All Chapters of The Lie We Called Love : Chapter 11 - Chapter 14

CLAIRE“She's here at last.” Violet, my mother, doesn't even look up. She is flipping through a glossy magazine—the kind that features diamond-encrusted dog collars and $50,000 vacation homes. Her expression is one of boredom. Like this is just as she envisioned today to be this exact scene.“Sit,” she says without a glance, tapping on the couch beside her.A welcome word from a queen to a very lowly subject. I stand stiffly in the doorway, like a child covered in mud waiting for the scolding.I finally move. But I don't sit. I stand in front of her, arms crossed.“My God, look at that complexion,” she tuts, leaning forward with the predatory grace of a leopard. She rises, crossing the floor in three steps, and her perfectly manicured fingers clamp onto my chin firmly.“You’re so pale, darling. It’s almost sickly. Have you been sleeping? Or are you just allergic to sunlight now? You need to do something about this pallor before the winter makes you completely translucent.”I try to

CLAIRENo pressure? Fuck him!That was pressuring as hell!Now I'm supposed to work hard to get those memories back even when my head is full of blanks. He just handed me the most impossible homework assignment ever. And the reward is... him?I toss and turn in the bed, pulling the sheet up to my chin. The disappointment is a cold weight. It's not just about sex; it’s about the rejection of the moment, the implication that the 'me' right now isn't enough."Fine," I mumble into the pillow. "I'll remember. And then I'm going to make you regret this."I drift into sleep, but it’s not peaceful. I begin to toss and turn, my mind floating and my vision morphing into a deserted, wet street. The air is cold, thick with the smell of rain. The surroundings are dark, lit only by a single streetlight.And there's this suffocating tightness in my chest, like an overwhelming, built-up emotion that feels like regret mixed with uncontrollable fury.There's a car I don't recognize, but it seems to be