Ties With Her [Life is Strange]

Chapter 18: Dinner With the Ambers

Not gonna lie. This is pretty awkward. No one is talking and all we're sitting at the table.

Finally, Rose broke the silence. "Chloe, are you and Rachel in any classes together?" She asked. "I wish. Rachel's all honors. Something that I probably won't ever accomplish." Chloe said. Rose eyed at James. Who returned the somewhat suspicious glance.

"Uh, dinner's really good, mom." Rachel said, hoping to get past the awkward conversation. Rose smiled at her daughter. "Thank you, Rachel." She said. Another awkward moment of silence lingered throughout the dining table. James suddenly cleared his throat. Adding to the awkwardness.

"I can't imagine how difficult it's been these last few years for you, Chloe." Rose said. "But, with you and Rachel becoming so close, as evident what she's been saying, I want you to know that our home is always open to you." Chloe nodded. "Cool, that's very thoughtful of you, Mrs. Amber. Thanks." She said.

"Well put, dear. It's imperative that we remember what is most important to us." James said, placing his hand over his wife's hand. "Family." He added. Rachel clenched and unclenched her fists repeatedly. Trying to remain calm.

"Family isn't just a gift." James started. "It's also a responsibility." Chloe saw that Rachel was getting angrier and angrier. "As those we love must be cared for at all times." James said. "And never, ever taken for granted." He concluded.

"Yeah, uh, that's super true." Chloe said. "And also remember, Rachel, that when shit's, like, the lamest ever, you can always turn away from whatever's bothering you. Just as long as you keep calm."

Rachel slowly eyed at Chloe. Anger burning in her eyes.

"An interesting thought there, Chloe." Rose said. "Indeed it was." James added. "Not one that I myself would endorse, however. I much prefer confronting my problems head on. But to each their own, I suppose."

"Oh, fucking blow me already." Rachel muttered. Her parents eyed at Rachel. Surprised at her sudden use of language.

"Rachel?" Her mother questioned. James looked at his daughter with wide, suspicious eyes.

Chloe acted quickly and tossed her fork to the ground. "Oh, crap, I'm so clumsy. Rachel, can you help me find another fork?" She said. "Stop it, Chloe." Rachel told her. She's had enough of this. She was finally confronting her father tonight.

"I'm not going to listen to this bullshit anymore, dad." Rachel said. "Rachel!" James said to his daughter. "No, stop it, dad. I know, okay? You're a hypocrite!" Rachel said to he father. "I know what you did. I saw what you did!" She told him. "You lying, cheating, motherfucking piece of shit." Rachel said. "Excuse me?" James said to her.

"I saw you." Rachel said. "Yesterday. With that woman." Rose looked at her husband. "James." She said with a hurt expression.

"Rachel, sweetheart, whatever you saw us doing, I assure you, you need to trust me." James said to his daughter. Hoping to clear up whatever she was starting.

"No offense, Mr. Amber, but I'm pretty sure Rachel trusts her own eyes more than you." Chloe said to him. James glared at her and stood from his seat. "Okay, that's enough!" He said. "You are not welcome here or around my daughter any longer." He stated. "From the moment I saw you, the moment you walked in here, I knew exactly what kind of person you were, and I let my wife's compassion get the better of me."

Chloe glared at him. "Can you tell me exactly what kind of person I am?" She said. James pressed his hands on the table. "A delinquent. A broken girl from a broken, shattered home." He told her.

Rose stood up from her chair and spoke to her husband. "That's enough, James! I will not allow you to speak to her like this." She told him. Everyone started arguing. James looked at Chloe and continued to mouth off to her.

Chloe then stood from her chair and told James off. But little did they know, this was all angering Rachel. The lies of her father. What he's saying to her friend. That her mother has to deal with all this.

To her, everything was muffled. Her hands went numb. Her face was heating up. Her breathing deepened.

She grabbed a bowl of salad and slammed it down onto the glass table. Shattering it to pieces. She looked at her stricken father with tightly clenched fists.

"Why can't you just tell me the fucking truth?!" She said to him. "Stop lying to me. And for fuck sake, stop being a politician for one fucking minute." Tears started to leak from Rachel's eyes. "Can't I just... have my dad back?" She said to him. James sighed and looked at his daughter.

He looked at Rose and nodded. She returned a nod and they both faced the teen. "Rachel..." James started. "The woman you saw... that wasn't my mistress." He sighed and looked into his daughter's eyes. Ready to finally tell her the truth.

"That woman... is your mother." He said.

Chloe looked towards her friend. Rachel looked on with widen eyes. Not even believing a word her father told her. Rachel looked at her mother. "Mom?" She muttered. Rose sighed and shook her head. "Is that true?" Rachel questioned. Rose looked at Rachel with a sad expression.

"Rachel... it's... it's true." Rose said.

"You mean, this whole time? You weren't..." Rachel said. "Let's all go sit down. I'll tell you everything." James said. "The whole story." He added. Rachel looked at Chloe.

I feel so bad for her. All this time, she's been living with a woman who wasn't even her birth mother. And that's who that woman was. Rachel's birth mother.

"Chloe, would you please take Rachel to the living room?" Rose asked. "Yeah. Sure." Chloe said and led Rachel over to the living room. Likely so that James and Rose could discuss what to tell Rachel and how they would do it.

Rachel slowly sat down onto the couch. Breathing shakily. Chloe sat down beside her friend and gently laid her hand on Rachel's.

"Chloe... who am I?" Rachel asked. "You're Rachel." Chloe told her. "Am I?" She questioned. "Am I even Rachel Amber at this point?" Rachel said and looked at Chloe. "Is my whole life just one big lie?" Rachel said and buried her face into her hands. Lightly sobbing.

This isn't what Chloe pictured the night to look like. She was hoping to hang out with Rachel and have fun. Not be told that Rachel's real mother is the woman James was with. The blonde woman he kissed. Even though he was already married to Rose.

Chloe softly rubbed Rachel's back. Her hand softly gripping her arm. "I'm right here." Chloe told her. Rachel looked up from her tears and said, "I know." Chloe smiled softly and wiped a few tears away from Rachel's eyes.

James and Rose approached the teenagers. James sat down in a chair and eyed at his daughter. It was time to finally tell the truth he's been hiding for so long. The truth about the blonde woman.

Rachel's birth mother.