The Destroyed Girl

Chapter 2: Family History

RHEA'S POV
After lunch, we're called into Ava's office for a little chat. The last time I saw Ava was when I had strangled her on the berg. Remembering that makes my blood boil and my fingernails dig into my palms.

I go to the office that used to be my Father's. From Father to Mother. Hilarious. If the situation wasn't so terrible I would have laughed and said it was all a stupid joke WICKED had made. But it isn't. My Father is dead because he caught onto the Flare, which he wasn't immune to. But I suspect that there's more to it than just that.

Here in WICKED, security is top-notch and they wouldn't let a Crank in. There was only one way that the virus could have caught on in here, and I refuse to allow myself to believe it. It is too murderous, too horrifying to think of.

We step into the office. Ava has made some major changes. I still see a picture of me when I was six with my Father, both of us in his office as Ava took the picture. I'm stationed on my Father's lap, grinning as my Father smiles down at me. This was before I hated this place. Before the scar. In that photo I don't even wear my hoodie. But apart from that, almost everything is different. The colour of the walls, the shelves and the books there.

Ava sits behind the glass desk, which she didn't change. She looks up at the sound of us walking in and stands. Janson closes the door behind Minho and I, leaving us alone with Ava. I'm glad Minho is here. Being in a room alone with my stupid Mother is bad enough.

I've never been in this office and not seen my father in it before. The thought makes me want to flee instantly.

"Minho. Rheana," She says, nodding towards us.

"Don't call me that," I say through clenched teeth.

Ava sighs. "Rheana, like it or not, you are still my daughter and I'm still your Mother."

I tense and my whole face goes dark. Minho's eyes widen.

"Lady, you okay?" He asks.

"She's telling the truth," I manage to say through gritted teeth. There's no point hiding it now. Not from Minho.

Minho stumbles backwards, then moves back to stand beside me.

"Holy shuck. Who would wanna have a baby with you?" Minho asks incredulously.

I snort while Ava's face turns deadly.

"My Father was a good man," I tell Minho, before cutting a glare towards Ava. "It's my Mother who's a bitch."

Ava actually looks hurt. Good. She deserves to be. If she claims she's my Mother, why did she put me in that Maze and make me watch my friends die and then put me through torture?

"Rheana, I'm sorry," Ava says, looking pleading.

"Sorry? Sorry?" I let out a half crazed sound of laughter. "Sorry for what Ava? Putting me in that death place? Torturing me and Minho? Being a terrible Mother? Killing my Father? How dumb do you think I can be Ava? What exactly are you sorry for?" I hadn't realised, but with every sentence I had spoken, I had steadily advanced in her direction.

Ava takes a step back and bumps into the wall behind her.

"I did what I had to do to make sure the Maze Trials went on. Your Father planned to stop that. But we needed a cure. The world needed a cure," She pleads.

I let out a scoff. "Jeez, Ava that's your excuse? You know, I should have killed you when I had the chance. But I thought you could change. I don't know what the hell I was thinking. You're still a stupid idiotic lady who lies and lies and lies."

Minho looks between us and Ava looks even more hurt.

"Let's go Rhea," He says, his tone claiming finality.

We both step out of her office and we walk to our cells, two Guards escorting us.

"She's your mum," Minho says slowly.

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you, okay? I was just so pissed. But she means nothing to me. She's just this lady on my kill list," I say.

Minho's eyes widen. "You have a kill list?"

"Ava, Janson, Teresa," I say, then pause, frowning slightly. "Well maybe not Teresa. I haven't heard her reasons yet."

Minho nods, jaw clenching. "Ditto."

~

The next day, Janson takes away my jacket, which makes me even more pissed off.

Minho and I eat dinner slowly. We don't want to go back to our cells. We want to talk. Minho isn't mad at me for not telling him. He's simply... shocked.

That's when the alarm goes off. The lights shut off and the place goes into lockdown. The red emergency lights flicker on and sirens start blaring loudly.

"Shit!" Minho shouts.

And in my head, I think of the way that I had wished Newt was here just the day before. Dread curls in the pit of my stomach.

"They're here," I say, letting out a breath.