THE REVENGE CONTRACT

BITTER TRUTHS.

Chapter Four

Bitter Truths

Serena's POV

“Damn it, Darren! Don’t come around here creating a scene. It’s been over between us you are in the past!”

I yelled at him as I pushed him out of the cafeteria.

“But, but baby, please, just listen”.

I slammed the cafeteria door right in his face with a bang that shook the building. I followed it with a middle finger.

His gesticulations behind the glass door reminded me of a French mime.

A smirk crept onto my face as I dished out what he once served me. Let him have a taste of it.

But as I turned around, the look on the faces of the customers stopped me in my tracks.

I could hear whispers and side talks amongst them. The one that caught my attention was.

“What could such a good and beautiful, well-mannered girl be doing with such a loser?”

I ran a quick glance at the couple having bacon and eggs with their baby.

Obviously, they knew I heard them, but they just smiled at me, as if they understood the pain I’d been through.

I returned to work, brushed my hair back, and kept my shoulders high.

I didn’t care if his family owned the cafeteria. All I needed to do was focus on my job. Besides, his family never liked me, so what the hell? Once I got my paycheck at the end of the month, I’d quit.

“Take deep breaths, girl. Take deep breaths...” Sophie said as she rubbed her hand on my back to soothe me from bursting out.

“Thank you, girl. I don’t know what I would’ve done without you,” I said, trying to maintain my composure.

Sophie gave me a quick hug, comforting and reassuring.

“You’ll be fine, baby girl,” she said with a warm smile. That was all the comfort I needed.

Darren had been a nuisance for the past few weeks.

Two weeks ago, when I mourned our relationship where was he?

Now he’s stalking me, blowing up my phone, and buying me flowers. The good Lord knows I’m done with him.

Gossip had it that Charlene dumped him the moment she realized he was broke. He couldn’t afford the shiny things she loved anymore. And I made sure he stayed broke he was spending my money on that b***h.

I cut him off from the joint account I created for both of us and made sure he no longer had access to it.

Darren’s family cut him off too. His father had always paid off his bad debts. But when they realized he wasn’t going to be the “son of promise” they thought he would be, they finally clipped his wings.

Spoiled brat.

……………………………………………..

8:45 PM

As I opened the front door, the hallway looked gloomy. The silence was thick, and the lights were dimmed.

The smell of alcohol intoxicated the air, and of course, that was my mom’s doing she was always having drinks with her gossip housewife friends.

The air itself left me exhausted and frustrated. As if my problems weren’t enough, my face looked drained from the whole Darren fiasco. My makeup was washed out. I looked like a total mess.

I leaned my back against the door, closed my eyes, took deep breaths, and tried to recollect all that had transpired today.

It felt quiet at first. I could hear the sound of the TV that had to be Marcus, my stepbrother, glued to Video Fashion Paris.

He did nothing all day but dressed up like a runway model and sat on his lazy ass taking selfies. Total douchebag.

I looked around to make sure the coast was clear. I just wasn’t in the mood for Marcus’s shenanigans tonight.

I took off my sneakers and tucked them under my arm along with my bag.

Tiptoeing gently across the wooden floor, I cringed at the squeaky sounds beneath my feet. I tried to be as quiet as possible, hoping no one would notice I was back.

I crouched behind the couch where Marcus sat facing the TV. As I moved toward my parents’ room, I could hear muffled voices but I couldn’t make out what they were saying until I heard my name.

“We need money, and we’re bankrupt at this time of our lives. Something needs to be done.”

What’s going on? I leaned in to hear more.

“Remember to keep up your act. She still thinks you’re ill and that she needs to give you money for treatment,” said Mom.

“Don’t worry, my love. You’re a good actress. And Serena is definitely going to make us a lot of money. She won’t even realize she’s being fooled,” said Dad with a distasteful laugh.

They both started laughing hysterically.

Could my life get any worse? First Darren, now this?

“She should be grateful we gave her a life and she’s not out on the streets begging. I never wanted her, but you decided we should keep her,” Mom added, her voice full of hate.

I wanted to burst into the room, to confront them, to demand how they could be this cruel.

“Serena’s not bringing in enough money, despite the three jobs she claims to have.”

Why would my mom say that?

My fists clenched at my sides. My eyes welled with tears. Every word pierced my chest like a dagger.

All this time, I was nothing to them, just a pawn for their selfish gains.

“That’s why we have to let her go. Besides... Serena isn’t ours.”

“Remember she’s adopted.”

Those words froze me.

My eyes widened, and the world around me shattered.