Her breakthrough

Dad's leaving...

"Mom? Rochelle? What exactly is going on?"

Anastasia was confused and shocked that her mother was talking to her.

But she was more shocked her mother who didn't know anything about her was blindly siding with Rochelle but then what did she expect..

But did her mother even know what had happened?

"At your age you're already whoring around? Can you be any more disgraceful?!" Isabel shouted at her daughter.

Anastasia wide-eyed scoffed.

Did her mother just accuse her of being a w***e?

Because a single boy talked to her?? Then what would she call her sister??

"But I don't understand this mom. You don't even care about me! Why are you concerned with who I talk with!"

Anastasia added, "And also if you're calling me a w***e because I talk with a single guy in the whole school, what would you call your precious daughter who is called a public toilet for opening her legs to every guy in school!?"

Immediately Anastasia felt a very hot slap on her face.

Anastasia's hand immediately flew to hold her hot cheek. She looked up in shock at her mother.

Isabel pointed her finger at Anastasia in a threatening manner saying, "Don't you ever, ever in your miserable life insult my daughter. She is nothing like you!."

Slowly tears rolled down Anastasia's cheeks. She felt her happy little heart break to a thousand pieces again.

If she knew her heart was going to break so soon, she would have stayed longer in school or at work to be happier a little while.

She said painly, "You're not my mother right?"

Rather than answering her, both Rochelle and Isabel hissed at her and went into the house, closing the door behind them.

Anastasia sat on the porch , hugging her legs and crying.

She wondered where her father was and why he wasn't home.

After about ten minutes of her crying, she forced herself to stop crying because she was getting extremely worried about her father.

She brought out her phone to call him and her father pulled into their driveway at that moment.

Her father immediately noticed her crying, quickly locked his car and rushed to her.

"Pumpkin, what's wrong? Why are you crying?"

Anastasia only looked at her father, burst into fresh tears and hugged him tightly.

"It's okay baby girl. Everything will be alright." Her father comforted.

"Not this dad. This would never be okay."

"What happened? Is it Raven?"

Anastasia lowly smiled at her father remembering all she had wanted to gist him about.

She shakes her head slowly in reply to his question.

"It's mom and Rochelle."

Her father sighed sadly, his shoulders falling.

"What did they do?" He asked as he sat down beside her.

"I came back from school and they attacked me. Saying all sorts of things like w***e because I and Raven talked. Rochelle is probably jealous about it but why should she? I mean she has tons of guys all over her."

Anastasia sighed, placing her head on her folded arms on her lap and continued, "Mom backed her up and slapped me and.."

"Wait a minute, did you just say your mother hit you?"

"Yeah" Anastasia said as fresh tears threatened to fall.

Richard sighed in disbelief, surprised things went that far.

He immediately stood up and was about to go into the house when Anastasia stopped him.

"Please don't go to meet her dad..she would only hit me more when you go to work. As long as you're here , I'm happy."

Richard's heart broke immediately hearing her words as he remembered what he was told at work that day.

He nodded, reasoning with her and sat back down.

He hugged her tightly and apologized for her mother.

"You know, I thought it was because of Raven..I would have gone to your school."

Anastasia giggled , making her father immediately look at her.

He smiled widely and said one word, "Spill."

Anastasia laughed more, nodding.

She sat facing him, smiling widely.

"So we talked today and we also had lunch together. But that's not the highlight."

Richard nodded, arching his back towards her and listening eagerly, his hands folded on his legs.

"As usual, Marina and her friends came to bully me. But guess what? He defended me!"

She continued,"Like he completely finished them..I highly doubt they would be disturbing me anytime soon."

"Wow, I'm so glad and proud. There are still good kids." Richard told her happily.

"Guess what other thing happened dad,"

Richard thought hard and long before saying, "He wants to meet up with you tomorrow?"

Anastasia laughed, nodding. Richard clapped happily doing a little seat dance .

Anastasia giggled , "You know that's also not all."

Richard stopped dancing and listened more wondering what else happened.

"He announced to the whole cafeteria he was going to ask me out and I'll be his future girlfriend."

Richard was speechless and didn't know when a tear dropped from his face.

"What's wrong dad? Do you think it's fast?" Anastasia asked worriedly. If her dad told her not to date him, she wouldn't.

Richard shakes his head, wiping his face. He wasn't sad, but rather he was happy. Very happy in fact.

