dedicated to my school mother, the one person who truly inspired me to write this book. it's around the time you left us, again. i hope you're truly happy in heaven :)

song for chapter: Reversing by Takénobu

049| A New Beginning, Maybe?

~K O M I S O L A~

School was finally over for the day. I had strangely been anticipating the outcome of what Mother had said to me this morning, and now that I got tired, I decided to stop overthinking it.

And oh, how I wished I could go back in time and relish the drama-free moments before getting home because the scene that had unfolded right before my eyes...

Sitting across Mother in a regal position on the couch, with her legs crossed, one over the other and body poised with so much pride, I wondered who this stranger was.

Mother looked so pissed, yet calm at the same time. An eerie calmness that made her look like she was exercising every bit of self-control she had in her not to combust in rage.

She looked so angry yet neutral.

"Of course, I'm back," the woman began, "I didn't fight for what's mine. You see just how... great I am." I frowned when she giggled. She was mocking Mother. "I don't need to do anything. What's mine comes back to me–"

"I don't really care, Chi." Mother sounded so unbothered. She was acting so indifferent from the Mother I knew. "If you think having an animal like Adebayo come back to you is an achievement, then sure, okay."

I was this close to cracking a smile at the expression on the woman's face. The triumphant smirk on her red painted lips had dissolved into a scowl. "Fighting for Adebayo will be the last thing I do."

"I cannot wait for you to leave this house!" the woman yelled after a while of death glaring at Mother. "God, you'll be kicked out of your house with those demonic children of yours."

She sounded so happy and for the first time, Mother was starting to look angry. "Mind your tone, Chi. One of those demonic children include Komisola–"

"Do I look like I care?" this Chi woman retorted. "Adebayo wants to get rid of those demonic children."

Mother didn't say anything in response. She only watched Chi intently. "I mean," Chi continued as Mother stared at her, "both children have practiced incest with each other. What then if they are not demonic?"

"If my children are demonic, then you deserve to rot in Hell for eternity then. You're a spawn of the devil, so of course you must see the demon in everything."

Chi sprung up from her seat. "Madam–" Chi started but didn't even get the chance to complete her statement.

"I really don't care if you are getting together with that devil called a pastor!" Mother cut her off sharply, her tone laced with so much anger. "The only painful thing here is how you don't care about this girl. You're the most heartless person I've ever known to walk this damn Earth."

"Your business."

Chi sounded so nonchalant, like everything Mother just said was REALLY none of her business.

I didn't think they realized I was standing here.

And things got worse when Davies appeared down the stairs.

Then it suddenly clicked. This woman! She was the woman Davies told me about and Mother.

Jesus.

"What the..." Davies trailed off. Chi's eyes landed on him and omooo, I just kept watching.

It's how no one actually regarded my presence here for me. Am I invisible, help?

"What are you doing here?" Davies looked so angry. He sounded so angry. So furious as he stormed towards Chi and was all up in her face instantly. "What the fuck do you want now?! Haven't you done enough damage?!"

"I told you to serve our guest, what's going on here?"

God, I hated his voice.

"If you need someone to serve, there are tons of maids who can carry out that job."

For the first fucking time, Mother spoke back to Father. Damn. Things were really not the same.

"Aren't you equivalent to them?" Father responded.

God abeg.

"No, I am not. You probably think I am, and I am not surprised. I let you treat me like one. Thank goodness this is over."

"Get out of this house, for real." That was Davies and his warning was directed to the one and only Chi.

Chi ignoring him, strutted on her heels towards Father with a knowing smirk and not so surprisingly, wrapped her arms around Father's neck.

This was a pastor who was highly respected in the society.

"Komisola and Davies, my son, meet Chi--"

"You disgust me."

He did. And I was more than okay to say it with my full chest. "We should meet Chi? What good thing do you ever have to say?"

Now the look of rage on Father's face was enough to scare me shitless, but I still kept talking, because why? I was so fucking tired of everything.

"Even God is disgusted by you." I pointed towards Father, being fully aware that I was definitely living my last moments on Earth right now. "You call yourself a pastor, but you're actually a spawn of Satan."

"KOMISOLA!" Father bellowed, eyes bulging with blazing anger as he roughly pushed the Chi woman away from him. Her tiny legs on which she wore heels danced around each other as she lost her balance. "Who gives you the audacity--"

"I gave myself the audacity," I calmly interrupted. "The least you can do is torture me. Like you've always done. Or just kill me, kill me because I hate everything so much! And you wouldn't mind adding a murderer to the list of devilish things you are."

"If you don't shut up right now, I'll honestly–"

"Dad, this is bullshit!" Davies interrupted Father from speaking and this time, Father really looked like he had lost it.

"Oh would you let me finish my sentences?! For Christ's sake!"

Davies and I didn't say anything. I took a quick glance at him and he was looking equally pissed, but I honestly didn't care about him.

"Your mother and I are no longer together. We have signed the divorce papers, and even through all the happy moments, I do guess our relationship was never meant to last."

I scoffed. I scoffed because the idiocy in Father's words were highly alarming. I scoffed because I was in a huge state of disbelief. "That's perfect."

Chi looked at me like I was totally crazy, a look of disgust marring her already ugly face. You both disgust me too. "What?" I questioned her. "Why are you staring at me? Isn't that the pastor you want so badly next to you? He just pushed you though, I hope you're okay." I smiled at my final sentence before turning to Father. My smile completely dissolved.

There was nothing more to say, the deed had been done and we were finally getting separated from Father.

"Get your bags ready! I'm not sharing my husband's home with any outsider!" Chi's obnoxious voice filled my ears, making more angry than I was at the moment. I hadn't even known her for long but I already had such a strong dislike for her.

How could someone have such a shitty personality? That's probably why she fit so well with Father. Two shitty humans, heads high up in the air living life in ignorance.

Few minutes later, Mother came into my room. "Pack your bags, Komisola. We're leaving this house." Those were the only words she uttered to me before turning around and just as she was about to leave the room, I called her back, stopping her.

"To where?"

I asked because I was genuinely curious. If anything, I was more than glad to finally leave this hell hole of a house but where would we go if we left this place?

"To my parents."

Then I noticed it. I could've missed it. The slight crack in Mother's voice, like she was on the verge of breaking down. Like she was trying so hard to appear strong and okay.

"Mother..."

"I am so tired, Komisola. I feel so angry at myself, at your father and at that woman who used to be my friend. I don't have any energy to discuss anything with you or answer any of your questions, so please, just pack your bags and let's go."

I just wanted to comfort you.

People with happy families were truly the luckiest. Here, I thought leaving Father was the start of a new beginning for us. It sure wasn't looking like it now.

Is this how we would always be? Unhappy?

This was so wrong.

It really was.

a/n: your thoughts on this chapter? i don't really have much to say so byee guyss.

:)