The actual last thing I wanted, or expected on a Wednesday evening was for a buzz from below, the intercom flashing red indicating that someone was downstairs and wanting to come up. Well, it couldn't be Harry, maybe it was Casey? Or Silver?
Frowning in confusion I pressed the button warily.
"Hi Darling, its Anne." A voice chimed through the slightly fuzzy intercom making me bite my lip in contemplation before deciding that I kind of wanted to hear what she had to say, because as much as I hated to admit it, all my run-ins with Anne usually left me with a whole lot of information about Harry. So I pressed the green button that allowed her to come up and then sat on the edge of the couch nervously as I waited.
A knock on the door made me jump, even though I was expecting it-- kind of like a toaster, you know it's going to pop yet it still scares the actual crap out of you when it does.
Shaking off my weird analogy I peeped through the peep hole to see Anne standing there, a pretty unreadable expression on her face. Turning to glance at the mirror on the wall I grimaced at my appearance, knowing my mum would have had a fit if she knew I was over here greeting guests looking like this.
I was wearing a scraggly, really large knitted sweater that hung off my body and a pair of worn out leggings and my hair looked as if I hadn't combed it-- I had actually, however my hair decided it didn't want to listen. Running a hand through my hair with a eye roll I unlocked the door and pulled it open hesitantly. It was nearly time for Harry to come home, and I wasn't sure how he would react to having Anne here after the things she said last time.
Even now I had to grit my teeth and clench my small, not very threatening fists as I greeted her with forced warmth.
"Hi Anne, um, it's a surprise to see you here," I said with a nervous laugh as she pushed open the door and slipped past me into the apartment making me stand there with pursed lips before I shut the door after getting over my astonishment.
"Yes, so sorry for appearing unannounced, but I have something important to tell Harry that couldn't be done over the phone. So, where is that wayward son of mine?" She asked cheerily, standing in the middle of the room as if our last encounter hadn't occurred the way it had. I gritted my teeth at the words she had just said about Harry feeling weirdly defensive of him, especially after we went to that carnival last weekend.
So, purposefully ignoring her words I breezily brushed past her into the kitchen flicking on the kettle.
"Would you like a drink?" I asked with a pleasant smile on my face as I gazed at her placidly from behind the counter. She narrowed her eyes at me, the false happy expression slipping off her face slightly as she slowly walked forward until her hands rested on the marble counter top, long red nails tapping the counter making me cringe.
"I think it seems we made a mistake in choosing you as Harry's wife," she let out a scoff, "Do not think I've forgotten what happened last time, dear." Her brown eyes flashed dangerously as she leaned forward making my mouth part in surprise at her harsh turn of character, I gulped and really questioned my life decisions as I leaned away from her imposing form. "You dare to give me attitude whilst looking as pathetic as that, Ha! I bet Harry doesn't even cast you a second glance does he? Not that I blame him, you're as lowly as they come!" She spat and I cursed myself for feeling the poisonous burn of tears in my nose and the backs of my eyes at her harsh words, an unwanted memory flashing before my eyes as I bit my lip trying to control my tears from falling.
"Daddy, I'm sorry, I-I didn't mean to-to knock it over!" The cowering five year old stammered, slowly inching backwards towards the kitchen door and away from her angry father. He was red in the face, a broken beer bottle shattered around his feet that the little girl had knocked over whilst playing hide-and-go-seek with her imaginary friend.
He growled lowly, the sound echoing around the large, shiny kitchen making the little girl seem even smaller. The little girl didn't understand why her daddy was so angry all the time, and why he sometimes used bad words to them, she couldn't comprehend why her daddy didn't seem to love her like her friends daddy's did.
The large man hobbled closer, his steps uneven as he towered over the innocent child who had big round eyes glistening with tears peering up at her daddy wondering what was going to happen, whatever it was, her tiny heart was pounding awfully quickly.
"You need to watch where you're goin' you lowly, pathetic child!" Her daddy roared, his voice loud, this time loud enough to alert her mummy who was napping upstairs.
"H-honey? What's going on down there?" Her mummy's lovely voice could be heard in the hallway and all Clover wanted was to run to her mummy and hide behind her forever, however before her mummy could reach her, her very angry and not-so-nice daddy had struck her across the face. The pained yelp had echoed long after the man had walked away, the sound sending daggers through her mothers heart.
The small child had been knocked over by the force of the hit and was now sobbing whilst clutching at her chubby cheek, her big round eyes spilling large tears as she tried to make her small brain understand why her daddy hit her and no one else's hit them.
She never did get the answer.
I blinked, my eyes clouded with tears at the memory that had resurfaced from the hauntingly familiar words that had once before been thrown at me. They say you can't remember things clearly that young, but I remember everything, perhaps more than I would like too.
I peered up at Anne's haughty face before blinking my tears away, refusing to give her the satisfaction of seeing me cry, it was hard, but after a lot of cheek biting I no longer had tears threatening to fall. They would --but later.
