at the wedding and get things for Lorelei. Goodnight, Cora and Ella, and have an awesome day tomorrow!" Leslie walked away, leaving me with my mom. "Lorelei, your dinner is in the kitchen; make sure you eat in the dining hall or the kitchen! Not your bedroom!" My mom told me before leaving me to eat alone. So, I went to find my dinner and ate it in the kitchen, and that was when I found out David couldn't cook, so I threw out the dinner he prepared and went to sleep for the last peaceful sleep before Jaylen became a part of my life for good.