Chapter 4: Pretensions Over

"What was that? That looked so pretty." She was playing with her music box that noontime as she was listening to the soft music with it when Leanna butted in and entered her room.

She always barges in and enters her room without knocking. Before she won't seem to mind it but these past few days, it really kinda irritates her. She didn't mind her and continued to watch and play the music box. She used to play the music box whenever she feels like missing her mother. It was one of the best gifts her mother left her. It was a dancing ballerina and her prince and it was actually from her grandmother who was given to her mom and then passed it to her. She just loves watching the ballerina dance with her prince as they spin around inside the box. She remembered when her Mom told her the story about a prince who love to dance with her princess. Simply staring at it makes her dream as that princess who dances with a handsome and brave prince.

From the corner of her eyes, she was aware that Leanna closely staring at her. She doesn't know what she was thinking but she was not interested as of the moment. For sure she just came in to pester her.  She was not in a mood to argue or play pretend that they like each other. It's kinda tiring dealing and tolerating her these past few days. 

"Is it yours?" She heard Leanna ask.

"Yes." She replied shortly.

"It's pretty but don't you think you're too old to be fascinated with that stuff?" Leanna sardonically stated.

She doesn't care if she finds her childish. She just rolled her eyes as a response. She has to admit, it kinda offended her. So what if she finds it childish?  She will never act trying to be a physically mature woman when she wasn't yet, unlike her who's acting and dressing like a big girl when she was just only sixteen. Leanna maybe dress like a big girl but she knew deep inside her, she was way more reasonable and mature in ways of thinking than her.  She kept on ignoring her when Leanna suddenly grabbed the music box trying to catch her attention. She got stunned and alarmed when she swayed it in the air as if trying to show her she have a wicked plan in throwing it away.

"You're too old for this Gav. Let's throw this away." Leanna mockingly uttered so as an immediate response she ran towards her and immediately pulled it from her.

"Don't you dare! This was important to me, Leanna." She exclaimed.

"Another important thing again? Bet this was given by your Mom." Leanna mockingly stated in between laughs.

She saw her smile slyly then to her surprise, she pulled the music box again in her grasp and threw it away.  She tried to catch it and stop it from falling on the floor and made her unintentionally push Leanna that made her off balance and fall on the floor too. She was too late when she saw her music box torn into pieces.

"You bitch, why did you do that? How could you be so careless!" She shouted as mad as hell. Right now she don't care about her words, she just wanted to pull her hair and hurt her. She suddenly felt like crying when she saw the music box broken

and torn into pieces out of frustration. Her hands shaking as she picks the ballerina who is now separated from the hold of the prince. She angrily looked at Leanna as the latter looked back at her with the same intensity as her.

"You pushed and hurt me for that crap!" Leanna angrily accused.

I can't believe this! She had the right to be mad at me when it's her fault? She was the worst case. This bitch!!

"This was a given by my Mom and it was important to me! You just threw and broke it. Are you that lacking of attention!" She doesn't care right now if she will be hurt with her words. She was mad and she will say whatever she wants. She just deserves it.

"How dare you hurt me! I was trying my best to please and get along with you!"

Really a bitch...

"You were trying to seek attention and provoke me. Don't play pretend you like me!" She retorted back.

"Now the real Gavriella revealed herself. I knew then you are not kind and sweet."

"Shut the hell up!" She shouted madly. She could feel her fist clenching in so much anger as she glared at her.

"You know what's your problem? You are such a brat and childish it's so irritating so much!  You will act sweet and nice to me and my mom but the real truth is you hate us. You want us out of this home and your family, right? You never liked us. You self-centered bitch!" Leanna furiously stated.

"What are you saying!" She was shocked by her revelation.  Is that what she thinks of her all along?

"You want us to always understand you. You were so very sensitive and emotional and I'm tired of persevering whatever you like just to please you!"

"What's happening here!" They went both silent when Chelsea suddenly came into the room and interrogate them. The woman must have heard them shouting and suspected they were arguing the reason she checked on them.

"What's happening here, Leanna? I'm talking to you!" Chelsea angrily stated.

"She pushed and hurt me, Mom!" Leanna accused her.

She was impossible!

"I was trying to catch my music box when she threw it and it's not my intention that I accidentally pushed her on the process." She explained.

"You heard Gav Leanna, she did not mean it. You say sorry to her." Chelsea angrily told her daughter.

