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The two finally arrive home. The car slowly creeps into the driveway of the modest home with only their father's vehicle in sight. The personally customized white Mercedes sedan rests along the brick-layered driveway.

Tension builds within Jade as she takes in the fact that her father is home. Since her parents are usually occupied and distracted by their own respective careers, they are rarely home so when at least one of them is, it brings excitement within the latchkey siblings. Only, instead of the expected relief and excitement, there is anxiety and apprehension.

Melanie pulls the key out, drowning out the faint rumbling of the engine. "This is fucked," Melanie says looking over at her younger sibling with downturned lips.

Jade sluggishly drops her head back against the seat, closing her eyes in annoyance at the situation. She proceeds to pull at the door handle before lazily rolling out of the seat and landing onto the driveway on her feet.

Melanie follows suit and both of the girls reluctantly make their way to the front door. The wavy brick walkway leads to the painted ivory door. The brass colored handle-set lock contains traces of dull fingerprint markings. The large semi-circular window that makes up the top portion of the door reveals the gorgeous chandelier that exhibits the hidden wealth of the family.

Melanie sticks the key into the lock and turns the knob, prompting a pop to sound from the opening of the door. She pulls at the extended handle as her thumb presses on the latch.

Melanie glances back at her sister before walking in some more. Jade follows suit and the girls hang by the door for a moment as they take their shoes off before stepping into the large living room of the house.

The expansive room contains a beige three-piece sectional smack in the middle with a hung-up flat-screen television facing it. A large intricate piece of Peruvian rug lies before the couch matching the overall theme. Various pictures of the family hang on the wall in simple beige-rim frames all around the house to keep a uniform look.

The polished living room looks more like a showcase than an actual "living" room since it's used very rarely. Jade's family barely spend any time together, so often times it's just her that uses the couch to watch TV when she's not in her room drowning in homework.

The same goes for the kitchen. The stainless steel theme of the kitchen that runs from the microwave hanging above the stove to the dishwasher right by the single basin sink. There is nothing on the counters and nothing in the cabinets. Only snacks that the girls eat besides the usual take out. Jade's father knows how to cook but neither parents take the time to ever cook a hot meal for their daughters so the kitchen is often void of anything that can actually be cooked with, which explains the peculiar purity of the kitchen space.

The girls hear some rustling coming from the latter end of the house. The sound comes nearer before they realize it's their father on the phone. His deep voice booms through the walls of the quiet house as he hurriedly packs various papers and folders into his briefcase, while his cellphone is hooked between his ear and his shoulder.

"Yes Lucas, I need you to make sure those are filed and sent off," He demands in a rushed tone, unaware that his two daughters are cautiously watching him at the front door.

The sisters stand there hesitantly, feeling uncomfortable with the idea of speaking to their own father.

"Da-" Melanie tries, before being cut off.

"Sorry Mel, can it wait? I have to go to the office now," The man with a darker shade of brown hair informs in a strained whisper as the person on the other side of the phone continues to speak. His lighter hazel eyes plead momentarily with his older daughter as if sincerely apologizing with his eyes.

With his phone still in hand, he picks up the briefcase full of all the papers and folders he stuffed in there earlier and starts walking towards the girls that are standing by the front door.

Jade stands there with eyebrows inverted at her father. Her annoyance building as he disregards Melanie's possible concern. Jade never tries to communicate with her parents if it doesn't involve school or money because she's learned very early on that it would only end in dismissal and disregard.

Melanie, on the other hand, is still bold and optimistic about it all. She still tries and that's one thing about Mel that continues to amaze Jade.

The almost six-foot-tall man with his oddly perfect quiffed brunette hair comes up to where the girls stand by the front door. He offers them a close-mouthed smile before planting a quick kiss on top of both of their heads.

"Bye guys. Sorry about this, work's calling," He rationalizes before swiftly passing between the two and heading out the door.

Damien Hill is the lieutenant detective at Kingsman Bounty Police Department. He was transferred over to this station due to their lack of staff. Similar to his wife, his work consumes every aspect of his life making it difficult for him to be at home, ever.

