The angel he lost

Projecting pain

third pov

"Did you do the dishes?" - Bianca yelled from the other room, at Ana Maria. 

"I am still eating my dinner, I'll do it as soon as I finish my plate" - Ana Maria replied politely, and turned her attention towards the plate, as she was feeling extra hungry today.

After she had come home from school, Ana Maria had prepared the dinner meal for the whole family, before leaving again for her work, at the small textile factory of the town. Between her responsibilities in school, her part-time job, and church, Ana Maria was struggling to keep up, but her family showed no interest in helping her out. They still expected her to do all of the chores, around the small house. 

 "I SAID DO THE DISHES! How dare disrespect me?" - Bianca suddenly stormed into the kitchen, yelling at the top of her lungs, while her face had a crazy look. In an unreasonable wave of rage towards her stepdaughter, she threw her plate off the table. 

Ana Maria looked at her shocked for a moment, but then she quickly composed herself, trying to keep calm. After so many years of living in her abusive household, she knew that crying or reacting angrily would only make things worse. 

"I said I would do it after I had finished! Why did you do this? There is nothing else for me to eat, and I am still hungry" - she looked at Bianka with piercing eyes, but her voice was still soft. 

"You do as I say, you ungrateful b***h! You are living under my roof, eating my food, and spending my money. The last you can do is to keep this place clean" 

"In case you haven't noticed, I do all the work around here! You are unemployed and I have been working since I was 14 years old. Maybe you should be the one to keep it up with the cleaning sometimes, or at least to wait until I am finished with eating" 

"How dare you?" - Bianca was lost for words, she felt her blood boiling in rage

"What's going on here? " - Vincent suddenly appeared at the entrance of the door, he had just arrived home half drunk. 

"Your daughter being the ungrateful b***h that she is throw away the food, saying that it wasn't good enough for her" - Bianca replied immediately, looking at Ana Maria with a hateful smirk. 

"Is that true?" - Vincent's voice roared all around the small house

"No! It is not! I would never throw away the food that God has blessed us with" - Ana Maria replied, keeping her head up. Her frame was small and delicate, but the dignity she was wearing made her stand out, giving her grace and elegance. 

"Again with Godly preaching. She is nothing but a wolf in sheep clothes, you can fool anyone in this town, but not me" - Bianca yelled again "She throws food and offended me, cursing me out. This little b***h says that this is her home and that I should be the one serving and catering to her." 

"That did not happen..." - before Ana Maria could finish the sentence she suddenly felt a sharp jab, that caused her to fall. Vincent had slapped her hard, she could now feel the metallic taste of the blood in her face. Ana Maria's eyes were filled with tears and pain, when she looked up towards her father that was standing tall in front of her. 

"You shall never again insult your mother! You will not destroy my family again. Was it not enough that you killed the love of my life when she gave birth to you? Now you want to kick out from the house the woman who raised you as well? " - Vincent yelled, his venomous words, which he spoke without thinking or taking anyone into consideration, caused so much tension between all of them. Once again, Ana Maria felt her heartbreaking into pieces as his father accused her of killing her own mother, whom she had never known. While Bianca felt even more enraged and hurt. Her husband of so many years still had not gotten over the death of his first wife, her ghost was always there hunting all of them. 

Ana Maria did not reply at all, she slowly got back on her feet and rushed towards the little basement of the house, that was adjusted as her room. She lied down to her bed and cried her heart out, feeling devastated, guilty but above all lonely. 

"Why did you leave me, mother? I wish I would have died instead of you" - she whispered while breathing hard in between sobs, but deep down she was scared that her mother would have hated her too and that thought alone would break her. 

............................... 

"The governor is here" - James came rushing into Liam's suite "He is waiting at the hotel's restaurant" 

"I have waited this moment for a long time, it will not hurt him if he waits for a little" - Liam's voice was content, but calm.  He was wearing a black smoking suit, looking handsome as ever. His tall and muscular physique made him look very attractive and masculine. His dominating aura and extreme confidence always made him draw all of the attention, whenever he would enter a room. 

Right now, Liam was sitting behind his desk surrounded by paperwork, smoking a cigar as he looked very concreted. 

"Is everything all right sir?" - James asked carefully

"Is perfectly fine. I was just looking at my new investment" - Liam said and gave James some pictures to look at. 

"Is this... is this a farm? I mean it's beautiful but...why would you buy a farm? Don't tell me you miss the day you used to work in the fields or in the mines" - James said laughing 

"Those days made me who I am, it gave me a clear vision of what I didn't want to be." 

"I did not mean to offend you Lia..." - James tried to explain himself 

"I know. It's not offensive if it is the truth. Remember, the truth may be uncomfortable, or embarrassing but it is never offensive. And the truth is that I grow up being miserably poor.." 

"You have made a long way,  since those days. Look at you now" - James said looking at him with a spark of admiration "But what do you want this farm for? Knowing you as well as I do, I don't think is just for the aesthetics." 

"Aren't you tired living hotels suits?. I need an official residence, which will be "the Grand Farm" - Liam explained, shaking the ashes of the cigarette in the crystal casserole. 

"First of all, this is the most luxurious suite in the country, and I don't get how you want to move out of here to live on a farm. Second of all, you have a company to run and moving to a small town may ruin your business" 

Liam gave him a smirk and got up on his feet "I think the governor has waited for enough" 

"Liam... you are my best friend and I blindly trust your judgment, but ...." - James was not able to finish his thought, as Liam had already made his way out of the suite. 

