Her Sweet Revenge

Chapter 7

My jaw hit the floor. Now I truly understood that I was nothing to Daniel. It was deathly quiet as the shock sunk in for a mere moment. Atticus went rigid beside me. I turned to look at him, my eyes wide and my brows furrowed. He looked back at me, anger in his eyes.

"What the hell are you talking about Daniel?" Zaine growled from across the table. I never felt this much rejection and hurt in my 17, almost 18, years of living. "She will be old enough to live on her own then, what's the big deal?" Daniel shrugged his shoulders as if it were nothing to him, but he wouldn't meet my gaze. I couldn't read his face, his emotions were hidden.

I put a hand over my mouth, to either stop myself from sobbing, or yelling out in anger. I didn't know what emotion was stronger. "If she goes, I'm leaving too Daniel." Atticus replied simply. Daniel sent a hard stare across the table at him. "You turned 18 months ago, I thought you'd leave sooner." When I looked back at Atticus, his eyes were watered up and his brows were pulled together. He was the toughest guy I have ever known, but at that moment, my heart broke even more seeing his face like that. Atticus stood up from the table, storming off so quickly that I didn't get the chance to call for him.

Tears threatened to spill from my own eyes as well. I couldn't compose myself. I wanted to scream and cry and wreck everything. But I simply looked back up at Zaine, who was fuming with anger. "You've gone too far. You were everything to that boy. What the fuck are you thinking? You are about to abandon Arianna and Atticus like this." Zaine was standing up, his hand combing over his hair as he spoke. His girlfriend clung to his arm, as if preparing to hold him back if he raged.

Eaton spoke up now. He was quiet through out dinner but he had something to say. "Ever since mom and dad died, you turned into the very thing you promised to never be. A monster." His voice shook as he spoke. Eaton and his girlfriend stood up from the table and they both looked at me, still seated. Zaine leaned closer to Daniel. "I'm starting to think that you only adopted Arianna to get close to Union."

"Why? Daniel I don't understand..." Thats all I had managed to say. My voice was cracked and my throat was sore. I stood up from the table, tears clouding my vision. I turned my back to the disappointment as I walked away briskly. My name was called out, but I wasn't going to hear anything. Tears streamed down my cheeks as I descended the stairs of the second floor. Heads turned to stare at the girl, almost running past them, crying. I didn't care. Let them see me cry. I had always said it made a person weak to cry in front of others, but I was weak now. I was unwanted and I would never be good enough.

Michelle had predicted this. I was too old to go back to the orphanage, so that wasn't even a hope for me. I had no hope. What was I going to do now? I was alone like always have been. Atticus left after Daniel's harsh words and I doubted if he would come back for me.

I left the restaurant behind and I made my way to the elevator. I didn't know how I got this far, but I didn't care at the moment. I slammed my finger into the elevator button over and over again. I tapped my foot impatiently as the elevator took it's sweet time. When the metal doors finally slide open, I threw my body inside and slammed my floor level. I didn't even remember my room number, but that wasn't even on my mind. As I waited an internity, I realized that I wasn't alone. I turned my head slightly and saw an elderly lady standing behind me. She watched me with curious eyes. I turned away and just in time, the doors opened and I ran down the hallway. My hair whipped behind me and my feet hit the carpet with thundering pounds.

I sobbed in self pity. I was at my breaking point right then and I didn't know what to do next. Suddenly, I stopped running. I had no idea why, or how, but I did. When I turned my head, I saw that I had stopped right outside of a room. It wasn't mine, but I knew who's it was. I wiggled the door knob. Locked, of course. Then I stared at the door, and willed it to open.