TORN BETWEEN TWO

CHAPTER TWO

In another city in New York,

Loretta sat in her small bedroom, staring

blankly at the wall as she listened to her

father's raised voice coming from

downstairs. She knew she was in for

another long night of criticism and

belittling, and she felt a familiar knot of

anxiety forming in her stomach.

Her father, stepmom,and stepsister, all

seemed to take pleasure in making her

feel small and insignificant. Loretta often

wondered what she had done to deserve

such treatment, but she couldn't shake the

feeling that it was simply because she

wasn't good enough in their eyes.

As she heard Justina's shrill voice calling

her name, Loretta's heart sank. She slowly

got up from her bed and made her way

downstairs, bracing herself for another

painful encounter.

When she reached the living room, her

Father James was pacing back and forth,

his face red with anger. "You're so lazy,

Loretta," he spat. "You never lift a finger to

help around the house. You're just like

your mother, always expecting everyone

else to do the work for you."

Loretta felt a pang of hurt at the mention of

her mother. She had never known her

mother, who had died giving birth to her.

But she had always sensed that her

father's anger and resentment towards her

were linked to her mother's death.

Justina, her stepmom, chimed in, her voice

dripping with venom. "Yes, Loretta, you're

a burden to this family. We'd be better off

without you."

Bella, her stepsister, snickered and rolled

her eyes, while checking what's reigning

on her phone as usual.

Loretta felt tears pricking at the corners of

her eyes, but she refused to let them fall.

She knew that would only give her family

another reason to mock her.

"I'll try to do better, Dad," she said quietly,

trying to placate him.

But James just scoffed. "You'll never be

good enough, Loretta. You're just a

disappointment."

The rest of the evening was a blur for

Loretta. She went through the motions,

trying to avoid her family's wrath, but it

seemed like no matter what she did, she

was always in the wrong.

As the night wore on, Loretta retreated to

her bedroom, feeling exhausted and

defeated. She lay on her bed, staring up at

the ceiling, wondering why her family

hated her so much.

She felt like she was all alone in the world,

with no one to turn to. But as she drifted

off to sleep, she made a silent promise to

herself: she would find a way to escape

this toxic household and build a better life

for herself.

The next morning, Loretta woke up feeling

determined. She got dressed and headed

downstairs, ready to face another day of

criticism and belittling. But she was

determined to hold onto her resolve and

find a way out of this nightmare.

As she entered the kitchen, Bella was

already there, sipping coffee and checking

her phone. Loretta's stepmom, Justina,

was busy making breakfast.

James, her father, was nowhere to be

seen, but Loretta knew he would appear

soon, ready to start another day of

berating her.

Loretta took a deep breath and steeles

herself for the day ahead. She knew it

wouldn't be easy, but she was determined

to survive, no matter what.

Just as Loretta was starting to feel like she

could get through the day without too

much drama, she heard the sound of the

front door opening. Her father, James, was

back.

Loretta's stomach tightened as she heard

his familiar footsteps coming into the

kitchen. She exchanged a nervous glance with Bella, her stepsister, who was sitting

across from her at the table.

James walked into the kitchen, his eyes

scanning the room before landing on

Loretta. "What's going on here?" he asked,

his tone gruff.

Justina, Loretta's stepmom, smiled sweetly

and kissed his cheek. "Good morning,

dear. Just having breakfast. Would you like

some?"

James nodded, and Justina began making

him a plate of food. Loretta watched as he

sat down at the head of the table, his eyes

never leaving hers.

"So, Loretta, what's on your agenda for

today?" he asked, his voice dripping with

disinterest.

Loretta hesitated, unsure of how to

respond. She knew that whatever she

said, her father would find fault with it. "I...I

have school, Dad," she stammered.

James raised an eyebrow. "School? That's

all you ever think about, isn't it? Your

education. You'd think you'd be more

grateful for everything your stepmom and I

do for you."

Loretta felt a familiar knot of anxiety

forming in her stomach. She knew that this

conversation was going to go downhill fast.

Bella, her stepsister, chimed in, her voice

snide. "Yeah, Loretta, you're so lucky to

have us. You'd be nothing without us."

Loretta bit her tongue, trying not to rise to

the bait. She knew that engaging with

Bella would only make things worse but

she decided to risk it.

