Song Rec: Oscar Winning Tears — RAYE.
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The moment I got home, I brushed off the staff's sighs of relief and apologies upon seeing Reese. I handed her to Stella. "Please take her to her room and help her freshen up," I requested, trying to keep my tone respectful.
"Elsie, I am so sorry—"
I cut her off with a raised finger as I slipped out of my heels, which a maid hurried to take upstairs. "It's fine, Stella. Just take Reese away from here."
Perhaps a belt, a rod, or even a gun would be good to discipline that wild animal. I just couldn't decide which was most fitting. I strolled upstairs and headed straight for her room, where I found her sprawled out on her large bed.
I approached her slowly and slapped her hard across the cheek. She sprang up immediately, and before she could recuperate, I slapped her again.
"This is how you want to play the game, huh? You miserable, hell-forsaken sexual mistake!" I growled, grabbing her hair and throwing her to the ground.
She screamed, and I kicked her hard in the stomach, which only made her wail louder. "Are you out of your mind, b_tch?" she hissed, clutching her stomach as she struggled to rise.
"You want to fight, don't you? Fight me, Heather! You've given me a child I never planned on having, and now you want to take her away? Have you lost your mind?!" I shouted, grabbing her hair and slamming her head against the vanity.
I didn't care if I killed her right then; she deserved it. Each time she managed to get back on her feet, I hit her again, just as she had done to me.
I thought of the changes my body underwent during pregnancy, the sleepless nights that made me wish for an end, the pain of childbirth, and the agony of watching Reese struggle in a damned incubator because I gave birth too early.
All those hours of sweat, tears, and laughter spent raising this child for five years, and she dared to rob me of the one person who kept me together and gave me reasons to keep enduring this wretched world.
I slammed her head against her bed again. She was already weak, and blood sputtered from her mouth. The satisfaction of watching her suffer made me smile. I was sweating profusely now, my hair an unruly mess.
Heather grabbed a pair of scissors from her vanity table. I smirked as I saw her clumsily try to lunge it at me. I stepped on her wrist, pinning it down as she cried out in pain and dropped the scissors.
I kicked her harder this time, and she groaned loudly. Then I saw it—the flash of fear in her eyes.
"Elspeth, stop!" My mother screamed, rushing into the room to aid Heather.
"Oh, good Lord. Have you lost your mind?!" my father thundered, striding toward me.
"Yes, I've lost my mind! Keep your useless daughter on a leash!" I yelled back, and he raised his hand to slap me. When his hand collided with my cheek, I couldn't muster a response. I was too angry to feel anything at that moment.
"Why would you call your elder sister names?!" my father barked.
"She hired thugs to kidnap Reese! I swear, first thing tomorrow, I'll file a report and get this lunatic behind bars!"
"From the looks of it, it's clear who the real lunatic is. Elspeth, you've brought an everlasting shame to this family, and you refuse to take measures to clear the air. Now you want to drag your sister down with you? God forbid the heiress of Loughton Beverages ends up locked up like a filthy criminal," he boomed.
Suddenly, I felt weak in the knees, just like that eighteen-year-old girl on the carpet of her bedroom, watching her parents determine her fate. I gasped for breath.
"Elspeth, you're a mother. What kind of example are you setting for Reese?" my mother snapped, helping Heather sit on the bed.
"Just because you couldn't properly watch your kid doesn't mean I took her. You sly bitch," Heather cursed, and my mom scrutinized her for injuries.
"Why aren't you saying anything?" my father asked, growing impatient.
I scoffed, stepping back as hot tears streamed down my sweaty face, turning my cheeks red. "It all makes sense now. An everlasting shame? This is thanks to Heather! This useless creature paid her boyfriend to impregnate me!" I hissed.
"Elspeth, why are you acting like this?" Heather cried with a sob. "I've tried my best to be a good sister to you. Why would you lie like this, just for the heiress position? You don't even have evidence!" She started crying shamelessly, and my mother hugged her.
What is this, Hollywood? I clenched my wrists tightly as my father prepared for another slap, ready to lash out at me again.
"I swear on your cheating ass, Father, if you lay a hand on me again, I'll stab this affair-based mistake with a knife!" I hissed.
His hands dropped in shock, his eyes wide with disbelief.
He didn't deserve my respect—not after this absurd reaction. It was clear they only cared about their reputation and nothing else. Their reputation was long dead and gone the moment Heather's mother walked into those doors with the witch in her hands.
"Elspeth, don't you dare talk to your father like that!"
"Give me that lecture when you learn to stop people-pleasing and trying to be a good stepmother to this fool. Soon he'll dump you and bring in her mother. It's evident you're all in an alliance to kidnap and murder my daughter—"
"We would never do that to Reese! What has gotten into you?" my mother countered.
"Damn all of you!" I yelled, storming out and slamming the door behind me.
As I stepped out, I spotted Stella at the entrance.
"Elsie, dear, what happened?" she asked, but I ignored her, walking straight to my room, where I threw open my closet and began packing my clothes.
"Are you leaving?" she pressed further.
"Yes. Please help me pack Reese's things." I sniffled, not wanting to waste time crying. I had to get out of there as soon as possible.
"Elspeth, you can't leave in this state. Where would you go?"
"A hotel or something," I replied, stuffing my clothes into a suitcase.
"A hotel with a child at 11 PM? Elsie, Reese almost got kidnapped—"
"And her kidnapper is in this house! I can't leave my child here for another minute, Stella! Why can't you understand that?!"
Stella stayed quiet but wrapped me in one of her comforting hugs again, prompting me to let everything out on her shoulder. She calmly patted my back as I wept, releasing all the hurt I had bottled inside. If I could, I would stay just for her. She was the only positive presence in this house, sticking by me through everything.
"I should've stayed back there, Stella," I cried.
"You can't back out now. You've come this far and did the right thing by coming here, my dear. We'll sleep in my room tonight, okay? First thing tomorrow, you can leave with Reese. I'll pack your bags while you sleep."
"Okay," I muttered.
One thing was certain: the moment I left, I'd never come back.