Chapter 75

Chapter 75
“So,” Arlo said politely, but I know the look in his eyes as it landed on my parents’ faces, studying them.

I tried focusing on finishing my meal, but the sudden tension around the dining table was impossible to ignore.

“What was Kerri like when she was young?” 

My mother blinked at Arlo’s question, seemingly caught off guard.

“Well, Kerri was… you know, just like every other kid.” Her voice became quieter and quieter with each word, shoving another spoonful of pasta in her mouth after answering.

Arlo continued gently. “Was she a great student in high school?” This time, the question was aimed at my father, who just scratched his head.

“I think so,” he answered.

I cleared my throat, “I was a top student,” I said quietly, “And I played soccer.”

Both of them turned to look at me as if only realizing now that I had been here the entire time.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                    

“Oh right,” Mom let out a chuckle, “I remember you always came home all dirtied like a dog,”

Arlo nodded thoughtfully, then leaned back slightly in the chair. 

There’s this feeling gnawing in my chest, as I watched him stare at my mom and dad like a predator studying its prey that he already knew… he already had an idea that they weren’t exactly the best parents in the world and what he’s doing now is just trying to catch them in a lie.

“And what university did Kerri attend?” he added.

Silence.

It was a silence that sent a painful pang in me because this made me realize that my own parents don’t know a thing about their own daughter, and I am left here feeling resentment towards them.

“What was it again?” Ben grumbled, looking at me, waiting for me to answer the question for them.
“North Laura University,”

“Ah yes, that.” Mom said immediately, as if she had known it all along. “What about you son, where did you study?” 

Arlo smiled, mimicking what they had been doing to me and completely ignored them. 

“What about her hobbies growing up?” his gaze didn’t leave their faces.

My mother just shrugged, “The usual hobbies,”

Finally, I let out a breath, my facade dropping, my hope of wanting to patch up with my parents gradually disappearing.

“I used to draw,” I snapped.

“And dance,” 

“And climb trees,”

My voice, little by little, was beginning to sound spiteful with every word because of the painful fact sinking into my heart that they didn’t know. 

They didn’t know anything about me.

My school, my hobbies, what I was like, they had no answers because, throughout my childhood, they were never there.

And it is most humiliating that Arlo has to see this.

I turned to look at him and saw how calm he was, but I know him.

He looked calm but behind his eyes was something else, something sharp, like he had connected the pieces together and seen the entire picture of our family.

“Sorry, the mood had gotten sour.” I forced a smile and turned to my parents.

There is still a chance to change the direction of this night.

“My career has been going well lately,” I said quickly, my smile never faltering. “Have you seen my recent film? It was a blockbuster—”

My mother’s scoff made me abruptly stop, especially when the sound of it sliced through the room.

“Of course it is!” she said loudly with a chuckle. “You only got those opportunities because of him,” she pointed at Arlo quite rudely and continued without noticing how much the room had darkened. “You were the country’s most hated woman, don’t you remember? If it weren’t for your husbands you’d still be out there scraping for a penny.”

My body went rigid. Those words, from my mom, hit me harder than I expected.

Suddenly, I felt small again. Like I had been shoved back in time, and I was back in my younger self, sitting at a moldy dining table while my parents repeatedly told me I wasn’t good enough.

I opened my mouth to respond, but Arlo spoke first.

“Mrs. Roth,” his voice was so destructively low and cold, that the entire room seemed to freeze.

“Yes?” my mom, still oblivious that she had pissed off someone you’re not supposed to piss off, ever, blinked at Arlo unknowingly.

“Shut your mouth,” the words were an order.

The color on my mom and dad’s faces drained instantly, and their gazes dropped on their plates, refusing to meet Arlo’s deathly gaze. None of them spoke, filling the room with a dangerous silence… not until Arlo’s phone began buzzing.

“Excuse me,” Arlo said, but it felt like he was only speaking to me. He kissed the top of my head before walking towards the door at an unhurried pace to answer the call.

The doors shut behind him with a soft click, now it was just the three of us and the air shifted.

I recognized this, and I knew what was about to happen the moment I saw my mother’s gaze turn towards me, her eyes dark with fury.

“You embarrassed us!”

My mouth drops from the accusation.

“What?” I scoffed.

“You made us look like we were stupid,” she hissed, pointing an accusing finger at my face. “You kept answering his questions as if we didn’t know anything!”

The disbelief at her words was so much that I had to stand up and defend myself. “Mom, you didn’t know anything. You have no idea what your daughter was like at all.”

She stood up as well, her chair screeched against the floor.

“That’s not the point, and don’t you dare talk back to me.”

I bit my lip, balled my fists and fought against the tears threatening to fall from my eyes. My gaze shifted to my dad, he was just eating there, not defending me, just watching. 

Knowing he wouldn’t do anything, I looked back to my mom.

“No,” I said, matching her disrespectful energy and glaring at her. “You don’t speak to me like that, you are under my roof and if you want to keep it that way, you should learn to treat me with respect, or you’ll find yourself out there, begging for coins—”

I didn’t know what happened next. All I know is pain suddenly exploded from my cheeks and, afterward, my scalp.

She yanked my hair downward, forcing me to kneel on the floor.

“You little bitch, just because you got yourself a rich husband, you suddenly forgot to respect us?” she hissed, refusing to let go of my hair and dragging me to her side as if I weighed nothing. “Do you know how hard it was for us? Ungrateful girl.” She hit me again, and again, while my father didn’t move.

“Let me go!” I cried out, grabbing her wrists to stop her from pulling my hair with so much force, but instead, I grabbed onto the white sheet draped over the table and pulled it down.

Everything on top of it was sent crashing down on me, who was groveling on the floor, the red wine, the thick soup that was still hot, as well as the glasses that shattered on impact, surrounding me with broken shards.

The doors suddenly burst open after that loud commotion and finally, mom released me from her ironclad grip and stepped away.

“She tripped. I tried to help her, but she just pushed me away.” Her words were almost believable, anyone would believe her, she’s an angel in people’s eyes.
Anyone would… but Arlo isn’t just anyone.

I looked up through blurred vision and saw him by the doorway. His eyes looked darker than I had ever seen, like something monstrous had woken up behind them.

“Arlo…” I cried, raising my shivering arm in his direction, but the pain from everything made it fall eventually… but he was fast enough to rush to my side and catch it before it landed on the floor.

Tears were still spilling from my eyes, as the same feeling from childhood overwhelmed me again. The same helplessness, the same fear. But this time, Arlo was here, he's here for me.

“Come, I’ll take you to our room.” Arlo took off his coat and wrapped it around me like a blanket. He was about to hoist me up from the floor, but I stopped him.

“No… I can walk,” I weakly said, glancing over at the expensive shirt he was wearing then back at mine that was soaked with a mixture of wine, soup and beef sauce. “I don’t want to stain your clothes,” 

He carried me either way, hoisting me up in the air. “Stain them, I don’t care.” he whispered against my ear.

My mother kept explaining herself in the background, but Arlo was ignoring her, walking towards the doorway where Pierce was waiting quietly like a giant.

Even though my consciousness was drifting in and out from the sudden stress, I saw Arlo make a short nod to Pierce.

Pierce went inside the dining hall, closing the door behind him.

That was the last time I saw my parents that night.