Begining of despair
"Did you send your nudes to a guy!!"
Her father's voice rang and it shook the walls. June felt like the ground beneath her had to open up.
(Earlier today)
~ The Arthur's mansion
The living room was eerily quiet. Mr and Mrs Arthur sat nervously on the sofa, their gaze glued at the staircase as they waited for their daughter.
"How did this happen? Who could have done it?" Mr Arthur asked, his eyes wandering with worry. He tightened his palm together, his shoe clicking on the marble tiles.
" Like I know how it happened ? We're both clueless here, okay? June is the one that can explain!" Mrs Arthur quipped, not sure if she's angry at her daughter or her husband.
Minutes passed and finally, their only daughter, June Silver Arthur, descended the stairs. Her face was as gloomy as the stormy sky outside.
She lowered her head and clenched her fist, her knuckles turning white.
"June…you have to…."
"I have something to say!" June barked at her mother.
Mrs Arthur flinched in shock as she blinked blankly, but before she could respond, Mr Arthur shot up in anger.
"No matter what you have to say, it can wait until we are done with ours!"
"June," his voice thickened, "you have to reply to me truthfully or else…you won't like what I will do next !"
Mr Arthur grabbed his phone from the glass table and stretched it to June.
"What's the meaning of all these? Did you send your nudes to a guy?" His voice was dangerously low, his fingers hardened on the phone like it should pulverize.
He kept biting his lips, hiding his anger behind his tightened fist.
" June, I'm being patient enough, aren't I? Just be good and reply to me" he closed his eyes and breathed out.
June's eyes widened at the picture displayed on her father's phone.
It was her!
It was indeed her! Her nude pictures were all over the internet !
She trembled on her feet as her breath hitched.
She swallowed hard and opened her mouth to speak but her voice betrayed her, she couldn't utter a single word.
She looked at her mother, desperate for support but disappointment etched her mother's face.
"I ..it..it…might be one of those…those .. paparazzi ..you know…."
" Did you think I'm a fool!" Mr Arthur's voice lashed out like a whip and she quivered. Tears welled up in her eyes.
"This is intentional! Will paparazzi enter your room and force you to take a picture like this? You're facing the camera, it's obvious that you took this picture ! You even made a face as naughty as this, you can't tell me that you did not send this picture to someone!"
Mr Arthur breathed out and turned around as he ran his hand through his hair. Pacing the room in frustration.
"So what if I sent it to someone? Is it any of your concern? It's my life, okay? Leave me and let me trash it as it pleases me!" June retaliated, she sniffled as tears rolled down her cheeks.
"That is very stupid of you!" Her mother finally spoke, she stood up and glared at June.
"We gave you everything you wanted so this is how you choose to repay us? Did you even know the impact of what you did? You should be ashamed of yourself, your body should be ashamed of you!" Mrs Arthur seethed.
" Mama…" Tears fell from June's eyes, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She sniffled in as her shoulder shrugged with despair.
"Why are you guys doing this to me? Why are you blaming me? It's not like I'm the one who leaked it."
" I was about to tell you guys that my editor's daughter stole my book's manuscript and published it yesterday but you didn't even let me speak " June shouted at them while sobbing at the same time.
She opened her already swollen eyes and looked at her mother, " Mama, I spent a year and half on that book…now, it's stolen. My hard work went down the drain and I guess both my reputation and my career is gone now"
June turned around and hurried back upstairs, she entered her room and slammed the door behind her as she fell on her bed.
She grabbed her pillow and brought it to her face, crying directly into it.
~ Later at night
"June.. June…come out, would you?"
Mrs Arthur stood at June's door, knocking repeatedly but June did not even say a word to her, let alone opening the door.
" June…"
Footsteps sounded behind Mrs Arthur and she turned around only to see her husband leaning against the stair rail.
"She still refused to open the door?" He walked closer with his hands in his pocket.
Mrs Arthur shook her head in reply. "June, you know it would cost me nothing to break down that door, right? It's better you come out willingly while I'm being nice" Mr Arthur raised his chin up.
He turned to look at his wife but she mainly glared at him in return, "I thought you're here to pet her to open the door? Why are you threatening her again?"
He blinked repeatedly, "You know I don't know how to do those things, right? You want me to beg her? What happens to my pride?" he looked away.
Mrs Arthur rolled her eyes.
"Dave Arthur, if you're not going to help then please, return back to your room" Mrs Arthur glared at him with eyes that burned.
"She's our daughter, okay? Don't expect me to sleep while she's busy acting like a thirteen year old experiencing her first breakup" Mr Arthur sighed.
"June darling, come out, would you? You haven't eaten anything since morning. At least, drink water if you're going to continue crying, don't allow the tears to dry due to dehydration" Mr Arthur also knocked on the door.
"Dave, you aren't helping at all! To your room! Now!" Mrs Arthur barked at him and he shrugged.
Bang! A loud sound echoed throughout the house. Mr Arthur's instincts kicked in.
He kicked the door and the lock broke.
Both parents rushed inside only to find the window shattered.
Glass shards littered the floor. Moreover, June was no longer in her room.
Where is she? Who broke the window? Where did June go?