After some more chatting, there was another lull in our conversation, and just as well.

Soft music, a nice breeze mingling the scent from the garden with Violet’s scent, shade protecting us from the harsh summer sun, and happy stomachs. It was no wonder we were all feeling lazy.

We, Violet and I, shut our eyes, me using her shoulder as a headrest while my own head served as hers. Mathilda on the other hand had moved to a long chair and last I saw, was comfortably wriggling her toes without a care in the world.

“We should go to the pool,” Mathilda suddenly spoke, breaking the silence.

I began explaining to her that Violet wouldn’t feel comfortable going, but she herself cut me off, saying a simple “ok”.

“Are you sure about it?”

“Y-yeah...” she said quietly. I was thinking about inviting you, she whimpered almost incoherently and inaudibly.

Huh… will you look at that?

Violet had become full of surprises.

I’d roast her for more details, but at a later time. Maybe as pillow talk tonight? Or as things have been going on, once we got home and alone. Violet has been acting aggressive for the whole day after all. She really had become full of surprises.

Hehe, we’ll need to get her a swimsuit.

Something elegant, mature and that she was comfortable in. I can already hear it: “But Abby, that’s like going out in my underwear!” she’ll cry out. Haah, that will be a struggle, I tell you.

Regardless of that, it’d be fun, both getting her said swimsuit and going to the pool, the three of us. Although, since it was our first time going there together, I’d prefer if we went alone.

More importantly, there was a detail I remembered asking, and that was whether Violet knew how to swim.

“I learned during basic, but…”

“So, doggy paddle?”

“No! Breaststroke, or whatever it’s called!”

If that was the case, it was good enough. As long as she didn’t sink like a brick, it was fine. We could stay on shallower side of the pool and I could also teach her how to better swim. That would be a nice bonding moment.

With that issue out of my mind, I got to thinking what sort of swimsuit would suit her without making her unwilling to show it.

“What?” she asked under my intense gaze.

It had to be violet. It was a colour that both was her favourite and suited her. That was a fact set in stone. It was the style that got me stuck.

I was leaning towards a one-piece. It’d cover the most, give the most protection against the sun and still would look good on her. Bikinis and all that would look great too, but there was something about Violet only showing that much skin to me alone that was tickling my ego. I’d like to say I didn’t care what she wore, but due to the circumstances… that would be hypocrisy.

“Seriously, what?”

“…Let’s get you a one-piece swimsuit.”

She turned red and was stuttering as she tried to form a sentence, but a voice that sent me chills called out my name.

Instinctively I got up and turned.

My mum was glaring at me, furious and asking what lies had I been spreading around. I thought that Marcus had told her about my apology, but then she clarified it for me.

“To go around saying you’re dating that girl, do you ever think about anyone else other than yourself!?”

My mum stepped forward and I flinched. I knew I couldn’t step back and she was between me and the only possible escape path. Violet however jumped into action, stepping between us and shielding me from mum, hissing at her an order to stay away from me. She was shaking, but not from fear. Unlike me, her tremors were of pure anger.

“Or what?” my mum barked. “Are you going to fight me?”

“Just try me!” Violet said, not giving mum any ground. “You touch her, I’ll kill you!”

Violet was clutching her fists, getting ready to make right by her words.

With her showing so much courage and defiance, I finally had it.

“I’ve had enough of you! Ever since you came around things have gone wrong! It’s all your fault!” my mum shouted.

I stepped around Violet and stood just two steps away from that woman.

“No mum, it’s all yours! You’re a horrible person that treats everyone like trash! You deserve to be alone!”

“Why, you…” she hissed.

She cocked her arm and readied one of, if not the most, violent slap I ever got. It wasn’t me who got it, however.

Violet shouted my name, and shielded me, mum’s slap hitting her square on the shoulder. She assured me she was ok with a touch before I stared back at my mother. I wasn’t done talking, and this time, I wouldn’t let her scare me. Not after she hurt Violet a second time.

“I’m sorry that your father never loved you mum, but that’s no excuse to treat me like you do. I hate you. I hate you and I love Violet. Since day one she has showed me more love than you ever did. Her father too treats me like I’m his daughter. A complete stranger took me in, accepted and supported me. What did you do? Beat me into submission, used me in your schemes as a tool. How does it feel now that I’m no longer under your control? How does it feel to know that me and her have kissed and slept together? That one day we will live together and form a family of our own? How does it feel to know you won’t be a part of it, and that it’s all your fault?”

My mum reached out to hit me again, but Violet pulled and shielded me from her once more.

I thought the worst-case scenario was about to happen, but then a thundering voice called our attention.

Mrs. Fletcher stood in front of a crowd, fuming but still trying to look dignified.

“Mrs. Fletcher! I’m sorry for my daughter’s appalling behaviour.”

“Your daughter?”

“Abbigail. You remember her, right?”

“Of course I do, she’s a precious friend of my adoptive niece Mathilda.”

