Ariel checks the wall clock for the umpteenth time, before going to the window to check the parking lot, hoping to see Max’s car there, but an empty space welcomes her.
She sighs briefly, crashing her back against the wall. It’s already past 10pm, and the young man is not yet back from wherever he went to, along with his wife.
“He has a wife, stop being so worried sick about him,” She reminds herself as she drags her feet toward the bed, and slumps on it tiredly.
‘She’s our new maid’ she scoffs as his words replay in her head. It still hurts, even after several hours.
The sound of her ringing phone pulls her attention, and she lazily reaches out for it. She quickly slides the answer button when she sees Alex’s name displayed on the screen.
“Hey, Alex,” She says on the phone as soon as she answers the call.
“Hey, Ariel. Did you get home safely? I’ve been trying to reach you, but it wasn’t connecting,” His voice sounds through the phone.
“Yes, I did. Thanks for today,” She says on the phone with a big smile plastered on her face.
After talking with Alex for a few minutes on the phone, the call finally drops dead, and she zooms back to her thoughts.
Pushing all her thoughts to the back of her mind, she drags her feet sluggishly into the bathroom, slamming the door hard behind her.
Stepping back into the room a few minutes later, the screen light of her phone pulls her attention, and she walks over to it. Picking it up, she checks the screen and rolls her eyes at the missed call. It’s her mom. Why the hell is she calling her now?
About to drop the phone, it starts ringing again, but with a strange number on the screen this time. She hesitates before sliding the answer button.
“So you no longer want to answer my call, right? You fucking ignored my calls, and answered the one from a strange number,” Her mom’s voice thunders from the other end, and she takes the phone away from her ear so it won’t affect her eardrum. She didn’t ignore her call, but maybe she wouldn’t have answered if she had known that she was the one that was calling.
“What is it this time, mom?” She sighs briefly, slumping on the bed. If she can stop calling her ‘mom’, she would be glad, but she’s used to it already, and she can’t change it now.
“Don’t you dare call me that, Shirley. If you regard me as your mom, you wouldn’t treat me this way,” Her voice thunders through the phone, and a thin line appears between her eyebrows in confusion.
“If you called to scream at me, then I think I would have to end the call,” She never meant to be rude to her, but she’s pushing her beyond the limit now, and she can’t take this shit anymore.
“Where are your manners, Ariel?” She thunders again.
“I lost them the day you sold me out to a stranger. Now, tell me, what the hell do you want from me this time? Money? What is it again?” She finally screams as she springs up to her feet like she’s there with her. Tears well up in her eyes as she slowly clenches her fists beside her. It hurts, no matter how much she tries to hold it in.
“Money, that is what I want,” She scoffs unbelievably and bites her bottom lip when she heard her spill the beans. She knew that was the reason why she called. Her tears finally find their way down her cheeks as she throws her head back and grips her hair aggressively, pulling it. Although the pain from pulling her hair is quite much, but it’s nothing compared to the one in her heart. Isn’t it enough that this woman has treated her like a piece of trash? Isn’t it enough that she rejected her? Why the hell is she doing this to her?
“I don’t have money to give you, mom. Leave me the hell alone,” She says to her rudely, and her scoff sounds through the phone.
“You must be joking with me right now, and if you’re not joking, you must be out of your mind…”
“Yes, I am out of my mind! You’re driving me nuts, and I’m losing it. What is it? You are my mom for fuck’s sake, but you still treat me like this. Why?” She yells angrily.
“I didn’t call to listen to your rants. My house rent is due, and we need money to pay up, if not the landlord is going to throw us out…”
“And does it look like I care about what happens to you or that wretched fellow you call a husband? I don’t give a damn, mom. Your landlord can throw you out in the street for all I care!” She snaps at her.
“Then expect to see me there first thing tomorrow morning. You won’t like what will happen if I come over there, I promise,” The call bangs afterward, and she takes a deep breath as she drops the phone on the bed.
She slumps to the floor and bursts into tears. How can this be happening to her? She’s too young for all this pain for fuck’s sake.
She cries her eyes out until she finally falls asleep on the floor.
Next day
Waking up the next morning with a loud bang on her door, she drags herself up to her feet, and wince in pain when she feels her body hurting.
“Ariel!” She recognizes the voice at once to be their maid’s, and she forces herself to reach the door.
“There’s a problem. Your mom is causing a scene downstairs,” The maid releases the bombshell to her, and her mouth drops open in shock.
She dashes out of the room at once and hurries down the stairs as fast as her legs can carry her.
Pulling the door open after she walks past the living room, she stops abruptly on her track as the sight of her mom’s wet body welcomes her.
“Mom?” Her mouth drops open as she glances at Alicia that is standing with a bowl in her hand. She just fucking poured water on her mom…