what happened to your face?

Bruna

There was a little reception party at home, with just close family members. And a few friends of Marigold. The only people I had here were Luna and Lucas.

“How will you move forward from here? You are not pregnant. What if they find out?”

Luna asked as she joined me up the stairs. We both looked down at the few people eating and chatting on the down floor.

“I will figure a way out.” I shrugged.  If I was able to make my way up here then faking pregnancy till my mission was complete wouldn't be a problem.

“I see. Remember you have dues to pay and that car,  I have to use it tomorrow.” She tapped me on the shoulder before making her way downstairs.

Great. I forgot I was using burrowed stuff. I met Luna at Wisteria Academy of Fine Arts; a fashion design university. At the time I was looking for ways to get close to Caden. When I learned her brother used to be friends with Caden, I had to approach her and make friends with her…

My phone suddenly lit up in my hands indicating a text message. 

My hand slightly shook at my younger sister's name staring back at me with a message attached to it.

“We ran out of food. Father isn't in good shape because his medications just got finished this morning.  You should do well to send us some money if you aren't coming home.”

Just great. I rubbed a hand down my face in frustration.

I haven't been home in three months. I needed to go see the situation at hand. They didn't know what I was up to and they couldn't. 

“I'm going to see my siblings off. Don't look for me”

I texted Caden. 

Thirty minutes passed with no reply. Well, I only sent him that in case his family asked after me.

I drove down to Lunaria. Before I reached home, I stopped by a nearby bush to take off my disguise.

 I took the coffee brown wig off my head, revealing my natural auburn hair.

I opened my back and brought out a small foam. I poured some water on it and dampened the concealer standing over the mole on my left cheek.

Once everything was done, I picked my back and made my way home.

Home, where I belong.  Where I come from.

Dread filled me, the moment I spotted the white familiar trailer that was my house. It was located at the end of the street. One of the poorest neighborhoods in Lunaria.

Five years ago, my family was living happily with one of the biggest running businesses in Lunaria. My mother,  father, sister, and I lived in love and unity without lacking anything and with my dreams of one day moving to Wisteria to pursue a career in fashion design. 

That didn't happen as Caden Woodman decided to take that away from me. He took my family away from me. My mother died in the disaster he caused. My father became a shadow of himself and my younger sister who didn't listen to me anymore. 

I wasn't expecting anything different as I stood and looked at the front yard. Was my father asleep? Was my sister in the house? I know it sounded stupid asking these questions but sometimes you just wanted to come back to a calm and quiet house without having to worry about your father pouring his anger on you,  or blaming my mother's death on me. 

I released a heavy breath and took slow steps to the house. 

I pushed the white wooden door with the side of my left hand since my hands were filled with food items.

I scrunched up my nose when the smell of stale food and dirty clothes welcomed me.

The old-looking sofas were littered with dirty clothes, primarily that of Jaana. I stomped my feet on the floor when I spotted her black tong pants on the sofa across from me.

What if I had come home with a friend? Though I had just one friend who was busy taking care of one of the messes I made, a mess my family knew nothing about.

 Tears pricked at the corners of my eyes. The bags I was carrying slid down to the floor as I joined them. 

Did my father and sister think they were living worse than I did, no. I was carrying a burden no one knew about. I have been struggling, Yet, I tried my best to work and take care of the family,  but no one appreciated that. They acted like it was my fault that everything happened. 

Caden Woodman was to be blamed for everything that happened to my family.  Blamed for the mess July has been taking care of.

What would happen when they learned I was married to the enemy? The very man who brought havoc into our once peaceful home?

God! My life was so messed up. I have been living a lie on both sides. Something that could destroy what I had left if I wasn't careful enough.

The sound of humming outside sent me standing up at the speed of light. There was only one person who could instill this sort of fear in me. My father and it was no doubt that he was from one of his drunken walks given how his feet sounded outside. 

The door burst open and he stepped inside. 

The white lights shone on his bald head which he started keeping after my mother died.

His dark eyes which had lost light scanned me from head to toe.

I quickly swallowed and thought of something to say or do before things took another turn.

“Where have you been, Orla? Have you been so caught up in your life that you forget to visit your family? Or did you become a prostitute just like your sister?”

Well, they all knew I was in Wisteria with my July and I was working as a Liberian in a local bookshop.

I scrunch my nose not because of the pitch of his voice but because of the name he used.

It was a name I had cut off and had long forgotten. I preferred Bruna. But who was I to tell an angry man what to do?

“Tell me, Orla. Where have you been? Whom have you been sleeping with?”

Tears streamed down my eyes at his accusations.  I knew the route I was taking was dangerous but I had to do it because of all this. I wanted us all to have closure to what happened to us.  But I couldn’t tell him because it meant I would be dead. 

“I'm sorry, father.” I apologized,  my hands blocking my face because I knew my cheeks would be his next target just like he had been doing.

“You're sorry. You should go to your mother's grave and tell her that. You weren't able to save her from that bastard. My wife wouldn't have died if you had saved her.”

My heart tightens in my chest, a lump cloak in my throat. How was it my fault?

I wasn't even present when all that happened.  I came back from an errand she had sent me to an almost unrecognizable form of her body.

I was tired of taking these accusations. 

I didn't do this. Caden Woodman was to be blamed for this.

“It wasn't my fault, father.  I didn't do it. I wasn't there when it happened.”

Slap!

“How dare you say it was not your fault? Was it mine or that of your whore sister who has been picking your footsteps?”

From the way my cheek stuck, I could swear that his fingers must have left marks on my cheeks. 

With one hand on my cheek, I bent over, opened my bag, took out a stalk of money, and kept it on the table. 

“I have been working to take care of us.” That was the last thing I said before stepping outside. 

It was getting late and I had returned to Wisteria before a search party was sent out to find me. Jaana wasn't home, so I left her a text.

“Hey, this is Bruna. I came home and you were not there.  I left some money. Make sure to clean and fill the house.”

“Okay.” She responded moments later.

Everything was out of control.  I didn't know what was up with my sister. She has been stubborn lately and didn't spend time at home. Hopefully, she didn't contract any STDs.

It was almost 6 pm when I arrived. Hopefully, they would still be out there doing their campaign things.

I waved at Martha who was setting the table and made my way to the room. Just when I was about to open my door, a familiar voice called from behind, making me still.

“Where did you go?” He questioned, hands folded on his chest as he observed me from head to toe.

“I'm tired and need some sleep.” My voice was weak and tired.

He took two steps towards me and yanked me to him, almost bumping into his chest.

When I noticed his scrutinized gaze on my face, I tried to look away but he lifted my chin with his hands so that I was looking at him.

“What happened to your face?”