"Get up and come downstairs. Your dad is here," no wonder her mom's mood was even more sour than it had been before. She rolled out of her bed and followed her mom all the way down to the family room. Her dad was sitting on one of the loveseats with his head in his hands. She wasn't afraid of her dad if she was being completely honest. But knowing that he had come all the way from Florida just to discipline her was a scary thought. Why'd her mom have to call him?
"I heard you got suspended," Wilmer started and Harmony nodded. Obviously she did or she wouldn't be at home in the middle of the day.
"Are you gonna open your mouth and tell me why?" Wilmer interrogated and Harmony huffed and slouched down on the couch.
"Lose the attitude, Harmony. And sit up straight and look at me when I'm talking to you. You aren't a little girl anymore," Wilmer barked and Harmony willingly sat up in her chair and unfolded her arms.
"I punched Selena's daughter because she said something about mom," Harmony explained as Wilmer nodded, running his hand over the stubble on his face.
"What problem did punching her solve? Hasn't she always said stuff about your mom that you don't like? Hasn't she always provoked you?" She hated when her dad brought logic into things. She was pissed off, she hadn't exactly sat there and calculated her actions before she punched Mariana.
"Yeah but-"
"You don't have any excuses. You're not new to this lifestyle. People talk all the time, Harmony. No one told you to pay any attention to it. That was your choice. No one told you to punch her. That was your choice. You are too damn old to not take responsibility for your actions," her dad was so calm and he only got like that when he was really upset. Her bottom lip began to quiver and she felt fat tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Why are you crying? What do you have to cry for?" Wilmer asked as Harmony poked her bottom lip out and reached up to wipe her tears.
"I'm tired of hearing about you getting in trouble. I'm tired of having to fly out here every other week because you don't know how to act. You need to get it together Harmony. I'm tired of this," Wilmer hissed and Harmony nodded, still continuing to wipe her tears.
"Come here," she was her dad's first daughter. She had always been a daddy's girl and she didn't like him being disappointed in her. She always strived to make him proud but she usually ended up doing the opposite.
"Just be good for your mother, okay? She does too much for you to be so disrespectful and so out of control," Wilmer said and Harmony nodded, resting her head on her dad's chest. She missed her dad so much. He really didn't come and visit her as often as he said he did. Most of the time when she got in trouble for petty things, he would just facetime her to yell at her.
"Why can't I come live with you?" Harmony sniffled but Wilmer shook his head and began to sit up. This happened every time she asked her dad about coming down to Florida to live with him.
"You just can't...my jet is waiting for me. I love you, Moni. Behave," Wilmer kissed the top of her head and Harmony huffed as she saw him go. She grabbed one of the decorative pillows and placed it under her head as she continued to weep.
Demi actually hated punishing her children. She had just touched down in Los Angeles a little less than five hours ago, and after catching up on some sleep and spending some quality time with her husband, she'd been planning to get Moni from school early and dismiss their nanny for the day to spend time with them. Hearing about Moni's altercation at school and signing her suspension forms just put a damper on her entire mood. Moni had been too much to handle lately and she had no idea what was going on with her or what phase she was going through, but she needed to stop it before she seriously got into trouble.
It actually scared Demi how much Moni was like her when she was younger. Moni looked more Hispanic than she did, and she got that from Wilmer and part of her side of the family, but she was like a carbon copy of Demi. She had the same I-deserve-everything-in-the-world-because-I'm-better-than-you attitude, she didn't listen to anyone, and she was always trying to do her own thing. Demi partially blamed that on herself because of what had happened when she was younger, but wasn't it time for Moni to let that go? She had made a mistake. It was time to get over it. She had spent every day since then making it up to her, but the way that she had made it up to her made Demi feel like she had done her an injustice because all she did was spoil her.
