Chapter 9

Chapter 9

Rhea's Pov

“Why don't you tell me what I did for you to have slapped me the moment I walked in instead of yelling at me like a dog? Have you no manners, brother?” I questioned, glaring at him.

Jason froze immediately, his eyes widening. I scoffed as I could see what he was thinking written so clearly on his face.

“She wasn't throwing a tantrum after being slapped?”

“She even dared to talk back to her older brother?”

Questions were floating around in the sitting room, even the servants who were nearby were staring at me with such shocked looks on their faces.

“You… What did you just call me? You just… You called me a dog?!” Jason's voice went high pitched at the end of his sentence.

I shrugged, “If the shoe fits, you wear it. Or how did the saying go?”

“Rhea! I'm your older brother! How dare you speak to me like that?!” He yelled again, his voice booming.

“Oh… What did you expect me to do then?” I gave him a crooked mocking smile, “Did you think I would scream or cry and beg for forgiveness immediately I saw Ginny crying? Or do you want me to lay down on the floor and roll around until you forgive me? Ah wait… Or would you like to lock me up in the dark room to reflect on myself? Which would you like to do to me? I've done it all after all, so doing it a few more times wouldn't hurt, would it?”

“Shut your mouth!” My mother snapped, rising to her feet, “How dare you speak to your brother like that?! And after everything you did to Ginny today, do you have no shame, Rhea?”

I turned to her slowly, “What exactly did I do to Ginny?” I asked with eerie calmness, “Can someone please enlighten me? Because all I remember is asking her for something that was mine to begin with.”

Before my mother could speak, Ginny wiped at her cheeks and shook her head, her voice trembling with just the right amount of dramatic restraint, “Please don’t blame Rhea, Mom. She probably wasn’t in her right mind. I think she might’ve… drunk something at the party. Maybe someone pressured her.”

She looked at me with watery eyes, her expression full of pity and false compassion, “She must’ve been overwhelmed. I’m sure she didn’t mean to humiliate me like that. Or reject Kevin so cruelly.”

The moment she said it, my mother’s expression darkened with rage, “You rejected Kevin? In front of everyone?! Rhea, do you know how long Ginny’s been working to help you get close to him?! And after everything he’s done for you, you insulted him?”

I couldn’t help it. I laughed. It was dry, humorless, and bitter, “What has Kevin done for me?” I repeated, “You mean using me like a doormat? Making me do things for him? Or are you referring to how he pushed me into the pool in front of the entire school?”

Ginny gasped softly, her hand covering her mouth in faux horror, “That’s not true! Kevin told me you were the one who embarrassed him! That you attacked him verbally! He came to me in tears, blaming me for what happened because mom ‘didn’t raise you well.’ He also said… He said that I was a bad sister to you and…” Her lip trembled as if she might burst into tears again.

“I didn’t insult Kevin.” I said, lifting my head proudly, “I simply told him the truth about what a pathetic little parasite he really is. If he thinks that’s an insult, then perhaps he should try developing a personality instead of relying on his face and my help to survive. All these months he has been leeching off of me because of my love for him and none of you could say a thing to caution me or even warn me, you let me go on the way I was going on just because Ginny supported it. Are you even my family or are you Ginny's family?!”

“You’re going to apologize to him.” My mother barked, “Do you understand me, Rhea? You will go to Kevin’s house and apologize for what you said. You’ll make this right.”

I stared at her in disbelief, “You want me to apologize to the person who assaulted me and then still blamed me for fighting back? And you’re siding with him?” My voice didn’t shake, “Why should I apologize for something I didn’t do? So Ginny can keep pretending to be your golden girl while feeding you half-baked lies behind your back?”

“Enough!” Jason thundered, “You think the world revolves around you, huh? Always playing the victim when you’re the one who causes problems.”

“I don’t think the world revolves around me, Jason.” I said flatly, “I know it doesn’t. Because if it did, none of you would be in it.”

“You…” My mother started but I cut her off.

“As for apologising to Kevin, count me out of it. The only way you will take me to apologise to him is if I'm dead and I'm sure that it's not going to happen anytime soon. And Ginny, wipe those fake tears off your face, it's very off putting.”

Ginny’s eyes widened in disbelief, her lip trembling as she clutched her chest like I’d stabbed her there, “Rhea.” She whispered brokenly, “Why are you being so cruel? I’ve only ever tried to protect you.”

I tilted my head with mock curiosity, “Protect me? That’s rich coming from the person who took everything from me and still wanted to play the saint. What exactly were you protecting me from, Ginny? Happiness? Love? Or was it just the spotlight?”

“Don’t twist things.” She snapped before catching herself, lowering her voice again into a pitiful murmur, “You don’t mean that.”

“Oh, I do.” I smiled coldly, stepping forward until we were nearly nose to nose, “And don’t worry, I’ll be done soon. I’ve wasted enough of my life trying to please all of you.” My gaze flicked toward my mother and Jason, “But that time is over now.”

“You ungrateful child!” My mother shouted, her chest heaving with fury, “We gave you everything! Shelter, food, protection…”

“And I gave you silence.” I interrupted, my voice a cold blade.