CHAPTER 7

The following day was a Saturday, and fate had it that it was my birthday, which also marked the anniversary of my mother's birth.

I felt a strange sense of happiness as I knew I would have the house to myself. My dad, in his peculiar way of commemorating her birthday, always chose to drown himself in alcohol.

I decided to savor this rare moment of freedom, treating myself to microwaved popcorn as I settled on the couch to watch TV.

The Vampire Diaries failed to capture my interest halfway through. I suppose being locked in my room for so long made me forget the simple joy of lounging on the couch and watching TV.

That's when I pulled out my phone, opting to immerse myself in a good book instead.

***

My slumber was interrupted by the jingling of keys. He had returned.

As soon as he entered the house, his drunken gaze fixed on me.

Stumbling towards me, he stood in front of me, his breath heavy with alcohol.

"You resemble her so much. You have her eyes, her hair, her nose, ah, and even that beautiful curve of her eyebrows," he slurred.

The way he emphasized "her eyebrows" sent shivers down my spine. To my horror, he produced a razor.

I shut my eyes tightly as he shaved away my eyebrows. He typically cut my hair, but it seemed he had realized my hair grew too quickly. What better way to erase my resemblance to her than by removing my eyebrows?

Thankfully, at least I wasn't bleeding. With a triumphant smile, he left for his room. I rushed to the bathroom.

Confronting my reflection in the mirror, I beheld my disfigured face. School was approaching on Monday, and I couldn't attend looking like this.

Taking a pair of scissors, I began to fashion my front hair into makeshift bangs. They appeared rather uneven given my amateur attempt, but they concealed my now-absent eyebrows perfectly.

I briefly considered using makeup to cover the gap, but my makeup skills were lackluster at best.