Insincere Veneer

|Chapter 22|

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Happy Reading! ❤️

|Chapter 22|

   I ran towards the front door in a hurry, trying my best to breathe steadily. I entered the house with Eleanor behind me and in the living room I saw my dad. He looked very worried, just sitting there and staring at the ground, his foot tapping on the floor very loudly.

"Dad," I whispered as I entered the room. His head snapped towards my direction and a look of utter relief made its way to his fretted face.

"I-I don't know what happened. She just came back from school crying her eyes off. She has a bad scratch, that your mother cleansed, on her knee. We tried asking her why she's crying but she wouldn't tell us. She kept saying 'I want Izzy'. Please go upstairs and see what's going on," he pleaded. I nodded and ran upstairs.

   My hand touched her door's handle and stayed there. My eyes shut close as I tried to calm myself as much as possible. I didn't want my little sister to see me broken and torn. I wanted to stay strong for her.

   I felt a hand on my shoulder. It was Eleanor. She gave me a sincere, reassuring smile that gave me the confidence I needed. I didn't hesitate before opening Sophia's bedroom door.

   Mom was sitting on the bed next to a sleeping Sophia.

"Hi," I whispered. I was on the verge of tears. I couldn't help it.

I failed myself and my sister.

"She cried herself to sleep," Mom stated somberly. That's when the tears that have been threatening to slip away were set free.

  My crying was silent, for I tried my best not to wake Sophia up with my sobbing. But it hurt to keep it all in. I fell on the floor and curled myself into a ball.

   I never wanted to let anyone see me crying. I always promised myself that I wasn't going to let anyone see me break down. But today, I failed.

   Mom looked at me with so much shock. She never saw me cry during my teenage years. It was only when I scraped my arms, lost my teddy bear, or something silly of that sort, as a child, that she did. But today was different.

   Eleanor sat on the floor next to me and enveloped me in a warm embrace. It wasn't a few seconds later that my mom did the same. I cried in the middle.

"I failed her. I promised her she'd never be left alone. I promised her that she'll never find a reason to cry herself to sleep. I promised myself that I'm going to give her the childhood every kid deserves. But I've failed myself, and most importantly, I failed Sophia. I failed my little sister. I hate myself.

"I hate myself and I hate that my sister had to cry herself to sleep to forget the pain. She doesn't deserve this. What did she do for this to happen to her? She's always kind and sweet to everyone."

"I know, sweetie. I know. You raised her that way. She always listened to your advices to her. She loves you dearly, Elizabeth. Probably more than she loves me. And you definitely didn't fail her. But this is life, and it's unfortunate that the greatest people experience the most pain," Mom comforted.

"You're amazing, Elizabeth. Sophia is really proud and happy to have you as a sister," Eleanor said, giving me a small smile.