The Burn
TRIGGER WARNING: SENSITIVE THEME
Eva took a shower as soon as she got home. Viciously scrubbing her skin, Eva hoped to wash off the negativity of the meeting with her father.
She had vowed to herself on her 18th birthday that she would never align herself with the Beaumont family and she had been successful for 10 years.
'Why now? After all these years. Am I not allowed to have peace? Am I not allowed to be free?
She looked at the scar that took up the entirety of her arm. The angry red scar was a reminder of her past and just how little her parents had genuinely cared for her.
Her eyes stung with unshed tears as the memories flooded her mind. The painful memories reignited the pain of the burn. She couldn't tell whether it was the water from the shower head or her tears that were streaming down her. A sob laced with pain tore through her, she slid down the shower wall hugging her knees as it continued.
The day was still painfully vivid in her mind, all she wanted to do was make some tea for her mother.
Her mother and father weren't affectionate towards her and she desperately craved for their attention, so she did all she could to be accepted. She would make them small trinkets and write them letters which they would throw away. She would excel in academics and extracurriculars but that didn't matter at all to them.
She was just the jinx who had almost killed her mother.
Eva was 12 years old when she realized how much they despised her very existence.
The then 4-year-old Anna, ran into the kitchen, bumping into Eva who was carrying a cup of tea. It spilled, burning Anna in the process.
Anna's scream alerted their parents who were seated in the living room. When their mother saw Anna clutching her hand, crying and the tea on the floor, her gaze snapped to Eva, still clutching the teacup. She flew into a fit of rage and began berating Eva.
Their father's attention focused solely on Anna while she had to face their mother's wrath. No matter how much she begged or pleaded, it fell on deaf ears.
Eva covered her ears as she recalled the words her mother said before pouring the hot water onto her arm.
'How dare you harm my daughter you wretched creature?! You should have died! Why did I give birth to you?! You tried to kill me and now you're trying to disfigure my daughter! I'll let you feel the pain you've inflicted on this family!'
The images of Carina's actions gave her nightmare up until she had finally moved out.
She could remember the scream that tore through her when the hot water made contact with her skin.
Thomas had left the kitchen when his wife started yelling at Eva in a hurry to take Anna to the hospital. He could hear Eva's screams but paid no attention to it, his only concern was Anna.
The little 12 year old girl dragged herself up the stairs to the bathroom, she stood under the shower crying, hoping that the cold water would ease her pain. She spent hours nursing her burn, falling in and out of consciousness.
The pain had eventually subsided, but Eva was incredibly weak. She slowly left the bathroom and entered her room. When she glanced at the door, she didn't need to check.
She was well aware that Carina had a maid lock her inside.
She had no more tears left.
She had reached her limit.
She finally saw that she wasn't their child.
She was a mistake.
'I shouldn't have been born.'