"No human is lower than any other, Anne. We're all the same here, Harry's not lower than you, or me, because of his dyslexia, and I'm not lower than you for. . well, for whatever reason you've conjured up. It'd do you good to remember that. Tea? Or are you more of a coffee person?" I answered softly, although my tone was full of sincerity and firmness. Of course her words hurt, they were something that I often did find myself thinking, however I was not going to let her demean me and Harry. I honestly couldn't believe this woman was the one that went dress shopping with me for my wedding and practically picked out my dress for me. I had no idea that this is what she was really like. I guess what they say is true, you only really get to know someone once you live with them.
Although I guess I didn't live with her, but it was close enough. She was so arrogant to think that she was better than others due to maybe her money because that truly does not define the quality of someone, at all. You could be a millionaire and a complete arsehole, yet you would never compare to someone who maybe lived off benefits but had a big heart.
I'd worked really damn hard my entire life to fight all the negativity and stay optimistic and happy with the world and I wasn't about to let some uptight forty year old woman change that now.
You see, when my father left, my mother fell into a bout of depression and it was one of the darkest times of my life, aside from when my father was around, but strangely enough when he was, my mum wasn't depressed-- she wasn't happy (obviously) but she didn't have legit depression, but once he'd gone, bam, she was out like a light.
I blame that on my brother. He believed my father, and for some crazy reason believed we were the ones at fault and took off with my dad, obviously breaking my mums heart. Once she'd recovered, and everything was beginning to fall back into place I swore to myself I would never suffer from depression, I would never let myself get brought down by anything that much. I swore to always look at the bright side of life, to find excuses for people's actions against me, to give second chances, to be naively optimistic about the world, and to always look for the best in people even if it wasn't clearly visible.
I was so sick of being unhappy for the majority of my childhood that I decided I wasn't going to let that childhood ruin my adulthood in any way, my dad was gone, we were free from the torture, if that wasn't a reason to celebrate then I didn't know if there ever would be one. I didn't want to look at it the way my mum and Silver viewed it, they thought back to how horrible things had been and they were cautious, and pessimistic, but I wanted to look at how good things were going to be now, I wanted to be optimistic and naive and just live as if that chapter of my life didn't exist, I didn't want my father to have the satisfaction of setting my life off course.
Maybe that's why I've managed to retain my sanity whilst living with Harry and his temperament. And also why I point blank refuse to give up until I've nestled myself deep into his golden heart.
My fathers actions have affected me, that's not to say he didn't leave a mark, I sometimes find myself flinching at loud noises, or when Harry gets real mad I sometimes have a flicker of fear and the thought of 'what if Harry does to me, what my father did to my mum' but I always brush that away and believe in the good that I know is in there.
Anne's loud laugh parted me from my thoughts with a snap as I focused back on her amused face, deep age-worn crinkles forming by her eyes as she laughed as if genuinely amused. It was a shame because she could be really beautiful if her personality hadn't completely overshadowed that.
"You're funny," she said with a patronising smile but the steel cold glint in her eye didn't surpass me as I folded my arms across my chest peering at my powder blue painted toes. "Now, where's Harry?" She demanded, her face set in aloofness. I tried not to roll my eyes before replying.
"He's not home, but I can pass on a message?" I drawled lazily peering up at her, not exactly feeling too wanton to do her bidding. She frowned at the information before rolling her eyes as she dug something out of her pocket and slid it across the counter to me.
I gave her a wary glance before hesitantly picking up the small business card to read the contents.
Advanced reading classes for experienced readers held at The Old Hall, we read books such as,
•The Great Gatsby
•Jayne Eyre
•Romeo & Juliet
•Shakespeare
•Hobson's choice
-- & many more, so come join us, it's free!
For lovers of the written world.
I frowned in confusion sending Anne a weird look. She rolled her eyes at me before answering in a condescending tone.
"It's for Harry, I've signed him up to attend every Saturday from one PM. God knows he needs it, maybe the humiliation of not being able to read properly will set something right in that head of his." She scoffed picking at her nails.
My lips parted in horror filled surprise as I stared at her not willing to believe that a mother could actually be so cruel to their own child, however I had no choice but to believe in it as I peered in disgust at the stupid card. How ever Harry acted he didn't deserve to be humiliated for something out of his control like this.
I didn't say anything for awhile before I let my anger bubble over for once and took the card and ripped it in half, straight through the middle, and then again, and again, and again, until none of the words were recognisable anymore, and then I neatly put them into the bin turning to face a shocked Anne.
"I'm sorry Anne, but believe it or not, I actually care a little a about Harry so I can't pass your message on. He doesn't deserve to be humiliated for something not in his control." I said with finality in my voice even though I was totally shitting it on the inside. I hated confrontations, and that's all I seemed to be having lately, and with someone twenty years my senior (give or take) no less! I sighed preparing for the backlash and oh, a backlash is what I got.
