~Zoey~

"I'd like to make an announcement please..."

I gulped again at the sound of dad's voice, watching him fiddle with the red box as he spoke.

"The past few months have been hectic for me, ever since the worst incident of my life happened--"

He paused, his gaze lingering at me before meeting with Lilian. Lilian's eyes, however, shone in anticipation of what would happen next; and as for me, I felt like dying at the sight of what he was about to do.

"But during that time, I met someone...a golden ray of light that sprinkled hope in my darkest moments, my sunshine here..."

He stole another gaze at my blood-drained face as though he expected me to appreciate what was happening. My eyes had already began quivering, tears filling the to the brim as he continued munching his words.

"Um, and Zoe...you might not understand that I'm doing this in our best interest at the moment, but I hope you do in the future"

Lilian beamed at me with nothing but joy reflecting within her eyes, causing my face to contort into a deep frown.

And just as I had guessed, he approached Lilian and knelt down, his brows drawn together with a quiet intensity, as if searching for the right words to say.

Then suddenly, he asked, "Please Lilian, will you marry me?"

I gasped and my heart skipped more than two beats, tears pouring from my face as I watched him slide a golden ring onto her finger.

Silence erupted, and the only thing I could hear, was my heart breaking at her immediate response.

"Yes"

That was it! I sprang up from my chair;

"No, no, no...How could you?", I cried.

My voice was loud, more tears washing down my face while they both stared at me.

"Monkey, I--"

Picking up the flower patterned chinaware saucer in front of me, I let it slip from my grip. It hit the floor with a sharp crash, shattering into jagged fragments that scattered across the room.

"First, I caught you smashing her on the same matrimonial bed where you and mum made me...now, you're proposing to her in front of me, barely six months after mum's death!"

"So much for family dinner with you...I hope you enjoy bonding with her while I'm gone, maybe make a couple more kids while you're at it"

"Mum's dead after all"

He sighed, rubbing his forehead as I spat those words at him. As for Lilian, I could see nothing but regret in her eyes, not like I gave a fuck about it anyways.

I scurried upstairs and dashed into my room, slamming the door with a loud thud before falling to the ground; my mind still couldn't come to terms with what he had just done. Beads of tears streamed down my face as I covered it with trembling hands, my shoulders quivering with each muffled sob.

Quickly wiping the tears off my face, I forced myself to pull it together. Then, I began shoving clothes into my small pink box without caring if they were neatly folded or not.

My hands moved on their own, faster than my brain could process. I grabbed my backpack and stuffed a few more items into it before yanking the zipper shut. I didn't know where I was going yet, but I couldn't stay afford to stay anymore.

I rubbed my nose with the back of my hand, sniffling as I scrambled downstairs fully packed to leave. That was when I collided with my dad, who stood patiently at the bottom of the stairs.

"Zoe, where do you think you're going?"

His voice was stern, eyes locked at me with unwavering seriousness.

"Anywhere away from here...far away from you and your new sunshine", I said with a hint of disgust.

"You're not going anywhere, miss...I'll give you the time you need to cool your head and we can talk this out like adults, okay?"

I clutched my backpack with my right hand, fingers gripping the straps of my box as I took one last look at the house, feeling the weight of everything I was leaving behind.

"No, I'm leaving...you need all the space you can get to bond with your wife"

My words were heavy, eyes watering and lips trembling as I spoke.

He sighed, rubbing his eyes to resist an outburst of tears.

"Monkey, I'm still your dad...this is your home, and there'll be no place like it if you leave"

"Besides, we can talk this out...Lilian's a good person when you get to know her, and--"

His voice quivered as he munched his words, yet I gave no sh*t about what he felt at the moment. It wasn't as if he cared about my feelings before proposing to someone I barely knew, just a few months after losing mum.

"You forgot to ask yourself one question...would mum want this?"

He sighed, lips parting as though he wanted to speak, but I interrupted him.

"You've lost the chance with me...so, just let me go, please", I cried.

I yanked my box, bumping him out of the way before darting out of the house.

***************************

Silver rays of moonlight illuminated the path ahead as I strode, the only sound being the soft roll of my box across the smooth concrete.

For a countless number of times, I couldn't help but replay the proposal scene in my head, causing tears to flow from my eyes.

'Where do I go from here?', I wondered.

I had nowhere to spend the night, nowhere to go, no other relative than Aunt Fransesca whose family resided in Australia. I sniffled, halting beside a park bench to check the time.

Glancing at my phone's screen, I murmured, "10:15pm"

A deep sigh escaped my mouth as I scanned the whole place, unsure of what next to do. My only options were to pass the night on the wooden park bench, with no shelter or safe place to keep my belongings...or, keep walking for a few more minutes until I arrived at Asher's place.

'What will his parents think?'

Left with no other choice, I exhaled, clutching my belongings as I began trudged down the dimly lit street, my steps heavy and slow, the weight of uncertainty pressing on me with every step I took. The cold night air brushed against my skin, and I couldn't help but wonder if I was making the right decision.

Soon enough, I arrived at Asher's place, taking a breath of relief after walking past the dark alley without being ambushed. I took another deep breath and pressed a soft button on the wall, its chiming sound echoing throughout the quiet neighbourhood.

The gigantic wooden doors silently swung open, revealing Asher who was clad in a blue pajamas. Combing a few fingers through his messy hair, he gasped and shot at me with corked brows;

"Zoe? What are you doing here by this time?"

I sighed, letting go of my backpack and box, lips trembling as I spoke:

"Can I please spend the night at your place?"