An Unexpected Connection

Trouble

Feeling her father's eyes on her, Y/N started to tremble unknowingly, and it was only when he caught her chin with his fingers and tilted her head up did she stop. They stared at each other, E/C meeting E/C, locked in a battle of dominance that she knew he would win.

"No, I believe this young lady doesn't know how to learn her lesson", he sneered, sending his horrible breath into her face. "She obviously didn't learn it, even after murdering her own sister".

And there it was. This was Y/N's daily reminder of how it was her fault her sister died. She knew it was true, she just wished they wouldn't keep rubbing it in.

"Yes, I believe she still hasn't learnt it", her mother spoke, but there was a slight shaking to her voice which the girl knew would be a mixture of anger and sadness at the mention of her daughter's death. "In fact", the woman continued, "You, my dear, are the spitting image of young Lily herself. You are my constant reminder of the daughter I've lost, and somehow, I don't know why, I hate you for it" she spat, a mocking tone in her voice.

Y/N felt the glares of both her parents' eyes, and even though she wished to turn away and cry, she couldn't with her father's strong fingers grappling her chin, squeezing so hard she thought she'd never be released.
Whatever you're going to do to me, please get it over with, she willed silently.

Luckily, she didn't have to wait any longer, because as soon as her father finally released her, her face was met with a loud SLAP!
Pain and surprise coursed through her body, shaking her to the core.
Reaching up to touch the soft skin on her face, she inhaled sharply as it stung with the smallest touch. The girl went into momentary shock: her father had never done that before.

She looked back up at the man, who, much to her terror, had a malicious smile on his face.
"Well, well, well. That honestly felt good. I should've done this a whole lot sooner. Now I'm going to make you pay for every chore you've neglected doing over these few months, every time you've gone out the house without permission and, more importantly, I'm going to make you pay for what you did to my daughter", he snarled, teeth bared like a rabid dog.

"What about Olivia?" Y/N asked, terrified of her father's new attitude and her mother's silence. "Won't she be scared?"

"Olivia's gone to a friend's house because unlike you, she's not a horrible person and she deserves it".

That stung her more than the slap did. People often say that "sticks and stones may break my bones but words will never hurt me". Well, she knew now that that was not true in the least. The blame and verbal abuse that her father spat out at her pierced her like a thorn, hitting every bit of confidence and self esteem she ever had and shoving it down where no one could find it. Y/N knew, in this span of seconds, that after today she would've lost all happiness and good feelings to her parents. She doubted even Pearce could help her now.

Taking her silence as a sign of acceptance, he smirked cruelly, knowing that he had finally put her in her place. But he was not done yet.

"Now Y/N, want to explain what you were doing out of the house on this fine Saturday, wearing such nice clothes by the way, instead of doing your chores?" He questioned, pushing her even further into misery.

Y/N, being the faithful person that she was, didn't want to drag Pearce into this. After all, he was her best friend and it wasn't his fault.

It was all hers.

"I wanted to meet the cast of Zombies 2, and they were all having a photoshoot today so I thought I could go there and just watch. However, I accidentally bumped into one of them and we fell over, catching the attention of the paparazzi. We laughed it off, but then he invited me to take pictures with him and I couldn't refuse with the media around. We did that, and then I quickly came home to do my chores. It wasn't his fault though, I promise", she rushed out, frightened at what her parents would say.