Dodged

Katherine… 

"When are you going to move out from that hell?" A girl the same as Katherine's age asked. 

"I need some more money, the rents are too high these days" She said. 

"You know what I would have you to live with me but there are already three roommates in my house and no one is moving out either" Alessia said, giving a sad pout, "Aww don't worry babe, I'll figure something out" Katherine said, while giving a pat on Alessia's hair. 

Alessia is Katherine's highschool friend. Not a friend but a highschool bestie. They are too clingy to each other. They are like sisters. Katherine always thinks about how much easier it would have been for her if Alessia was her sister instead of Shaisha. You know sometimes step sisters can become like besties. But their relationship is far away from that. They don't even act like someone close, let alone besties. 

Katherine sighed. 

"Why did you sigh right now? What are you thinking about?" Alessia asked. 

"Nothing, just thinking about my miserable life," Katherine said, shrugging her shoulders. 

"Girl, don't think about that, you know what, sometimes I just want to call the police and make them arrest your sweet stepmom and sister but then I shrug off these thoughts thinking it will just add more to your problems. '' Alessia said, rolling her eyes.

Katherine laughed a little and said, "Well that's really not a bad idea, but thanks for being so thoughtful, I didn't know that my dumb friend can also be so smart sometimes" She said while hitting Alessia's head. 

"Hey, you bitch!!!" Alessia screamed and hit Katherine too. "Hey you are now overreacting, I didn't even hit that hard!" Katherine said, frowning her brows. 

Alessia looked at Katherine with angry eyes, but soon started laughing like a maniac. Katherine joined too. 

But their laugh was interrupted by the phone call. Katherine looked at the phone's screen and soon her laugh disappeared. "Time to go back to hell" She thought and received the call. 

"You lazy weck! Who's going to make lunch, huh? Are you running away from your responsibilities, you bitch? Come home I'll show you!!!" Ashley kept barking. 

"I'm coming!" Katherine said being irritated and hung up the call. Soon she bit her tongue thinking what she's done. She's thinking if today she'll get beaten up or not. It's been many days since Ashley didn't beat her up, her stepmom must miss that. 

 "Have to go," Katherine said to Alessia. "But you just came!" Alessia said, making a sad face. "Sorry, see you don't know when!" Katherine said and hugged Alessia tightly. Alessia hugged back too. "Take care of yourself" Alessia said, in a worried tone. 

Katherine nodded and left for the home. 

Within fifteen minutes Katherine reached her home . "I think today I'll not survive. She was too angry to keep me alive today. " She thought. 

"You bitch!" A shout took over the entire house. Ashley rushed towards her looking like an absolute witch. 

Katherine stopped walking and stood there like a statue, "Okay, Katherine, here goes nothing, don't do anything even if she beats you, peace! Peace is what is needed in the world.. if you do anything then she will start slanging your mom. You don't want that right??!" Katherine prepared herself not to lose her temper.

Ashley came at light's speed and pulled Katherine's hair, "Ah," Katherine winced in pain. 

"You are flying too high! Since when have you started going outside without my permission?And did you hang up my call?!" Ashley asked. 

"Mom, I had just gone for a walk, nothing else. And how can I hang up on you! You're my mom after all!" Katherine said, trying to get out of her stepmom's grip. 

"Don't even try to get away from me!!!! Ashley shouted and slapped Katherine with all force. 

And was going for the second slap but Katherine dodged. 

"Katherine!!!!!!" Ashley barked. But Katherine went inside her room and locked it. 

"All safe!" Katherine said to herself and went in front of the mirror, "Ah, it was a strong slap" she said looking at the swollen part of her face. 

"That daughter of a bitch!" Katherine heard Ashley slanging her mother. And that's when she lost her temper. She opened the door with a thud sound and rushed, "WHAT DID YOU SAY TO MY MOTHER?!!" She yelled, her eyebrows creased, scowling at Ashley. Her eyes went all red. 

"Is she possessed or something?!" Ashley thought, gulping her saliva. "Katherine dear, you heard it wrong.. I.. I…" she lost all her words. 

"If you speak ill of my mother again, I'll smash your mouth!" Katherine warned her, clenching her teeth, she didn't do anything else to her thankfully and went to her room. 

"What a witch!" Ashley said, panting heavily. Sometimes Katherine is a nightmare. 

In the evening….

Shaisha was watching TV peacefully but her peace got hampered when her mom said, How did you get home so early? You literally came back in one hour! Ashley asked. 

Shaisha's face gulped her own saliva. "Don't tell me you got fired from there too!!!!" Her mother said, with her eyes widened. 

"No, I didn't get… get fired! Shaisha said. She thought for a sec before continuing and said, "I left the work myself" and bit her lips. 

."Whaaat?" A scream came out of Ashley's mouth. 

She put hands on her mouth and then looked here and there. She doesn't want Katherine to know, she thinks that Katherine would look down on her daughter if she gets to know about this.

"Are you stupid" She asked in a low voice. 

*Flashback*

"You are the reason why my dad died! I lost my dad only because of you! Why… why did you do that???"  

"Aw, dear, your dad was good for nothing. I did all of this only for you. You and I, we both didn't had any bright futures with that stupid man. But now we have a chance to live that life right?" A woman in her late thirties said. 

The twelve year old boy gave a mocking smile but so much unspoken pain is hidden behind that smile. 

"Bright future? Mom, can you tell me what future I have if I don't have my father with me?" He asked. 

"No, my dear, I know it's hard for you, it's hard for me as well. I didn't mean to hurt your dad. I was just planning to leave him, to give him a divorce. All of this didn't happen for me, trust me! The woman tried to make him understand.

That little boy looked straight in his mother's eyes. His eyes were all red. Even his mother was scared. He speedily went to his mother's direction and said, "didn't happen to you? MY FATHER DIED BECAUSE OF YOU AND YOU ARE SAYING YOU ARE NOT THE REASON HUH? he screamed. "MY DAD DIED ONLY BECAUSE OF YOU. BECAUSE OF YOUR GREED. YOU DIDN'T LOVE HIM BUT FOR HIS MONEY. AND WHEN HE LOST HIS MONEY. YOU WENT TO OTHER MEN AND USED YOUR BODY TO IMPRESS HIM! I KNOW EVERYTHING, I KNOW ALL YOUR DIRTY SECRETS!" He shouted again. 

"You… you are not my mother. YOU ARE NOT MY MOTHER, DO YOU UNDERSTAND MRS ILIYANA?" He then laughed and said "Sorry Mrs Iliyana." 

And kept laughing. 

He started laughing hard and at one point he went to his knees and broke down. He started crying profusely, no sign of stopping his weeping. 

"Dad… Dad.. why did you leave me?? Dad… dad why did you leave me that too for that woman…. We both could have fought her! Why why why.. WHY!!!!" he screamed at last hitting the floor in anger and started crying again. 

His mother slapped him hard. She didn't expect her twelve years old son to be this straight forward. Even though he is saying the truth, she didn't expect all these things to come out of his mouth. "You... You insolent asshole! You don't deserve a mother, I guess." She said with disgust on her face. "Your father didn't teach you anything! You should just live and starve here. Only then you will understand that I wanted only the best for you!" Liyana brutally said.

And she didn't stop there, she vented all the remaining anger right there, "You have gone all mad. You… you can't be my son! Stupid just like your father! You don't even know that I have done all of this only because of you!!! Fine! Stay by yourself! After some days you will know how cruel this world is and then you will come to me all crying, but remember I will not forgive you! I will never. Even if you die starving I will not come to you! You are not my son! Stupid boy!" Liyana said and left.