The Rift Between Us

As soon as Aurora reached home, she was greeted by a pair of angry eyes.

"WHERE THE HELL WERE YOU, UGLY BI*CH?" her mother screamed, her voice dripping with anger.

"Good evening, Mom," Aurora greeted her with a fake smile, trying to keep her composure.

"I am asking you something! Where the hell were you?" her mother demanded, her voice trembling with rage, eyes narrowing with suspicion.

"Oh, about that... I was just helping the teacher with notebooks. She was sick," Aurora replied calmly, hoping to defuse the situation.

"Do you think I'm a fool? I know your school ended two hours ago, and you're coming back at this time? You were checking notebooks instead of your teacher? We send you to that expensive school to study, not to do your teacher's work. Why don't you just say you were having fun with some playboy?" her mother accused coldly, her words cutting deep.

"Mom!" Aurora raised her voice in disbelief. "HOW COULD YOU THINK SO LOW ABOUT YOUR OWN DAUGHTER? WHO DO YOU THINK I AM?"

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me!" her mother shouted, taking a step forward. "I very well know what kind of BI*CH you are."

"If you don't trust me, let me call my teacher. Then, will you trust me?" Aurora said, taking out her phone, her hands trembling with anger. Suddenly, her phone rang, and guess who called? The principal of her school. "Look, the principal is calling. Why don't you ask him?"

Her mother picked up the phone and put it on speaker, confident that he would complain about Aurora.

"Good evening, sir," her mother greeted, her voice dripping with false politeness.

"Oh, it's Aurora's mom. Good evening, Mrs. Arya," the principal greeted warmly.

"Everything good, sir? You called suddenly," she inquired, trying to sound concerned.

"Actually, Mrs. Arya, as you know, Aurora reached home late. So, I wanted to make sure she got back safely," he asked, concerned.

"Oh, don't worry. She reached home safely. Actually, sir, can you please tell me why she reached home late?" she asked, her voice trembling slightly.

"About that... wait, she didn't tell you?" he asked, curious.

"Actually, sir, she was tired, so she went straight to rest. I thought of asking her later, but since you called, I thought I'd ask you," she made excuses, her voice faltering.

"Oh, her teacher was not well, so she asked Aurora to help with the notebooks," he explained, his tone appreciative.

"Thanks for your concern, sir," she said, her voice shaky.

"No problem, Mrs. Arya. After all, she is one of our best students. I'll hang up now. Please ask her to take care of herself."

"For sure, sir," her mother replied, trying to mask her embarrassment.

With that, they hung up.

Aurora, listening to the conversation, felt a mix of anger, sadness, and even amusement at her mother's expectations. Keeping a cold face, she said, "Are you happy now? You don't even trust your own daughter but trust the principal of my school."

Saying that, she snatched her phone from her mother's hand, ran to her room, and closed the door with a resounding slam.

"What did I do to deserve such treatment from my own mother?" she thought, her heart heavy with sorrow.

Her phone rang again. She picked it up, hoping for some respite.

"Leave me alone, Adrien," she said, about to hang up.

"No, wait, don't hang up," he stopped her, his voice filled with concern.

"What do you want? Just say it fast," she replied, her patience wearing thin.

"I want to make you smile," Adrien said softly.

Aurora faked a smile, though her heart wasn't in it. "Happy now? Leave me alone."

"Oh, come on. Tell me one thing," he persisted.

"What?" she asked, her tone sharp.

"Why are you even staying at that house when you have enough money to live luxuriously for the rest of your life?" he asked, his voice laced with frustration.

"Because this is my house, and that's my family. Anything else?" she replied curtly.

"Aurora, please. I can't see you suffering like this every day. And who do you call family? The ones who raise a finger at their own daughter, calling her a SL*T and whatnot. WHY THE HELL ARE YOU EVEN SUFFERING WHEN YOU HAVE A WAY OUT, A WAY TO YOUR FREEDOM?" he raised his voice a little, his desperation evident.

"There are some things we can't discuss with anyone," she replied, her voice barely a whisper.

"Just tell me a simple thing. Who am I to you? Your servant, your friend, or what? Do you even know how much it hurts me to see you suffering? It feels like someone is destroying my most precious thing. Do you even have an idea how important you are in my life? Please don't do this to yourself." Suddenly, he received a notification on his phone. "Wait a minute." He read it and got happy, like he had received the best news. "Did I tell you before that this was a video call?"

"Why are you smiling?" Aurora asked curiously, her curiosity piqued.

"Just because I got a reason that will force you to stay away from your toxic family," he said, his eyes gleaming with hope.

"ENOUGH, Adrien! I've heard enough of you. Who gave you the right to talk so low about my family without knowing the reason? What do you even know about me? Just remember that you are a servant of mine and stay in your limits. Don't forget what you were. The life you have now is because of me. What you are today is because of me. Did you forget the way you were living on the street? Just tell me a simple thing: what problem do you have with my family?" she lashed out, her voice trembling with emotion.

"Aurora!" he said, saddened. He couldn't believe what she was saying. She was losing control of herself.

"SHUT UP! And remember, don't you ever call me by my name. Only YOUR HIGHNESS. DO YOU GET THAT?" she shouted, her voice echoing in the room.

"I-I..." Words didn't come out of his throat, listening to his best friend.

"I ASKED YOU SOMETHING. DO YOU GET THAT?" she repeated, her voice cold and commanding.

"Yes, Your Highness. I will not repeat the mistake. Have a good night. May I hang up now?" he asked, his voice filled with sorrow.

Aurora didn't say anything further and hung up, her heart heavy with regret.

On the other side, Adrien was on the verge of crying. He thought, "I am sorry, but I truly can't see you crying. You did a lot for me." He broke down crying and slept without eating, his heart aching with unspoken words.

Aurora, too, slept in guilt without eating because of the words she said to him. After all, he was just concerned. Her heart ached with regret, and tears silently streamed down her face as she drifted off to an uneasy sleep.

TO BE CONTINUED..........