At the mention of that name, I noticed she stood behind Mrs. Fletcher. If it wasn’t the screaming, it was her who brought our host to our aid.

I looked back to my mum. She had been caught acting her worse and was now fumbling to save face in front of a crowd of people, the colour of her face draining with each and every word.

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

I had only wanted to get at her, hurt her like she did to me. To see that lead to her potential social downfall… a form of justice was being served.

“She has been spreading lies… she’s confused! She thinks she’s in love with that girl! It’s just a phase, right? We all go through it! Please, disregard her. I’ll be sure to—”

“That’s enough!” Mrs. Fletcher ordered. “Anymore, and I’ll be calling the police.”

My mum turned even paler than what she had already been and looked down to her feet like a child that was being yelled at.

Since it had gotten so quiet, I decided to apologise for the commotion.

To my surprise, she smiled at me and pulled Mathilda to her from, resting her hands on her shoulders.

“Mathilda, be a dear and guide your friends to a quitter place.”

“I’ll take them to my room then.”

“Yes, that would be ideal.”

Mathilda gestured for us to follow her. Everyone there opened a path for us to walk by. Before I couldn’t, I looked back.

Mrs. Fletcher was whispering something to my mum’s ear. The face she was making, I’ll never forget.

For the first time ever I saw it. I saw fear in my mum’s face.

Mathilda guided us through corridors and up the stairs, all the way to the top floor.

Down a hallway, she opened the third door and we followed her in.

Her room had its own living room space, looking like a set taken from a Victorian show. It was nice and cool in here, and Violet and I sat on the couch facing the unlit fireplace.

“You two need anything?” Mathilda asked.

Right now, all we wanted was for some peace and quiet. Mathilda could have stayed, but with her gone, we were more at ease to tend to each other.

I crossed my legs over Violet’s after Mathilda shut the door behind her and readied myself for some crying on her shoulder. Surprisingly, I hadn’t shed a single tear all the time from the confrontation up to now.

“Does it hurt?” I asked, referring to the slap she got.

A bit, she admitted, but not all that much.

That wasn’t the reason I was crying, however. The reason why I was shedding tears was a weird one.

It was of relief, believe it or not.

“I did it,” I sobbed. “I did it Violet. I told her how I feel.”

She let out a weak chuckle and repeated what I said, pulling me closer and smooching my hair. Was she proud of me? I think she was. I too felt proud of myself.

Mum scared me, and yet, I was able to speak up my mind, even after having been hit.

My old me would have started to cry and perhaps beg in desperation for her to stop. Well, no more. That old me was gone now. And after seeing my mum getting so scared from having an old lady whispering something to her? That boogie woman had lost all the fear factor she had.

“What do you think Mrs. Fletcher told my mum that got her so scared?” I asked.

We had gotten into a more comfortable position.

I hoped Mathilda wouldn’t mind, but we got into her bedroom proper and were now lying on her bed, me resting on top of Violet while she caressed my back and combed my hair.

“I have no idea, but… did you notice what your mum said when she was spilling excuses? About it just being a phase and that everyone goes through it?”

I did remember that, and now that she mentioned it, it was a weird thing to say.

She was panicking then, that could simply be it, but… Nah, that’s not possible. The implication of it being otherwise…

“It’d explain some stuff though.”

“Enough of her babe,” I sighed, getting on one of her sides to change our cuddling position. “I’m a bit mad at you, just so you know.”

“H-huh!? Why!?”

“You were going to fight her, weren’t you?”

“…”

“…Hehe, silly,” I said, kissing her cheek. “I’m not really mad, but you got me worried there.”

“Humph. Like I’d let her lay a hand on you,” she said smugly.

I asked her to show me where she got hit.

There was a red, vaguely hand-shaped mark on her shoulder that I kissed and gently caressed.

She tried to turn around, but I asked for us to stay like that, pointing out that I rarely get to be the big spoon.

“Fufu, you are a shortcake after all.”

“And you’re a momma bear,” I joked back.

I felt the urge to give her shoulder a playful nibble, but withheld from doing that until she reach around and tickled my sides. We then got into a short toss and roll around the bed, our fun lightening our hearts from a heavy mood.

“Girls, come on!” we heard Mathilda cry out. “I sleep there!”

We weren’t expecting having her walk up on us and neither were we planning on going any further than tickles.

We were explaining that, but she didn’t seem to be believing it, glaring at us while we presented our case.

“You know, the least you could do is invite me in, since it’s my bed.”

I understood she had pranked us, but Violet didn’t until she looked at me. The face she was making was priceless, and me and Mathilda were having a good laugh from that.

“That’s a no then?” Mathilda gasped, tears running down her face.

“More like a never,” Violet grumbled with a pout.

Mathilda shrugged, and walked off, telling us to meet her and her auntie at the party hall.

We’d do that, but first I had to get Violet into a good mood. She didn’t take too kindly the joke of us having a third party involved. Rather, that we laughed at her having taken it seriously.

