Humilation

When Lucy arrived home, it was already pretty late. Late enough for the silence in the house to be normal. But she still felt uncomfortable. Especially because of the last remark Peter had.

Lucy was tall, and she wasn't as skinny as she wished to be. Not that she could be called fat or even chubby. She was not. But she had muscles around her bones. And since she had been in Asia, she felt fat.

She sighed and tried to calm down, but her stomach started making somersaults. She hadn't eaten since breakfast and in her current mood; she had no idea whether the uncomfortable feeling she had was from being hungry or stressed about her weight.

Someone patted her back and Lucy jerked herself, scared. Thankfully, when she turned around, it was Tereza. Her younger sister. The youngest of the three of them.

"Why are you still up?" Lucy asked and lowered herself to her height so she would have it easy to read her lips. Her sister smiled.

"I was waiting for you. I'm a lot better," she said. Lucy was happy to hear that. She walked with her to the couch and made Tereza sit beside her.

"How did you know I would come? Have you been to the doctor again? What did he say?" Lucy asked, still trying to speak clearly and not mumbling. She noticed that Tereza was still focused on her mouth, reading her lips, but not as concentrated as she was before. But it still wasn't completely gone. But her sister took something from her ear and proudly showed it to Lucy.

"So you have a hearing aid? That's awesome!" Lucy exclaimed, happy for her sister. And Tereza looked actually happy too.

"Mom got a call... And I hear a lot better now. It's not dull anymore." Lucy nodded in excitement. Tereza had lost hearing after a high fever she had and never recovered from that. It was awesome that they knew what had happened to her.

"Teri, have you had it in school?" she asked, wincing. Lucy knew how terrible people could be when someone was different from them. And she surely was right because Tereza frowned.

"Can I tell you?" Tereza asked and Lucy nodded, hugging her. She was still young despite being already eleven.

"This boy in my class was laughing at me. He said that I'm weird and that I should go to a special school if I'm deaf. That they don't need an afflicted person for a friend." Lucy hugged her even more. Her heart almost broke hearing this. Why were some people so cruel?

"Are your friends still talking to you?" Lucy asked carefully, trying to think what to say. But her sister smiled happily.

"Rosa had punched him and Sebastian wrote 'idiot' on his forehead while he was lying down. They were taken to the principal office, and I was taken there too because I spoke up for them." Lucy bit her lip.

Now, she wanted to go and praise Rosalie with Sebas, because what they did was remarkable. But at the same time, it was so wrong. So Lucy held her reaction back and waited for Tereza to finish.

"I don't know how to tell mom that she has to go to school because of it," she said, her voice shaking. Lucy didn't wonder… their mother was strict and scary when mad.

"Go sleep. I will tell her everything… Don't be scared…" Lucy ruffled her hair and hurried her back to bed before walking to the study room.

She stopped before the door and saw that the light was still on. Her father wasn't home, so it was definitely their mother. Lucy knocked on the door and waited to be told to get in. When her mother answered, Lucy walked inside the room.

"What are you doing here?" Anna asked and Lucy, still in her dress, let her body fall on the chair opposite her mother.

"No electricity in my apartment. They cut the wires by accident. I came to take a shower," she answered and leaned back.

"What about Peter? Have you met him at the party? I think he is good. His practice looks promising." Lucy winced. Of course, it looked good. He was a two-faced snake.

"Mom, you know he is only using me to get your favor?" Lucy asked, curious whether her mom knew or not.

"Of course, but that's how it works everywhere. It's good he knows how to get connections." Lucy's mouth fell open. And this was a lawyer. Now Lucy was scared to say anything else. But her mother took the initiative and checked her out from head to toes.

"You didn't meet him in this, did you? You look really fat in this dress. Your shoulders look really wide." Lucy's stomach made another somersault again. Now,, she knew it wasn't because of hunger, but stress. When she talked to her sis, her stomach was okay.

"Mom. I'm your daughter. You should tell me how beautiful I'm…" Lucy's voice was shaking as her chin was. She was ready to cry at any moment. Why did even her own family have to do that?

"I'm only thinking about your future. Of course, you are beautiful, but you would be even more if you lost a bit of weight, some muscle…" Lucy bit her lip.

"You know, those things help my bones to stay together…?" Lucy had to be sarcastic at this point. No wonder Tereza rather told things to Lucy than to their mother. That reminded her of something.

"Did you get a call from Terka's school?" she asked before her mother could say anything else. Anna pursed her lips together.

"Don't even start about it. I think those two deserve praise. But that idiot who bullied my daughter is the son of a member of parliament… He was particularly clear he wanted them to pay for the humiliation his son went through." Lucy was speechless. She was once more glad that she didn't choose any of those jobs. This was disgusting.

"I hope you did the same," Lucy said and Anna looked at her with disbelief on her face.

"Of course, I'm your mother. I won't let my daughter be bullied. I hope you have noticed that." Lucy actually didn't. But she was smart and kept her mouth closed.

"I said that bullying someone because of disability is the same, so I won't stand my daughter to be humiliated either. I guess he will think twice now about what he says to my beloved princess." Lucy sighed and calmed herself down. Her head started spinning, so she got up from the chair and wanted to leave, maybe grab something to eat because she really was weak and hungry.

"You really should go on a diet. You would be stunning that way. Think about it." Lucy's mother said once she was by the door. Stunned, Lucy turned around, almost with tears in her eyes, but she held back.

"Do you want to degrade me even more? I broke up with Peter. I won't be coming home for a few days and I hope you won't push your high standards on my sister or brother because I have to tell you one thing. Sometimes it makes me hate you," Lucy said, and tears really fell down her cheeks.

Tired, hungry, degraded, and with low self-esteem, she got into her car, unable to face anyone else. She called Lili.

"Are you home? Can I go there?" Lucy asked and cursed as she had no gas in it. How come she didn't notice it before? Tears just started falling down Lucy's face and she sobbed.

"Are you crying? Where are you? Don't drive. I will get you," Lili exclaimed and Lucy could hear she was really getting ready to go. She was her only real friend, the only harbor that calmed her down and never rejected her.