Chapter 2

Emma’s POV

For several seconds, mom, dad, Lyida and I stare at each other in silence.

"Mom? Dad?" My voice trembles. I try to tell myself, try to keep the sobs inside, but they burst out anyway.

"Did you really think I let your mom adopt you and raised you because we loved you? No, Emma, you're always regarded as an investment, we educated you to be a dainty girl, but the truth is, you're a whore."

“Mom, I am your daughter, your beloved kid, dad must be so angry to tell me a lie.”Tears start to burn in my eyes, but I swallow hard and fight to keep my lips from quivering.

Mom looks straight into my eyes with sorrow, "sorry, Emma, you’re not our biological daughter.”

Tears burned in my eyes, but I swallowed hard and tried my best to keep my lower lip from quivering. “No, no, I don’t believe it.”

How will I ever know if the words that come out of my dad's and mom's mouth are real? How? They used to tell me they loved me without flinching. And then they tell me it was all a lie, and now they ask me to believe that this is true.

Dad's eyes darkened as he deliberately turns to glare at me. "I plan to let you marry my business partner, we made a deal as long as you marry him, he would invest us three billion dollars, now just because you lost your virginity, he canceled this deal."

For the first time in my life, I feel like I'm watching my entire future slip through my fingers. For the first time, I feel powerless to do anything about it.

Dad narrows his eyes, his lips tightened, and his fingers started to drum. "Do you have any idea you ruined my plan? You can bring us a huge amount of money when you marry that bloody old man, it's the only chance to repay us for feeding you food all of these years."

Dad wants me to marry an old businessman and let that man invest in our family's jewelry shop. This is a huge decision, especially for dad.

"Dad, that man is forty years old, and all my friends laugh at me for marrying him. We can think of another plan to save our business."

"Shut up!" Dad screams, and I grab my bag, too shocked and terrified to utter a syllable.

He asks me to leave like a servant. I flutter my lips, unable to hide the sadness in my voice. My eyes are imploring as I grab my dad's hands and beg him not to kick me out. "Dad, please, don't do this to me! I can't live outside." 

Mom's voice cracks, "Emma..."

"Jack, if you insist to do that, I'm gonna take a divorce with you! You have no heart!" Mom is shouting at dad.

Dad knows how to shout too. “I have no heart? What about you? You antagonize me in every way possible, and delight in making me look like a villain.”

I'm afraid mom might faint because she has a heart problem. Dad always avoids quarrels with her.

"Are you threatening me?" Dad's eyes glinting like tempered steel.

Suddenly mom finds out a teeth mark on my neck, and her eyes go round with worry and shock. “Emma, this is marking bite, they must find you.”

Mom is even more nervous, I lean closer to hear more clearly.

“If these people knows Emma if these people mark Emma, and what would have happened if Emma is made a way into their hands? We will die.”

Then she stops whispering and remains silent. Confusion crosses my features, does mom mention someone is looking for me?

But dad can’t hear mom’s lower whisper, he continues to spit out the last words as if they disgusted him. “Everyone knows I have a whore daughter. Now get out of my house! You’re no longer my daughter now. You’re useless and worthless."

Tears slid down my cheeks, my heart pounds against my ribcage.

Mom and Lydia panicky grab my shoulder and hand, mom hugs me tightly, and Lydia stares at dad and keeps shooting eyes daggers at dad.

Dad ignores their begs and my desperation. He opens the front door and pushes me outside.

The morning is humid and cold. Clouds have rolled in, and there is going to be a thunderstorm, the impending rain adding to the heaviness in the atmosphere.

Raindrops start to pound in my face. 

"Dad, it's raining outside, and Emma is getting wet," Lydia begs dad. Mom is frantically hugging me tightly to stop me from leaving.

"Emma should stay here with us, Emma is my daughter!" Tears slid down mom's cheeks.

"That bitch is not my daughter!" He speaks darkly to us.

The immediate panic makes me shiver, my teeth chatter, I sweat, my heart beats ridiculously fast, and my breathing quickens.

"Dad, it's raining outside, and really icy," Lydia begs.

"No! I won't allow a bitch to live in my house," he growls, and his sharp voice pierces my ears.

