In 2018, I discovered that my mother had developed a gambling addiction which lead to her stealing from Caroline's trust fund. My father was the only other person that knew.
It was late at night when I found myself at her home with Hank. I hadn't seen them since I found out about their affair — now they were married.
"What the fuck is wrong with you!" I screamed. "You haven't caused enough pain, huh? Like you haven't destroyed this family enough? You go and steal from Caroline?"
"Halia, I have debt—" she defended herself.
"I don't care!" I exclaimed, "I want you to leave. I want you to disappear and if you gave a shit about any of us you wouldn't tell anyone where you were going"
She understood and nodded before looking down at my left hand to see a wedding band.
"You're married?" My mother observed.
"I wasn't invited to yours either so I'll say we're even" was the last thing I uttered before leaving her home.
I spend the rest of the year trying to replace the money she stole from Caroline. My drinking increased as well as the amount of Valium I was taking illegally.
After my shift at the hospital, I would drop onto my bed beside Chace after having too much to drink. He would stop me whenever I would try touching his thigh.
"Stop" he would cry.
"What's wrong?"
"Why do you only want me when you're drunk?" Chace asked.
"That's not true" I laughed.
He nodded.
"Right, then let's try this again tomorrow when you're sober"
Of course, I never was.
By 2019, my marriage fell apart. I think we both realised our mistake. You couldn't marry for any other reason other then love and if you do then you'll try seeking it from somewhere else.
"So you resent me is that?" I screamed from across the room.
"Is it so wrong to wish for things to be different?" Chace retorted, "because I can, Halia! I can without resenting you"
"You know I can't have any more children, Chace" I clenched my jaw, tears streaming down my face. "You knew that before all this"
"I know it's not your fault, okay," he continues, "I just wish I lived in a world with a different version...where things were different"
"Where I was different?" I looked down at my shoes.
"I didn't say that"
"Yes, you did" I shook my head. "You wish you had a different version of me. The one that existed before all this. The one Daniel knew—"
The version of me that existed on this earth before my assault was the one that everyone wanted me to be. I was happy, fertile, less angry with the world. Chace didn't know me then, he wished that he had. That's the version of me that I believe Daniel was in love with.
"Don't bring my brother into this, Halia!" Chace cried, "this is between you and me"
"You want more kids and you resent me for not being able to give that to you"
"Okay, I want more kids! Are you happy, now? But I know I can't have them...I know that you won't even consider adoption or surrogacy" he blared.
YOU ARE READING
Reminiscent
RomanceWhen Halia Montgomery is hit by a car, she is left with a six-year gap in her memory and a group of strangers who claim to be her family. Everything that she once knew is gone, not knowing who she has become or why her family are so determined to s...