"No! I won't apologize! You always tell me to follow what she wants, to please Gav, to not upset Gav. I'm so sick and tired of it Mom! I hate that childish insensitive brat! She hurt me and I won't apologize to her for that." Leanna retorted back that stunned Chelsea. The woman then went silent and suspectingly looked at her.

She got stunned by what Leanna stated. So all along she was getting along with her not because she wanted to, it's because Chelsea had told her to do so. It was all pretense and the fact that she thought of her as a childish and insensitive brat? She never thought Leanna thought of her that way. She knew herself better. She was not hurt because what she said are true, she was hurt and disappointed because she thought Leanna liked her and accepted her as a sister. Now she knew that if people shows you kindness, sometimes it was not real at all.

"You know it was an accident, Leanna." Her fist automatically clenched in outrage.

"Liar! You pushed me because you got upset I broke that ugly music box your mom gave you!"

"That's not what happened! I did not hurt you because of that.  I was trying to catch it because you intentionally threw it!"

"You know I'm not a liar Mom!" Leanna faced her Mom and that anger her more.

"That's not true Aunt Chelsea, I didn't mean to--

"Stop it, Gav! Leanna is not a liar!" She got stunned when Chelsea shut her off.

"And I'm not  a liar either Aunt Chelsea!" She disgustingly retorted.

"Stop calling me Aunt for Pete's sake Gav! When will you learn to accept that I am now your new mom? It was an insult for me when you call me Aunt!" Chelsea exasperatingly said.

"I'm sorry but my true Mom is the only one I want to call Mom but---

"What did you just say? You're trying to say you cannot accept me as your father's wife is that it? Oh my god! Wait till Robert finds this." The woman threatened as she was now glaring at her. Her beautiful face contorted and it seems like she transformed into an evil villain.

"Please don't get me wrong Aunt, Chelsea. That's not want I'm trying to say-- "

"Stop it! I just know now. All along I thought you accepted me and my daughter in this house like what your father did! You really disappointed me, Gav." Chelsea dramatically stated. Her eyes show irritation and disappointment.

"No please Aunt Chelsea..." She tried to explain but it seems the woman refuses to hear her side.

"Shut up! Shut the hell up! You brat! Wait 'till your father knows about this!" Chelsea then immediately walked out of the room fuming mad.

She cried and just stayed at her track after that. It was not her intention to hurt her. Is she that preposterous for them to not understand her? She was being misunderstood and it's kinda frustrating that they don't give her a fair chance to explain.

"See what you did? You made my Mom upset too!" Leanna sardonically stated. When she turned to her, she saw her wicked smile as if she was happy seeing her miserable.

This was all her plan, she knew it. She will not give her the satisfaction to succeed so she gathers all her strength and stands up. She immediately comes out of her room and goes downstairs to look for Aunt Chelsea to explain. And when she saw the woman walking through the living room, she immediately followed her until she reached her.

"Aunt Chelsea, I'm sorry..." She apologized.

"Please go away, Gav. I can't face you right now." Chelsea's voice seems to restrain her anger.

"Aunt Chelsea--

"I said stop calling me that!" She got stunned by how powerful and angry her voice was. Chelsea never shouted at her that way. She was used to her sweet and calm voice which she thought she has no capacity to be a tigress. Now she was completely wrong.

"I am not your Aunt! If you don't want to call me mom, I don't care! Do you think I like you to be a daughter? You disgusted me you brat!" Her anger automatically arises when she heard the woman said that.

Another pretentious bitch... So this was all an act. All along she was pretending that she like her too. How could a pretty face camouflage such an evil creature? Why did her father let them invade their family? Where did he find these people?

"I never thought you could say that Aunt Chelsea." She retorted back defining the word, Aunt Chelsea.

"Argghhhh! I hate you!" She screeches in anger.

"I don't like you either. I hate you!" She shouted back as well. She shouldn't apologize to her. She deserved it.

"You stop it Gavriella!" Her eyes automatically widened in shock when she heard his father's voice from behind. He heard her say those words and her father was now very angry staring at her.

"What's this! Why are you shouting at your mom! Is that a proper way to talk to her?" Her Dad drastically grabbed her arm and the way he held her brought her pain not just physically but emotionally too. She just hope he sided her over Chelsea but by the look in his raging eyes right now, that seems so impossible.

"Oh, Robert! Your daughter. She does not respect me!" Chelsea then immediately run towards her Dad and embraced him while she was crying.

She was a good actress. How can she manage to force tears in her eyes? The woman was literally crying but she knew it was all pretense. She suddenly felt her knees weaken as her Dad's eyes wrathfully turned to her.

