For the first time, this table was fully occupied by every member of my family—except for Mom, of course—at breakfast. I sat indifferently next to Cleo, right in front of Nathan who gave me a strange look. Of all my brothers, only Nathan was the most protective of me, more than Cleo. Not infrequently he went around Kensington looking for me if I ran away from home and didn't come back.
"Where have you been all night, Elsie?" Dad asked, reaching for the glass in front of him. He glared at me through his topaz eyes, demanding that I answer honestly.
"Chloe's house," I confessed. After all, I've been telling the truth more than lying to him. Except for a few things he didn't want to know, because I was worried about his health. Even though I hate the way he treats me, I still respect him as a father.
"Another crazy party?" Dad put the long-legged glass on the dining table. Without even glancing at me.
"Yes," I answered casually. I spread chocolate jam on the two slices of bread I was about to eat, ignoring the pair of Cleo's eyes pounded on me.
"Didn't I warn you to stay away from the nightlife, hm?" In the end, he looked at me intently. I ignored the stares, choosing to take a bite of the bread I had smeared with chocolate jam. "Answer me when I speak to you, Elisabeth Cavern!" There was a loud bang on the table.
Suddenly the atmosphere at the table changed from bland to tense. I turned to look at his current expression. His face reddened with anger as his glazed eyes continued to stare at me.
"This is the reason why I don't want to have breakfast with you," I replied coldly. "And don't ever rule my life. Just take care of your companies which you think are more important, than taking care of my problems."
"Elsie," Nathan said across from me.
Delvin would rather finish his breakfast than plunge into this heated discussion at the table. He just covered his mask in front of the others. No one from the Cavern family—except me—knows that Delvin's behavior is not much different from mine. Maybe the difference between us is just a matter of achievement. His luck was in his status as a national football champion. Talk about performance. How can I get an achievement if Dad keeps me from getting it? He forbade me to do whatever I liked. If he wanted me to excel, he should have stopped restraining me and controlling me, letting me do whatever I liked! He kept on directing me to follow in Cleo's footsteps because he thought shooting, archery, rock climbing, and motorcycle racing were only for men. Only Mom supported me in doing my hobby. You could say we have a lot in common. That's why she's more supportive on my activities.
"I should have gone with Mom at that time, instead of being trapped in a house that wasn't much different from hell," I sneered as I grabbed my school bag and left the dining table.
Without much more to say, I walked off in a huff. Cleo shouted behind me, followed by her footsteps. I ignored the call until I arrived at the door. She tapped my shoulder quite hard, making me stop without looking at her.
"I asked you to go together," she said.
"You're ruining my day," I snapped. "Up to you."
Ignoring the annoyed look on my face, Cleo pulled my arm towards her car. Sometimes she can be an annoying twin sister. Sometimes too much attention. But far from being upset, I love her more than I love myself.