006 Blood Vessel

Scarlett's POV

“What was that?” Aurora blinks. My one-sentence phone call amazes her.

I grip my phone, for the second time today, struggling with my plan. I just want to stop being hurt. Is it too much to ask? I close my eyes. A part of me wants to just grab the ticket and leave, letting the world burn behind me.

But I can’t. If mom needs a blood transfusion, I need to be there. That’s what I’m in this family for. Their blood vessel.

Please, lord, please tell me this phone call has nothing to do with my message to Sebastian.

Between Mom really is injured, and Sebastian selling me out... I’m not sure which I hope is the situation.

“I guess I’m not leaving today after all,” I let out a sigh, mumbling to Aurora, “I’m really sorry but...I need you to take me back.”

“That’s great!” Aurora throws herself into me with genuine happiness in her voice, “That was him? What did he say? Is that always how you call each other?”

With Mr. Fuller? Yes.

My “dad”, never loved me. He had a deep flow of hatred behind his eyes when he looked at me since I could remember. I just didn’t know why until I found out I was adopted. And for how I found out I have to thank Ava.

“Scar, don’t worry too much, I’m sure Mrs. Fuller is fine,” Driving faster than usual, Aurora spares mind to comfort me. Well, I guess for a former F1 racer, it’s not too fast.

“I...thanks.”

I can’t say “I know”, nor “I hope so”. Because if mom is not hurt, then it means the only person in the family who ever showed me warmth, lied to me. Just to lure me back to the living hell that they force me to call home.

I don’t want to consider that possibility, but if anything really happened to Mr. Fuller’s beloved wife, he wouldn’t just throw me a sentence. He would send guards to hunt me down.

I tear up my flight ticket, one fold, two folds, three...I throw the million pieces out to the remote road between the airport and the city. Between my almost-touched freedom, and my living nightmare.

I can get another ticket, but I’ll never get my freedom. I'm the blood vessel to my “family”, making leaving something I can never have. I actually thought I could, because Ava is supposed to be cured now, meaning I don’t have to give her my blood when she gets even if just a paper cut.

How ridiculously naive was I?

Mom, I’m sorry but

I hope you really are injured, so that I don’t have to lose you. Please, don’t lie to me. Not you, too.

When Aurora pulls up at the Fuller’s Villa to Ava’s fancily decorated welcome home party filled with a happy crowd, I know my wish was not granted.

They knew I was at the airport, hence the phone call.

Sebastian told them after all. Just one word and I would have stayed for him, to be the blood vessel for his love, but even such a small thing he won’t do. He let THEM stop me instead.

Sebastian Knight, good for you.

I walk into the Fuller’s Villa. One of the most luxurious assets in the city. One that I used to call home which it never was.

When I walk by the pool, I see Sebastian. Black suits ironed straight, with his leather shoes at a safe distance from the crazy kids in the water. He sits under the umbrella, a drink in his hand, across to Ava.

He sees me, and he frowns and looks away.

I enter the lobby, and immediately Alfred approaches: “Miss Scarlett, Mr. Fuller is waiting for you in his study.”

“I thought Mom was injured?” I play their game.

He dodges my eyes and just repeats his words. He is just a butler, a paid tool, just like me. No need for one tool to be hard on another.

I nod quietly, and he bows again before leading the way.

“Scarlett,” Mr. Fuller glances at me when I enter before he turns his attention back to the file he was reading, “Richard agreed to make your movie. Starting Monday.”

Richard Hanson. THE director in the movie business. They say that he has got the golden finger -- any script he touches turns into dollars.

“How is Mom doing?” I ignore his generous offer to buy my freedom, and that irritates him.

He finally looks up from his file, glaring at me with his eyes narrowed dangerously. He is not used to me being like this. I mean, to be fair, he never really used the word “blood vessel”.

“She is resting, in her room,” Mr. Fuller says with his stone-cold tone, “you don’t want to disturb her.”

He lured me back with her, and he didn’t even care to go through with his show.

“Or I lose the movie you got me out of pure parental love?”

“Young lady, mind your words,” Mr. Fuller puts away the file, his look gets colder, “Do you want to do this the easy way, or the--”

“Let’s say the hard way,” I cut him off, the last string holding the exhaust I have been suppressing in my chest broke. Shaking at the adrenaline rush, I raise my voice, “I, want, to, see, MOM!”

And the next second I hear mom’s soft, sad, painful mumble from behind me: “Scarlett...”

I close my eyes as pain spread my chest, the pain of my heart being broken, by the last family I thought I had left.