The horror of our mother’s words washed over me like a cold wave, and I felt my own heart sink. How could she turn her back on Lillian in her time of need?
I watched with an aching heart as Lillian’s composure crumbled, her body shaking as she choked back sobs. “Please, Mom, I am so sorry. Just let me stay! I can’t bring this burden on my roommate.”
“That’s not my problem. Like you said, you’re over eighteen, so you’re not myproblem anymore.”
Lillian’s tears fell freely now, but our mother turned her back, staggering out of the room.
I was horrified to see my sister treated like this, cast aside like a piece of trash. My mother was a stranger now, a cold-hearted and bitter figure who had given up long ago.
“It’ll be okay,” I whispered, placing a hand on Lillian’s stiff shoulders.
“You’re wrong,” she stated, her voice breaking. I could see her hope fading, the light in her eyes dimming.
“What now?” I asked, desperation creeping into my tone.
“Take me back.” She was already walking toward the front door before I could stop her, my heart racing as I followed.
Once I dropped her off at her apartment, a wave of despair crashed over me. I hoped for a miracle, but I was no fool. I’d rather be prepared for disappointment than have high hopes and feel utterly devastated.
As I drove away, everything hit me at once, dragging me down into a pit of despair. A weight as immense as a freight train crashed into my mangled body, sending me tumbling into darkness.
I hit a boiling point. I was a volcano beginning to erupt, and I could feel my hatred toward Caiden growing stronger.
The next day, I found him at school, walking alone through the halls.
“Caiden, we need to talk.”
I approached him, determined.
“I don’t want to,” he said, his tone flat, as if I were an inconvenience.
“That’s too damn bad!” I snapped, stepping into his path.
“Move.” His glare was furious, but I stood my ground.
“Have you heard the news? Lillian is pregnant with your kid.”
His eyes widened for a fleeting moment before the wall he had built returned, hard and impenetrable. “I don’t care,” he stated coldly, his mouth set in a straight line, devoid of remorse.
“Well, you should, because now my mom kicked her out just because she got knocked up. She’s struggling; have some damn sympathy!” My face flushed with anger, my hands trembling at my sides.
“That’s not my problem,” he shot back, the callousness in his voice igniting my fury.
“Dammit, Caiden! Why do you have to be such a cold bastard?” I pushed against his chest, my words spilling out in a torrent of emotion.
He shrugged, irritation flashing across his features. “Look, I didn’t mean to get her pregnant, but it’s done now, and it’s not my problem. So, get out of my face.”
I watched him turn, his back a wall I couldn’t penetrate. “You’re a coward! I hope karma bites you in the ass one day,” I screamed after him, tears welling in my eyes. It was impossible to explain why I was exploding like this.
“I’ll let you know when it does,” he sarcastically grumbled, then pushed me out of the way and continued walking with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his shorts.
I watched him leave, resentment piling up. I had gotten nowhere with him, and I felt as if I let Lillian down.
The late-afternoon light slanted through the tall windows of the bookstore, dust motes drifting in the golden beams.
It was quiet, just the soft scrape of my sneakers on the hardwood floor and the distant hum of the register. Since it was a school night, customers were few, so I lost myself in restocking: sliding worn paperbacks and glossy new hardcovers back onto their shelves, aligning their spines until they formed a perfect row.
I ran my fingertips over each title and, not for the first time, wished I could climb inside one of these stories and live an entirely different life for a while.
