Rachel and Adam came to pick up the boys just right after 7. My mom got home around that time, she apparently had to prepare to go to court in a few days so she had to stay late at the office to prepare for it. However Rachel stayed a bit just to see mom for a while, but the boys got tired so she left shortly.
My mom was now sitting in her office, she was still in her work clothes reading through her cases that suddenly became the new table cloth for her desk. The files were neat, but everywhere at the same time. She saw me peaking through the office through.
"Selena? Did you need something, dear?" she wasn't even looking up at me as she continued to jot some notes. She was sitting in an elegant posture, back straight, leg crossed over the other, left elbow propped on the desk with the hand on her chin as she wrote with her chin up and looking busy at the other documents. Even with her not looking at you it will make you nervous. Since I was small, Rachel and I have witnessed clients coming into her office and she sat just like this as she spoke to them. Strict posture, attentive but seldom eye contact as she jot her notes down.
"Uhm... mom..." I walked in, pulling out the chair across with the letters from that woman right behind my back in my other hands.
"Yes dear?" her voice was sophiscated, always like she was a level too high from me.
I took a breath in and shut my eyes as I asked her. I didn't know if this was right, but I had a feeling my mom knew about the affair. She was smart. She outsmarts the convicts in court. She even outsmarts the judges. She was too smart to not have known, but I want to hear her explanation.
"Did you know about Dad's affair?" I asked, I didn't hear her reply right away. My eyes open, and for once my mom looked at me, away from her work and those brown orbs that resembles mine, looked right into me, speechless. Her lips were open but no words came out.
She takes a breath in, closing her eyes and nods, "Yes I did," she slowly removes her glasses, "how did you-"
"How could you still stay with this man?" I asked her, my voice was strong and enraged all of a sudden. I hadn't even known I would've had this courage.
"Because he is a father and a good husband, he may have wronged me but he did not wrong you and Rachel. He has been nothing but a wonderful father, he loves you both dearly," she explains, she was so calm.
I can't believe it. But then again, my mom is the type that will not show she is in pain, she would cry alone in the dark than expose it all to us.
"But he cheated on you! He was not loyal to you for 365 days when he went to that lecture in Chicago, he is a jerk, a shame to all husbands and all men in the society--"
"Don't speak about your father that way Selena Marie," my mom thundered, "He is a good man, we had our fight, we had our ups and downs, but what is important is that I have forgiven him for his wrong honey."
"But I haven't," I felt my blood boil as tears rolled down my lips, "I will not forgive a father who has wronged his family."
I was too angered, too frustrated to speak another word with my mom. Although deep down I know it is my father that I should be most angry at. But with my mom supporting him up to this day, all my respect for her is slowly fading away.
I spun around, ready to storm off. Just to see my father standing by the doorway. His hands in his pocket as he took a step forward his hands opened, ready to hold me.
"Don't touch me," I pointed at his hands as I was ready to run out.
"Selena listen to me, she was just a--" he started to speak, but I didn't let him continue.
"I don't want to hear it, you are the greatest disappointment in my life!" I cried as I ran out of their office. Snatching my bag from my room I packed a jacket as I ran out the doors. I had no idea where I was running to, I just know I can't stay in that house for another minute.
Tears burned down my cheek as I ran down the dark streets. Some reason of all places I run to it would be the neighborhood playground my parents used to take my sister and I to. I sat on the swing that has already become too small for me to fit my little bum into.
I swung on it back and forth. Smiling at a flashback when we once ran on every spot on this playground and have our parents chase us, it was the time of our lives. Things were so much more simpler as kids. How could things have changed so drastically?
A father that every kid dreamt of having, I had him.
A husband with such an enriched background, so loving and caring, with a successful career is what every women wanted in this town, my mom had him.
Yes I agree that they never spent so much time with Rachel and I as kids, but when we do get together we click with a perfect bond with one another. That was history.
My family fairytale ends this moment.
My father is no longer the hero every child looks up to, he is no longer the husband that every women wanted. He is not the father I expected him to be.
Cheating is one strike. Having and affair with his student is two strike. And last strike was to tell her to go for the abortion. Hiding it from us is too late because he has already wronged us.
I felt the tears beginning to run down my cheeks, every single drop was a stab in my heart. How could my father become like this, so heartless and ruthless? Was it because I never knew him?
"Are you alright miss?" I look up afar to the voice. Just by the slides that are about 3 meters away on the other side of the playground I see a group of fat drunk lords walking my way. There were four of them, they look like the ones I saw at the pub, with their grubby chins, and the smell of alcohol conquers the park.
"I'm okay," I quickly wiped the tears off my cheeks and got up to walk off. Suddenly I felt my heart shutter and beating rapidly as I sprint out from the park. I heard the footsteps follow.
I ran faster and faster until I was out of breath. I ran into the neighborhood across from mine. Their houses were big just like mine, all in different architect. I had no clue how to get around this one at night though.
I turn around and I didn't see them. It was just a space of pitch blackness. When I turned around to continue to run, I tripped on a stone and fell right to my knees. Fuck. It scraped wide on both my joints, and I see the red fluid sleaking its way out of my tissues.
I looked inside my bag to find my tissue bag but it got too jumbled while I was running.
"Fuck," I cursed under my breath as I felt it go uneasy, the tears continue to pour harder as I felt like an idiot right now. Lied to by my family. Lied to by my father. And now I'm acting like a teenager running away from home.
Ok.
I picked up my cell phone which by the way it was at 16% which is no good. I looked at the 15 missed calls, 7 from home and 2 from mom and 3 from dad and 3 from Rachel. I called her back first.
Her voice was in panic when she picked up.
"Selena! Where are you? Mom and dad are going crazy, we will talk about this tomorrow, just please tell me where you're at I'll come and--" I stopped her midsentence.
"Did you know?" I asked in disbelief, she stayed silent for a minute, hesitant to speak.
"Selena this is a matter between mom and dad."
"Unbelievable." That was all I said before I put the line to an end, "All of them are assholes."
I scrolled down my contact list, and dialed Demi's number. It was pretty late, I don't know if she would be crashing a party right now or possibly be with Joe. But it was ringing so I hope she'll get it.
It was a man's voice--Joe's voice. Confirmed. She's with Joe.
"Joe?" I tried to clear my voice and hide my sobbing voice, "I-is Demi aro-und?"
"Yea? Uh Sel? Are you alright?" he asked.
Suddenly I felt the need to crumble again as the tears fell like a bucket tipping over, "No, can you ask her to come get me?"
The tears conquered my voice as I sobbed and was unable to stop.
"Oh God, I'll get Demi, stop crying Sel, what happened?" I heard Joe's voice tremble as he was probably walking, it wasn't crazy loud but I do hear mumbles of voices on the other line, as I heard him walk around asking "Where's Demi?"
"That Selena?" I heard a male voice ask, I heard his concern and I figure it was Nick. I rolled my eyes through my sobs as I awaited for Demi's voice to come through.
"Selena?" her voice rings, "Bae what's wrong?"
"Demi can y-you come pick m-me up?" I sobbed.
"Where you at doll?"
I look up to find the street sign, "178 Parkson Ave."
"On my way, don't go anywhere and if there are ninjas, run!"
That made me giggle, just before the line went dead.