"I'm heading out," Wilmer walked into Demi's office and she nodded, taking in her ex husband. He was freshly shaved even if he had just taken a three hour flight over to California. He was more clean cut than he used to be, even if his age was sneaking up on him. But he still looked good. Both of them did.
"She asked me why she can't come and live with me again, Demi," Wilmer said, placing his palms on the edge of her desk and leaning forward.
"Wil-"
"Whatever Demi. Continue to be selfish. But just know that whatever you're doing to raise her and discipline her is not working. She needs to go see someone. You can't just throw material things and money at her and expect her to straighten up," Wilmer did not approve of her parenting methods. He hated how she was raising Harmony but what was he supposed to do, take her to court? He had his own reasons for Harmony not being able to come and live with him but he didn't want his daughter growing up to be some irresponsible brat who expected everything to be handed to her on a silver platter.
"I'm doing my best, Wilmer," Demi breathed out. "I can't force her to go see someone."
"You're her mother, Demi. You're the boss of her, not the other way around. My jet is waiting for me. I'll see you later," he walked around to her side of the desk and kissed the top of her head, holding her in his embrace for a few seconds longer than necessary before walking out of the office.
"Demi, lunch is ready. Trey took Lyric to the mall and Harmony won't eat," Mallory entered her office and Demi nodded. She got up and followed her to the kitchen. Mallory was Lyric's nanny but she did other things around the house. Trey and Demi cooked breakfast and dinner but Mallory usually cooked lunch because she kept Lyric during the day and she tidied up the house sometimes too.
"Is Moni in her room?" Demi asked, taking the plate that was meant for Moni and heading up the stairs.
"Yeah she is," Mallory responded. Demi turned down the hall and opened Harmony's closed doors. She was tucked under her thick duvet and Demi walked over to the bed, hopping on top of it and setting Moni's plate down in her lap.
"You're not asleep so wake up Moni," Demi demanded, shaking her even if she was awake.
"You need to eat. Did you eat breakfast this morning?" Harmony rolled her eyes as she sat up because she knew what her mother was doing. There was always that stupid fear in the back of her mind that she would turn out like her mom when she was younger, a fear that her mother needed to let go of because it wasn't happening.
"I had a muffin from Starbucks. Do you wanna see my receipt?" Harmony retorted. Demi sucked her teeth and handed the bowl of chicken pot pie that Mallory had made to her daughter.
"Harmony, you can't keep acting out. I'm doing my best, okay? I'm really trying to understand what you're going through but you can't keep doing this," Harmony slightly leaned into her mother as she began to comb her long fingernails through her scalp. Harmony's honey brown eyes, the eyes that she had gotten from her mother, began to water as she leaned more into her mom.
"I'm sorry. I just don't like when people talk about you and stuff. And it's not fair that everyone can talk so much sh-crap about you but I can't even react to it and defend you," Harmony sniffled, resting her head in her mom's lap as she set her bowl aside.
"I don't need you to defend me, Moni. I need you to behave and get good grades and be yourself and strive to be happy. That's all that you need to do," Demi softened up a bit as she felt her daughter's body shake with sobs. Maybe she had been a bit harsh earlier...
"I'm sorry mom," Moni cried out, and Demi shushed her as she continued to stroke her hair.
"How about this? After you take your dog for a walk, I'll give you your phone back, okay? But you need to straighten up. I'm serious this time," Demi kissed her cheek and Harmony nodded, wrapping her arms around her mother's waist.
"I know. I'm sorry. I really am. I'll apologize to Mariana when I go back to school," Harmony promised. Demi smiled and unwrapped her arms from around her waist and stood up to leave the room.
"Eat your lunch then don't forget to take Bean out," Demi retorted, taking Moni's iPhone out of her pocket and tossing it to her, because she trusted that she would take her dog out. Harmony sniffled one more time before sitting up in her bed and wiping her tears away. She grabbed her phone with a triumphant smile which turned into a smirk as she turned it on and unlocked it. Apologize to Mariana her ass.