The air around us was thick, ever since my mother's attempt at an 'escape' the rift between us had only grown larger with passing time. Ever so often I can see the subtle glares she sends me from the corner of my eye but I pay no attention to them whatsoever.

I admitted that I had underestimated my mother, she was once a soldier's wife and although she didn't know much dad still taught her a few things if she was ever in a bind. Even though my mother had forgotten my father, it seems that she still remembered the things he taught her and no matter what I knew she'd always remember those things no matter what Mark did to her.

I pulled into the parking lot of a hotel, in two days we'd be meeting up with Jay, shutting the engine down I got out of the car and grabbed my duffle and walked ahead of my mother into the hotel. After booking a room and settling inside I slumped on one of the beds. Driving through the night had exhausted me but I knew I couldn't let my guard down and fall asleep because then my mother would surely try and contact her husband again.

Looking at her, her eyes scanned the room, no doubt looking for a means of communication "Are you hungry? I can order room service" I spoke for the first time in hours. But I received no answer.

"you're going to have to speak to me at some point" still nothing, she was clearly taking the silent treatment route and I was quickly becoming irritated "fine then, do you need anything?"

I was trying my best to give her the benefit of the doubt, to understand that her actions are because of the condition she was in.

My mother's sharp gaze turned to me, "what I need is for you to stop acting like we are escaped convicts and let me call Mark to have him take us back home" she hissed.

"Home? That place never has been and never will be my home." I spat.

She threw her arms in the air, groaning loudly "sweetheart, you've never given it a chance to be. You stay in your room all day, you avoid Mark like the plague...we've been trying to give you time to grieve your loss but it's been months. You need to move on, Johnathan isn't coming back."

And just like that, all of the guilt I felt had evaporated and turned into searing anger, the way she spoke about him made my blood boil.

"My loss? So it's only my loss? Have you forgotten that dad was your husband...hmm? I know he isn't coming back, I've known that for the past ten months mother! Even if he did what would he come back to? His wife has sold the house he built with his bare hands and moved on without him" she disgusted me; I couldn't even stand to look at her.

"What would you have me do? Wallow in grief for eternity? At some point we've all got to move on!" she shouted at me.

"But not six months after he's been put in the ground! Jesus Christ, it's like he meant nothing to you, like you've never spent twenty four years of your life with him!"

"You don't talk to me that way, I'm your mother or have you forgotten?" she screeched the veins protruded from her neck as her voice rose.

I scoffed "some mother you are, you've done a wonderful job going and getting yourself brainwashed by a group of jackasses." I blinked hard, pushing the tears back; this was well past the point of being ridiculous.

"They are good people Victoria I won't have you talking about them that way...baby girl I know you're worried about me but you needn't be, I'll be okay" she cooed. That's when they fell, the tears I've been trying so hard to hide fell and I could do nothing to stop them.

"I get it. You'll be okay. You'll be fine. But what about me? Huh?! What happens to me?" a sob broke free, the pain was spreading through my chest making it hard for me to breathe, it hurt. It hurt a lot.

"Sweetheart, give Mark a chance...we can be a family. Him, us and the baby."

Her words were sharp, like the breath I took. Those words were a knife to my heart, they weren't meant to cause me pain but nonetheless they did. As if I was drenched in freezing water, my body turned cold, the silence in the room screamed loudly and just like that, the last piece of my family I was clinging too crumbled away.

She didn't need me.

She had Mark and now she was pregnant with his child.

My stomach twisted as I stared at the bright smile on her face, the hopefulness in her eyes was damn near crippling.

I laughed, though it sounded raspy "I see...he's thoroughly fucked the sense out of you."

My head snapped to the side, the stinging of my cheek caused me to raise my hand to the throbbing spot. Never had my parents hit me, it used to be something they prided themselves on since I was their mature little girl, but now all of it had changed. Because of him.

"I won't tolerate you saying such filth to me or to Mark. I won't forgive it." my mother's voice had dropped in volume, but her face was red with anger as a storm brew in her eyes.

I turned on my heel marching toward the bed; I took the phone and ordered a taxi. After I went into the bathroom and splashed some water on my face, the redness on the left side of my face was prominent. As I stared at my reflection I couldn't recognize the person looking back at me, dark circle and bags under her eyes, loss of weight and the tiredness that was evident in everything she did. She was broken.

Making my way from the bathroom, I once again headed toward the bed, grabbing my luggage I pulled another disposable phone from my duffel. I could feel her eyes on me, watching my every move from the same spot she was in. Emptying the contents of what belonged to her on the bed I zipped back up my bag and turned to face her. I handed her the phone watching as she hesitantly took it.

"Call your husband, go home."

I stepped around her trudging for the door, her hands grabbed at me, stopping me. "Where are you going?!"

"Somewhere far away from you two."

"NO! I won't allow this! Baby girl-"

"Don't you dare call me that!" I screamed at her "I don't know who you are, and frankly I don't want to know, have a nice life with your family."

Pulling my arm from her grasp I walked out the door ignoring her pleas and cries. We were ruined, it was no use in trying to be a happy family. There was too much pain and anger between us and too much that she'd done that I was not willing to forgive; emptiness surrounded me with each step I took.

Would any of it get any better?

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So my loves, what do you think of this chapter? My heart goes out to both mother and daughter, it's really heartbreaking huh? I know if I ever cursed at my mum I'd be paralyzed for the rest of my life lol or worse. Those two now have a rough road ahead of them, what do y'all think will happen to Victoria and Sharon? Do you think Sharon handled the situation well? What about Victoria? Do you guys think she ought to be a little more understanding or is she right?

See you next time.

- xoxo T