The next few days after Jane's big discovery passed in a blur, with the young woman more confused and disorganized than ever, she's naturally disorganized so it's imaginable how bad she got after the shocker she got. What makes it worse is that Douglas and Jessica with their three children are living in her house like they own it while she's sticking out like a sore thumb, living in the basement. When she had woken on the following day after the big reveal, Jessica not so nicely told her to vacate the guest room or what she thought was the guest room because that was Olly's room so she was sent down to the dusty basement of her own house that she still pays the bills for and she had to spend the whole day cleaning, save for a brooding Olly who went down to help her settle in and brought her sandwiches, never uttering a word to her, the young, discerning boy was so ashamed.
Currently she was in a very uncomfortable car, going to the funeral home with her mother and Mike since Jessica conjured an excuse as to why she would be running late.
"How is Jericho treating you, Jane?", Jane's mother, Denise, felt the need to quell the uncomfortable silence but she couldn't have chosen a worse question if she tried.
"Better than my family, thanks Mom. How is daddy's death treating you?", Jane sassed right back at Denise who had a premium scowl on her face.
"That is no way to talk to your mother Jane, no matter what you think has been done wrong to you", the older woman scolded Jane but that was what she needed to snap.
"How would you want me to talk you Mom, like my own twin did not start a family with my own husband while I was slaving for my family in another city, while my own mother and brother encouraged them to have not one but three kids and even move in together, I'm sorry Mom but I find that particularly hard to do", Jane snapped, her voice harsh, loud and sharp in their ears, suffice to say, they had never seen Jane so worked up. Sweet oblivious Jane never gets worked up or raises her voice at anyone, she's too naive, too submissive to do that and the shock on Mike and Denise's face confirmed it.
"Whoa, the big city changed you", Mike mumbled and at that point, he could hoist the banner of stupidity on his forehead and everyone will agree. Before Jane had the chance to grill him their mother jumped in.
"Are you complaining that we sent you to nursing school, to give you a better life? Are you saying that we don't deserve anything from you, after all we did for you Jane. Oh you're so selfish", Denise lamented pitifully.
"I worked two jobs to keep me afloat in school, all you guys did was to pay tuition and never called if it was not to spy on my grades and it's not my fault that your other children refused to go to school and you allowed them to stay at home while I try to make something for myself so don't bring that selfish talk here. I'm the one that works fifteen hour shift, five times in a week and still sends you more than half of my paycheck", Jane all but screamed.
"As you should Jane, as you should and don't blame me for your failed marriage. If you put more effort in yourself", Denise mockingly gestured at Jane's black sweater coupled with a green pair of leggings and yellow flats, her red hair in a messy ponytail
".....and did your job as a wife, Douglas would not have looked at your sister. It's my husband's funeral tomorrow, try not to get me in a worse mood", Denise climbed down from the parked car and slammed the door so hard their ears rang.
After a short moment of Jane angrily wiping her tears and Mike being uncomfortable, he decided to open his mouth again.
"Be happy for our sister, Jane. You should be grateful it's your sister he had kids with. Behave yourself and be the wife that Douglas married, and a sister and daughter to the rest of us. You're so fussy", he not so gently chided her before climbing down from the car, leaving Jane alone.
When life wants to deal you a harsh blow, it starts with an illusion. It starts with a fake blanket of reality, until you are elbows and knees deep in that illusion will you realize what's going on. Life's harshest blows are made out of reality and truth, that is if you don't see reality and truth as one meaning. Jane had faced this treatment from her thumb sucking days but bless her beautiful soul for ignoring what should have been a glaring red light. When you've lived a lie for so long, you start convincing yourself it's the truth. Jane had lived like that for so long that she started feeling like that is how families are, that is why instead of feeling disrespected, she feels betrayed.
She wiped her tears and in a Jane-like fashion, did not use the compact mirror to make sure she looked presentable enough, instead she dried her tears, did not retouch her make up and went out there looking every bit like a broken shell of a person. Jane once again, wore her heart on her sleeve for the world to see.