25. Chaos, Chaos, Chaos

**Cinderella**

“You don’t have to worry,” Conroy said. “I had a good talk with her. She won’t bother you anymore.”

“Are you sure? She seemed pretty vicious. I can’t believe you married her.”

I heard him sigh on the other end of the phone. “Me neither. But that’s life, I guess. We have to live with our mistakes. Are you already in bed?”

“Mhm. Today was a lot.”

“Yeah, I bet. I'll leave you to get some sleep. I love you, Ella."

"Love you too, Honey! Much, sleep tight!"

As soon as the call hung up, I sighed. The night was dark and cold. Just because my wolf could help keep me warm doesn't mean I liked using it. What a pain in the ass.

But being out here this late was necessary. I texted JM. She told me to come right away. With her on my side, Bianca doesn’t stand a chance. But my suspicions wouldn’t rest. Bianca definitely knew something, or else she wouldn’t have whispered to me like that.

Who told her about the accident? Was it that bloody chauffeur? Did she bribe him just like I had?

Come on, Ella. Calm down. I don’t know if she knows yet. JM will help me. If I go down, she will go down too.

I knew the way by heart. I stopped in front of a cute little house in a quiet neighborhood. There was lots of land between houses. This way no one was close enough to mind the other’s business.

Just like she instructed, I went to the garage instead of the front door. I knocked twice, then knocked three times. The garage door lifted. Once it was high enough, I saw her.

“We’re in trouble!” I blurted out.

________

**Bianca**

I walked up the stairs to my room. At first I thought that there was no one up. It was pretty late after all.

Today was full of chaos, and a little bliss. And I needed to wash this “bliss” off my body.

I smiled as I remembered it.

“You shouldn’t be walking around at night.”

The sudden voice scared me but I remained calm and glanced over the railings. My family members were all there. They all wore pajamas with some sort of container in their hands. Oh, I knew what this was. They were having a late-night movie night. It’s sort of a tradition that they do every month when they have time. And of course, they just forgot to tell me.

“I wanted to get some fresh air,” I replied to my sister. “It was pretty calming.”

I continued up the stairs, completely intending to ignore them and go to bed.

“I can smell a wolf on you,” my father said. I stopped. “Are you planning to embarrass us further?”

I gripped the railing with all my strength.

“Embarrass them again”? What do they take me for? Some kind of criminal that robbed my grandmother’s house and stole from the offerings at church?

Years and years of built-up anger rose to the surface.

“Care to expand on that?” I said, bending over the railing. “How exactly does me as a grown woman hanging out with my friends embarrass you? It has nothing to do with you to begin with.”

“Ah, there it is. Look, honey!” Michelle showed him her phone screen. “This is the one I was telling you about! Should we go watch it now?”

He smiled at her. “I don’t see why not. Come on, my baby girl. Get your snacks because the movie is starting soon.”

Of course, he wasn’t talking to me. He was talking to Nickoya.

Sometimes I think that I’m adopted. Sometimes I hoped I was. Maybe that would explain why I was an afterthought for everybody here.

Well, I’m tired of it. I wasn’t a bloody inanimate object.

My bag fell to the step above me. I strode back down the stairs. My anger was leading me, not my logic.

Most of the lights in the lobby were turned off. I turned them back on. Spotting a nearby vase, I picked it up.

My parents and sister sat in the living room on those cozy couches. They were fully content eating snacks and waiting impatiently for the movie to begin.

“Hey, what are you watching?”

No one respected. Nickoya made a comment about seeing a stag beetle. Michelle laughed and continued the conversation.

The vase weighed heavy in my hand.

“Why are you all acting like you can’t hear me? You know I’m not an imagination, right? I exist. I can respond when you talk to me. So why do you always avoid looking me in the eyes?”

Again, nothing. The movie started. Dad gave Mom some chocolate.

I didn’t want to hold the vase anymore.

I threw it into the lobby.

It cracked into a dozen pieces. All three of them jumped up in shock, but none of them checked to see what it was.

“Let’s just watch the movie,” Dad said. “We’re almost done with the prologue. I can’t believe someone sat down and designed those creatures. How much do you think they were getting paid?”