Loretta felt a surge of courage and

decided to stand up for herself. "Actually,

Bella, I don't need you or anyone else to

define my worth," she said, her voice

steady.

Bella's eyes widened in surprise, and

Justina's expression turned cold. James's

face darkened, his anger simmering just

below the surface.

"Excuse me?" James growled, his voice

low and menacing. "You think you're

worthy of speaking to us like that? You're

just a child, Loretta. You don't know what's

good for you."

Loretta took a deep breath and stood her

ground. "I know that I'm tired of being

treated like dirt. I'm tired of being blamed

for Mom's death. I'm tired of being made to

feel like I'm not good enough. I'm more

than just a disappointment, Dad. I'm a

person, and I deserve to be treated with

respect."

The kitchen fell silent, the tension

palpable. Justina's eyes flashed with

anger, and Bella looked like she'd been

slapped. James's face turned red with

rage, and for a moment, Loretta thought

he might lash out at her.

But then, to her surprise, he laughed. "You

think you're some kind of victim, don't you?

You think the world revolves around you.

Newsflash, Loretta: it doesn't. You're just a

small part of this family, and you'd do well

to remember your place."

Loretta felt a stinging sensation in her

eyes, but she refused to cry. She stood

tall, her heart pounding in her chest, and

said, "I know my place. And it's not here, in

this toxic household. I'm going to make a

life for myself, without any of you holding

me back."

The room erupted into chaos, with Justina

and Bella shouting at Loretta, and James's

anger boiling over. But Loretta stood firm

her voice ringing out above the din. "I'm

done being treated like this. I'm done being

belittled and bullied. I'm taking back control

of my life, and there's nothing any of you

can do to stop me."

Just as Loretta was feeling like she'd

finally stood up for herself, her father

dropped a bombshell. "You know, Loretta,

your stepmom and I have been discussing

your education, and we've decided to send

you to Columbia University's affiliated

school," James said, a sly smile spreading

across his face.

Loretta's heart sank. She had been hoping

to escape her family's toxic dynamics, not

be dragged deeper into their web. "What

school?" she asked warily.

"Columbia's affiliated school, of course,"

Justina chimed in, her voice dripping with

excitement. "It's one of the best schools in

the city, and we've already spoken to the

admissions office."

Loretta's eyes widened in shock. "But...but

isn't it an all-boys school?" she

stammered.

James nodded, his smile growing wider.

"Yes, it is. But we think it's time you

learned to hold your own among men.

You'll need to be tough to survive."

Loretta felt a surge of anger and

frustration. Her parents were sending her

to an all-boys school? What were they

thinking? She was being set up for failure,

and she knew it.

"Why are you doing this?" she asked,

feeling a sense of desperation.

James shrugged. "We think it's a great

opportunity for you to learn from the best

and make connections with influential

people. Besides, it's a great way to get you

out of the house and away from

your...attitudes."

Loretta felt a spark of anger ignite within

her. Her parents were sending her to this

school not to help her succeed, but to get

rid of her. She was being used as a pawn

in their game, and she didn't like it one bit.

Loretta stormed into her room, slamming

the door behind her. She collapsed onto

her bed, tears streaming down her face as

she let out a sob. How could her parents

do this to her? Sending her to an all-boys

school, just to get rid of her? It felt like they

didn't care about her well-being or

happiness.

She buried her face in her pillow, muffling

her cries as she thought about the

challenges ahead. She would be the only

girl in a sea of boys, with no one to turn to

for support. What if she got hurt? What if

she failed?

As she cried, Loretta felt a mix of

emotions: anger, fear, and frustration. She

was tired of being treated like a pawn in

her parents' game. She wanted to be

seen, heard, and understood.

After a while, Loretta's tears began to dry,

and she sat up, wiping her nose with the

back of her hand. She looked around her

room, taking in the familiar surroundings.

She thought about her parents' words, and

the determination in their voices. They

expected her to fail, but she was

determined to prov

e them wrong.

With newfound resolve, Loretta stood up

and walked to her desk. She opened her

laptop and began to research Columbia's

affiliated school. She wanted to know more

about the school, its curriculum, and its

culture. She was going to make the most

of this opportunity, no matter what her

parents thought.

As she scrolled through the school's

website, Loretta felt a spark of

determination ignite within her. She was

going to thrive in this new environment