CHAPTER 2. IF SHE HAD KNOWN HOW SHE WAS WRONG….
1101 Words
Lisa tugged home feeling listless. The best part of her day was with Raven and after Raven had cut their meeting short because of the unexpected news, she had just roamed around.
Truth be told, Lisa was excited about today. She had gotten the job that would take her away from this place. Although not in a big city as New York, the company was situated in a place with opportunities.
It was a major deal for her. Having graduated from the University with honors in Business Administration, that was Lisa’s main ground to getting out of the Evergreen clutches and now, Rachel might feel better upon realizing that her potential opponent backed out of the fight before it ever began.
However, the feeling of frustration rose up her throat despite her struggling to keep it down. She groaned realizing she was close to home. Or if it could be called that.
Well, just a few days before she disappears from this place right?
Forcing down the feeling of frustration once more, she began counting her steps.
One step. Two steps. Three steps. Four steps..
Lisa avoided the eyes of the house workers as she walked in knowing fully well that they had all avoided her and acted as though she didn’t exist.
“Lisa!.” The loud voice boomed causing her to stop in her tracks.
Lisa turned and looked towards the door by her right. She had passed the side door to avoid her stepmother who was back from her recent travels, but who was this that was around.
With cautious steps, her feet took her to pass through the connecting door into the living room.
Her Father sat on the chair still in his work clothes, his eyes smiling at Rachel worriedly as he grasped the teacup in his hand firmly.
Lisa steps faltered.
The Father she knew would never look at he that way. Not with care nor affection, and as much as she told herself that she’d outgrown the need for his care or love, it hurt Lisa every time to her bones, how he’d treat her so differently from Rachel.
She shuffled her feet, her eyes darting between her stepmother who sat on the other side of Rachel patting her arm and the business magazine on the table.
She squinted at the words written on it, ‘The Fall of the Jenkins Family?’
“Where were you?”
Her Father’s voice jolted her back to the present.
“I was out with Raven sir.” Lisa shifted on her feet.
“Who is Raven?” He squeezed his face at her.
“ The KenHurt daughter sir.” She paused her hand tugging on the fabric of her dress.
She looked at Rachel, hoping to get an inkling of what was going on and was surprised to find Rachel watching her carefully without the contemptuous look she’d specifically created for her.
“Hmm. I don’t know what she sees in you.” Lisa’s Father grunted.
“Raven KenHurt?. The girl is doted on by her family. She does nothing on her own darling.” Lisa’s stepmother- Amina- spoke, her freshly manicured fingers picking at the non-existent lint on her green Louis Vuitton skirt.
Lisa bit back the strong urgent to talk back. Talking back had gained her nothing in this house.
Lisa’s Father eyed her his mind torn between whether to reprimand Lisa from moving with the kind of Raven his wife described or leave her to keep them an opening to make connections with the KenHurt family to increase the possibility of future business opportunities.
“Join us for dinner tonight. “He said, obviously giving up on both of his two previous options and took his wife’s -Amina’s- hand walking up the stairs his face looking tired.
Lisa’s heart ached for her father. He’d never treated her like his daughter, yet she would do her bidding as his child.
Don’t do it.
Do it.
Don’t go there. I’m telling you you’d regret it.
“Dad?.”
Lisa watched as Amina threw her a dirty look over her shoulders.
“What is it, Lisa?” His voice sounded cold filled with warning that she had received several times before.
Lisa took a deep breath, the impulse that made her call out, no where to be found anymore.
“I—I – I”
“If you can’t speak properly, then you shouldn’t speak to me at all.” His eyes turned hard as his face scrunched up in disgust at her.
“Dad. I just wanted to..”
“Forget it. I’m not interested.” Lisa watched as her Father cut her words off and continued walking up the stairs.
I just wanted to ask him of his health.
I hate to say I told you but that man has made it clear that he hated you. Stop shamelessly hanging on him.
Lisa blinked back tears at her inner thoughts. Her eyes burned as she struggled to keep her composure in check.
“Still hoping for something?”
Lisa jumped at Rachel’s words, her green eyes filled with surprise. She had forgotten Rachel was there since her scathing remarks did not follow today but it seemed she spoke too soon.
“I’m not. I don’t intend to steal from you Rachel.” She swallowed the phlegm lodged in her throat as she carefully judged Rachel’s mannerisms.
“Hmm. What a big liar. Must be gotten from your mom because Dad’s the best! You should ask her how much of hereditary your liar genes are.
You know, your kids could end up with them.” She laughed out loud, twirling a strand of her hair which was similar to mine in color.
When Lisa was younger despite all that Rachel’s did, she was jealous of Rachel. The latter had nice parents, plenty friends and lots of boys who were willing to be with her. She also had experience with makeup and dresses and could effortlessly pair attires.
However amongst all the hurtful things Rachel constantly did to Lisa, this hurt below the belt and that’s saying something because Rachel had her share of fun with creating hurtful words and situations.
“Oh! I must be working too hard that I forgot you don’t have a mother anymore.
That means you can’t ask her those questions right?”
“Rachel.” Lisa cautioned tears brimming in her eyes.
“You’ll need it. The info on your lying genes.” Rachel grinned with satisfaction as she flipped her hair and climbed the stairs heading to her room.
- Writer
