Chapter 4

Azalea's POV

The lights in my house were all turned off when I got back home. I didn't have a key and unfortunately, the door was locked. 

I brought out my phone, dialed my mother's number, hoping she wasn't far into her beauty sleep to pick up. The phone rings a couple of times but she doesn't pick up. 

I tried my father's number too and got the exact same results. 

Having no other option, I knocked on the door as hard as I could but again, nobody showed up. 

After a while of fruitlessly trying to wake my parents from their sleep, I gave up, resting my exhausted body on the wall and slouching down. 

I raised my knees up, placing my hands and chin on it to get into a comfortable position. 

I knew I wouldn't be able to sleep, so I decided to call Lara to make sure she got home safe. 

My call went straight into voicemail and just when I'm about to dial her number again, the screen of my phone became blank. 

“Damn it, I forgot to plug it in earlier. Shit! Now everything is dark and scary." I said, my voice echoing in the silent, cold and tense night. 

I lay down with my head on my knees, attempting to get some sleep but it was almost impossible because not only was I shivering in the cold, the mosquitoes sang an unpleasant anthem in my ear, reminding me of my miserable situation. I started to regret the stupid decision I made, to be free for just one night and fuck a good dick rather than having a good night rest in my parents' house.

I didn't know how long I stayed outside, shivering, being the mosquitoes' audience and their dinner, being scared of the night. I couldn't even fall asleep due to the intense body ache I was experiencing. I knew I had been out here for at least three hours. I never knew the night was this long, I was praying for the morning to come quickly when a car pulled over in front of my house.

I raised my head, realizing that my sister, Rose, was just coming back from a night out. She staggered out of the car, almost breaking her heels in the process. 

She kissed her latest boyfriend goodbye before making her way over to me with unsteady steps. 

She was drunk as hell and barely managed to hold herself up. 

At first, she didn't notice my slouched form on the ground but when she did, she walked over and the first thing she did was to hit her expensive golden purse on my head. 

“What the hell are you doing here, slut." She slurred out, attempting to hit my head again. 

I dodged her attacks, hastily getting on my feet to distance myself from her as I shivered from the cold.

I knew I should talk back, call her out for hitting me on the head but like the usual coward I was, I was unable to say a word. Speaking would only make matters worse. 

“Mother! Father! Open up the goddamn door." Rose screamed, banging the door like an alien was chasing her and she was trying to get away from it. 

The door immediately opened up and since Rose was using it as support, she collapsed, falling face flat on the ground. 

She groaned, mumbling curses at them both but they said nothing about her disrespectful behavior. Instead, they helped her up, helping her rub her forehead and dust off the dirt on her clothes. 

Even in the dark night, I could tell a worried look clouded by my mother's face. “Oh, baby, where have you been? You left us worried sick. We couldn't sleep a wink and have been waiting all night for you to come back. Why didn't you tell us you'd be out late tonight?" 

The realization that they knew I'd been sitting out here and they were directly on the other side, hearing me scream and call out to them, was like a stab to my chest. 

“And you," my father turned to me and yelled, “Why did you let her fall? Why didn't you hold her when we opened up the door?"

My mouth opened but nothing came out. I wasn't surprised by his question, I just didn't know the right words to say at that moment.

Rose pushed my parents out of the way, rushing into the house. “Get the fuck out of my way, I need to pee." 

She flung her shoes, one almost hitting my mother's head but she said nothing and just picked up the shoe. 

My parents walked in and I followed suit, afraid that they would lock me out again if I hesitated for a second. 

My mother forcefully pushed me out when I tried to enter, she stood as a barrier between me and the warmth of the house.

“And where do you think you're going? You think you can bring your filthy self into this house after whoring your dignity away? Go back to the streets, you're no longer welcomed here." she said in a harsh tone.

She slammed the door on my face before I could beg her.

It was then that everything in me broke. I knew I couldn't take their awful treatment any more, so I turned my back on the house, preparing to walk the long journey to Lara's house. 

I have had enough of them. I was never going back to that house. I never knew what I did to deserve such treatment from them. At one point I even thought I was adopted but later confirmed that they were my real parents. Living with them had been hell on earth for me.

Sad tears gathered in my eyes and as if on cue, droplets of rain started to pour. I cried, and the heaven's cried with me, drowning my tears with heavier tears. 

The rain poured down until I got to Lara's house, my legs shivering immensely from both the long journey and cold. 

I knocked on the door a couple of times before she opened it up, her drowsy eyes meeting mine and widening.

“Oh my God! What the hell happened, Lea?" She exclaimed in shock before pulling me into the comfort of her home. She made me sat on the couch, immediately went to get me a blanket and clean and dry set of clothes, asking me to change while she made hot cocoa for me.

I explained everything that happened to Lara and she listened attentively. She rubbed my back as I cried while remembering all the things I have had to put up with when I was living with my parents and sister.

“I left and I'm never going back there."