“Maybe I should have chosen a different major,” Nickoya jokes.

They went on about their business like nothing happened. I knew this would happen. I knew and yet…

And yet I couldn’t stop feeling hurt.

I kicked my shoes off and walked further into the living room. I stepped in front of the TV, spreading my arms open. This was another desperate attempt to get through them, an attempt that obviously wouldn’t work but I still wanted to do it anyway. Instead of screaming At them, I screamed with my body language.

And what did they do? They pulled out their phones and watched it there instead. I knew because I heard the same dialogue that was on TV coming from their phones. I giggled. That giggle transformed into a laugh.

What in the bloody hell?

They rather watch the movie separately on their phones than ask me to move out of the way. If they asked, I would have. I felt sick to my stomach. The weight of the realization of who my family had squished me like a giant hammer.

“Fine. I don’t give a shit about you guys anymore. Do what you want. I can play this game all day.”

I pointed at the TV. “Since you’re not using it, that means I can do what I want with it, right?”

This time I didn’t wait for an answer I knew wouldn’t come. I reached behind the device and unplugged it. No reaction from them. Good. I wouldn't mind if they stayed like this their entire lives.

“You guys are always like this. You never change and you don’t care enough to try.” I shook my head. After getting a steady hold on the TV, I picked it.

Michelle flinched but didn’t move. That stupid smile was gone from her face. Into the kitchen I went, ready to prepare my meal.

I turned the pipe to the side and placed the TV in the sink. It certainly didn’t fit. It was too big.

But that’s okay. It didn’t need to fit.

I just needed it to stay still.

My eyes wandered over to the knives sitting upright in the knife holder. I picked the biggest one.

Then I used it to stab the TV.

It made a beautiful noise. The corner I stabbed had the most perfect little crack.

I stabbed it again.

Again.

And again.

The scattering glass. The circuit box. The bloody exterior. None of it was a match for my knife.

I stopped mid-stab and started laughing. I couldn’t help but think that this whole thing was ridiculous. Some of the broken glass cut my hands. The wounds already started healing. I could sense three living bodies at the door. I gave the ruined device one last stab.

Absolutely ridiculous.

Stabbing the TV felt so freeing. It actually allowed most of the anger to leave me. I feel okay. I am not a bad person. I’ve tried to mend our relationship for so long, way before Conroy and I got married. Why am I the only person that must carry this weight?

“It’s time to shake it off,” I said out loud, dropping to the floor like I’m hot and picking it back up. They can stare all they like, but they better keep their mouths shut. But it shouldn’t be that hard when that’s all they’re good at. I picked up the ruined TV and used another passageway to head back to the lobby.

I could still feel their eyes on me even as I walked down the steps to the courtyard. The concrete was warmer than I thought. As for this, I knew the perfect place to display my presentation.

The water fountain gave the courtyard a magical feel. A touch of realism wouldn’t hurt.

The TV was placed on the second tier. I sighed and smiled. I knew it would go perfectly.

Turning around, I saw that my family were standing at the door, saying nothing as usual. Instead of making me angry, A strange peacefulness washed over me. Rather than relatives, I now consider them to be more like roommates. Temporary roommates. I smiled at them.

“Don’t be scared,” I told them. “I have no intention of harming you. I’m not angry. Just disappointed.”

__________

**Cinderella**

I relayed everything I knew to her, but she barely said anything. She continued to work on some dumb, broken camera with her back turned to me.

“Is there anyone you know who can get rid of her for us?” I asked. “Someone who can take down a Lycan? I mean, you’re a Lycan yourself, so there must be some kind of Weakness you can tell me about.

Her response was short and lifeless. “Just kill them. They’re not immortal.If you use enough force and do enough damage then they will drop dead.”

“Okay?” I rolled my wrist. “What kind of force and how much damage?”

She didn’t respond. I groaned. This is so tiring! Why can’t she talk to me without messing around with stuff? To catch her attention, I did something I knew she wouldn’t like. I called her name.

“Jasmine Middleton!”

She dropped her tools on the desk. Jasmine slowly turned in her chair. Her glare was like lava, ready to melt me.

“What did I tell you about calling my name?”