"I want how it was before. I want it all with you in my life again... I'm asking you to stay."
Miles Cobain-Smith
An aloof and detached logician, he scrutinizes the simplest things through microscopic lenses. Academic validation, family expectations...
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"This resentment will only pain you further." Russell says in a gentle tone, staring at Juliet with softened eyes. She doesn't return his gaze, her mind not having any second thoughts.
"The thought of forgiving her hurts more." Her reply comes cut short. She peeks out the window once more, eyes following a fluttering butterfly.
Leaning against the chair at her desk, Russell studies her carefully, trying to figure her out. As her father, he's confident enough that he knows Juliet the best and he actually does. But then there are moments when he feels like he doesn't really know her as much as he thinks and there's a lot more to her than what she shows. Her behaviors confuse him at times.
"Would you tell me why you hate her so much? I know she wasn't the best mother but-"
A bitter chuckle leaves her mouth as her eyes turn cold.
"Here's the irony. If to you, the definition of a mother is giving birth to a child, then yes, she was a mother. But if-" she waves her hand harshly, "If there's more to being a real mother like making your child feel valuable and showing them affection, care and patience and providing them with a loving home to grow up in and a few more motherly behaviors, then she should be called a big glam failure." She bites out the last words, as if venom dripping out of her throat.
His face seems consumed in grief as he lowers his gaze to the ground, and when Juliet notices that, she immediately regrets her words from moments earlier.
"I'm sorry." She mumbles out fast, "Please don't be sad thinking I'm still hurting for her. Her absence doesn't affect me anymore I promise, instead distance from her gives me peace now. I love my life with only you in it and my loved ones. Don't think I feel empty in any way because I honestly don't." Her reassuring voice pulls at his heartstrings.
"I know you are probably wondering exactly when my feelings morphed into such resentment towards her. You've only witnessed how she lacked when it came to performing her duties toward me and us but there's more to this than you know. These were like the mundane incidents of everyday life and I know I was a child, but somehow I still was mentally old enough to take note of everything, unfortunately." She laughs briefly and his eyes settle on her face, showing deep attention.
"I'll tell you one of many incidents just to give you an idea. It was my eighth birthday. The night before, she promised me that she'd be present at my birthday party. I kept calling her the whole day, but she didn't pick up. When she came back finally, I ran to her but before I could utter a word, she scolded me saying why I called her so many times and that it interrupted her meeting. She was yelling at me and all my friends saw that. You were out to buy candles as we couldn't find where we kept them." Juliet swallows hard, her throat feeling heavy. "I felt so humiliated and embarrassed in front of the kids and their families. Everyone was watching me with saddened eyes and I saw pity in them. So what if I was just eight, I knew enough not to indulge myself in the sympathy of others. Just imagine how I felt when my own mother pushed me in a situation like that."
