The Best Version Of Me

Chapter 3

I slept wonderfully last night considering that I wasn't in my old bedroom or bed. Mom and Anne decided that my room was a much better room than Anne's which is why my old room now belongs to Anne and Dillon. Their even sleeping on my old bed.

Anne's babies have Anne's old room which is directly across from my room. They turned my studio which was on the first floor into a toy room for the babies. That hurt the most. Sure I don't live here anymore but I did leave paintings here when I moved away. Mom said they were all ruined. I didn't believe that for a second but I nodded and smiled anyway.

Now I have to sleep in Dad's old study. It's a decent size but it smells of wood. I told dad about the situation and he told me to make the best of it which is what I'll be doing.

Gathering my hair together to put it a bun, I start my shower. After my skin is clean, I lather myself in vanilla peach scented lotion and put on a long maxi dress. After making sure I look presentable enough for mom, I go to breakfast. Everyone is in awe over something. I walk up to see what the fuss is about when I see a huge diamond ring on Anne's finger.

Dillon is smiling, Mom's excited, Edwin's wife, Marta, is holding both Anne's daughters as Anne cries. Everyone is gushing about the wedding excitedly and I feel like I'm going to pass out.

How could she marry him knowing what he did to me? Why does she want to hurt me like that? Does he even love her? Does she love him? Why do I care? I don't love him.

But it still hurts.

Ignoring the pain I feel in my chest, I plaster a huge smile on my face and take a seat. I grab a bowl and fill it with different varieties of fruit and some orange juice before speaking.

"Congratulations Anne. The ring is simply gorgeous."

"There is nothing simple about my ring Riley. It's amazing and all mine. Just like Dillon." She says.

I smile bigger. Kill them with kindness right.

"You're absolutely right. I wish you both the best of luck on your wedding, marriage, and family." I say as I eat a piece of strawberry.

Dillon's mouth drops open. Did he expect me to go on a rampage and try to kill everyone because he proposed to my sister? I definitely wouldn't do that. Mom looks over at me disgusted. God, what did I do now?!

"Riley, what have you done to yourself? Why on God's green earth would you do that your ear?" Mom says.

I touch my ear and realize that I forgot to take my extra piercings. I have five wholes in my ears now instead of one. Actually when I was living with her I had four but she never paid attention. Or it could be that I kept my hair down all the time. When I moved in with dad, I got a fifth piercing in my ear, my nose pierced , and a tattoo right under my left breast. I was smart enough to remove my nose ring before hand.

"It's nothing mom. Really." I say trying to ease the tension.z

"Ew. It's disgusting. It looks like it hurts. I can never understand how people do that to themselves. Tattoos and body piercings are disgusting." Anne says.

I look at her and then at Dillon. He's looking down at his food not saying anything. If my memory serves me correctly, which I'm sure it does, Dillon has three tattoos. One of them is a huge cross on his chest. I remember from all of the times we would make out and he'd take his shirt off.

Instead of releasing this information, I take a sip of my orange juice and plaster a smile on my face. I'm going to enjoy mom's birthday today even if it kills me. Edwin tells mom about the broken statue, that I totally forgot about, just as that guy comes over with a plate of pancakes for me.