Cinderella's Ghost

Chapter 14: The Stepmother

Anger
Like no other
Should I bother?

Chapter 14

I took in a deep breath, held it, then turned the doorknob. Pushing the door open slightly, I peered in to look at the shoe rack, and found that Carrie's heels were back in their place. My heart sank. My hand immediately reached out for the rose pendant hanging from my neck.

"She's there, isn't she?" Jarell whispered.

"Of course she is," I snapped. "And why are you whispering? She can't even hear you."

Jarell relaxed from his stooped position, then said, "Oh yeah. I completely forgot. The tension is keeping me too much on edge."

I narrowed my eyes, trying to understand if he was really joking at all during such a situation when I could possibly lose everything – well, everything except the inheritance my dad left for my university education, something Carrie would never be able to touch. Seeing how his smile didn't reach his eyes, I sighed, satisfied, at which point confusion hit me, because was I afraid that Jarell would revert to his bullying ways? Pondering for a moment made me realise that yes, I was, but it didn't matter. Not now.

Finally, I pushed the door open all the way, then entered the house with bated breath.

"I'm home," I said nervously, suddenly feeling very afraid. I touched the silver rose on my necklace again and sighed shakily.

When I finally walked into the light, a voice said, "Welcome home, Ellyn."

I froze, then turned to face Carrie, who had appeared from the living room. The TV was turned on, playing a historical movie I didn't recognise, and although it was kind of interesting, how the man confessing his love was rejected in the rain, it wasn't interesting enough to hold my attention. Instead, I focused on Carrie, whose face would have looked completely blank were it not for the small frown between her brows.

"Where have you been all this time? It's nearly eight."

"I—" I looked down at my feet.

"Look into her eyes," Jarell instructed, his voice low and serious.

Fortunately, I was able to do as he said, because I knew that act itself would help me a lot. "I'm sorry. I needed to spend some time in the library."

She crossed her arms in front of her office clothes. That was when I realised she hadn't even bothered to wash up. Was she so keen on seeing me come home? That thought sent shivers down my spine.

"Why did you need to spend your time there?"

"I felt it would be better for me to study there for a while today. The exams are coming soon."

"Without bothering about your chores?"

"I thought I'd do them when I come back."

"Really?"

"Yes."

"Which library did you go to?"

"Cleftlon Public Library," I uttered the first thing that came to my mind. It was a place I frequented often during my childhood days, but not so much as a single time recently.

Carrie raised a brow. "You probably didn't know that Cleftlon is currently under renovation, am I right?"

"She's playing a mind game," Jarell said beside me.

I decided to take a chance. "I don't know what you're talking about, Carrie, because I was there the whole afternoon."

Her eyes moved to look at my feet, then my clothes, finally at my eyes, even roamed to look at the state of my hair, which, I was sure, had come out of my ponytail. Her gaze hardened in an instant, and I knew she knew something was off.