"For the girls who dared to believe in love, only to have their hearts shattered. She craved a love without conditions. He built walls to keep love at bay. Will he surrender to his heart's desire, or will he leave her with nothing but broken dreams?"
Oops! This image does not follow our content guidelines. To continue publishing, please remove it or upload a different image.
The house before her was not a home. It never had been.
Kiara stood at the gate, staring at the imposing structure that held nothing but bad memories. It loomed over her like a silent monster, its walls suffocating, its shadows stretching long and menacing. She had spent her childhood in this place, yearning for even a sliver of love, but all it had ever given her was pain.
Her fingers tightened around the cold metal bars of the gate. She wasn’t sure why she had come back. Maybe it was the faint, desperate hope that somewhere, buried deep beneath their hatred, her parents would offer her the truth—or at least a reason why she’d been framed.
Taking a deep breath, she pushed the gate open and walked up to the door, her steps slow and hesitant. The scars from her past seemed to throb with every step she took.
She didn’t bother ringing the bell. Instead, she knocked twice, the sound loud and jarring in the silence of the neighborhood.
Moments later, the door opened to reveal her mother, her face as cold and unfeeling as it had always been. Her sharp eyes raked over Kiara, taking in her disheveled appearance, before her lips curled into a sneer.
“What do you want?” her mother snapped.
“I need to talk to you,” Kiara said, her voice trembling despite her attempt to sound strong.
“About what?” Her father appeared behind her mother, his expression just as hard, just as unwelcoming.
Kiara swallowed the lump in her throat and stepped inside without waiting for an invitation. The air inside was stifling, heavy with the scent of disinfectant and something sour. The walls, once adorned with family photos, were now bare. Not that it mattered. Even when the photos had hung there, they had only ever been a façade.
“Speak,” her father barked, crossing his arms as he loomed over her. “We don’t have all day.”
Kiara stood in the middle of the room, her fists clenched at her sides. “I’m being framed at work,” she began, her voice faltering slightly. “Someone leaked confidential information, and they’re blaming me. I need to know if you had anything to do with it.”
Her mother let out a sharp laugh, the sound echoing through the room like a whip crack. “Why would we bother with your pathetic little life? Do you really think you’re that important to us?”
Her father stepped closer, his presence suffocating. “You’ve always been a failure, Kiara. Always. Why would we waste our time on someone as useless as you?”
Kiara’s heart clenched, but she forced herself to stand her ground. “Because you’ve never cared about me. You’ve never supported me. And it wouldn’t surprise me if you sabotaged me just to see me fall further.”
Her father’s hand lashed out, striking her hard across the face. The force of the blow sent her stumbling back, her cheek stinging with pain.
“How dare you?” he roared. “You come into my house and accuse us of something like this? After everything we’ve put up with from you?”
“Put up with?” Kiara shot back, her voice rising despite the tears spilling down her face. “You’ve hated me since the day I was born! You’ve done nothing but hurt me, belittle me, and make me feel worthless. Why?” Her voice cracked. “Why do you hate me so much?”
Her mother stepped forward, her expression twisted with contempt. “Because you’re a mistake, Kiara. You always have been. We never wanted you, and we certainly don’t want you now.”
The words hit her harder than the slap had. Kiara stared at them, her vision blurring with tears. “You’re my parents,” she whispered. “How can you say that to me?”
Her father sneered. “We’re not your parents. We’re your jailers, stuck raising a worthless brat who’s done nothing but bring shame to this family.”
Her mother pointed to the door. “Get out. Don’t ever come back.”
Kiara stood frozen for a moment, her heart shattered into a million pieces. She had always known they didn’t love her, but to hear it said so plainly, so cruelly, was more than she could bear.
Without another word, she turned and walked out, the door slamming shut behind her like a final nail in the coffin of her childhood.
__________________
To be continued......
Hey lovely readers!
I hope you enjoyed this chapter! If you did, don't forget to show some love by voting and commenting below-I love hearing your thoughts and feedback. 💖 Your support means the world to me!
If you haven't already, please follow me to stay updated with new chapters and more twists in the story.
Thank you for being a part of this journey. I'm so excited to share what's coming next!
