Troubled Love

Chapter 26

Chapter Twenty-Six

I can't believe my eyes. Someone broke into our apartment; it looks like a tornado has gone through here. I hold Juliette tightly just in case the intruder is still here and check each room and check to see if anything was stolen. It doesn't look like anything is gone but to my horror there's a note on our kitchen table. I pick it up and read it with shaky hands and my stomach drops. The note reads 'Pay up or else' and this confuses me. It has no correlation to the note I found on my car and the handwriting is different. That doesn't make any sense, this note can't be from who I think it is. The front door suddenly slams and I gasp, scared that the intruder has come back.

"LYDIA!!!" My mother screams. Oh joy suddenly I'm wishing it was the intruder and not my mother. I don't feel like dealing with her today. I put Juliette in her room and turn on the tv. No need for her to here our screaming match. I meet my mother in the living room and she looks drunk and livid.

"What is this mess?!? Are you really that stupid that you can't keep an apartment clean?" She yells.

"Mom, someone broke in and you're concerned about a mess?" I ask already losing my patience.

She didn't like my answer, "You're so stupid that you can't remember to lock the door? You're worthless, I wish I never had you."

That was below the belt. "Well maybe I wish you weren't my mother! If I can even call you that. What mother leaves her sixteen year old daughter to take care of her other daughter who is only two, take care of an apartment all by herself, and take care of the bills?!? Not to mention the fact that she got a job to pay for everything because her mother quit her job to get drunk 24/7!" I scream with tears in my eyes.

She is right in face and I can smell the alcohol on her breath. Suddenly my cheek is burning and I'm on the ground. My mother kicked me on my side and then storms out of the door. I'm crying from shock more than pain by this point. I pull myself and look in the mirror my face is already red and has a little bruise. Lifting my shirt, I see a huge bruise already blossoming on my side.

Sighing I go into my room and change into my work clothes in a daze. I still can't believe my own mother hit me. She never believed in violence before. It must be the alcohol in her but I'm still not sure if I'm going to forgive her or not.

I pick up Juliette and she accidentally hits my side. I hiss and quickly slip her to my other hip.

"Are you okay sissy? Why was Mommy yelling?" She asks sounding a little bit scared.

"She tripped and fell, that's why Mommy was yelling."

Juliette seems to believe and happily hums along to the toddler tunes playing in the background.

Work goes by in a blink of an eye and soon it's time to get ready for my date with Niall. He calls me just as I'm about to walk out.

"Hi Niall."

"Hey baby. Donna can't watch Braden and Juliette tonight. So instead of going out would you and Juliette like to come over for dinner and a movie at my house? You'll get to meet my mum."

"Sure sounds great! See you in a few minutes!"

"Bye baby."

Oh god I have to meet Niall's mom. I'm not prepared for this. I have a bruise forming on the side of my face and I'm exhausted. What a great first impression I'll make. The drive to Niall's seems shorter than usual probably because I'm panicking about meeting Niall's mom. I pull into their driveway and I'm shaking again. Juliette and I walk up to their porch. I ring the doorbell and take a deep breath.

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**A/N: Hey everyone! Thanks for all the reads, votes, and comments. I really appreciate them! I won't be updating again until Thursday because I'm going to be busy tomorrow. Now I have a quick question for everyone. I start school back up in about 5 weeks. I plan to keep Troubled Love going until then but once school starts that will become my priority. So I have two ideas that I want your opinion on. Once Troubled Love is over, I can either write another fanfic but will only be able to update on weekends. Or I can write imagines, preferences, and requests. This would happen towards the end of August. Please let me know what you think! :)**