Backfired

There is a thin line that separates laughter and pain, comedy and tragedy, humor and hurt—Erma Bombeck

✧ KELSEY ✧

Worst. Tuesday. Ever.

I hate him! I hate his pathetic, miserable existence! Who does he think he is—laying hands on Mason, and then… choking me? Me?!

No one's ever dared make me feel that helpless before. Humiliated. Shaken. My hatred for Angelus just went nuclear.

He's leaving. I'll make sure of it. I'll make mum throw him out of our house, our school—my life.

Salvador didn't even ask what happened on the drive home. He just stayed quiet, like he knew better.

The moment we pulled up, I stormed into the house.

"Mum!" I shouted, loud enough to shake the walls.

She was talking to a maid but turned at once, eyes wide with concern.

"Baby, what's wrong?" she asked, hurrying toward me. The maid slipped away without a word.

"You need to get Angelus out of my life. Out of this house. Out of my school. I don't ever want to see him again!"

"Whoa, slow down, Kelsey. What happened?" she asked, frowning in confusion.

"He almost killed me!" I cried, letting tears fall—just enough to get the job done.

If there's one thing I know: mum can't stand seeing me cry. Whoever's responsible usually pays for it. Big time.

"Angelus did what?" Her voice sharpened; her face frozen like she didn't believe me.

"He grabbed me by the throat, Mum! He choked me!" I sobbed louder, quickly pulling out my phone and showing her the video. 

Obviously, I trimmed the video Cherry sent me—cut it down to just the part where I stood in front of Mason like a peacemaker. Gotta keep the narrative tight.

"Why would he do that?" she asked, taking the phone from me, her expression caught between confusion and fury.

"He was fighting in school, Mum! I tried to stop him and—he grabbed my neck! He nearly choked me to death!"

My voice cracked in just the right places. Her face darkened.

"That bastard—he laid hands on my daughter?" she hissed, pulling out her phone immediately.

Perfect.

"Mum… I was so scared," I whispered. That part? It wasn't even a lie. I'd never seen anyone fight like that.

Five guys—five—beaten in under thirty seconds. Mason didn't even stand a chance. And then he'd turned on me. 

She wrapped me tightly in her arms, her voice trembling now as she spoke into the phone.

"Michael, where's Angelus? Don't bother defending him—I'm booking him on the next flight back to Nigeria. Either that, or you get him the hell away from my daughter. I don't care what it takes—I never want that psycho near her again."

I smiled—just a little—but made sure to keep crying louder. Gotta sell the trauma.

"Don't worry, sweetie," Mum cooed, "he won't hurt you ever again. Let me call the doctor to come check on you."

"No, Mum. I'm okay now, I pro—ow!" I winced, holding my neck like it still hurt.

Yeah. I'm a really good actor. I should totally win an award.

"Careful, baby. Come on, let's get you to your room," she said, holding me protectively as we climbed the stairs.

"Garfield!" she called out, her voice sharp.

"Yes, ma'am," he responded, hurrying over.

"Get the family doctor. Now."

"Right away, ma'am." Garfield hurried off, and I leaned into Mum's embrace, soaking up the warmth of her fury… and the sweet, sweet taste of victory.

She didn't leave my side for a second—not until the doctor arrived. He examined me thoroughly and said I was perfectly fine. Tissue-level tenderness, nothing more. No damage to the bone, nothing life-threatening. Just surface bruising.

Mum exhaled with relief as she walked the doctor out. Later, she brought up dinner, which I ate quietly… then drifted off to sleep with a satisfied grin.

When I woke up, the lights were dim, and the room was wrapped in a hush. I blinked a few times, adjusting to the soft glow of the bedside lamp. Mum was sitting on the edge of my bed, flipping through a book, her expression distant. Michael was across the room, seated on the couch near the window, typing quietly on his laptop. 

They didn't notice me until I sat up fully. Mum looked over first, followed by Michael.

"Kelsey, you're awake. How are you feeling?" she asked softly, her eyes laced with concern.

"Feeling gre—better," I caught myself just in time. Can't sound too happy, not when I'm supposed to be the traumatized one. But the thought of Angelus being sent away? It gave me a real high.

