Chapter 2 - Shattered Glass
1068 Words
The stench of cheap whisky and tears reached me before I even closed the front door.
I put my soaking bag on the floor, my clothing still sticking to my skin from the rain. The apartment felt colder than normal, like even the walls had given up on us.
“Mom?” I cried out, my voice trembling.
I entered the little living room and found her seated on the worn-out couch, her shoulders quivering. Crumpled papers lay spread about her feet. Her hands covered her face, and her slender form appeared even smaller in the dim light.
“Mom, what’s wrong?” I muttered, my chest squeezing with anxiety.
She glanced up slowly, her eyes red and puffy. Her mascara had run down her cheeks, mixed with tears. She gave out a document to me with shaky hands.
“They’re taking the house, Aurora,” she sobbed. “They’re taking everything.”
I took the paper and scanned it, my eyes blurring with tears.
Final Eviction Notice. Immediate repossession.
My legs weakened, and I slumped on the carpet, the paper dropping from my fingertips.
“How…how much do we owe?” I whispered.
“Your father…” She wailed louder, clutching herself. “He…he took out more loans. I didn’t know. I promise I didn’t know. He stated he will pay them off following his business transaction in Chicago.”
“Where is he now?” I questioned, my voice going frigid.
She shook her head miserably. “Gone. His phone is off. I think… I guess he abandoned us, Aurora.”
I pushed my quivering fists on my face. The walls seemed like they were closing in. I heard a huge bang from down the hall and hurried towards it.
“Ethan!” I shouted aloud, pushing open his door.
My younger brother sat on the floor, his back against his bed. An empty whiskey bottle rolled across the carpet. He peered at me with unfocused eyes, his pale skin nearly gray.
“Hey… see who’s home…” he slurred, trying to smile. “Did the…big scary CEO give you a job today?”
Tears flowed down my cheeks as I knelt in front of him. “Ethan, why are you doing this to yourself? You promised me…no more drinking.”
He laughed bitterly, his head falling back against the bed frame. “What’s the point, Rory? Dad’s gone. Mom’s losing her mind. And you…you’re dying yourself trying to save us.”
I grasped his face between my trembling palms. “You’re my little brother. That’s the point. You are the point.”
His eyes flared with pain before he shoved me away violently. “Go away, Rory. Just…leave me alone.”
I stood slowly, wiping my tears. My chest felt weighted with sadness. I strolled back to the living room where Mom sat looking at nothing.
“We’ll figure it out,” I whispered quietly, sitting alongside her and caressing her tiny shoulders. “We always do.”
She turned to me, her eyes hollow. “How, Aurora? We have no money. No savings. They’re coming to take the house next week. Where will we go?”
I didn’t have an answer. I pushed my face into hers, felt her tears mix with mine.
“We’ll find a way,” I muttered, but I didn’t believe it.
My phone buzzed in my pocket, interrupting the stillness. I pulled it out with shaky fingers and stopped as I read the caller ID:
Sterling Towers – Executive Line.
My gut twisted with fear. I hesitated, then responded with a raspy voice.
“Hello?”
“Miss Hayes,” a frigid female voice stated. It was Damon Sterling’s assistant, Claire. “Mr Sterling requires your presence in his office tomorrow morning. Eight AM sharp.”
My breath caught in my throat. “I… I don’t understand. Why?”
“I suggest you don’t keep him waiting to find out,” Claire stated before hanging up.
I gazed at my phone, my hands shaking so hard I almost dropped it.
Why did he want to see me again? Was he going to dismiss me officially? Humiliate me further? Or was this about the scar he saw today?
“Who was that?” Mom asked weakly.
“Work,” I murmured, afraid to meet her gaze. “Just…work.”
I rose up and headed to my room, shutting the door quietly behind me. My legs gave out, and I went down to the floor, holding my knees to my chest.
Silent tears streamed down my cheeks as I peered into the darkness.
I thought of Damon Sterling - his hard black eyes, his harsh remarks, the way his gaze softened when he saw my scar. What did he see at that moment? Pity? Recognition? Or simply another weakness to exploit?
I hid my face in my hands, crying softly.
We were drowning. And tomorrow, I’d have to confront the devil himself again.
As Aurora curled up on her bedroom floor, her tears seeped into her pillow.
What does he want from me now?
I couldn’t sleep that night. Every time I closed my eyes, I felt Damon’s harsh glare searing into me.
At 2 AM, my phone buzzed again. My heart leaped as I saw the text.
Unknown Number: Are you awake?
My chest clenched. Who was this?
Before I could reply, another message came.
Unknown Number: It’s Damon Sterling. Open your door.
I leaped up from my bed, my hands shaking. Why was he here? In the middle of the night?
I tiptoed to the front door and cracked it open. There he stood in a black suit, his hair moist from rain, eyes glinting beneath the porch light.
“Mr Sterling… why…?”
“Get dressed,” he ordered in a quiet voice. “We’re going somewhere.”
“Now?” I muttered, my pulse pumping. “It’s the middle of the night.”
His eyes softened for a short second. “Trust me, Aurora. Just just once.”
Something in his speech made my knees weak. I nodded, moving back to retrieve my coat.
But as I turned away, he mumbled so quietly I almost missed it.
"You have no idea what you’ve done to me."
Where was he going to me at this hour… and why did his eyes appear like he was going to break?
- Writer