"Hush now, darling. I'm sorry for what she acted." Her father comforted.

"I was just disciplining her that what she did to Leanna was wrong. She suddenly got mad and shouting telling me that she don't accept me as her mom. You heard how she told me how she hates me, Robert?" Chelsea dramatically stated to her Dad.

"That's not true Dad!" She retorted back hoping for a chance her Dad will hear her out.

"You shut up Gav!" She got stunned by the rabid and sudden raising tone of her father's voice.

"You apologize to your mom now!" Her Dad ordered.

"But Dad--- "

"I'm warning you, you apologize to her or you might not want what I'm capable of doing to you Gavriella!" His Dad seriously stated as his eyes were full of threatening and ferocious emotions that scared her. Her Dad never looked that way to her and she wanted to sulk because he never raised a tone on her that way too. He has never seen him so mad and furious this way.

"Stop it, Rob. You don't have to shout at your daughter that way. You are scaring her." Chelsea suddenly acted so worriedly and concerned when she turned to her. She couldn't believe that the woman has different faces. She was such a good actress.

"Oh please honey, I can't tolerate this. I never thought she would be this respectful." His father's face soften when he faced Chelsea and that way, she suddenly lose all her hopes that he would ever believe and side her. He was already fooled by the woman.

"Hon please you don't have to-- "

"You heard me right young lady! Admit you were wrong and apologize to her now!" His Dad then warned in full outrage.

She closed her eyes and restrained her tears from falling. She will never cry. She will never give Chelsea the satisfaction that she can make her cry.   Her Mom taught her to be brave and crying is a sign of being weakling. Okay, she will apologize to her as respect to her father because at the look of his Dad right now,  it's as if he can hurt her if she did not discuss as he said.

" I-It's my fault. I'm sorry Aunt Chelsea." She said while her head stoop.

"That's okay sweetheart. I know you didn't mean that. Apology accepted." Chelsea answered in a sweet and understanding-like voice.

"Please leave us, honey. I'll just talk to her." Her father told Chelsea.

"Okay. But you have to promise me, please don't be harsh to your daughter Rob." Chelsea endearingly cupped her father's face and the latter smiled at her full of love and admiration. Chelsea then left after kissing her Dad on the lips but she never missed seeing the sly smile written on her face when she left them.

"Tell me why did you do that young lady?" She went silent and did not bother to answer her father.

He had already made up his mind about whom he will believe. Why would she bother to explain then?

"Leanna told me you hurt her." Her eyes automatically went to her father after hearing that.

"So Leanna already squealed to you?" She stated in disbelief.

"When did you start to be disrespectful and sarcastic this way? Is your Mom taught you that?"

"Mom is out of it! How could you accuse her of that!" She didn't contain he feelings and she was shaking in frustrations and anger right now. How could he say that? Her Mom taught her nothing but goodness and he will just blame all of this to her poor Mom? Did he though worst of her Mom?

"You really believed them over me Dad?" She accused sulking and was very disappointed. She suddenly feels like she has no ally or someone she can turn to in this house anymore.

"I did not hurt Leanna. I was trying to catch my music box. She threw it on purpose and I accidentally pushed her on the process. It was an accident but she keep on wailing I pushed and hurt her." She still bother to explain although it was obvious whom he sided with.

"Leanna was a sweet and kind kid. Chelsea told me that she was an honest, patient, and generous daughter." Her father stated.

"And I'm not so you don't believe me right? Dad, she was lying! I'm your daughter and I can't believe you sided them over me." Her tears are now started to fall but she immediately wiped them at the back of her palm.

"I know you spend too much time with your mom before and you were too close. I don't know how she taught you manners but I saw how you shouted to Chelsea and that is not right. Chelsea is your new Mom now and you can't just disrespect her like that."

"Don't blame this to my Mom! Chelsea told me she disgust and hates me. She doesn't like me as a daughter--

"Enough Gav! I heard you shouted and disrespected her so stop lying because I won't believe you!" Her father cut her words.

Yeah right... Why did she ever think of explaining hoping he will believe her.

"You are unfair Dad..." She suddenly felt tears are now streaming down her cheeks and this time she never bothers to wipe them.

"Leanna and Chelsea are a part of this family now. Whether you like it or not, you have to accept them. I don't want this thing to happen again. Do I make myself clear Gavriella?" Her Dad stated in full authority.

"Y-Yes Dad..."

At the moment, she just hope she was dumb and numb. She just really wish her Mom didn't leave her. She should've taken her when she left. God knows she couldn't bear to live like this with them...