I laid across her lap belly side up, running an index on her face and sweetly saying that she too was all I needed. It was funny having pranked her, but it was way better seeing her face soften up into an enamoured expression as I gave her sweet looks.

“Haah, I’m way too weak against your charms.”

“Hehe, and?”

And nothing, it was just stating a fact.

From that angle I was watching her face, I thought about what really had happened.

Her lip scar, perfectly visible under the gloss lipstick I put on her was a mark of honour for her, but in a way also reminded her of her failure in being there when I needed. Today, tis girl who was blushing under my gaze and cheek strokes, not only was she there, but she had also shielded me from my mum’s strikes twice with no fear whatsoever. We had previously talked about feeling pride in one another and in ourselves, but now that had reached new hights.

“Come on, we shouldn’t keep her waiting,” she told me, tickling my stomach.

We got up and I immediately latched onto her arm, bumping my hip on her. We left that room laughing, feeling invincible.

Once we got to the party hall, we were surprised by who was waiting for us.

There was Mrs. Fletcher, still in her party clothes, Mathilda sitting beside her left and Margaret standing to her right, now having her bowtie hanging from her unbuttoned collar all the way to the middle of her chest, her vest also laying open.

Now, the people that surprised us to see: my dad—not exactly all that surprising since he we had agreed to text him when we were done and had most likely been called by Fletcher about what had occurred—and Violet’s dad. Him, I thought it had been brought by my dad because he got worried.

“We were told about what happened. Looks like you two are ok,” my dad stated as he and Stan came to us.

We exchanged hugs while I summarised our side of the story, singing praises about my girlfriend. Next up was them praising her, embarrassing Violet to no end. She deserved all that praise, and more.

“Let’s have dinner somewhere as a thanks,” my dad offered.

“N-no, I—”

“Sushi!” I said hopping. “Let’s go to sushi!”

“Ahem.”

Mrs. Fletcher called us to attention. She understood our commotion, but she wanted to take care of business so she could change into something homier.

Only my dad remained standing, taking a laser pointer and approaching a board. He then started a long presentation about a business idea he had been working on.

For the sake of brevity, it was similar to what mum’s company was all about, but his idea added internet security and some extra features. More surprisingly was, it wasn’t an addon to mum’s, this was an independent venture. He wasn’t just breaking away from her company, he was going to compete with her.

“And the workers?” Mrs. Fletcher asked, she and my dad turning their attention to Papa Stan.

“It’s like I had told you, most will jump ship if we simply offer them better treatment.”

“Have you told them about the raise after the first year and possibility of working from home?”

“A-yup. They’ll deliver their resignation letter the same second you show them the contract.”

“Dad, you knew about this?” Violet asked.

“Wait, you knew?” I asked her in turn.

She explained she got to know my dad was planning something, but was asked to keep it secret from me. Question was, why was I kept in the dark? My guess was, they didn’t want to stress me out until the last minute, but why now?

“After what happened at the party, a lot of people got to see her true colours. Now is he time to act.”

Ok, that made sense. I understood that being the reasoning of dad and Stan, but what about Mrs. Fletcher?

“Why, business, my dear,” she said with a cheeky smile. “Your dad made me a very good offer, and quite frankly, after the show she put on and running the remainder of the party, I feel like teaching her a lesson in manners.”

“…Was that what you whispered to her?”

Mrs. Fletcher’s smile took on a sinister turn.

“How should I put it… I guess I informed your mother that she will be able to start making amends about her past starting on November.”

This old lady knew something about my mum’s past that she wasn’t supposed to, huh? What could it possibly be?

I decided I didn’t care despite being curious. I wanted nothing to do with her after all.

With the meeting over, we were escorted outside by Mathilda and Margaret.

Outside the front gate, Mathilda got interrupted by a boy’s voice while she was asking us what we were doing until dinner time.

“What are you guys doing here?” she asked cheerfully, rushing to go and hug the two boys I recognised. They were both our classmates, one being her cousin Mathew, the other, their mutual friend and previously interested in my girl, Stephen.

They came to pick her up as a surprise since they knew she was coming and hated these social events.

“I’ll tell the lady you got a surprise visit from your friends and will be going with them,” Margaret informed her.

“Yes, please do Margaret,” Mathilda agreed, using the boys’ shoulders as a balancing support to take off her shoes. “Sorry girls, looks like we part ways here. I had fun though.”

Yeah, it was fun until mum came. If things went according to plan, perhaps next year we wouldn’t have to worry about her? We’d see.

It was amusing to see them walk away with interlocked arms, Mathilda in the middle, all laughing and exchanging jokes, poking fun of each other.

I peeked at Violet. She was observing them in deep thought.

I asked if she was jelly, to wish she shook her head, telling me she felt a bit relieved about Mathilda having close friends after all.

“Pfft, hehe. You really are a mother.”

“Oh, shut up,” she joked back, bumping her hip on me.