The Miller family had their peaceful monts like any other family. They used to eat together, talk about anything, and laugh about sothing. It wasn’t always bad. In fact, it was one of the favorite things Patricia liked to do.
It had been a while since they had such monts because Patricia’s relationship with her brother had continued to decline.
She hadn’t even rembered it until now she was watching it.
Patricia balled her hands into tight fists as she clenched her teeth, watching this family of three dine so happily. Overwheld with bitterness and rage, she walked into the dining room.
"What a happy family!" she scowled, breaking the peaceful atmosphere in the kitchen instantly. Watching her mother, father, and brother turn their heads to her and how their expressions changed filled her with nothing but hatred.
"Haha!" she laughed bitterly. "What? Did I ruin your dinner?"
"Patricia, oh dear!" Mrs. Miller pushed herself up. "Where have you been, my dear?"
She stood close to Patricia, reaching out to check if she was okay. But before her hands could touch her daughter, Patricia slapped them away.
"Patricia!" Theo jumped from his seat the mont he heard the resounding "pak" of his sister’s hand against their mother’s.
"Where have I been?" Patricia repeated, gazing at her pretentious mother with mockery. "Mom, why are you asking that now? I’ve been here for a while, but I never heard you look for —not once. If anything, it seems you only rember now that I walk in here."
"Patricia, what are you talking about?" Mrs. Miller was confused. "That’s not true. I—"
"You, what?!" Patricia raised her voice, studying her mother from head to toe. "What, Mom?"
Unlike Patricia, who had to hide her body with this damn hoodie and these ugly pants to conceal the nightmare she went through, her mother was dressed fashionably. Mrs. Miller’s hair was perfectly done, and one could tell by her skin that she had just co from the beauty clinic to get buttocks enhancent.
Patricia laughed, moving her malicious eyes to Theo and her father. When her gaze landed on their mother again, all she felt was disgust.
"A parent loves their children unconditionally and would always take their children’s side no matter what, right, mom?" she repeated what she had heard monts ago. "Is it really unconditional, though, Mom? Or does this only apply to your golden son who—"
SLAP!
Patricia’s face was thrown to the side, her eyes widening in surprise.
"Patricia Miller, what is wrong with you?!" Mrs. Miller yelled as she clasped her throbbing palm. "You left the house without telling anyone and wouldn’t reach out for days! God knows how worried we were despite how your father and brother are working their butts off for our family! How dare you co back and speak so ill to your parent? This is not how I raised you!"
"This is how you raised , Mom!" Patricia roared back, her outrage growing now that her mother had even laid a hand on her. "This is exactly how you raised ! It’s why I’m so fucked up!"
Surprised, Mrs. Miller’s entire body shook as she instinctively took a step back. Looking at her daughter, she could no longer recognize her. It felt like at any mont, Patricia would raise her hand on her.
It scared Mrs. Miller.
Patricia looked like she was about to completely snap. This ti, it wasn’t like any tantrums she’d thrown before.
"You know I wasn’t here for a few days, and yet, you didn’t look worried at all! None of you bothered to check if I am still alive!" Patricia continued, scanning everyone in the dining room. "And the mont I walked in, you three looked at as if I shouldn’t be here in the first place."
"Patricia, are you high?!" Theo barked. "What the hell are you talking about?!"
"You know what I’m talking about!" She scread, her voice echoing. "I saw what I saw, and I’ve seen enough! Don’t talk as if I’m the crazy one here. I’m not crazy, and I’m not stupid! Why do you always treat like I am one?!"
Patricia bit her lip, taking a step back, feeling like the rage in her heart would eventually make her crumble. Looking at her mother, father, and brother, she shook her head in dismay.
"You... you three... you don’t know..." she breathed out through gritted teeth. "While you were getting your hair done, drinking the wine you recently bought, and even enjoying the revived glory of the Millers with the help of the people you once saw as rivals..."
She trailed off, trying to hold back her tears. "...while you are sleeping so peacefully at night..." She couldn’t sleep a wink.
While her mother was admiring herself in the mirror, Patricia couldn’t even look at herself. While they were having a feast, Patricia couldn’t even swallow her food for days. They slept so peacefully at night, but it was when she was the most scared.
"You asked where I have been..." She slowly set her eyes on her mother, taking another step back. "I’ve been in hell, Mom. Thank you for asking."
She scoffed bitterly. "Goodness. What a ridiculous family I was born into."
"You are out of line, Patricia!" This ti, Mr. Miller couldn’t stop himself anymore. "Apologize to your mother now!"
"And why would I?"
"Patricia!" Theo yelled. "Seriously! Why can’t you just be happy for all of us?! Our family has survived the problem. If you hated the idea of selling our company to the Bennets, then why didn’t you help us when we needed help the most?!"
Patricia snickered. "Why would I be happy for you? When all of you... should be just as miserable as ! I hate you! The three of you. How I wish I wasn’t born!"
Having said her piece, Patricia turned around and ran away from this suffocating family. She heard her mother and Theo call her, but she didn’t stop, nor did she look back at them.
She hated them.
*****
anwhile, a few blocks from the Miller estate, Angel bumped the back of his head against the seat. His hands rested on the steering wheel, grunting as he counted lazily.
"Two hundred... wait, I was already at the five hundred, wasn’t I?" he wondered to himself, his face turning sour at the thought. "Damn it. I think she’s already in her room."
The only reason Angel stayed was because he was waiting for Patricia. No, he wasn’t waiting for her to co back. He was waiting until she reached her room, so he could make a phone call to ask for his hoodie back. There was no way in hell he would just leave that item with sentintal value in the hands of a crazy woman like her.
"I guess she’s already in her room. She could just change into one of those glittery jackets to hide what she wants to hide," he told himself, picking up his phone to try his luck. But just as he held his phone, he noticed soone coming out from the gates a few blocks away from his vantage point.
Deep lines appeared between his brows, narrowing his eyes as he recognized the hoodie!
"That’s my hoodie!" Angel perked up, watching Patricia storm in his direction. "Oh, is she going to give it back... huh?"
Angel frowned when Patricia walked past his car, crying. "What in the — I shouldn’t have stayed! Now she’s crying. Damn it!"
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