The same pop that was heard when the girls came in, now signal the departure of their father.

Jade looks back at the door in complete annoyance with lips tight and fist, unknowingly, clenching at her sides. "Work's always calling," she says in a bitter tone, watching the ivory shaded door.

"Jade, let it go," Melanie utters softly as she places her hand on Jade shoulder.

Jade scoffs at this and walks away from Melanie's touch. Her sneakers thump against the dark walnut hardwood flooring that makes up the living room and the kitchen.

Melanie sighs as she watches her sister walk away and disappear into her room down the hall.

"Tonight's gonna be great," she sarcastically whispers to herself, thinking about what she'll have to reveal to her mother when she gets home.

_________

It has been two hours since Jade and Melanie have come home from school. Jade sits in the white mesh swivel chair biting on her pen anxiously as she stares at the mathematical equations before her. She knows that she can do them but she simply is unable to maintain focus.

Her mind is plagued with horrible scenarios of all that could go wrong with breaking the news to her mother. She certainly didn't want to have to be the one to tell her mother that her father may possibly be cheating, no one would, but knowing that it's a possibility, itches at her psyche.

Maybe if they separated, they would pay more attention to Mel and her. They might actually make time to sit down and listen to them. Jade has always felt a disconnect between her and her parents. They've never really had that "bond". It was always academic success that earned her a few pats on the back and loads of money. For crying out loud, she doesn't even know what her mother's favorite color is.

The anxiety continues to gnaw at her as her teeth gnaw on the plastic end of the ball-point pen. Her mind becomes polluted, unable to allow room for any actual academic thinking to be done. The tip of her pen runs across the corner of the worksheet, back and forth as she doodles. The subconscious doodling calms her nerves until she hears the popping sound of the front door opening.

Then her heart falls into the pit of her stomach.

The doodling comes to a stop almost immediately as the brunette stills in her chair. The sound of heels clattering gradually near Jade's bedroom.

The brunette's already up on her feet as she prepares herself to greet her mother. Even though her mothers never home, the woman has made it a point to ingrain a level of respect in her two daughters. They always have to come out and greet their mother whenever she walks through that front door.

Jade glances at her plain white oversized t-shirt and her short black soccer shorts, patting down at the outfit as if that will make it more presentable.

As she opens the door, she hears: "Mom, can we talk for a sec?"

Jade's heart drops again and her body temperature seems to do the opposite. Reality is hitting her... hard. She can't seem to be satisfied with the prospect of the unknown.

She finds the courage to step out of the sacred solitude of her room to see the back of her mother as she stands at Melanie's door down the hall.

The taller woman stands with intimidation in front of her eldest daughter. Her silky chocolate brown hair pinned to perfection into a meticulous bun. No stray strand hangs from her head. Quite a contrast from Melanie's frayed strands sticking out of her own disheveled bun.

Her short shiny black heels force her to look down at her daughter with sharp eyes. Her thick eyebrows add to the intensity of her natural glaring face. Some may regard it like a bitch resting face.

The dark ash gray pantsuit fits her body tightly, taking in her slimmer figure. Her expensive dark hickory leather briefcase hangs loosely on her shoulder.

"What is it, Melanie," she acknowledges in a low groan.

Jade coughs, purposely gaining the attention of her mother and sister. Her hands clasped together behind her back as a frog seems to catch in her throat. A common feeling when speaking to her own mother. "Mother, it's serious." She looks up with a grave facial expression. Her chestnut brown eyes meeting her mother's also, chestnut brown eyes. Only, her mother's eyes were surrounded in defeated bags, representing fatigue. Jade can see where the makeup is used, trying to cover them up.

At that, she felt shitty once again. Her mother looks so tired and stressed. Now she would add to that dreadful combination by telling her that her husband is possibly cheating.

Melanie can feel Jade's hesitance so she takes control again.

"Mom, let's sit," Melanie says as she makes her way over to the granite countertop that makes up the bar in the kitchen. Her mother follows with her cold expression unchanging.

