Chapter 6 The same Nelson?
"What the..." Irene scoffed, staring at the shut door.
How could her father just slam the door in her face like that? Why would he do that?
She couldn't even rule out the possibility that he didn't know who she was, because... She saw two emotions pass through his eyes. Recognition and shock.
She placed her hands on her waist, still staring at the door.
She heard someone chuckling, so she turned around only to see that it was the driver. As soon as he noticed her gaze, he fixed his face and lowered his head.
Was that mockery?
'Why is he laughing at my misery?' Irene thought, before rolling her eyes and returning her gaze to the door.
Something wasn't right... She shook her head, biting the top part of her lips.
After staring at the door for almost a minute, Irene inhaled loudly before she raised her hand to knock on the door again.
Once... Twice, three times.
If her father hadn't opened the door the first time, she could have sworn that they weren't at home.
"Dad! Come on, open the door! It's me, your daughter... Irene." She yelled, knocking even louder.
Her hands were starting to hurt. But these damn people chose to ignore her.
"Argh!" She yelled in frustration. Open the damn door!
She banged the door with both her hands, her eyes getting red. "Please..." She leaned her head on the door, a tear slipping out of her eyes.
Everywhere remained silent for a while... That was until she heard the sound of something turning.
Irene pushed herself away from the door, right before it opened.
The person who opened the door was an older woman... She looked a lot older than her would-be age and had a lot of white hair on her head.
"Mum?" Irene called in shock, surprised at how her mother looked. She wiped the tear off her face and quickly moved into the house before they shut it again. "Mummy..."
The woman looked shocked to see her. She had thought that she was gone, that was the only reason she had opened the door.
She panicked, desperately trying to shut the door as soon as she noticed her daughter. But Irene was smarter. She had predicted it. So before it would happen she pushed herself into the house.
Her mother stepped back, her face pale. "You..." Her heart skipped a beat, "What are you...?"
"Mummy! Would you believe it, Dad shut the door on me." Irene reported... Just like she used to do as a child. Anytime she felt her father was wrong, she would tell her mum... She always sided with her.
But this time... It was different. Even reporting felt different.
They looked at her as what she had thought herself to be few hours ago... A monster.
Irene felt downhearted. She was pained that even her parents saw her like this. Could it be that Nelson had reported everything she had done to him to them?
But if they did, shouldn't they be angry at her? Why were they looking so scared?
Did they think she would do the same thing to them now?
Irene exhaled, blinking her eyes. She didn't want to cry... No, until someone explained what was going on, she would act like she didn't know.
"Why do you look so shocked?" She took a few steps forward towards her parents, and they stepped back almost immediately, distancing themselves from her. Then she cupped her face with both hands and forced a cute smile to her face.
"Your daughter is pretty right?"
They didn't answer. No one said anything.
They just stared at her and thought she was some kind of alien. A scary-looking one.
Irene stopped for a second... The way they hurt her a lot, but she refused to let it get to her.
She inhaled again, stepping a little bit closer. "Oh... You guys look so old." She said, raising a hand as though she wanted to touch their hair. "And you have a lot of white hair, and your face is wrinkly. Come on, you're not up to seventy yet, why do you all look so old?" She asked, making a 'tsk tsk' sound.
"What is it? Is it Nelson right? He's suffering you all. That boy is..."
"Don't you dare call his name." Her mother finally talked. But it wasn't to greet her or say hello. It was too warm for her.
"Huh?" Irene's entire body froze. Her legs involuntarily stepped back, terrified at the tone her mother used for her. "W...why shouldn't I?" She muttered, her fingers shaking.
"What are you doing here?" His mother pointed a finger at heand r, her nose flared in anger. "Haven't you caused enough trouble? We have taken a lot from you, Irene... But we won't allow you to slander such a good man!" She yelled and Irene flinched again.
God...
This was the first time she had ever seen her mother so angry. Just a minute ago, she looked terrified of her daughter, but as soon as Nelson's name was mentioned, she turned defensive.
Irene never thought that she would hear her mother defend Nelson.
The same Nelson?
"Good man? Mother?" Irene cried shaking her head. "Have you forgotten how much that boy troubled me back in school? I complained to you every day that he acted like a wizard, how can you take his side?"
She knew everything Nelson did to her... Everything!
Her mother had almost changed her school three times because of Nelson's bullying. He was reported to the principal and everything, but he was never punished because his parents were part of the school board.
How could she take his side now?
Irene didn't know what happened, but if she truly was the one who had done everything they said she did... Maybe she had a reason.
Why weren't they eager to hear her side of the story?
Mrs. Walter scoffed after hearing Irene mention the word 'high school'. She stepped forward, leaving her husband's side to fully face her daughter. "Back in school?" She repeated shaking her head. "Irene, you've been married to him for years, and he has done nothing but show you kindness. No matter what you say to us, we would never agree to your divorce." She said firmly.
She didn't even know why a man as wonderful as Nelson still wanted to keep her daughter despite everything... He didn't want to divorce her. So how dare they agree to a divorce first?
Irene blinked before pointing at herself. "My divorce?"
So her parents were aware that she wanted to get a divorce from Nelson.
Could it be that he made up lies against her? Was that why they were being so hostile? Irene thought, resisting the urge to murder Nelson in her head.
Everyone was taking him as such a saint... One which he wasn't. He had never been and would never be...at least not in her timeline.
Maybe she didn't go back in time... Maybe this was another entire universe, one in which she was the bad guy and Nelson the opposite.
Before she could fully dive into the thought, her mother spoke again. "Or maybe we should agree." She began sniffling. "You've hurt that man so much, yet he's still holding on to you. Maybe we should let him cut you off. But we can't afford to lose him."
Can't afford to?
Her mother? Anna Walter just said...
This wasn't making any bloody sense!
"Hold up a minute..." Irene placed both hands in front of her to stop her mother from talking. She shook her head, trying to understand. "Let me get something straight." She then gestured to both of them. "Both of you, my bloody parents, are arguing with me because of Nelson Clark? The same Enel?"
Come on!
How could things be so wrong?
"I know I must have done a few things to hurt him in the past, but this..."
"A few?" Her father spoke for the first time since she came into the house. "What are you saying Irene?"
Her father's deep voice had always sounded scary, but she rarely got afraid of it because she knew how much he loved her.
But this time when he spoke, Irene felt her stomach dip... There was something in his gone which seemed to say, if you say another word... I would end you.
Okay, it seemed as though she had hurt them more than a few times.
"I'm saying..." She swallowed her saliva and then ran her tongue over her lips. If she said the wrong thing now, there was no guarantee that they wouldn't throw her out of the house. "I'm saying that..." Irene raised her head and gently shook her head. "I don't remember."