"If he thinks that I will go work for him in a small town ... never again, never again" - with a dramatic gesture, James threw the picture of the "Grand Farm" in the desk, following out Liam.

.........................

third pov 

After overhearing her parent's fight, Sophia was still in her room. She had not come out for hours, refusing to speak with anyone or to have dinner, even though she was so hungry. 

She had cried so much, her tears had dried out. The mirror on her wall was smashed into thousands of pieces, that were dangerously scattered into the room's carpet.  

"You can't go on like this forever... What is this mess?" - her mother looked around annoyed. Mary took a look at her daughter, who was in a terrible emotional state. The traces of tears were still visible, she looked tired and her scars were kind of reddish.  Mery felt deep remorse, but also disgust, after so many years she was not completely used to the burns on Sophia's face. She used to be such a beautiful girl when growing up, but after the night of the fire that destroyed her face, Mary could not bear to even look at Sophia. 

"Don't you think you are overreacting?" - she asked taking a deep breath, looking annoyed

"How did you get in my room? Get out now!" - Sophia yelled at her mother angry

"This is my room, as it is in my house. I have the extra key, and if you keep this tone with me, you will sleep outside with the dogs" - Mary's cold voice sounded more like a threat, and Sophia knew better than to piss her off, so she kept her mouth shut, biting her tongue to not answer back. 

Holding the pillow tight in her embrace, like she was seeking some consolation and comfort, Sophia leaned her body towards the backboard of the bed. She kept her face down, avoiding looking directly at her mother's eyes, she no longer wanted to see the hidden repulsion on her face. 

"I know that you are hurt, and I am sorry about that" - Mary seat down next to her "But I have something to make you feel better " 

"You are sorry for what you said or you are sorry that you got caught saying it?" - Sophia's said in a hard voice, feeling a knot behind her throat. 

"I said I am sorry and that's enough. You don't have to make such a drama out of nothing" 

"Nothing? Nothing? You said I am a monster! Have you any idea how your words make me feel? How much they hurt?" 

"Well it's for the better" 

"How is this for the better? In whose best interest is this? Certainly not mine" 

"Listen, Sophia! Listen to me! " - Mary cupped her daughter's face in between her palms, forcing her to look at her straight in the eyes. Sophia was breathing hard, her eyes watered again, and we're about to break into sobs 

"This life is hard. Is very hard for people like us. You better get used to it, because the world out there is cruel. They will tear you to pieces in the first chance they got and they will not apologize for it" 

"No one out there is as cruel to me as you! Don't pretend you get me, you can't possibly understand what is like living every day with a disfigured face, to bear the mean comments, the humiliations" - Sophia pushed her hands away, leaning against the wall to create more space towards them both. 

"This happens because you are stupid, you are a stupid girl who refuses to listen to your mother. No one gets you better than I do" - Mary raised her voice once again, feeling angry at her daughter

"When you were my age, you were the most beautiful girl amongst all of the girls in your town. You can't possibly get me" - Sophia replied, holding on tight to the pillow, bending her body more in an uncomfortable position. Her frame looked even smaller, all she wanted at that moment was to disappear completely. 

"And Ana Maria is the most beautiful girl amongst all of the girls in this town. Heck, she is the most gorgeous woman I have ever seen. Yet, you are so stupid that you climb out to that girl, like a little monkey." - Mary's voice was bitter and cold

"What Ana Maria has anything to do with this? She is my best friend, she loves me, she is the only one who she's me for who I am, not for my physical flows. And besides, Ana Maria is not guilty of what happened to me, Liam is. It's all his fault that I am a disfigured hideous monster" - this time was Sophia who raised her voice, spilling off all of the words with one breath. Suddenly she burst out in sobs, making her mother feel pity for her. 

Mary took a seat next to Sophia again, taking a deep breath, trying hard to control her feelings. 

"Ana Maria is guilty of making your... flaws stand out even more. You have to get rid of that girl, the sooner the better, or else you will always be under her shadow. Liam is guilty of that fire, but he is and will compensate you, now that he is a rich man" - her tone was like explaining something so easily understandable to an annoying little kid, who refused to learn. 

"You are not making any sense. Can't you just leave me alone, in my own misery?"

"You want to be miserable all your life? Huh? Is that what you want?" 

"No, of course not... I..." 

"Than you better listen to me, you fool. I was indeed beautiful, but what did it serve me for? My family was so poor, we never had enough to eat. They married me off to a man, who made me work my entire life because he couldn't provide as he should. My beauty faded off in time, I never got to live any of my dreams. I get you! I know how you feel! But you, despite your ... flaws can still have a better life, a beautiful life" 

"How? How can I have a beautiful life, when I am so ugly?" - the pain in Sophia's eyes were intense, she looked defeated 

"Easy" - Mery replied in a calm tone "You buy one" 

"What?" - Sophia asked confused, not sure if she had listened right

"You heard me. You buy one. If there is one thing you should know about people, is that they love money. A beautiful face gets tiring soon, but money is never enough. Tell me what did they said to you about that new dress?" 

"They complimented the dress, but... they said the meanest things to me. Just like you" 

"If you let them enough nearside you, to take a look of the richness, they will also want a taste of it. And at that moment you will become the most beautiful person in the room, people will be drowned in you. Money has immense control over people" 

"Yes, but we don't have any money. Liam does and father does not expect his help" 

"You have control over Liam, therefore you have control over his money. Liam always has felt guilty about what happened to you, so he will naturally want to buy off your forgiveness, and you will let him do so. Then you will buy a beautiful life. Do you get it now?" - Mary said with a smirk, while Sophia was looking at her dumbfounded, not knowing what to think.