MUMMY, I DON’T FEEL FINE

Chapter 3

The moment they stepped out the front door, a sudden, loud crack of thunder shook the whole sky.

The clouds burst, and a massive downpour slammed into the ground. The rain fell in heavy, blinding sheets, completely soaking the perfect, neat driveway.

Iris gasped, shivering from the biting cold of the wind. Riley didn’t hesitate for a second. She held her large handbag over Iris's head to block the water, and pulled a spare jacket off her own shoulders to wrap around the little girl, protecting her completely from the storm.

Riley's own hair and clothes were instantly soaked through, the wet fabric sticking heavily to her skin, but she didn’t care.

She was determined to leave that house tonight, and nothing...not Fredrick, and certainly not the bad weather...was going to stop her.

Hailing a passing taxi, Riley ushered Iris into the back seat, her heart pounding with a mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion. “Take us to the suburbs,” she told the driver, giving him her uncle's address.

It was her only immediate option. But when the taxi pulled up to the modest suburban home, reality dealt a brutal blow.

Her uncle stood at the front door, looking at his soaked, disheveled niece through the screen. He didn't even unlatch the lock.

“You can’t stay here, Riley,” he said, his voice entirely devoid of warmth. “Fredrick already called. He told us what you did. We can’t get involved in this. We rely on his business connections, and I won't risk my family's livelihood for your marriage drama. You need to leave.”

“Uncle, please,” Riley begged, her voice cracking as the rain poured down behind her. She pointed to Iris, who was shivering under the wet jacket. “Just let us spend the night. It’s midnight, and it’s pouring. Look at her. Just one night.”

“No, Riley. Find a hotel.” He closed the heavy wooden door, the click of the lock echoing like a gunshot.

Riley stood on the porch, a bitter, hollow laugh escaping her lips. What was she expecting?

Her family were all sycophants—ass-lickers who cared more about Fredrick's wealth and status than their own blood.

Fredrick had clearly called them immediately, orchestrating this isolation just to teach her a lesson, to make her see that she was nothing without him.

But as she walked back to the taxi, her jaw clenched. She was going to prove them all wrong. She didn't need their help.

“Driver, take us to the nearest hotel,” Riley said, her voice shaking but resolute.

When they arrived at the first hotel, a mid-range establishment with a glowing vacancy sign, Riley hurried Iris inside the lobby.

But the clerk behind the desk took one look at her ID, froze, and typed quickly into his computer.

“I'm sorry, ma'am,” the clerk said, his eyes darting away guiltily. “We have no rooms available.”

“The sign outside says vacancy,” Riley countered, her chest tightening.

“It's a system error. You have to leave.”

Riley couldn't believe it. She took a taxi to the next hotel, and then another. Every single time, the response was the exact same variation of cold rejection.

One man. One powerful, wealthy man had completely blacklisted her with a few phone calls.

In this world, the rich controlled and ruled the poor, and Fredrick was using every ounce of his power to break her spirit, to force her to come crawling back. But she refused to break.

As they walked out of the fourth hotel lobby, back into the freezing rain, Iris’s small hand tugged weakly at Riley's damp dress.

“Mommy?” Iris’s voice was incredibly faint, muffled by the sound of the downpour. “Why won't they let us in? Did I do something wrong? Is it because of my birthday?”

Riley’s heart shattered into a million pieces. She immediately dropped to her knees on the wet pavement, leveling herself with her daughter.

She grabbed Iris's shivering shoulders, forcing a gentle tone despite the panic clawing at her throat.

“No, baby. No, oh my god, no. You did nothing wrong. It’s just… it’s a big misunderstanding with the rooms, okay? Don’t worry, Mommy is going to find us a place to sleep very soon. I promise.”

"Why then did Daddy say those things?" The little girl asked. "Why did he say I'm not his? Did I do something wrong? Did I make him mad because I asked if he was coming to the party? Is that why everyone hates us? Is it my fault?"

The questions broke Riley’s heart more, she didn't know her daughter heard what Fredrick had said earlier.

The cruelty of leaving a child to wonder if her very existence was a mistake, made Riley's blood boil all over again.

The thought made her hate for him multiply. He's a silly excuse of a father and she'll make sure he doesn't come close to her daughter.

"Listen to me, Iris," Riley said, her voice fiercely absolute as she cupped her daughter's hot face, forcing the girl to look at her.

"You listen to Mommy right now. You are the best thing that ever happened to this world. You did absolutely nothing wrong. Your father... Fredrick was just pissed because of a failed business deal.

His words do not define you. If you want to know how special you are, then listen to mommy's words.

Because I birthed you. I'll tell you who you are.

Do you understand me? You are my beautiful, perfect daughter, and no one... absolutely no one... should make you feel otherwise."

Iris stared at her, her eyes glassy with fever, but a tiny, fragile nod indicated she had heard. "Okay, Mommy..." Iris whispered.

"Good. Now mommy will find a place for you to lay your head." She tried standing but her daughter left fingers held her hands, stopping her.

“Mummy…” she whispered.

Her small right fingers brushed against Riley's cheek. Her hand felt burning hot, completely contrasting with the freezing rain.

“Mummy, I don’t feel fine,” she murmured, her eyes rolling back slightly.

Before Riley could even reach out to catch her, Iris’s knees buckled, and her small body went completely limp, collapsing onto the wet, dark asphalt.

“Iris!” Riley shrieked, her voice tearing through the night air.

She scooped her daughter's lifeless frame into her arms, pulling her against her chest. Iris was completely unresponsive, her face pale under the streetlights.

In that exact instant, the rain pouring down on them felt like ice, and Riley felt her entire world crumble into nothingness.