How to break a heart

Cracks in the wall

I open the door to the house and step inside, wiping my shoes on the mat. Dad's not around. Good. I'm happy he hasn't found out about where I was. I've just come back from the restaurant and it's pretty late. If dad knew what I've been doing, I would be in for it.

But just at that moment, dad trudges out of his office, clutching a mug of tea. Why now?

He notices me.

"Angelica. Where have you been?!" He spits sternly.

No, no, NO!

"I was out... studying. At the library.

"Angelica. I'm going to ask you one more time. WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? IT'S NEARLY NINE! Young ladies ask for permission to leave the house."

I'm so done with dad and his stupid rules and regulations.

"Dad! I'm seventeen. Surely I can make my OWN decisions! I'm sick and TIRED of you putting us down and trying to fit us into your standards! I'm sorry I'm not good enough for you but I'm not changing! Why don't you care about us anymore?!"

Dad is shaking. "Angelica. When you're under MY ROOF, you're back by 6! Don't you DARE have that cheek with me!"

"Dad, when I'm under your roof, I'm an animal on a lead! Doing exactly what you tell me. Even that isn't good enough for you. Why can't you just understand us? We went through just the same as you did, so why punish us because you're not happy anymore?"

"That's it. You're grounded until you start behaving how you should!"

He snatches my keys right from my hand. 

"DAD! WHAT? WHY DON'T YOU-"

He slams the door to his office.

**Time skip**

I'm counting the cracks in the ceiling. Like our family. Broken. Why can't dad understand anything anymore? I don't even want to call him dad. I want to scream. I want to kick the walls. I need to talk to someone who knows what it's like to be oppressed. Don't say I'm being dramatic. I don't feel like I can talk to Eliza and Peggy about it. They're my sisters and I love them the most in the world. But I'm the eldest sister and my problems aren't theirs. Why should they have to take my burden. Why should they have to care? As the oldest sister, they lean on me, not the other way round. They go through their own problems and do they moan about it? No. Come on Angelica! You're seventeen. You're nearly an adult. Stop lying around crying and get up! Your dad doesn't care about you anymore? Well, deal with it! Life's not fair. You're crying about your dad being bossy, think about everything Alexander went through. Try to put someone else first. Don't be selfish. Be satisfied for once.