Chapter 6: Swollen cheeks

It's been three slaps already. All she has got is for saying something logical and her mother doesn't even feel bad when she beats her own eldest daughter.

Her father was seeing everything from the side only and saying nothing to her mother. Sofia's face was all swollen and red, it stings a lot and was burning where her mother hit her, she could do nothing except stare at the ground.

" Listen up, Sofia. You are the eldest sister of Rose and she is your responsibility. She is not as healthy as you...you have to understand it and stay by her side. And I...don't want to repeat it again ".

Her mother was way too angry and fierce with her but it wasn't the first time she has shown this behavior. For others...it might be weird behavior toward her daughter. But for Sofia, this is what her mother has been from the moment she could understand this world.

But why her only? Why are her parents so cruel to her? Why?

The answer was simple. She was not a love child, she was a mistake, her existence was a mistake, a child born from the mistake of her parent's carelessness.

" Sofia! You just have to listen to your mother. We are doing this for your own good. What's the use of studying at a prestigious university? When you can't even look at your sister...Rose is very vulnerable. As a sister, don't you think you should take care of her like a good older sister? ", Said the silent father all the while when his wife was beating his daughter.

He showed no mercy or sympathy when his wife was throwing slaps after slaps at that kind-hearted child. But now she had gained the tongue to speak something extra...only to make her the nanny of her younger sibling.

Sofia stood there like a statue, said nothing nor acted, just stood there motionless while her parents kept telling her to quit her studies.

But a fire was there in her eyes. No matter how many times she gets beaten, no matter how much her parents scold her or tell her to stop going to university, there was no way she would listen to them in this matter.

Completing her studies and leaving this family is her ultimate goal, so how can a mere scolding and beating change her mind? there's no way...

Sofia glanced at her younger sister who was purple and sweating from the pain, her situation looked way too serious this time. She was worried about her sister too, she was also her.

She answered them nothing and went toward the bed. She sat down by the edge and took Rose's hand.

Rose seems to be having a bad dream, her brows were twitching and she was looking uncomfortable.

" It's okay, you will be fine. Be strong, sister is always beside you. It's fine...", Sofia held her hands tightly and kept telling her everything was fine.

In this family of six, she only loves her siblings and takes them as her real family. Rose is the only one who worries about Sofia and loves her affection to the fullest. The other two siblings only see her from the side and never intervene when something bad happens to her.

After listening to her warm words, Rose started to relax in her subconscious, and the result started showing on the surface.

She then looked at her parents, there was so much she wanted to tell them, but only a little came out of her mouth. " You all love me and worry about us siblings. I will take care of Rose and be with her whenever she needs me. But I won't quit my studies, no matter who tells me to, I won't ".

She had stayed rooted in this decision for years now and had no mind to change it. The only way to escape this family is to graduate and find a stable job so that there won't be anyone who would blackmail her in the coming future.

Hearing her repeating the same words, again and again, was driving her parents nuts. They have been trying to monopolize her for years, she listens to them and behaves like an obedient child. But whenever they try to force her to quit studying, she never listens and only gives them mean answers.

" You...You...we have spoiled you too much, that's why you are acting so rotten. You don't care about your sister...how can there be such a selfish sister in the world, you ignorant fool? You still have a chance...think it over ", Her mother started shouting in anger.

She has been trying to convince her to stop doing this and that but this ignorant fool never listens to her and this was driving her on the edge. She wants her to teach sofa lessons so that she won't ever ignore or talk back. But no matter what she did, Sofia was hard to bend.

Her mother kept shouting while Sofia feared no one, she was already slapped many times, and there was nothing that could scare her.

After making sure that Rose was okay and her situation has become better, she rose from the bed and walked out of the room.

As expected of her parents, they kept whining and scolding even after she walked out. As her ears were sharp, she could hear even when she returned to her room.

After entering her room, she locked the door from inside and slid on the door. The pain that she didn't feel at that time, was now coming at her and backfiring, her cheeks started stinging and burning.

But she had no energy to go and look at herself in the mirror. The tiredness that she did not feel the whole day when she was along with the people who care for her in actuality, was now rushing into her every part of her body after returning to her real home where her blood-related people live.

" Hah! What did I even expect from them? I am stupid ".

It has always been like this. Everything she has never felt like hers. As if everything given to her was meant to give with a motive and that motive was never a good reason. She felt like dying every day every time she stepped into this house. For her siblings, this place is home but for her... it's just a house with four walls and a roof to hide her body and feelings.

By now...her face has become a bee-stung part, it was all swollen and red. It was burning and stinging but there was no energy in her body to move.

Suddenly...cell phone one started ringing. It was Brian who was calling her at this time an hour. At first, she didn't pick up the phone and let it ring numerous times. But Brian was a stubborn person, kept calling her nonstop...

In the end, she had no choice but to pick up the call. " Hello ". She spoke first.

She believed that her junior must have relaid her message to him by now. But she didn't understand why Brian was calling her then.

" Sofia! Where are you? We all were waiting for you. Where are you right now? ", Brian seemed drunk, yeah...he had drunk a lot and now has no idea what he was speaking.

Sofia creased her brows after hearing what Brian said. Didn't that junior say anything to Brian?

" Senior! I am home right now. There was a situation at home so I had to return. By the way, I told that junior to relay my message to you, did he not say anything? ", She was having difficulty speaking but she still did her best and said what was on her mind.

Listen to her, Brian sober up real quick and look around. That silly Junior Enzo left after her and did not return at all. He thought they both must be together.

" What are you saying? That Junior didn't return as well. I thought you two must be together, So I didn't mind much. But now that you are saying...that guy left the gathering unsaid. Kids these days are going wild. I have to see him tomorrow ", Brian was a little mad at the fact that a junior of his left without saying a word where he was the host of the party, it hit his conscious and hurt him a little.

Judging from his tone, she quickly understood that Enzo didn't go back to the gathering and went somewhere else. But this is not a reason for Brian to scold that guy either, he is just a freshman. They shouldn't be so hard on him.

On the other hand, Lucas finally cleaned up the mess created by his closest friends and he was now tired.

" Is he dead? tell me he is not. Because if he is dead, we are done ".

Lucas was worried about the person who was sucked by Enzo.