*Trigger warning ⚠️ :Childhood Trauma . This chapter contains scenes of emotional abuse and childhood trauma that may be distressing to some readers*
Third person's POV
*4 years ago*
At 14, Sindy should have been giggling with friends over sleepovers or stressing over school exams. Instead, she stood at the stove, carefully stirring the vegetables as the aroma of roasting chicken filled the air.
She had made her mother's favorite dish, hoping to bring a smile to her face. But as she carried the tray to her mother's room, Sindy's heart felt heavy with a sense of responsibility that seemed too big for her shoulders.
Sindy carefully balanced a tray of steaming food as she made her way to her mother's room. "Mommy," she called out softly, her eyes shining with hope.
She set the tray down on the bedside table, the aroma of freshly cooked vegetables and roasted chicken wafting up.
Sindy's hands fluttered over the arrangement, straightening a napkin, adjusting a spoon. Her mother's face, pale and pinched, remained still, giving no hint of pleasure or gratitude. Sindy's smile faltered, but she tried again, her voice a little brighter. "I made your favorite, Mommy."
Zoe, Sindy's mom, glared at her with a venomous intensity. Her eyes seemed to bore into Sindy's skin, making her feel like an insect under a microscope. Zoe's hand crumpled the napkin, her knuckles whitening. "Why can't you be more like Faith?" she spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
The glass of water on the bedside table shattered on the floor as Zoe's hand swept across it. Sindy stumbled backward, her feet getting tangled in the mess of shards and water.
She landed hard on the floor, the wind getting knocked out of her. Zoe loomed over her, her face twisted in a snarl.
Zoe's slap sent Sindy's head snapping back. "Why can't you be more like Faith?" Zoe spat, her voice venomous. "What's wrong with you?" Sindy's eyes welled up with tears as she cupped her stinging cheek. "I'm trying, Mommy," she whispered, her voice shaking.
Zoe's face twisted in disgust. "Trying? You call this trying? You're a disappointment, Sindy.
A constant reminder of my failures." Faith's name was like a trigger, always making Sindy feel like she wasn't good enough. She hated how Faith made her feel like she was walking on eggshells, never knowing when Zoe's anger would erupt again.
Sindy's gaze locked onto her mom, her small hands hovering over the shattered glass, the edges biting into her skin. A stinging sensation coursed through her fingers, but she didn't flinch.
She couldn't.
Not with her mom's eyes still blazing with anger. The knock at the door broke the spell, and Faith swept into the room, her eyes scanning the scene.
Sindy's tears fell silently, her eyes pleading with her mom to stop, to just stop. But Zoe's attention was already elsewhere, her arms opening to envelop Faith in a warm hug.
"Faith, my dear," Zoe cooed, her voice dripping with sweetness. Faith's gaze flicked to Sindy, her expression a mask of concern. "Mom," she said, her voice soft, but Sindy's heart seethed with resentment.
She pushed herself up from the floor, her hands throbbing in protest. As she stalked past Faith, she shot her a look of pure venom, her eyes blazing with a fury she couldn't contain. The air seemed to vibrate with her anger, her feet pounding out a furious rhythm as she fled the room.
"Mrs. Walker, what happened?" Faith asked, her voice laced with concern as she carefully swept up the shattered glass.
She felt a pang of guilt, knowing she'd been standing outside the room, listening to the argument escalate. She'd hesitated, unsure of what to do, until she finally worked up the courage to knock.
Zoe's expression softened slightly as she looked at Faith. "You know I always tell you to call me Mom," she reminded her, and Faith nodded, her eyes cast downward. After finishing the cleanup, Faith headed to the room she shared with Sindy, her mind consumed with worry about her friend.
She found Sindy curled up on the bed, her eyes red and puffy from crying. Faith's heart went out to her, and she sat down beside Sindy, gently putting a hand on her shoulder.
Sindy's resentment simmered just below the surface as she gazed at Faith. She hated the way Faith seemed to suck up all the attention, leaving her feeling like a ghost hovering on the fringes.
It wasn't fair. Faith had already taken so much from her , her mom's love, her dad's attention when he was still alive,now it seemed like Faith was even stealing her own identity.
Sindy's anger boiled over, her heart pounding in her chest. Why did everyone fawn over Faith like she was some kind of princess? Didn't they see that Sindy was hurting too?
Faith's arms wrapped around Sindy, her voice barely above a whisper. "Sindy, I'm so sorry." But Sindy's eyes remained cold, her heart hardened against Faith's words. The hug, meant to be comforting, only made Sindy feel more trapped, more resentful. She didn't want Faith's pity or her apologies. She just wanted Faith to leave her alone.
*present time*
Sindy's hands trembled as she grasped the gun, her fingers tightening around the grip. It wasn't fear that made her shake, but a deep seated hatred.
She glared at Faith, her eyes blazing with a fierce intensity. Pointing the gun at Faith was supposed to make her feel better, like it would somehow undo all the pain and hurt of the past. But as she stood there, her mom's words echoed in her mind , words she'd spoken to Faith, not her.
Sindy's anger boiled over, and she spat out the words "I wish I could have shot her too, you know. Over and over and over again." Her voice dripped with venom as she pulled the trigger. The sound of gunfire exploded through the air .
Bang!
Bang!
Bang!
And then, suddenly, everything went silent.