7. I HATE YOU

The date slated for the wedding eventually came. Orla stood in front of the full-length mirror in her room with Betty, her stray cat in her both hands. 

Stroking Betty's fur, she stared into the mirror, checking out her wedding dress that was designed by Liam. It was gracious, making her extremely beautiful. The dress was extraordinarily long, but it was too bad there was no one to hold up the dress for her. Her sisters were uninterested in her marriage to Callan, none of them showed up to wish her well. Orla already expected that, so it didn't mean much to her.

Adjusting the plunging neckline of her sleeveless dress, she donned the necklace gift that Liam gave to her. Smiling as she thought of how thoughtful and kind Liam was to her, he was the only one who respected her out of all the people she'd met in years.

"After today, we will no longer be in this room." Orla ruffled her cat's fur, her eyes dilating around the room she had lived in and hid herself in for many years. Sighing, she lowered Betty to the drawer and sauntered around the room, to feel the atmosphere before finally leaving. Betty scampered off, following behind her.

Orla smiled and took her back in her arms, she got hold of a photo album and was about to flip through the pages when the door to her room yanked open with full force. She lurched backwards when she heard the loud creaking sound the door elicited. Swerving back to check who it was, it turned out to be her father.

She shifted back, wondering what her father was doing in her room. He had never visited her.

"Dad?" She dubbed, a subtle smile playing on her lips.

Arnold threw his hands backwards, taking a step closer to her. "Don't call me that, you are not eligible to call me dad and you know that!" He chastised Orla. She wavered, bobbing her head in understanding. "Today is your wedding day and I am glad–" Stretching his hand forward, he roamed the room. "Not glad because you are getting married, but glad to know that you are finally leaving my house. I have always wanted you to leave, and now that you are going, I am really glad."

Orla looked at him, she was tempted to ask him why he hated her so much. She wanted to know why he loathed her and couldn't stand her.

"F–a–t–h–e–r–" Orla struggled with the words. "Why do you hate me so much, why do I irritate you so much?" She eventually asked but Arnold ignored her.

After a long minute of silence, he spoke. "You evil daughter. You know what you did and I will never forgive you for the things you did!" He said, pointing an accusing finger at her.

"I swear that I didn't do it, I was too young, but even at that, I knew the good from the bad and…" a hard palm met with her cheeks, it was stinging. She understood that her father hated her and treated her like she wasn't his daughter, but she never expected that he would slap her.

"You slapped me?" She stared unbelievably at him, kneading her palm against her stinging cheeks.

"Yes, that's for the lie you told. I hate liars like you and won't hesitate to hit you again if you lie that you didn't do it." Arnold yelled at her, his forehead forming a crease as he spoke out of hostility.

She moved back, grabbing her cat in her arms.

"I hate the fact that I am your father and will be the one to hand you over to your husband. I wish I could make someone else do it. I hate you, Orla, I hate you so much and I curse the day you were born!"

His words pierced her heart. She tried to stifle tears from dropping, but it was impossible. Fat rolls of tears dropped down her cheeks as she stared at her father. 

"You will always be an evil daughter and no man would ever love you. You have never done something good in your life, all you do is evil and that's why you took Callan away from your sister who truly deserves him."

She opened her mouth to talk, but no word came out.

"Whatever I will do for you today is for your late mother and not you!" Arnold rolled his eyes at his daughter. "You don't deserve happiness and I hope it never comes to you, you witch!"

Hot tears slipped down her face, burning her cheeks and smearing the little makeup she had on her face. The one she had learned through DIY. She didn't want to give Callan the impression that she was cool with the whole wedding plans, but she had heard that people always looked good on their wedding day and she just decided to put in a little effort since she had a very beautiful wedding dress already.

Betty wiggled her head in Orla's arms as if she knew that Orla was in pain. 

"When you are done with your possessed cat, you can come to join me downstairs. None of your sisters is coming with us, you don't deserve that importance." Arnold flounced out of the room, slamming the door shut in anger.

Betty looked up at Orla, winking her eyes. "I don't know what to do, Betty. I am confused, I don't want to get married, I want to die, I want to leave that world and maybe then, they will all be glad that I am no longer a part of them. 

"Meow, meow, meow." Betty meowed when Orla said those words. She shook her head like she was telling Orla not to harbour those dreadful thoughts inside of her.

"I know you don't want me to die, no one would take care of you if I die. But the pain is unbearable and I don't even know what awaits me in the house of Callan Barlowe." Orla sniffled, gawking at herself in the mirror. 

She did a short breathing exercise to calm her nerves and brace herself. She couldn't change anything now. 

Her heartbeat intensified as the time for the wedding got nearer. When she took a glance at the wall clock, it was just thirty minutes to the start of the wedding program. She slid her cat into a basket and hurried out of the room. She wasn't sure how the day would go, but she cared less. She was ready for whatever would happen to her, after all, there was nothing that could hurt more than a father slapping his daughter.