Chapter 3
1116 Words
Everyone always favored Jezebel over me, including our parents.
Maybe it was because I reminded my dad of his dead wife, and my stepmother of the fact that was the second choice wife. I’m almost sure she got in his head about it, because soon after they got married, the general distaste for my presence began.
I remember when we were seven, we had been playing on a bridge that sloped over a small stream. It wasn’t very high up, six feet maybe. And the water below was mostly a steady trickle over a bed of rocks. She had been hanging over the edge, daring me to try it with her, to see who could lean over farther. She had ended up slipping, and tumbling over the edge. I had reached out and tried to grab her leg to get her from falling head first onto the rocks, but just ended up falling with her. I guess she hit her head pretty hard, because she was knocked unconscious. I remember running and finding Ryker, who was a few years older than me, and telling him what had happened. He had told an adult to call for help, and run with me to keep watch on her.
When Jezebel woke, immediately, she started pointing fingers at me. Saying I’d pushed her in. I didn’t even understand why she was lying about it, it was a stupid mistake that no one rational would be angry at her for. She could’ve just said, I slipped, and it would have been the end.
Instead, she lied, and it got me a hand to the face. I remember my dad’s venom filled words, “I didn’t know I had such an evil child.” His words had broken my heart, and from then on, my place in the family was clear.
Now, I stood in the corner, arms crossed, watching Jezebel and Ryker wake up in each other’s arms. Fury simmered in my belly as I watched Jezebel sit up, slide her feet into my slippers, and make her way to my vanity, the one Ryker had built for me as a five year anniversary present. I wanted to slam her face into it as I watched her pick through my skin care and cosmetic products.
I can see Ryker scrolling through his phone as he sits up in bed, his lap still covered with the blanket. Jezebel also notices his distracted state, and seems to zero in on it.
“You’re not still worried about my drama queen sister, are you?” She asks as she ties her hair up in a bun. “I’m telling you, she probably just cut herself a little, wiped some blood on her dress and threw it in the river to really sell this little act she has going on.” She rolls her eyes as she starts applying eye cream under her eyes. For some reason, her using my products and sitting at my furniture like it was her own irritated me more than the lies she was spewing about me.
Ryker sighs. “My parents are coming home from their around-the-pack trip today. I need her to be here.” Another eye roll from Jezebel. God, I hope her eyes get stuck like that.
“I’m sure she just crawled back to mommy and daddies house.” Jezebel said.
Seriously? That was rich, coming from one of the people who knows best of all that our parents would never take me back. They loathed me, borderline hated me. They would never protect me.
I see Ryker pressing the dial nutton on his phone, and he holds it up to his ear. It goes straight to voicemail, because I’m sure it’s dead by now. I’d left it in my bag in the dressing room where I’d put my wedding dress on, where I’m sure it still sat.
“God damn it.” Ryker groans, moving to stand up then. “Spoiled woman, I swear.” He grumbles as he begins getting ready. Was he finally going to look for me? Was he starting to get a little worried, perhaps?
Suddenly, I hear the front door opening, and stomping coming right towards Ryker’s room. “Shit.” I hear Ryker growling as he quickly pulls his pants on.
“You little asshole.” Ryker’s dad, Griffin, growls at his son the second he slams his bedroom door open.
“Honey, please, try not to kill our only son.” I glance over to see Elizabeth, Ryker’s mother and Griffin’s wife trailing in behind her husband.
“Our only son just disgraced us.” Griffin snarls, towering over his son like he wanted to tear into him.
I slowly clapped a little for him, happy at least someone was upset about all of this. Griffin had always liked me, he said I was good for his son. Said I brought out a kind side in him.
“Tell me why I’ve had more than a dozen phone calls while I’m away on business, telling me my son left his bride at the alter to anwer a f*****g phone call. And where is Lucia now? Who the hell is this?” Griffin turns to glare at Jezebel then, who at least has the decency to shrink in her seat. I’d never had strong feelings about Ryker’s dad when I was alive, he was polite, but just a guy.
I like him a lot right now though.
“Dad, I messed up, okay? Jezebel is… pregnant, with my child.” Ryker says, and Griffin’s eyes go wide, and he shakes his head. “As to where Lucia is… we don’t know. We got a weird call from her yesterday, but we think she’s just looking for attention.”
“What kind of weird call?” Elizabeth asks, stepping forward a little.
Ryker sighs. “She… she claimed someone had her, and that they were going to kill her.” I myself jump a little when it’s Elizabeth who steps forward then, and slaps her hand across her son’s face.
“I knew you had your faults, but never did I think you were this stupid. We have to move quickly, and pray she’s still alive so we can fix this colossal f**k up you’ve gotten yourself wrapped up in.” She hisses, actually grabbing his ear as she scolds him like a child.
I tore my eyes away from Elizabeth, who I was looking at with a lot more respect now, and to Ryker. His face was starting to show signs of worry.
He was finally picking up on the fact that something was not right here.
- Writer