"How dare you scum, try and defy me? You'll regret that. I'll make sure of it you pathetic bitch. " She seethed making me blink back tears as I gazed at me wriggling toes trying hard to reign in my emotions. There were all over the place from feeling defensive over Harry, to feeling shaken from my flashback, and feeling hurt from Anne's words. "And did you make these handmade decorations." She spat waving a red tipped hand at my hard work which I had been proud of until I saw the mocking in her eyes. She spat the word, 'handmade' as if it had personally offended her.
I only nodded softly, all of my fight having left my body as it had gotten way too intense, I never wanted a full blown argument, I simply couldn't do what she wanted me to do. I couldn't do that to Harry--hell I couldn't do that to anyone! And now she was name calling and disrespecting my work and all I felt was intimidation and despite being a woman she was reminding me more and more of my father and it was scaring me.
"Hmmm." She hummed noncommittally before marching towards my carefully painted glass bottles with the cute flowers inside and before I could react, she had swiped her arm across the cabinet and sent the bottles clattering to the ground making them shatter into pieces, the flowers falling limply to the floor as I felt my tears threaten my waterline.
"No!" I whispered in shock staring at my hard work on the floor as (as stupid as this sounds) I felt my heart breaking from seeing something that I had so lovingly created completely ruined. I sniffled, my nose twitching as my tears finally broke through and dripped down my cheeks, the fat pearly drops leaving uncomfortable streaks across my face.
"Pathetic." Anne scoffed once more before she was gone, the door slamming shut as I slowly walked over towards the shattered glass and bent down, a small sob escaping my lips as I shivered, suddenly wanting nothing more than Harry to come home.
I began to pick up the pieces and place them in my palm as my vision blurred with tears and because I couldn't see properly I accidentally scraped the sharp broken edge of the glass along my hand and felt pain flower in the area as the skin split apart and red blood immediately began oozing out and dripping onto the hardwood floors.
I cried out just as I heard the front door open again and the resounding thump of a gym bag hitting the floor before footsteps came closer to my crying form. I was gripping my hand now crying because of the pain and the whirlwind of the day.
"Clover? What the fuck are you doing on the floor-- shit, you're bleeding," he mumbled the last part, his tone softening slightly as he squatted down beside me. "What the hell happened here? My apartment is a fucking mess." He growled staring at the glass on the floor making me sob again. He sighed heavily reaching forward and gripping my wrist to guide my hand closer for inspection.
"You idiot, who the hell picks up glass with their hands?" He scoffed quietly under his breath turning my hand this way and that. My sobs slowly quietened down to pitiful sniffles as I shrugged my shoulders moodily making him roll his eyes.
"Come on then, guess I'll have to be the unfortunate soul who has to play doctor." He said with some irritation lining his voice whilst urging me up with a gentle tug of my wrist. I followed behind him as he led me towards the sink obediently.
Turning the tap on he rinsed my hand under the cold water which made me hiss in pain before he wrapped it in a tea towel to stop the blood dripping everywhere whilst he got bandages however I stopped him with the weirdest thing I possibly could have ever done, but I blame my emotions, they were out of whack and Harry was being almost nice to me and that was exactly what I needed; I hugged him.
Yes, I just wrapped my arms around his middle and squeezed and latched onto him whilst sniffing into his firm chest, however what made me feel all tingly and slightly happier was when a slightly tense hand came and rubbed my back for a mere second (or so it felt like) before gently easing me away murmuring a quiet 'get your hands off of me' although there wasn't as much anger or conviction as there could have been.
I sniffled blinking up at him with wide, wet eyes murmuring a quiet apology although I didn't really mean it and followed him into the bathroom, his hold on my wrist making my entire arm tingle and my heart pound, even in these circumstances.
What I was not looking forward too was telling Harry what his mother wanted him to do, of course I wasn't going to actually ask him to go like Anne wanted, I would simply inform him of her visit although I knew it would hurt him, even if he didn't show it, it wasn't possible not to be hurt when your own mother treats you as such.
A/N: hey hey hey hey
hope you liked that my turtles :) you learn some of her past yas tell me what you thinking? Annnnnd you also learn that Anne is a bitch haha (not the real one of course!! None of this represent any characters in real life!)
Let me know what you though guys --
I picked my winner guys! Itssssssss Athiesta !!!!! Her one shot was so creative and written pretty well but thank you to everyone who sent me one! Her character will soon be entering the story haha! Sorry to those who entered but didn't win 💗💗💗 but I think the second best wasss done by obduratephan check it out! It's on her profile :)
Oh & this story won't be what your expecting guys . .
Some crazy ass twists coming your way!! Stay tuned haha 😘😘
Please comment let me know how you're feeling bout this story! It motivates me to update fastaaa! Xx xx
Love you! You're my happy place 💕💕