Rodolfo Quirós
Abigail"s Reaction
"I am very disappointed in you, Miss Abigail. Of all the students in these schools, I am surprised you would do something like this." The voice, face, and attitude were given points and showed disappointment. The look struck deep and pulled at her heartstrings. Her body's instant reaction was to cry. Tears walked majestically down its runway which was her cheeks.
"Tears won't change anything, Miss Abigail. You are one of our top students and your parents contribute heavily towards the school so expulsion is out of your punishment. But we can't overlook the crime." One of the disciplinary committee commented, her face taking up the disguise of a stone, without emotion.
Now the fear of being punished seemed milder than the fear of being scolded by her family. A panic attack was coming, she knew it but she couldn't stop it. Her heart began to work overtime, her tears blurred her eyesight and her breaths became erratic. She shuddered and shivered before the trembles began. Her whole body trembled like a leaf and she couldn't help but fall to her knees as her knees buckled beneath her. She tumbled and almost screamed but it got stuck in her throat.
The regret slammed into her in full force, like a train and it crippled her internally and externally. A screech filled her head, making her brain hurt. Bells rang in her head and she tried, tried so hard to calm down but she couldn't. Her body decided it was going through a lot so it decided to shut down. The room was thrown into chaos as the school's head girl and biggest influencer collapsed. Worry marred the face of all as they tried to get her to wake up, yelling her name but she was already far gone.
After 16 years, she finally got peace. No parent was nagging her, no teacher was pressurizing and no stranger was making her feel guilty for being the child of the CEO of MAST groups of companies. Just because she had the money doesn't mean she had to suffer for it.
Maybe the fact that she was adopted made her work extra hard to be the best, to please her parents. She tried and tried but her parents were never happy with her. She always had to be the best. Best student, the best churchgoer, the best girl in the neighborhood, best to everyone she goes to, and after sixteen years, it was taking a toll on her. Reading well into the night, going to bed at midnight, and waking up at 3 in the morning with no break or nap in between was exhausting.
"Abigail, wake up now or you'll suffer for it in many ways." Her mother's sharp voice penetrated through the silence of her head. She had to but she decided she had no energy to get up so she stayed there, doing nothing and waiting for her mother's yelling again. Probably her mom will change her attention to her sister and leave her alone. But that did not happen as her mother's feet pounded up the stairs and she turned to face the wall just to avoid her mother's confrontation but she had no choice as her mother was adamant about talking to her.
"Abigail, listen to me, stop acting like a child even Alexa acts more mature than you did. Look at me, you need to learn to live like you are the first daughter of the CEO of a multi-million company. How could you do that? You disgrace the family name and your father's name and all you are doing is ignoring me. You should try to live up to the expectations people have for you, that we have for you. You are in a position of authority and you should act like that. Why should you do this? You're…" Her mother's guilt-tripping and rambling speech was getting out of hand, making her get annoyed that she had to speak.
"And did I ask for this"position of authority"? The harsh words fell from her mouth making her mother flinch and she recoiled.
"Sorry, I didn't mean that. What I meant was sure, people are dying for this life I have but you didn't ask if maybe I wanted this before you and dad began to force me into such an extravagant life, knowing that all I ever knew was subtlety. I know I owe you guys since you've been there when my parents weren't. I mean without you, I would still be in the orphanage but this isn't right, the stress I am going through is mentally affecting me and this isn't right. Trying to be someone who I'm not is not right."