Enough! How long will it take for me to start feeling smothered again and again?

And regardless of my confused feeling about who I really am, whose my real biological parents are, I feel trapped now.

It's so easy to see the difference, love. Love is the difference. I know dad doesn't love me, but knowing that he never did, makes all the difference to me.

Curling my fingers into fists, I choke out. "Mom, Lydia, I have to leave."

"Jack, wait. At least, give us some time to talk." Mom sobs. She looking straightly into my eyes with sadness, these same eyes that fill with love when I was a little toddler, now filling the desperation for her grown-up daughter.

"Five minutes." He warns us before walking off. Mom wipes away my tears before hugging me briefly. Then smashing the door in front of us, the loud cracking sound is heard in the house, followed by dad's growl.

"I'm fine, mom, I'm gonna be okay." I press a gentle kiss to her cheeks before dad curses maliciously, making them jump.

A steady downpour of rain is beating against the window, I can see small floods in front of the door.

"I'm sorry, Emma." Mom apologizes to me, checking her watch. I smile before the curtain closes, and dad still cursing loudly. My sister Lydia sniffs her nose, takes off her clothes and hands them to me.

"Put it on, sis, it will make you warm. You can drive my car, I can ride your bicycle to go to college." The rain soaks my clothes and my hair. Lydia says as she notices I shiver.

At least someone loves me, I talk to myself, I'm the luckiest girl in the world.

"Thank you, Lydia," I hug her, she sadly nods her head and hugs me back in response.

Lydia whispers to my ear, "I bought some new clothes, jeans, hoodies and some girlie stuff last week and forgot to bring them home, it's all yours. Remember to wear them immediately before driving the car, they will keep you dry and stay warm."

Mom hands me her wallet, there are thousands of dollars and a credit card. " Here, take these. If you need more money, just call me, Emma."

Dad looks out the window, a disappointed face shows on his face, he raises a clenched fist and hit a wall.

“Lydia, there is one important thing I need to tell you. A college named Nevermore called me yesterday, they offered you a full scholarship to study there.”

The school for outcasts? Nevermore usually accepts students who get high scores on the ACT, why do they want me? My scores are not enough to go to that place.

But this is the only place I can go, there are no other options.

“And Emma, your biological parents didn’t abandon you, they gave me a huge amount of money to raise you, they promised me to bring you home when you were ten years old, but somehow they called me they were in danger and warned me never mention to anyone where are you from, even to your dad.”

“Can you tell me where are my parents?”I ask her and swallow hard.

“They didn’t tell me the location, but they did mention a place - Nevermore. And yesterday the principal of Nevermore mentioned your biological parents had studied there when they were young, and your biological parent's family has a long history with the school. If you're looking for your parents, it is a perfect place to start your investment. "

I nod my head and don’t know what to say.

Lydia rushes running outside, and she passes me a big bag, "I put your laptop and your Id cards in this bag and a mail from Nevermore, you can drive to your college now. Call us when you arrive."

"So, you two will come to Nevermore to take a visit one day?" I ask mom.

“Yes, we will. And you can share some photos, tell news about your college life, like having a boyfriend.” Lydia winks at me.

"We can use Skype, it's convenient, and I can see your pretty smile when I miss you," Mom says.

Biting my lower lip, I nod and not saying a word. That is as good as I'm expecting. Dad and mom won't argue with each other, they're soul mates, and it's impossible for mom to go against dad.

"You three have one minute to say goodbye now!" Dad shouts to us behind the door.

"Emma!" Lydia stands there helpless, with my shoulders captured by her. I give her a big hug, and touch her hair, tears dropping down like a flood.  A sob escapes from her mouth.

"Sis, you know I'm good at lying to dad. I will slip away and visit you once you arrive at your college. It's a promise." Her hairs soak from the rain, and her face is covered by rain and her tears.

"Call us, no matter what happened." Mom chokes out and kisses my hand.

"I will, mom."

"Emma, take care of yourself," mom tells me while Lydia gives me her car key.

Rushing down the steps as my body keeps shivering, taking my breath away. Clutching the banister, I grit my teeth, pain making me cry out.