Chapter 123 Parents

Chapter 123 Parents
Natalie's Pov

The doors of the police station slammed shut behind me with a loud thud. I took a few steps forward and immediately stopped, squinting as the bright afternoon sun hit my face. The sun was a lot today, burning down on the hot pavement and making my eyes water. I stood there on the concrete steps for a long moment, just trying to adjust to being outside after spending days inside a cramped, suffocating holding cell.

I looked down at my hands and then looked down to take a look at my legs. Even though the guards had let me take a quick shower before my parents officially posted bail and got me out of that miserable place, it didn't feel like enough. It didn't feel like enough at all. When I lifted my hands closer to my face, I could still see the dark dirt and grime trapped deep underneath my fingernails. My skin felt dry, and no matter how much cheap soap I had scrubbed onto my body, I could still smell how smelly I was. The gross, damp scent of the jail cells and the dirty mattresses seemed to be stuck to my skin like glue. It made my stomach turn with pure disgust.

My chest tightened as a wave of intense anger rushed through my body. I clenched my fists so hard that my fingernails bit into my palms, and I cursed Danika under my breath.

"I am going to make you regret this, Danika," I whispered, my voice shaking with absolute rage. "I swear to God, you are going to pay for what you just did to me."

It was all her fault. If that useless, pathetic little girl hadn't grown a spine and just stayed obediently with Jared, I would never have been forced to sleep on a concrete floor. I would never have been treated like a common criminal. She had only gotten beaten but she was treated as Jared's wife, she took his gifts and his money. Getting beaten was the least she could repay him with and yet, she dared to retaliate and make me lose my reputation! She made me lose my cash cow! She had completely embarrassed me, and I was going to make sure she suffered for it.

"Natalie!"

A sharp, familiar voice called out my name from behind me. I quickly turned around, and the moment my eyes landed on the person running down the station steps, tears immediately gathered around my eyes. My mother, Carmen, was running toward me as fast as her heels could carry her. Her face was twisted with worry, and her hands were stretched out. She reached me in a matter of seconds, instantly grabbing my shoulders and holding me tightly.

"Oh my goodness, Natalie! Look at you!" Carmen cried out, tears spilling down her own cheeks as she looked me up and down. "It’s been so long since we saw each other! My poor, beautiful baby girl. What did they do to you in there?"

Before I could even answer, Carmen pulled me into a tight, suffocating hug. She buried her face into my neck, crying softly about how worried she had been since she got the phone call. A moment later, my father, Howard, walked up behind her. He didn't hug me right away, but his face was incredibly dark and filled with tension. He crossed his arms over his chest, his eyes fixed on my messy hair and my dirty clothes.

"Why were you even in prison in the first place, Natalie?" Howard asked, his voice heavy and demanding. "A girl from this family should never have her name dragged through a police station. Tell me exactly what happened."

Hearing my father's stern voice made me completely break down. I let the tears fall freely, sobbing loudly as I leaned into my mother’s side, making myself look as fragile and victimized as possible.

"It's all Danika's fault, Daddy!" I wailed, wiping my nose with the back of my hand. "It's all her fault! Danika was the one who made me go to prison. She lied to the police and told them horrible things about me just because of jealousy! You know that she has always hated how much you both love me, and she wanted to destroy my life the moment she saw the chance!"

Carmen gasped, her grip on my shoulders tightening. "What? Danika did this to you? That ungrateful little brat! How dare she do this? Has she forgotten that you're her older sister? She's supposed to take care of you and listen to you at every moment! That's why I let you come here in the first place. I thought she was going to take care of you and yet, she made you stay in the police station for so many days?!" My mother's screech echoed throughout the clearing where we were standing.

I could see a few police officers sticking their heads out to look at us. None of them would dare come out to say otherwise to what I was saying, and I was never going to come back here so I had no qualms saying this here.

I sniffled, a malicious smirk forming on my face for a split second before I quickly hid it by looking down at the ground. I knew exactly how to play my parents. They had always preferred me over Danika since we were children. To them, I was the beautiful, successful, perfect daughter, while Danika was just the quiet, useless disappointment who couldn't do anything right.

"You don't even know the half of it, Mom," I said, letting out a bitter, dramatic sigh. "Danika has been hiding so many secrets from us. I didn't want to tell you this earlier because she's my sister and I don't want to make her unhappy but I don't think I can continue to hide this anymore…” I snuggled, covering my face with my palms. “If I say it, I don't know if she'll ever be able to forgive me. Ever.”

“Oh Natalie, my lovely girl. You don't need to think much about her. Just tell us everything, I want to hear it.”

“Well… The thing is… She… Danika is married and not only that, she got married to a very rich man.”

"What?!"