Bound By Deceit

Cassandra's POV The shattering glass noise causes me to gasp loudly in shock. I place my hand over my mouth and my eyes meet with the rage twinkling in Jessica's eyes. Jessica has always been an angel sent from God to me but right now, staring at her, she looks just like the devil in blonde. She looks just like my mother. The same abusive and self centered mother that abandoned her kids years ago. I stagger backward in shock and gulp a lump down my throat as Jessica screams angrily, she runs a hand through her hair in frustration and mutters a cuss under breath. I have never seen my sister this angry before and I almost regret confronting her. "Jess--" I attempt to speak but she cuts me off with a loud scoff. "You ungrateful b***h! I took care of you and Rafael while going through s**t! I never let you guys lack anything for once! How dare you think you can scold me for nothing?" Jessica spits out bitterly. I shake my head in disbelief at her. She calls it nothing? It is a lot! Jessica no longer comes home these days, sometimes when she does come home, she is drunk and other times, she sleeps at the club where she works yet she calls it nothing? She is acting so reckless and it is so unlike her! "I think you might be intentionally missing the point here Jess. I am concerned about you. I just want to understand why you are suddenly going through such a rebellious phase." I say in a calm tone. My body remains composed but deep down I am trying my best not to break down into tears in front of her. "Bullshit Cass!" Jessica pauses to pace the room. She freezes right in front of me and yells in my face. "Yeah! That is right, you heard me right! All of this is bullshit!" "I know you do not care about me, you are mostly concerned about what I bring to the table, yeah? You are worried that if I continue like this I might lose my job and that means no food for either you nor Rafael." Jessica concludes. She snaps her fingers in my face and places both of her hands on her waist proudly. "How could you say that Jess?" I bite my lower to hold back the tears that threaten to fall from my eyes. "All I have said is because I care about you and I do not want to see you regret your actions later." My tone is shaky and my breathing becomes hitched. "You are such a pathetic liar Cass. Stay the f**k out of my way or else I might actually seize to provide at all." Jessica says lowly. She bumps into my shoulder internationally and makes her way towards the front door. I can no longer hold back the anger and rage I feel. I break down into sobs and yell at my sister "Now you are acting just like mother!" Jessica freezes in her steps. I watch her twirl to gaze at my direction. Now she just looks entirely surprised. I never meant to put it that way but that is exactly how I feel. I am really afraid that Jessica will turn out to become just like mum. I fear that one day Jessica will become reckless and someday get involved with the wrong people. I do not want to ever run away from Jessica the way I had to run away from mum when I was young. "What did you just say?" Jessica snaps at me with a raised brow. "Please do not end up like mum. Please." I cry out with tears rushing down my cheeks. I fall to my knees and begin to plead with Jessica. My sister rushes towards me with a sober face and i expect her to pull me into a hug but her actions take me off guard. Jessica lands her five fingers on my left cheek. She spits at me and storms out of the house without bothering to hear another word of mine. I fall flat to the floor and break down into sobs. Maybe I should not have said that to her, Jessica also had to go through a lot in the hands of my mother especially as the oldest child. My words must have triggered her. I spend the rest of the day wallowing in regret, I wait for Jessica but she does not return home that day. Nor the next day, nor the day after that. As a matter of fact, four days pass by so fast and my sister has not returned home. I begin to feel worried. Asides the fact that the food stuffs at home are almost out and Rafael's college fees are due for pay, I am afraid that something bad might have happened to her that night after she stormed out of the house angrily. This is my fault! Yesterday, I went to the police station to report Jessica as missing but the cops refused to take me serious the moment I mentioned that Jessica worked at a club by the end of the street. The police officer there said it was normal for Vincent's girls to disappear for weeks and eventually return. I do not understand what that meant but one thing I know for sure is that this is unusal for Jessica. Tonight, I decided to take the boldest step ever. I went to the club where Jessica works. Although my sister had warned me a long while ago to never visit her workplace because of how dangerous it is and I promised to obey her but this is a life and death situation, I have to find out about Jessica's whereabouts and her workplace seems like the perfect place to begin. I stand in front of the glass doors. The neon lights flash from the transparent doors, the smell of alcohol and smoke is strong in the air. I gulp a lump down my throat as I hear a shrieking noise echo from the club. What is this place? Is it really just a club?