From one night to love.

Chapter 4.

As I left the house, I bit my lips realising that the gate was a bit far and that I needed some sort of assistance with it.

Sighing, I began to run to it. It was annoying how this had turned into an escape mission for me. Well, that's what it means to be poor. You'd have to do all you can to avoid trouble, even when you're not at fault.

When I arrived at the large gate, I looked at the two gatemen stationed there and straightened up.

"I'm Mr Clifford's guest. I have an emergency and my car is waiting for me outside. He is still in bed." I said authoritatively. I knew how to use the time since I had once used it.

The two men looked at each other, a flicker of doubt flashing in their eyes, and knowing that they would want to verify from their boss, I feigned anger. I knew that the jerk would be here anytime soon.

"Do you want to explain to Mr Clifford why his guest is standing in the cold? And would you bear the consequences of delaying my emergency meeting?" I went on and this gets the guards.

One of them hastily opens the gate for me and I smile to myself as I pass it, then I hurriedly run through the streets.

I wish there was actually a car waiting for me outside since I looked too bare with only a blanket on, but there was none. Thankfully, it was still around 7:00am so I won't see a lot of people before arriving home.

I shut my mind throughout my way home. I knew if I started thinking about everything that had happened to me, I would end up breaking down in the middle of the road and I didn't want that. At least not with the way I looked.

As the first person I see is Gabriel pacing back and forth obviously worried. They must have thought that I ran away for a while or forever—something I badly want to do but cannot do since I have three younger ones relying on me.

I knew that they couldn't survive another heavy blow like that.

When my mother looked up at me, she flinched and as she saw the blanket around my body, her eyes were filled with questions, but I quickly diverted my gaze. I knew if I looked at her longer, I would release an outburst.

"Cora is here!" My little sister exclaimed when she noticed me breaking the tense silence.

She ran to me and I caught her, wrapping my arms around her.

Who said that I wasn't going to be here? Big sis was just busy last night. Where is Anderson?"

"We heard Gabriel calling different people and asking about you. Andy went to sleep after crying for a long time," She answered.

I broke free now running my hand around her hair with a forced smile. She and Anderson, her twin brother have always been the cheerful one amongst us.

"The big problem is that I didn't bring anything for both of you but not to worry, big sis got you!" I said dramatically, shaking her. gently, then I carried her walking towards our room.

Halfway, I paused and glanced at my mom. With how devastated she looked, I felt like running, hugging her, saying sweet words to soothe her or even apologising to her, but what was the use?

That was what we did when she started, but she is still a sot and a druggie! And I still can't help, but wonder why she can't still be the same mother that I knew before: the same caring and loving one.

Even Sarah or Andy hasn't broken completely so why her?

She just kept discouraging us, bringing us down and putting us— especially the kids in harm's way.

More tears escaped her eyes as she stood up, but she didn't come closer. I guess she didn't have anything to say to me. That's better since I don't plan on listening to her.

My temple throbs. My legs are weak. My stomach is still churning and my mind....it felt like exploding and seeing her was making it worse.

Maybe it's high time I accept that she died the day my father did.

With a sad smile, I tightened my grip on Sarah as I continue to walk past her and dash into the room closing the door behind me.

I put her in bed since I am sure that she has not slept well due to the chaos. Confirming my thoughts, she falls asleep almost immediately.

I also move close to her as I tried to get some sleep and forget all that has happened, but even as tired as I feel, my heart is too heavy. The pain that I have been feeling since I woke up won't let go.

I pick my bag from my bed where it is hanging and decide to use my phone as a distraction. Unfortunately, I realise that I have some texts from some of my "friends."

The friends who invite me to parties to mock me? They invite me to a party, insult me and when they have had their fun, simply act as if I don't exist.

It had happened six times. Six times I made a mistake in thinking that they still took me as their friend.

I throw my phone back into my bag and bury my head in my pillow trying to shut all my mixed feelings. I close my eyes trying to get some sleep, but instead, his image came back.

The guy with the amber eyes.

Images of him holding me, kissing me, squeezing me and for a moment, I felt like it was happening again.

It was like p**n— one that I didn't want to watch, but couldn't stop. The sound of lips smacking, the moans, the touches or squeezing.

Oh gosh!

I turned on the bed repeatedly, but that only makes it stop for a while. Later on, it comes back.

The first annoying part fall this is that I don't even know him. I don't know if he has an STD or worse HIV. No condom was used.

Being wealthy doesn't save him from that especially since he was a f**k boy.

What if I'm sick and I don't even know? Bad things have been what's been going on in my life so I can only think of the worst.

I wish I could just wake up from this bad dream. Everything just keeps getting worse in my life.

As tears begin to roll out of the corner of my eyes, I hastily get up and run to the bathroom. The last thing I want is to wake Sarah up with my sobbing and get her worried.

I rest my hand on the wall as I silently let all my tears out.

'What wrong could I have done? Why is life so unfair?' I mumbled.

I began to pull off my shirt, but stopped midway realising that I had hickeys on my body. I face the mirror, but by seeing my face, I felt like screaming.

My lips are swollen, my eyes reddened from all the crying and my hair scattered.

I continued removing my clothes, pulling out my jeans and underwear, then I switched on the shower.

I grabbed a sponge and began to scrub my body wishing that I could scrub the hickeys off. They are just accentuating the fact that I have been used. It is just like the physical reminder that hits me when I try to deny the truth.

At first, I thought all of my experiences last night was a bad dream and have been waiting for the part when I will wake up since the pain of the two occurrences was so much.

And besides it would be too weird to be bathing in a dream.