𝐔𝐍𝐄𝐗𝐏𝐄𝐂𝐓𝐄𝐃, meteor garden

𝟎𝟐𝟑

JIAO WIPED HER TEAR-STAINED cheeks and heaved out a heavy sigh as she made her way home. The one person Jiao had hoped would trust and believe her did the very thing she hoped he wouldn't do. The little hope Jiao had gained from her last encounter with Kun and the reassurance she had gotten from Ximen, Meizuo and Kiaria had now completely vanished.

Even though Jiao was completely drenched from head to toe, she couldn't care any less. All she cared about was going home and getting away from all the drama that was going on. However, when Jiao got home, she was in for a shock.

"Mom?" Jiao breathed out.

Jiao stared ahead with widened eyes. It had been months since she had properly seen her so was she hallucinating or was her mom really here?

Jiaos question was answered when her mom marched towards her with an angry expression, "Kwon Jiao! Where have you been and-" she gasped, staring at her drenched clothes.

"What are you wearing! Look at you. You look filthy."

Kiaria went over to her aunt's side and slightly pulled her back in attempts of calming her down, "Aunty Sua, calm down." she ushered.

Kwon Sua however jerked away from her sister's grip and turned to her with an angrier look, "I'm not going to calm down!"

She then turned back to Jiao, "This girl has done nothing but throw our reputation away the moment she stepped foot into Shanghai. There's a limit to being rebellious. Ignoring your parents' phone calls, sleeping around with boys, walking around like you're some sort of street parasite. Look at her!"

Ayame furrowed her eyebrows and heaved out a sight at the interaction, "Mom, don't you think you're being a little too harsh on her."

Jiao scoffed and looked up at her mom with an annoyed look, "So that's why you're here? Because of those photos."

It had been months since Jiao and her mom had a proper conversation or had properly seen each other, and the first thing her mom chooses to do is start a fight?

"Of course I'm here because of those photos. Thanks to you, the company your father was going to sign with is now refusing to because of those photos. Are you proud of yourself? Once again you proved yourself to be nothing but an embarrassment to the Kwon name." she asked, crossing her arms over her chest.

Jiao couldn't help but feel hurt over what her mom had just said. How could she blame her for something she wasn't even responsible for? It was bad enough that practically nobody at school believed her and thought she was some sort of liar that was using both Si and Kun, but now her mom was holding her accountable for something she wasn't responsible for?

"You have no right to be angry at me or talk to me that way. Do you know how much shit I've been getting because of those photos? Oh, wait you don't know cause you're never around." She snapped.

Everyone stared at Jiao with widened eyes, they had never seen her act that way or talk back to her mom like that. Usually, she bared the scolding she got and remained quiet, but right now that wasn't the same case.

"Ji-"

"Don't you dare speak to me like that Kwon Jiao." Kwon Sua shouted, raising her voice.

"Then don't you dare blame me for something I'm not responsible for!" She shouted back, "All my life you and dad have never been then for any of us, ever. Do you know how hard it's been for me to take care of my two teenage sisters all alone while you and dad were off to paradise? Do you know how utterly alone I've felt over the last few years, how unwanted I've felt?"

Jiao didn't know why she was saying all of that or where it was coming from, but she knew that she was tired of everything. Tired of being put as the bad guy, tired of taking the blame and getting so much whiplash for something she had no part in. She just wanted a break from everything.