"Do you need me to call the doctor aga—"

"Mum, she's fine," Michael cut in flatly. He turned to me, his eyes unreadable. "Kelsey, do you really hate Angelus that much?"

I blinked. That wasn't the question I expected.

"What do you mean? He almost killed me, Michael. Of course I hate him!" I snapped, my voice rising.

Seriously? He's the one you're defending?

I thought he'd be the first to back me up, but no—he picked him.

Well, too bad for him. Once Mum makes up her mind, that's it. And this time, she's on my side.

"Baby," Mum began carefully, "we need to talk about your behavior towards Angelus."

Wait—what?

I stiffened. "So now I'm the villain?" I said sharply, eyes flicking between them.

"Kelsey—"

"Don't Kelsey me!" I snapped, pushing the covers aside and sitting up fully. "I'm the one who almost died, and somehow, I'm the problem? Wow. Now I really know how much I matter to you."

Michael closed his laptop with a sigh and leaned forward, his voice tightening.

"We watched the full video, Kelsey. And honestly? I don't blame him for what he did."

I crossed my arms and lifted my chin defiantly. "Okay. So?"

He stared at me, his brows raised, as if waiting for me to drop the act. I didn't.

"There are only two people in that school who know Angelus's background… and somehow your boyfriend found out." His tone was cold, and the air quotes around "boyfriend" made it sting more than I'd admit.

He's never liked Mason. Told me once not to date him. I ignored him, of course.

I opened my mouth to retort, but Michael's glare hit me like a wall.

I shrank a little, my eyes dropping.

Fine. Maybe telling Mason about Angelus's past was a low move. But I only did it because I wanted him to trust me completely. Last time, he accused me of having a thing for Angelus—and I hated that. I wanted to prove that he could believe in me.

"I'm really disappointed in you," Mum added, her voice quieter but no less firm. "We explained why he's withdrawn. What he's been through. And still, you went ahead and told your friends? Kelsey, I expected better from you."

Her words hit harder than I expected. My fingers clenched at the blanket.

They didn't get it. They weren't there when he pinned me to that tree like a ragdoll.

"You saw how he grabbed my throat. How he held me against that tree like he was ready to end me—and you're saying you don't blame him?" I said bitterly, my voice cracking with disbelief.

Mum's tone softened again, too soft for how I felt inside. "We don't condone what he did. It was extreme. We've spoken to him. He promised he won't ever treat you like that again."

Like that makes it okay.

The rage bubbled up again, stronger than before. I glared at them both, the betrayal searing into my chest.

"And that's supposed to fix it? I nearly died! And you're sitting there defending him like nothing happened?"

I turned my back on them, voice trembling with fury. "I don't even know who you people are anymore."

"Listen here, Kelsey Michigan Bauer!" my mum snapped, loud and sharp enough to slice through the walls.

I froze.

She never calls me by my full name unless she's completely furious. I turned slowly, glaring with defiance—but inside, I was rattled.

The last thing I wanted tonight was to push her that far.

"You don't want to listen the easy way? Fine. We'll do it the hard way," she said, her voice iron-clad.

"One—any day I hear or see you mistreat Angelus again… two—you drag him into another mess like this… I'll freeze your account, ground you for three months, and then send you straight to military school."

My mouth fell open.

"I'm giving you tomorrow to apologize to him," she continued, eyes locked on me like a hawk. "And trust me, I'll ask him at dinner. He better not say no."

I stood there, stunned.

No money?

No freedom?

Military school?!

This couldn't be happening.

She was really going to punish me over him?

I stared at them—my mum, stern and unshakable; Michael, arms crossed, watching me like I was some brat throwing a tantrum in public.

They didn't look like family anymore. They looked like… traitors.

"Fine!" I barked, voice cracking. "I'll go apologize to our king."

I stormed toward the bathroom, slamming the door behind me, tears already welling in my eyes as I leaned over the sink, gripping the edge with trembling hands.

This wasn't how it was supposed to go. He was the enemy—the outsider. I was supposed to win.

Instead, I got slapped with a punishment list straight out of a dystopian novel.

Military school?

This wasn't just the worst Tuesday of my life. It was the worst day ever.

And now… I had to face Angelus and apologize. Just the thought made my stomach churn. How in the world am I gonna do that?