the broken mirror ➸ camren

Chapter Three

"Get out of the car".

Lauren took her bag and did what her mother told her, opening the car door and stepping out. They had arrived home.

Lauren sighed, looking at the luxurious villa that was in front of her. Someone else would be glad to have such a home - Lauren found it boring.

Come on, Clara pointed quietly. Lauren followed her in the house, where they took off their shoes and walked through the hall.

The house was hot.

"Go to your room," Clara told Lauren with a tight voice. Lauren knew her mother would not easily forgive her.

"But ..."

"I do not want to hear another word, I was disappointed today, i said go to your room," Clara said, with her eyebrows raised. Lauren was scared. She was even afraid to cross the living room to get to her room.

The reason? Her stepfather, Garry. Garry was a tall, trained man at the age of Lauren's mother. He had married Clara five years ago and lived with them since then. Lauren's dad had left her mother when she was still a baby.

Lauren hated Garry. He was tremendous. He was the reason she didn't remember her last real smile.

Yes, Lauren was a rising model with a career in front of her. She was beautiful, rich and everyone admired her. But there was something that destroyed her wonderful life. Garry.

Garry was always weak and liked drinking. One night four years ago, he went out with some of his friends.
He drank and he returned completely wasted.
Lauren was only thirteen years old and did not pay much attention. But since then, Garry went out every night and returned home drunk. At first he was drunk and he just slept.
But he eventually began doing things he did not do before. And now he was beating up Lauren almost every night.

That was Lauren's deepest, darkest secret. Under all that shiny makeup, these huge pretty smiles and dresses, there were... bruises. Signs of abuse.

She had never said anything to anyone. Only her, Garry and Clara knew what was going on. But Clara refused to help her daughter and pretended that nothing was happening.

Lauren could not do anything about it anymore.

The only time of the day she could let her tears run freely, was at night. Every night, she cried endlessly after Garry's outbursts, after removing all her makeup, taking off that fake smile.

Sometimes Lauren felt like her life was the actual hell. It felt like she was hiding the truth behind the makeup.

Basically, she did. But she tried to remind herself how beautiful and successful she was already. So she thought she was able to live under the same roof as Garry.

Lauren realized she was looking at her mother speechless for a long time, without talking.

"Did you not hear what I told you to do? Don't you dare make me any more furious than i already am!" Clara shouted, her voice even louder.
Lauren was not in the mood to fight with her mother anyway. She did not hear anyone at home and assumed that Garry had not returned yet.

"Okay then. Good night, Mom," Lauren murmured. Clara went to the kitchen without even answering.

Lauren dragged her feet to the large corridor where her bedroom was. She was sleepy. The catwalk was exhausting for her today.

She opened the door and left her bag on the edge of her bed. She decided to remove her makeup first.

But just as she went to pick up her stuff from the purse, she heard the door behind her open. She sighed.