Jennifer returned home from school after a really long day. She was tired of people staring at her like she was some alien from an unknown planet. She was tired of those thousands of messages she received from unknown people asking her about this incident. Since, she was filmed with Adrian, the news spread across the school like wild fire. Every girl who wished to be Adrian's was looking at her as if she had murdered a man.
Darius was ignoring Jennifer because of what Kurt did to him. He wasn't actually doing anything but the lack of interest in his voice when Jennifer apologized, displayed that he was hurt. He was used to being bullied but the 'criminal' part hurt him. Moreover, he wasn't even involved with them in the video. Despite that fact, he was being targeted for being close to Jennifer.
Jennifer settled down on the couch in the living room, sighing. Suddenly, Jennifer's father entered the room. He was supposed to be at the company right now, so Jennifer was pretty surprised. "Dad, what are you doing here?" she said while standing up from her seat. "This is my home. I live in it. What do you mean by what I am doing here?" the tone in which her father spoke was shocking.
He was never so blunt and rude towards her. Jennifer moved a few steps towards her father in hopes of hugging him like she did every time they met but her father backed off. He did not hug her. Jennifer was seriously hurt now. "Dad, if it is a prank. Please stop. I'll start crying now." She said, tears threatening to spill from her eyes.
"What if this isn't a prank?" her father didn't even make an eye contact with her. Jennifer was so tired from the day at school and now her father was rude to her for some reason she didn't understand. A single tear made it's way from her eyes to her cheek. "Dad…" She said in a trembling voice. "Don't cry now. You should have thought before you brought shame to me and your mom." He father scolded her.
What! Which shame? Jennifer didn't do anything wrong. She always obeyed her parents until once…. OMG!!! The video had been viral. Her father must've seen it. "Dad, I can explain." Jennifer said walking towards him and holding his hands. He yanked her hands right away. "Dad, please give me a chance to explain." Jennifer said desperately and started crying.
"You are crying now? Why? Because your secrets have been revealed? Are you serious? The son of my business partner!! Jennifer. I am highly disappointed in you. I told you both that none of you are going to get involved romantically. I just let him stay so that you don't feel alone and lonely. Look what my thoughtfulness had brought on this home. The name of this family. Our prestige. Everything was destroyed because of a few moments of lust you couldn't resist. I thought you were grown up but you aren't." Jennifer's father began speaking aggressively.
Jennifer let her tears fall. Lust? Adrian was never lust or anything remotely related to that. Adrian was a friend she wasn't ashamed of. Never will be. Her father had assumed, like everyone else, that they both were intimate that night. Which was horribly wrong. But, Jennifer was wrong as well. Underage drinking, prohibited clubs. Her father wasn't particularly a controlling or overprotective father. He never told Jennifer what and what not to do. He only told her not to enter that particular club. Jennifer couldn't even abide by that. She was such a bad daughter.
"Dad, please trust me. We are just friends." Jennifer pleaded once again. "I am so friendly with you. I always provide you with love and care. In return, what you do is this…." A stinging pain was felt on Jennifer's wet cheeks as the house was filled with the sound of a slap that landed on Jennifer's face. Jennifer was too shocked to make a sound. She even stopped crying. She had never seen her father so furious. "Dad…" Jennifer tried to speak, to explain, to do anything but stop this agonizing process.
She felt numb from crying but her heart wasn't satisfied. Her eyes dried up but the pain didn't go away. Her throat went dry and all she could remember was the wetness of her cheeks. She wanted to being her palm up to her face, wipe the tears but she was shivering so badly that it wasn't possible. The prickling sensation on her cheek felt as if her skin was being peeled away. She wanted to die. To roll up into a ball and never open. To perish from the surface of this earth. But Alas! This wasn't possible. If her father wanted, he could grant her that but no! He had something more in store.
Jennifer's father wasn't sadistic. Not even remotely. He was warm and kind. Nice and understanding. Then, why was he behaving like this? He wanted to punish Jennifer for stepping out of line. Fine! But she never thought he would hurt her physically. It was the first time he had slapped her since childhood. She was his princess. Guess, every princess doesn't get a happy ending. Specially not in the real world.
Jennifer's father dragged her by her arms to the house's main door.
"It hurts." Jennifer squeaked through tears and muffled sobs. Her father was dragging her with such intensity that he didn't even notice the red marks that appeared on Jennifer's arm due to his tight grip. At first, Jennifer thought he would throw her out of the house but then she felt being pushed into a car and her father settled on the seat next to her.
"Dad, where are we going?" Jennifer asked in hope of getting at least a reply but her father didn't even grace her with that. He didn't even spare a look. Jennifer kept on crying silently all the way. "Don't utter a single word. If I hear another sound from your mouth, you would wish you were dead." Her father growled. Jennifer tried hard to not make a sound but when your heart is bleeding and your wounds are invisible, the pain gets unbearable.