His daughter would be sad about him leaving but at least she would have someone by her side.

Someone who would stand up for her and love her.

"No pumpkin, I'm just so happy and relieved. You're finding love and friendship in the same person."

Anastasia smiled and hugged her father.

"I should thank you instead dad. If you didn't encourage me to talk back to him, I probably wouldn't have a prospective boyfriend."

Richard chuckled, nodding.

Their hug was cut short by the vibration from Anastasia's phone

It was Raven.

She blushed and showed her dad the text.

"It's Raven." She told him blushing.

Richard's smile increased when he read the text.

It read, "Hello princess. I know it's late but I can't sleep because I can't wait for tomorrow to come and I will see your beautiful face again."

"He sounds so romantic." Her father complimented.

Anastasia nodded and said, "He does seem like one. What should I say dad?" She asked facing her dad.

"Hmm, you can send a smiling emoji. Are you also anticipating tomorrow." He asked her.

Anastasia nodded profusely .

"Then add that also. In a relationship, communication is very important."

Anastasia nodded and sent a text which read, "I also am anticipating tomorrow." She added a blushing emoji at the back.

They both stared at the phone for two minutes.

"I don't think he's replying soon pumpkin. Maybe he has gone to sleep..a happy man."

Anastasia laughed, agreeing.

She had locked her phone and was about to put it in her pocket when a notification popped in.

Richard and Anastasia looked at each other wide-eyed and quickly checked the phone.

He replied!.

"I think my heart exploded a minute ago. It kept beating so fast I had to calm it down. Now I can go to sleep, definitely a happy man. Good night princess." The text read.

"I'm not sure if I should be jealous he's calling you a princess." Richard joked.

Anastasia giggled lightly, pushing her father's shoulder. "Come on dad, I'll always be your princess before another."

Anastasia stopped giggling and said with a serious face, "Now enough of me. Something seems to have been bothering your mind since you came."

She pointed her finger accusingly and added, "And don't say it's because you saw me crying. I know you well dad."

She asked in a softer tone, "What's bothering you?"

Richard sighed, his worries coming back.

He held Anastasia's hands, playing with her fingers.

"At work today, my boss called me."

Anastasia interrupted, her voice breaking, "Please don't tell me he fired you."

"No, not at all. In fact , quite the opposite. He promoted me."

Anastasia removed her hands and clapped happily.

"That's a great thing dad!."

She gave him a tight hug congratulating him.

"But that should make you happy dad. Why do you seem sad?"

Richard inhaled deeply and sighed loudly, knowing the next thing he would say would break his daughter.

Not because she's weak but because she would be alone in the house.

"The promotion comes with a transfer. My new workplace would be in the next two cities and I'll be staying there. Hence I have to move and I won't be here with you. And I'll be back once every three months for the weekend." He said in a rush.

Anastasia was frozen.

She looked at her father hoping it was a prank but reality dawned on her that he was absolutely serious.

Anastasia asked in a broken voice, "You're really leaving?"

"I'll be all alone in this house?" She added, a tear finally dropping down her cheek.

Richard turned his head to the side slightly to control his own tears.

"I'm so sorry pumpkin. I thought of rejecting the offer but your college is coming up."

Anastasia nodded, "I understand dad. It's very important you go."

She breathed deeply before continuing, "I'm only sad because you won't be here everyday. I'll miss you so much dad."

"I also, pumpkin. I promise I'll call everyday."

Anastasia nodded and hugged her dad.

"Promise you'll take very good care of yourself dad. You must always eat when needed and rest when needed."

Richard smiled dejectedly, answering, "Yes, pumpkin. I will."

Anastasia removed herself from the hug suddenly and asked, "Wait a minute, when are you leaving?"

Richard answered quietly, "In a week."

Anastasia broke down, crying uncontrollably.

Richard could only hug her trying to control his hot tears.

Anastasia could understand he had to move but in a week? That was too soon to process.

That made her even more dejected. Her mom would definitely show her hell especially now she has learnt she has a male friend.

After about twenty minutes, they had stopped crying and were just resting on each other.

Richard broke the silence, "You know we should head in. It's almost midnight now and we both have a whole day ahead."

"You're right, dad." Anastasia sighed and continued.

"Let's go in."

They both stood up with heavy hearts , bade each other good night forgetting they had both not eaten that night , but also not having any appetite to stomach anything.