THE STAND IN

Every event has a catalyst for it many years ago. as the saying goes, "What goes round comes round."

Michan's POV:

"I do." We both said at our specific intervals. But this was not the cause of all the next events, rather our past was still haunting us. Deep secrets were storming within their graves. I never expected this day to happen neither have I ever dreamed of it though it's here, right before my eyes.

....Nine years back.....

 I stood there watching everybody making entry into the school alongside their parents. Mine where not there by my side but I still had hope. Dad had promised to come.

"Dad! Where are you?" I thought out loud as I stood by the class window. "He won't come. As always!" My bully smirked wickedly at me. She really irritated me. Despite the irk feeling I had towards her, deep down I knew she was right. That alone made me hate her even more. She had completely changed since this year began. We previously had been friends more like sisters but abruptly she became my 'bully'.

"Bug off, Kristine!" I managed to retort with every ounce of bravery in my whole being. I was not the kind to fight back nor utter defense towards myself. One could say i was an easy target. Well, that had momentarily changed as gasps escaped from the lips of our classmates who had entered just in time to here me rebut. All their eyes, Kristine inclusive, widened in surprise.

Sensing the humid atmosphere that transpired in the room, I turned to the window once again to lessen the tension. As a ray of hope, my mother stepped into the maroon gigantic school gates. Running down to meet her, I made haste; all smiles.

"Oh my cutie! You've come for me? Okay let's go." I was utterly surprised because I knew how she was so busy at the farm just to get money for us; I and her. Dad had literally abandoned us in excuse of having not a whits of love for Mother. I did not hate him at first but when I did, I dreaded him as much I had loved him.

The parent's day had ended well when Mr. John Snyder walked out to us.

"Heyo Princess!" He hollered out to me as I stood ground with Mom. I swiftly turned as I recognized his voice and ran towards his embrace. "Missed me?" He queried with an arched eye brow and hearty smile. I nodded vigorously. He had become a father to me as my self-righteous father, Roman Rhodes, left us and roamed the earth. Unfortunately enough, this was Kristine's biological father.

Lifting me up, he walked to my mother and with his calm smooth voice, he spoke to her about what i did not understand.

"Pranella!" He called. "John, I have to go." "Michan darling, come let's go." She said pulling me away from John's embrace and hold. Mother did not want me to get closer to John for a reason I did not get from her. At that very moment, a lady approached us with a disgust look to my mother. She was relatively tall as my mother with fair-skinned long legs that Kristine must have inherited to earn her charm at school.

Striding towards us with fine quick steps, she hooked into Mr. Snyder's arm claimingly.

"Hi Honey!" She uttered out with her cool sweet voice. Maybe it was the one that attracted him to her. "Melany, not now." He whispered to her but it did not escape my bunny ears.

Before things could get worse, mother pulled me away and out through the gigantic maroon gates back to the farm house. It was pretty and held a feeling of home that enveloped me whenever I stepped foot into the neat grassy yard. The climbing flower plants that grew on the side walls painted it with nature and hope as purple and white petals emerged pasted on the wall. Rare green and blue tulips grew in the lawn side by side the three steps to the verandah that was illuminated in a warm glow by the hanging lamps.

Sensing the tension in Mom's mind, I stopped her from entering the house. I led her to the rocking chair I and Mr. Snyder had made for her the previous year during our carpentry games. As she settled her fragile frame in the rocking chair, I made haste into the house and made her hot chocolate. I took out the cookie jar and picked three pieces for her and one for me. On a tray, I brought her the prepared dinner and placed it simply on the petite round table with engraved initials of our names, John's inclusive.

"Oh! My thoughtful daughter!" She smiled heartily to me warming my heart. Gently, I rocked her chair as we chatted effortlessly.

....

"Honey! You dared to call me 'Honey' in-front of people. How dare you?"

"John, it's because I love you and don't need this divorce to go on."

"Stop Melany! You know well that you are the reason why this marriage broke."

"No! Hell no! John, don't you dare say that again. I did what I did after you left me. You told Ramon that you don't love me."

"Liar! Hypocrite!" He managed to say through gritted teeth after chuckling sarcastically. "I endured everything you did before, tried to love you, gave you the fame you yearned for. But, the mistake you made that shuttered my every trials to love you, was turning my daughter against my heart and me. If you had not crossed the line with Pranella and Michan, I would not divorce you but, you did so." He turned and left Melany frozen in the living room illuminated by a huge chandelier.

A week since the encounter with the Fair skinned demoness Melany, the news of their divorce soared through the whole province. This was thanks to her popularity as a model. these news cost her two brand labels of couple fashion magazines as the ambassador.

"Pranella! You witch come out." My mother rushed out to meet Melany who was enraged and slightly drank. Instinctively, I followed her as though I could protect her. Why she seemed pissed at my mother, I could not put a finger to it. My mother was good at keeping out of troubles since we lived slightly away from neighbourhoods.

"You whore!" Mother covered my ears but i had already heard the insult. "She motioned me to go away but I was stubborn as she knew. I refused. Glaring at me did no good at chasing me away but i noticed the uneasiness in her gorgeous placid grey eyes and sweaty palms and ran away to the barn in the south of the house.

Third person POV:

"Scared to lose face in your daughter's sight, huh!" Melany mocked. With a nonchalant expression, Pranella asked simply. "What do you want?"

"I want my husband back. You destroyed my marriage and family." Melany accused bitterly.

"If you have nothing sensible to tell me, the gate is open for you to leave my home. Return to your lavishing home that smells nothing but money. Melany, you know very well that you did this to yourself and it does you no good to twist the blame onto a third party. Anyways do not play child's tears with me and remember what you always wanted from the start; money! John left your dignity in your daughter's sight what you did not keep for him. Melany what do you really want? For one last time get your heels and wheels out of here." Pranella angrily rebutted with all her mind and left Melany completely dumbfounded.

The days that followed became haunting nightmares to Pranella and Michan.

"Slut! Your mother is a sl*t! She seduced Mr. Snyder and took advantage of his kindness." The children always mock-singed at Michan. Unfortunately she could not fight back despite her stubborn nature.

Michan's POV:

Christmas that year was pretty much horrible. I wished dad was around to defend Mother but he did not love the perfect woman I saw. I always wondered what he did not love about her. Her silk coffee hair, sharp striking hips, petite waist, flat tummy, curves of the modern day figure fit for models of high-end probably better than Melany who was already a model. The smooth fair long legs; that she hid in her long floral dresses, medium-sized boobs, relatively long neck, sharp gorgeous chin, peach relatively thin lips, slender nose, outlined jaw lines, shallow dimples, high chick bones, gorgeous placid grey eyes, arched thin eyebrows and the slightly longer forehead.

Describing her beauty spotlights was lengthy since she was outstandingly gorgeous.

As i was drowning myself in my mother's riveting beauty, I saw her rush towards me with a crimson hue liquid on her head. I saw it dripping as she neared the house; it was blood.

"Mom!" I gasped in terror. What must have happened to her, I thought.

Running into the house, I came back with the first aid kit and a bottle of water. I opened it with haste and beaconed her to sit on the wooden stairs to the verandah.

"Have this, Mama!" I handed her the water bottle and began cleaning and treating her wound. It seemed to have been caused by a stone strong enough to cut her fragile smooth skin. It was slightly above her left eyebrow. This was becoming worse; our safety was no longer guaranteed. I then realized, we had to move to another place away from the storm.

"Mich!" Her soft sweet voice called out. I replied and she voiced out my thoughts.

"I think we should go somewhere else. What do you say?"