Chapter 2

Selena walked back to her parent’s house hurriedly knowing she was already late for dinner, something about the dinner felt off though, her mother’s voice sounded too pleasing and her words so sweet, the pauses so long.

Selena knew something was up, but she couldn’t guess what.

On reaching the door, she heaved a huge sigh and knocked even though she had a key.

The door opened suddenly. Mrs. Miller stood at the other side of the door, wearing her designer blouse. Selena felt that the occasion might be a bit grand as Mrs. Miller only wore that blouse out on fancy dinners. She gave Selena a tight smile, not being able to hide her displeasure.

“You’re late”, she said instead of a hello or welcome.

Selena stepped inside the house. A familiar scent hit her nostrils, she couldn’t quite explain the scent but it did bring back the memories she never asked for. She hung her slightly damp coat on the coat hanger by the door.

“Hello Mom, hello dad, sorry I’m late, I had an emergency at work”. She apologized softly.

“Dinner was seven, it’s almost eight. Your father and Zane have been waiting”.

Selena’s expression didn’t shift. She followed her mother into the dining room.

Inside the dining room, the table was half cleared, two plates were already used with one barely touched, hers. Zane slouched in his chair, wearing an oversized hoodie, scrolling through his phone, her father Mr. Miller sat by the head side of the dining table. His gaze fixated on the TV but the sound muted, he didn’t even glance up when she walked in.

”Yo”, Zane nodded at her without looking away from his screen.

Selena sat by the clean plate, her mother hovered around her.

“So how’s your… job?” She asked her voice sugary-sour.

“Still doing it”, Selena answered as she poured herself some water.

“Must be nice”, Mrs. Miller responded too quickly. “Having your own apartment and not worrying about rent, bills or family”.

“I do worry about bills”, Selena replied coolly. “I just pay mine”. She shrugged her shoulders.

Mr. Miller finally grunted from his seat, “We called you here for a reason Selena, not to sass your mother”.

Selena turned her gaze to him, he still hadn’t looked up.

“Then say it”, she replied, her tone a bit sharp.

Zane sat upright and sighed, suddenly nervous. “I messed up Sel”, he always called her Sel right from when they were younger, she used to love it but now it sounded a bit cringey to her.

“I borrowed some money, I really messed up”.

Mrs. Miller jumped in immediately, “from the wrong people. A man came by yesterday with a group of burly men. He said his name was Silas Vane and that if we didn’t pay back the full amount plus interest by Friday, he’d take Zane’s arm”.

Selena blinked once, dropping the glass of water in her hands she asked, “How much?”

“Fifty thousand”, Zane replied almost instantly.

The room fell silent, no one moved, only the sound of the clock was heard, the sound a bit too loud at that moment.

Selena leaned back in her chair looking at Zane seriously, “You borrowed ten didn’t you?”

Zane avoided her eyes, “It got outta control, I…”

”It always does”, Selena cut him short.

“Don’t start!” Mrs. Miller snapped fearing Selena might scold Zane.

“Why not?” Selena replied calmly. “He messes up every time, you panic and then you call me to clean it up. It’s a cycle that never ends”.

Mr. Miller finally looked over, eyes tired. “He’s your brother. You’re doing well. You can afford it.”

Selena’s jaw tightened. “I’m not an ATM, Dad. And I’m not responsible for his messes.”

“It’s not just about the money,” her mother said, voice rising. “This family is drowning, and you’re out there living like… like…”

“Like someone who wanted better?” Selena’s voice was quiet. “Like someone who worked for it?”

Mrs. Miller’s face went red. “You abandoned us. You left for college when we told you to stay. Never told us where you were, never let us in…”

“Because you never wanted in,” Selena snapped her voice finally sharp. “You wanted control. You wanted me here, working, serving, cleaning up his messes…”

She gestured at Zane, who had his head bowed down in shame or just to avoid the bullets flying.

Her mother took a sharp step forward, “We took you in and raised you. We gave you food, a roof…”

“You didn’t raise me. You kept me.” Selena stood up abruptly, the chair screeched as it scraped the floor. “You gave me chores, silence, resentment”. Her voice, quiet but firm.

“You gave Zane praises and toys, you gave me a mop, you bought him nice clothes and you bought me an apron. Don’t twist that into love”.

Mr. Miller stood up slowly, his eyes bloodshot with anger, “Don’t talk to your mother like that, you think you’re better than us because you went off to that school? Who really knows what you do for a living”.

Selena looked at him, her eyes betraying no emotions as she looked at the man who let it all happen, who sat in that chair pretending not to hear and see anything.

“No”, she said softly, a smile on her lips. “I think I finally became what you never expected; Free!”.

The words hung in the room, jagged and final.

Zane stood up abruptly, agitated. “So you’re not going tohelp? You’d let me get my arm chopped off?”

“You’ve never used it to do anything meaningful anyway.”

Her mother’s voice dropped to a venomous whisper.

“So you’re really not going to help your brother? After everything we did for you?”

“You didn’t call me here for dinner. You called me to hand over my spine, again.”

She walked to the door. “I don’t owe you fifty thousand dollars. And I sure as hell don’t owe you loyalty.”

Her mother stood too, shaking. She stepped in front of the door.

“You walk out now, don’t you dare come back.”

Selena didn’t flinch.

She was done with them and would never turn back. Taking one last gaze at the house she once called a home, she brushed past Mrs. Miller and left shutting the door behind her.

The cold breeze hit her so hard and she shivered a little, leaving hurriedly, she had forgotten her coat on the hanger.

She could never go back in. She walked ahead, not minding the cold wind as it hit her face. For a minute she enjoyed it, she felt like the wind, finally free.