Ch 7: I Am Not Your Daughter

“And where do you think you’re going, young lady?”

Tara’s voice sounded behind her, as Selene passed through the dining hall toward the door. She had on a blue armless, flowery dress that reached up to her ankle, which she matched with a white pair of flats. The dress had beautifully printed flowers of different kinds on it. Even though it was a loose-fitting gown that she carelessly picked from her wardrobe, it highlighted her youth and made her appear as an innocent and demure young lady. 

The style was such a sharp contrast to the business-like attires she always donned for her classes. She really looked worn out and exhausted. The insults and memes online didn’t treat her well at all, and she seemed to be in a lot of pain. Selene didn’t have any energy left in her, but she still chose not to miss school for two days in a row.

Tara, however, wasn’t having any of it. In her mind, Selene has lost the right to be regarded as a prim and proper lady. A certain displeasure stemmed from deep down when she gazed at the young lady, so much that, even she couldn’t explain what it was. 

She looked her quiet daughter up and down before she added, “I’d put those books somewhere if I were you. From henceforth, all your lessons will be online, and you won’t step out of this house until I say so. I already informed your school, so, you can head back to your room.” 

Tara spoke so dismissively that it looked as though she was speaking to a two-year-old who couldn’t understand a thing. 

Selene watched her through her dark shades and couldn’t help feeling sick at Tara’s bloated sense of self-righteousness and total disregard for her opinion. Other parents would have bothered to ask their children about what truly happened, but her case was clearly different. 

She remained calm, reminding herself that there was no need to respond to the woman standing before her. She had cried herself to sleep the previous night, to the extent that her pillow was soaked. She remembered being up till the early hours of dawn, doing nothing but crying some more. She didn’t even know when she finally slept till she heard the cocks crow in the morning. 

To hide her dark eyebags, Selene applied heavy makeup for the first time, making her absolutely different from her usually bubbly and natural look. Her countenance could also be described as gloomy, and the dark shades did nothing to make her look any brighter. 

In light of all these, Tara only saw nothing but the young lady who brought her family’s name into disrepute. She didn’t even notice anything different about Selene. If for anything, she concluded that the young lady was so caked up in make-up because she felt ashamed of herself. 

Selene walked away in light steps as if Tara wasn’t speaking to her just now. However, before she could even take three steps, her mother quickly rushed behind her and grabbed her arm forcefully, causing her to turn around unawares. 

[Pa!!!] 

“You dare not walk out on me, you disgraceful thing. 

Who do you think you are?” 

Her voice came out an octave higher, shocking both of them. 

Meanwhile, Selene only had her left hand covering her cheek, where her mother just slapped her as if she bore a grudge against her. The shock was an understatement for what she was feeling at the moment. It had never happened before, nor was it ever imagined that Tara would slap Selene, and even she was shocked at what she had just done. 

However, Selene’s silence rather emboldened her, and she went further to burst out, “I would not have a daughter like you under my roof. You will do as I say, and you will remain in this house until I say otherwise.” She then went closer to her and reiterated, 

“Oh, if I ever hear that you went even an inch close to a camera, Selene, you will cease to be a Davies. 

Mark my words, you disgraceful cheap thing.” Her jabs were unexpected, yet intentional, and Selene obviously felt the hidden meaning in her words. 

When Tara felt that she had instilled enough fear into Selene, she turned around toward where she came from. She intended to continue arranging dishes on the dining table as she had done earlier.

“Tara Anderson!” The sound of her maiden name on Selene’s lips came as a huge shock to her. However, the young lady was only getting started. Selene forcefully swallowed the blood in her mouth, the crack on her lips stinging as she spoke without mincing words,

“This is the first and the last time you would ever dare to lay your hands on me. You are nobody to forbid me from doing anything. I will go to school when I want to. I will stand in front of a camera, catwalk, dance,  act, or even sing if I want to. You know why?” 

Selene drawled out and took a step forward before declaring boldly, “Because it is exactly where I want to be. That is the one thing that makes me happy. It is the only place I do not need to watch my steps as your prim and proper daughter.” 

Selene then took in a deep breath, her eyes welled up with tears, but she blinked them away. “And… Did I hear you say you cannot have a disgraceful daughter like me? 

Well, congratulations! The universe answered your fervent prayers twenty years ago. 

Thank goodness, Tara, You. Are. Not. My. Mother.  

Just look the other way when next someone speaks about me. 

You have absolutely nothing to lose after all. 

So, don’t you dare try to control my life anymore!” 

Even though Selene’s own words felt bitter in her mouth, she also felt a strange sense of freedom at the same time. She couldn’t believe that Tara had the heart to say all the things she said earlier. The woman cared so much about her image that she caused the old Selene to be nothing but a shadow of herself. 

She lived her life under the will of Tara, so much so that, even her program of study was her stepmother’s choice. However, she willingly did everything to please the woman who dutifully raised her over the years. 

The atmosphere was tense, and Selene could feel her blood boil in rage. The words of her stepmother kept ringing in her mind, and at that moment, she knew that there was nothing she could do to please the woman before her. She looked like a total stranger, because, the Tara Anderson she knew would never abuse her or even say such hurtful words to her.

“You…” Tara couldn’t force out any more words from her lips, and could only watch speechlessly, as Selene disappeared from her sight. 

***

“And here comes the number one slut of Bloomsbay University College.” 

A female student in the same class as Selene cackled as soon as she was in earshot, attracting the undivided attention of the other students. Their gazes, though subtle,  were filled with nothing but scorn. 

The young lady felt marginalized by Selene for so long that she couldn’t be happier to witness her supposed downfall. She was hailed as the campus belle in High School, but in this prestigious university, she looked like a maid when compared to Selene. 

To top it all off, Selene didn’t just come to school today as usual, but she pulled up in a custom-made and strikingly red Ferrari. It was such an eyesore for her, a scholarship student, who needed to maintain excellent grades just to continue schooling at Bloomsbay University College.  

“Helen Smart, you will hear from my lawyers soon enough!” 

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To be continued...