The Outsider (Outsider #1) ✔️

Chapter 123 : Dawn Hale

After Tom Hale left, Dusk slumped on the seat, covered her face with her hands and started sobbing. She had practically thrown her father out of her office and broken off relationship with him. She no longer had a family she could call and speak to, no home to go back to... Though she rarely did the former and didn't care for the later, it was a hard thing to take in. All told, apart from Dawn, her parents were the closest she had for 20 years. They had controlled her life, supressed her and made her miserable, but she was accustomed to them and the loss of the relationship was overwhelming.

She felt she had lost something big in her life. In a moment of rebellion against her father, she had effectively wiped out her connection to her family. True, he was here to see what he could get out of her success. But perhaps, she now considered, she should have been a little soft and compromising... She suddenly felt that giving him a few thousands out of her earnings would not be so bad. After all, that amount would hardly matter.

But then she thought of all the injustice (however minor they looked now), and the deprivation she had faced... Susco had been right. In the name of 'propriety and not being spoilt', she had been denied what most other kids in her village had been given. She had suppressed her pride and ego and somehow managed. She was lucky that her friends did not discriminate against her but sympathised that her parents were 'strict and miserly'. Well, most of them at least. Some who did make fun of her when she could not buy things.

Susco was expecting that Dusk would break down after the bravado. She came and stood behind Dusk and patted her back, consoling her. She knew nothing she said at that time would help. Catherine was puzzled on seeing Dusk cryin, as she thought Dusk had done the right thing by throwing out that horrid man from her life. She was holding on tightly to Dawn's hands as Dawn had been scared and worried about the outcome.

Originally Dawn had planned to come on her own and convince Dusk to let her stay, and she had already planned not to go back. She was worried that her plan would fail with her father accompanying her as he could force her to return.

When they were touring the office, Catherine had also suggested that she can stay back and it would be good fun. Though Dawn proposed it to her father, she had very little hope she would be allowed to stay. After all, her father was against everything Dusk had been doing.

Now, seeing Dusk crying like that, Dawn could not stand it anymore. She left Catherine's side and rushed to Dusk, hugged her and started crying.

"I am so sorry, Dusk! I am so sorry! I have been insisting for some time now that I wanted to come and meet you. I did not expect dad will come with me. All I wanted him to do was give me money for the Maglev... It is because of me that he came here and shouted at you. I am so sorry, please stop crying."

Dusk in return, hugged her kid sister tightly. She was the only family she had left. She consoled Dawn while trying to control her own grief, "No Dawn, it is not your fault. I am glad you came to visit. I am so sorry that I did not get much time to speak to you or respond to your messages most of the time, making you feel I had abandoned you. It is not your fault that dad shouted. I am sure, even if you had not insisted on coming, he would have come here on his own at some point of time. Stop crying. We will both be ok."

She knew that Dawn was also deprived of many things that were not the 'basic necessities of life', how she also worked hard at the Tavern. She had stopped studying after completing Secondary School, so she did not even have much of a break from work. She knew her dad did not pay her wages for her work, but only a small amount as pocket money. But because Dawn was 'cute and pretty', she had boys around who were willing to pay for her, take her out, buy her meals... and occasionally even clothes.

"See Cath? You were upset because you were adopted, and you thought you did not have 'real' parents. You have seen mine. Do you still think it is bad to have parents like yours?" Dusk asked Catherine, still sobbing.