Heart Of Desire [DISCONTINUED]

Chapter One: Fighting Love

Betty's POV:

From a stranger's eye, Betty Cooper is the perfect girl next door. Dressed inevitably in a pink cashmere sweater and light washed jeans. Her friends would describe her as an outspoken, sassy, yet a disarmingly beautiful girl, who never lets people push her around. Although, to her family, she is never good enough and constantly has a flaw pointed out. Whether it is her bloated stomach or the 85% on her math test.

But, when she looks in the mirror, all she sees is an empty and lifeless shadow staring back at her. As if she has been hollowed out and is just glaring at her body. Betty never feels like herself. Almost as if there is this other person inside her, just waiting to snap. Her only way to keep them restrained is with the familiar pinch in her palms.

And, that is what Betty found herself doing as her mother scolded her. She has her fingers curled into them, feeling her nails dig into the cool skin, as she felt the warmth of her blood soak the flesh, barely registering the pain. It was wrong, but it made her feel in control. Her mind was really the only thing she had actual control over.

—❀—

"How many damn times do I have to tell you Elizabeth?"

Betty winced at the use of her full name. It felt unnatural and too formal.

"If I hear you have gained one more pound, I'll starve you for the rest of the week. What do you want people to think of you? That you're like Polly?"

At the mention of her sisters name, Betty felt tears prick at the corner of her eyes. She was probably the only person who understood her. They had such a good relationship as they knew each other inside out. After hearing her mom say Polly's name as if it was dirt on the bottom of her shoe, caused Betty to finally snap, unable to contain it any longer.

"Don't you dare talk about her like that. She cared about me more than you ever have. My own mother."

Betty now felt the silent tears streaming down her face. She never cried in front of her mom because she didn't want her to think that she was weak, but at this point she was too tired to care.

"You always say how you want me to be perfect. The perfect daughter, the perfect sister, the perfect student. Do you ever realise how this makes me feel? Like I am a mistake and shouldn't even be here."

She thought her mom would maybe give her some concern or even pity, at the least. But her mother's look only held an ice cold stare.

"Yeah. Maybe you shouldn't."

Betty felt like she had been slapped in the face and punched in the stomach. Before saying anything more she grabbed her purse and ran out of the house. Never has she felt so betrayed, so unloved. And she felt like that often.

But this time, she saw the way she was looked at and it made her blood run cold. It was nothing new but this time it was different- nerving. It was the same expression she had the day Polly was sent away. She remembered it so clearly...

—❀—

[ "Hey mom! Me and Betty are gonna head out for a bit. See you at dinner?"

Alice Cooper looked at her daughter with the most disgusted look.

"No, you aren't."

Polly paused and looked back at her mother.

"What do you mean?"

Before she even realized it, she was being dragged out of her own home like some criminal. Screaming and pleading in confusion but Alice didn't say anything except: