Empty Inside-Out

CLARE

Not everything they say is the truth but not everything they say is a lie either.

I woke up to the grey empty walls and rubbed my eyes, sitting up I looked around an empty room.

It is said that a room tells a lot about the person who lives in it, I think its true.

After releasing a sigh I walked into my attached bathroom and splashed water on my face.

I can survive today, I have to.

I don't know the girl I see in the mirror but I recognize her, I've only recognized her in these past few years.

I can survive today, I have to.

A simple sentence, just seven words but the hope they carry it weighs more than tonnes.

Another sigh escapes my lips, I look in the mirror one last time, trying to remember who I used to be, how I used to be.

Nothing.

I cant remember her anymore.

Good.

This is what it should be like, this is what I deserve.

Rage fills in my veins and I turn away from everything, just like always.

After shower when I walked out of my room, two teenagers were seated on my sofa, facing me and someone was snoring in front of them.

His back to me, I walk towards them and switch the muted television off.

Carl was snoring sprawled on my sofa, and the two teenagers looked at me then him every two seconds with a frown.

"he is human, I can't afford aliens in my house yet"I said walking to the table and picking my breakfast placed on the table.

They didn't say anything just rolled their eyes and continued to ogle at me with agape mouths.

"Carl" I call shaking him and when he steered I walk past them all and seated on the empty sofa.

Carl rubbed his face a few times then looked at all of us confused, I don't think he remembers coming here.

"Eh, who are you all? Where am I?" He said looking alert

"What is this, why is he here, how come you let him in, did you two do the dirty" Theses were the questions form both the teenage girls.

"What! No!" Carl protested "I just had no place to go, we....i........nothing happened" He argued trying to explain.

But the girls didn't even see him, they continued to stare at me waiting for answers mischief swirling in their eyes.

"No" Was all I said and all the mischief drained out of their eyes leaving only an understanding "Oh"

They both stood up and ignoring Carl walked out of the house just to peep in again "He got in" They said together with huge smiles, beaming like the summer sun.

I nodded to them and smiled a small smile.

They walked out again with a thud the door closed and I looked to Carl who was still trying to process everything.

All this time I continued to eat my breakfast.

"Why were you sleeping in here?" I asked

"Oh yeah, I knocked at your door last night but you didn't respond, uhm something happened" He said with a proud smile on his face yet a frown on his forehead.

"I am a heavy sleeper,what happened?"I asked cold and calm as always

"Uh, you know what happened last night, in the hotel" He said racking his hand through his hair then continued "someone leaked the footage out, the media has been swirling like a storm all night"

"Yeah?" I said uninterested

"I was sleeping when my phone blowed up, calls messages, news channels" He continued "they have made me a hero, they are trolling those two.........." He trailed off thinking for the names

"Rody maxson and Shanaya maxson" I completed looking down at my food

"Yeah them.........the whole Maxson family actually, its all a chaos out there" He said then stopped abruptly, I looked up to see him thinking deeply.

He looked me in the eye and asked "Hey, uh........are you behind all this, did you leak the footage or anything...............because you owe dad and......"

"No" I said without blinking and he sighed then continued

"Oh, you sure because I don't know you kind off owe dad something and because of that maybe you did it, I don't know........." He trailed off.

"I didn't do anything" I said easily looking him in the eye, that's how you realize if a person is lying, right.

Eyes never lie, they said

They do.

He nodded a few times and silence fell upon us.

I finished my breakfast and stood up taking my plate and snacks wrappers he must have eaten I place them on the counter and went to get changed.

After I was done I walked out to find him standing at the door with his bags by his side.

"My brother is coming to pick me, thanks again for letting me stay" He said smiling and gave me a hug.

Before I could even raise my hands from my side he had released me and was smiling at me proudly.

"I see you are proud of yourself" I said smiling that small smile again.

"Yeah I am Jina is fine the idiot-siblings are paying, what else would I want" He said picking his luggage

"Fame, popularity?" I asked

"Naah, not for me I'm happy being off lime light, two days and everyone will forget me, my normal life will be back and i'll be good" He responded and tried to open the main door.

Failing he looked at me with a sheepish smile for help and I couldn't help but shake my head and smile back.

I walked past him and opened the door for him he thanked me again and slipped in the black car waiting outside my house.

After the car drove away I grabbed my phone and keys and locked the door, walking past my car I walked into the House of Alaaiya.

House of Alaaiya is a foster care organization, all over the world almost every city has one or two big houses named as House of Alaaiya.

This foundation was started by Alaaiya, me about four years back and since then its been booming.

I has a rule, a moral I lives by ' give them what they deserve'

I had become an orphan 6 years ago, I know what it's like to have no parents and no one to take care of.

Government foster care gives money to the parents who adopt a child, but later on the kids are found being abused and hurt in most of the cases.

I changed that rule for the welfare of the kids, those all parents who really want to adopt kids and are capable enough to take care of them and not see them as an opportunity to earn money, pay for the kid and the money is used in an education program.

Every kid in the House of Alaaiya all over the world is under my protection.

And so is there education, after high school if the kids get selected in any of the college on their own, because of their knowledge and talent.

The money paid by those thousands of parents and all those donations are used to pay their fees.

They don't have to pay one bit, and they can study and make a courier for themselves without the financial load.

A proud feeling booms into my system every time I see this house, I don't have family here but I have them.

And being a part of such an amazing and helpful organization it makes me proud, it makes me realize I did one good thing in my life.

One good thing in my life.

I knock on the door and wait for them to open.

Matilda greets me at the door

"Hey, Clare was expecting you two minutes ago" She says adjusting her glasses and I smirk at her.

"Wheres that idiot" I ask

"The idiot who got in Harvard," Matilda says pointed upwards " in his room"

I walk towards the stairs and shout

"Jaxon!"

"Coming!" He replied in seconds

"Down! now!" I shouted back

"Two seconds!" He shouts back

"Now! fast!" I shout again and notice everyone walking out of their rooms with worried expressions.

"Now! I said!" Even Delilah the in charge walked out in the hall.

"Com- yes?" He says running down the stairs, smiling after seeing me.

"What the actual hell," I say to him with no expressions as usual.

"What?" He asked confused then looked around everyone shrugged in an 'i don't know' way and he gulped before saying.

"I swear whatever you think I did I didn't do it,"

"You didn't get into Harvard," I ask smirking

"No I didn't, I swear," He said abruptly then registered what I said and grinned like crazy "I did, I got in!" He said, and then my expressionless face changed into a devilish smirk and I asked, "now what?"

"Moving out I guess........." He trailed off looking down, he has been here his whole life.

"No, now its party time," I said and he looked up with happiness spilling out of his eyes.

"Everyone be ready at eight we are going out!" I said then turned around and walked out to my car and drove straight to my office.

"Notify me every detail" I say to Juana as I walk through the corridor and into my office

"The Maxson are finished, we are hundred percent sure that the information isn't outed or used yet by them, the media has practically ripped their facade off, they were already in loss but now they are practically bankrupt. Jina has decided to sue Rody with some other girls who have claimed that Rody raped them, Carl has become a hero in everyone eyes and Jina too, she is inspiring every girl who had to suffer because of Rody to come in front. The maxsons have been trying contacts asking how the footage got leaked but they have been fed a lie of an anonymous number send the video to all news channel. No matter they want be able to figure anything out"

Juana took a deep breath after finishing and I smirked

"Set up a board meeting for this evening"

She nodded and walked out of my office to comply my order.

_______________________________________________________________________

"As you all must be aware of the maxson issue I have decided to terminate their contract, there are two files in front of you the black file has all the details of why we are terminating the contract with all the pros and cons though I don't think that will be required and the blue file has four names of the top most cafes with every information about them, the one with maximum votes today will be signing a contract with us for our hotels in replacement of the Maxson cafes" I said sitting straight, head high shoulders back.

I am the woman they trust, in a room full of different powerful man, I am the woman who they listen, I am the woman who they fright.

And I decide to keep it that way.

Just like every other time they all are on edge, but they trust me despite my young age they trust me to be wise enough to invest their money in a company I run.

They trusted me though being only 22, and I goal to make them proud of that decision every damn time they think of the Clare industries.

AN HOUR LATER

"Approach the Café and set a meeting tomorrow with the owners, terminate the Maxson contract by today and leak the news to media" I instructed before walking inside my office.

Juana continued to scribble on her pad while nodding her head when I got a message.

'She is awake'

"I have to go somewhere right now clear my schedule for the next one hours" I instruct her grabbing my keys I walk out of my office and drive my way to my next destination.