Hypocrites

After entering the room and closing the door, without much of a glance around the room. Rea stride towards the windows, leaning against the wall,she reached into the black backpack that she brought with her, fingers brushing past the fabric before pulling out a cigarette. Her hands trembling slightly as she brought it to her lips, the lighter flickering in her unsteady grasp. The flame caught, a brief glow reflecting the turmoil she fought to keep beneath the surface. No matter how much Rea tried, her indifferent ember eyes which now had a golden glint in it because of the little flame, could not hide the slight hope that had long extinguished to the current disappointment she had felt earlier.

"What was i even expecting from the so-called loving parents who abandoned their own biological child ". Yes she knew. She knew that it wasn't how the police officer explained,nor how others knew of the situation.

They played there part so well. To the outside world, they were the grieving parents- desperate, broken, shattered by the loss of their little girl. Everyone believed them. Of course they did.it was easier to accept their version: the frantic searches, the crying interviews of the Larsin couple, the empty promises of "we'll never stop looking for you". Even myself, when I saw those for the first time, I almost believed those. Rea scoffed thinking about it now.

She knew better. She knew the truth. behind closed doors, they gave up on her, even before the ink was dry on the police report. Less than two months, that's all it look, to shred their pretense. Their tears dried up quickly,their urgency dissolved like a sugar in water, sweet and fast,they buried her in their minds and memories just as fast as the outside world rallied behind them. But they had to keep up the appearances. It wouldn't look good if they stopped searching too soon. So they changed the police records by pulling strings and changed into a year or so.

They didn't know Rea was alive. They didn't care. They just needed the world to believe they did.

As the surrounding started to be filled with more and more smoke.Rea swim deeper to her inner thoughts, and Began to dig out all the thoughts she tried to bury deep within her for all these years after knowing her own parents selfishness,ruthlessness and fake faces.

Although she stopped caring a long time ago. Fourteen years is enough time to kill whatever hope might have been left. she thought maybe-just maybe-seeing them again would change things. That there might still be a spark of......something, something that was there before every thing went..........

But all it did was remind her again and again of how dead she,their own blood is to them..how they are to her.

Rea had thought and asked herself many times throughout these years this one question.

............................

......................................."what kind of parents give up on their child so easily?" ......

Rea had doubted if she was even their biological child. She had even secretly done a DNA test with the blood they give every 2 year at the hospital blood bank, to see if it answers her question. unfortunately she is their blood.their biological child.

Rea flicked the last ash off the tip of her cigarette, the dull orange ember dimming in the half-light of the room. With a slow exhale, she crushed the butt into the dirt of a nearby potted plant by the balcony window, the hiss of the smoldering ash barely audible. The lights from nearby villa's coming beyond the window was alive with some barely audible laughter, but the world within the cold, silent room felt dead.

time passed as Rea was lost in her thoughts.

Stepping away from the balcony, her feet moved silently across the cool floor. The dark swallowed her figure as she crossed the room, Rea's mind still replaying the bitter memories she couldn't escape . pausing at the door,hand on the knob.taking a shallow breath,hiding the bitter complicated look in her eyes, rea's returned to her usual cold, indifferent self,than stepped out into the hallway.

As Rea's neared the top of the staircase, she heard some muffled voices coming from downstairs. Rea stopped,leaning into the shadows by the railing.

One of the voices,Mia.crying. No,not crying--

Pretending to cry. Rea could tell the difference,all those years of dabbling through stuffs like studying micro expressions and psychology had helped her avoid many dangerous situations. To see through those amateur acting of Mia's was a child play.

" Mommy, Daddy ,please don't make elder sister marry Mr.Bollet. that's not fair for sister. She just came back home from living in an orphanage all these years." Mia sobbed, her voice melodramatic wail. "I_I'll marry him instead! Please, its not right to send elder sister.she will hate me because mr.Bollet wanted me to marry in the first place.if you guys send her on my behalf,sister will really hate me"

The sobs grew louder, desperate like a pathetic performance only her parents could fall for. Rea's jaw clenched,as if knowing well what's coming next.if anyone were to see Rea's now, they could see her eyes were filled with strong killing intent. But she did nothing,pressing her back to the cold wall Rea listened. They didn't disappoint her;Mrs. Larsin's voice followed, soothing and full of gentleness. " Oh, my darling baby,don't cry dear. Don't worry my daughter, its not unfair for your sister. It would be unfair to let you, dear, to get married to someone like him. Your so kindhearted,so thoughtful and Mia your still studying for higher education. So you deserve someone of the same level." " Rea ....umm well, she's different, if she hates her own sister because of something this trivial, she doesn't understand what's good for her. Marrying into such a wealthy family like the Bello family is a blessing, even if the man is a bit older.its her fortune."

"Besides" Mr.Larsin chimed in, his voice carrying a dismissive tone. " Rea will be a rich madam. She's lived without us for years; I'm sure she's used to taking care of herself. She'll enjoy spending the rest of her life not worrying about money at least" he laughed, a short,joyless sound.

Mia sobbed louder, her voice laced with feigned concern. " But....elder sister doesn't know any upper class etiquette, Daddy. What if your business partner is dissatisfied with elder sister because of this? It won't be good for our company if this deal fails."

Her words, though masked in tears, dripped with venom. Rea could imagine the sly grin Mia was wearing underneath her delicate facade, knowing her manipulative little act was working. Her plan was falling into place perfectly- further cementing Rea's position as the disposable daughter, the outsider.

" Don't worry dear, your sister has a pretty face. That's all he needs."

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