Jade follows after shutting her room door.

The silence of the house is so unsettling but it's nothing they're not used to, being that it's usually like this a majority of the time.

Melanie takes a seat on the metal swivel bar stool and looks up, cautiously watching her mother take a seat too. Jade arrives and decides to stand since she can't seem to keep her nerves in check.

"Why are both of you acting so strange?" Their mother questions, finally changing her facial expression. Her inverted eyebrows and squinting forehead show her confusion by her daughters' odd behavior.

On cue, both of the girls glance at one another before looking back at their mother.

"Mom, we think dad's having an affair?" Melanie says slowly, trying to give her mother time to understand the words coming out of her mouth.

The girls still, waiting for a reaction from their mother.

But there's nothing.

Jacqueline Hill's lips tighten and her gaze becomes colder. She seems out of it for a second as her eyes roll to the side before she brings herself back. She stares back at her daughters before cracking a half-smile. On any normal person, this expression would look okay but on their mother, it looks almost psychotic. Smiling is a rare occurrence for their mother, along with her presence at home.

The partial smile fades out into a straight line.

"Girls, I think you've made a mistake," she says as she leans forward placing her hand on Melanie's shoulder. To which, Melanie looks at the very hand in her own confusion.

"What?" Jade whispers to herself before she looks up at her mother. "But there was a message..."

"Did you really see this message?" her mother cuts her off in a challenging tone, almost lightheartedly. The mother looks back and forth between her daughters who look as though they've been slapped in the face.

"Mom, I saw it. It was clearly there," Melanie adds in a convincing and stern tone.

Jade's heart drops to a lower level in the pit of her stomach. This woman can't be serious?

"This is ridiculous. Your father would never do such a thing. I think you're just imagining things. It could be a really good friend."

At that, Jade seems to doubt herself. She did want to believe that this is all a misunderstanding but something in her mother's face makes her feel otherwise.

"I'm going to take a shower and I'd expect that while I do so, you get back to your homework," she demands as he darts an icy stare at Jade. The dark red lipstick and black eyeliner adding to the intensity of it.

Jade gulps and looks down at the hardwood floor.

Jade's mother seems satisfied with Jade's reaction and turns to Melanie. "And you, at least do something while you're here living off my money. Don't ever bring up any of this silly commotion again."

Both the girls tense as their mother gets up, seemingly unfazed by what she has just said. She walks away, her confident strides marked by the clattering of her heels along the hardwood floor.  

Jade stands in silence as she starts stalking towards her room.

"Fuck her," Melanie whispers as she whips past Jade in a fit of frustration.

The sibling disappears before Jade can fully see her. But Jade knows that there are raging tears staining her cheeks as she heads to her room. This is usually how it ends whenever they actually do try to communicate as a family.

The brunette huffs out all that was pent up. She starts again towards her room. Her heart is heavier than ever.

"What the fuck just happened?" She mutters under her breathe after stepping into the confines of her bedroom. She falls back onto the bed, hair splaying every which way. She can't fucking stand her life.

Warmness begins to prick at the corners of her eyes, signaling potential tears. She looks up at the unused ceiling fan, thinking of nothing. Absolutely nothing.

At least until a buzz sounds from her phone. Her entire being tenses. She slowly lifts her head to spot the vibrating piece of technology on her desk. She squints, narrowing her eyes at it.

She never receives texts.

She gradually makes her way to the desk to pick it up. The short fit of buzzing over by now.

The brunette clicks at the side to awaken the screen. There is a random number with a text reading:

015-xxx-xxxx
you up?

_________<~>_________

A/N: I'm sorry... I know you guys hate me for taking so damn long. Life's been hectic especially with school starting back but I'm back writing for y'all. Thanks for the constant support and comments! ❤️

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What do you think of Jade's mother? What did you think of her reaction?

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Also, what are your first impressions of Jade's home life?

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This was a long-ass chapter so I hope you enjoyed it. 😭