Chapter 2
Esme saw her daughter Skye sobbing uncontrollably, she ran into her mother's arms. Esme saw Kathy enter the dining room, settle into her chair, and smile at the reunion.
“Mom, Kathy pulled my hair all because I was in her room,”
“Skye, I told you many times, do not come into my room. You should know better. I see it’s still raining,”
“Kathy, say sorry about your sister,”
"No chance, she's just my step-sister. If only she and her quirky mother would understand that staying out of my room is all I ask for to avoid any problems.”
“Who are you called crazy?” asked Esme
“Enough! Let’s have dinner,” yelled Edward
When their food was placed before them, Esme and Skye took their seats. Kathy enjoyed her customary creamy soup, a smaller portion of that the cook sometimes prepared for her. Everyone ate quietly until Edward cleared his throat to get Kathy's attention; she was looking at her father. The servant answered the door. Asher Carter, who has Kathy's boyfriend for four years since they both were in high school. He surprised Kathy by entering the dining room with flowers, then handing them to her step-sister. She's furious because her suspicions about Asher and her step-sister, Kathy, have been proven true: he's been cheating on her.
With a frown, Kathy asked, "Just how long has this been going on?"
“About a year, you two have been dating,” said Skye
"Father," Kathy said, her eyes wide, "you knew about this?"
“Yes, Esme knew too,”
“You can’t be serious.”
Kathy seized a water jar, flung its contents at her now ex-boyfriend Asher, then gave the jar back to the servant.
“She is getting out-of-control honey,” said Esme
“It only water, you lucky not that hot soup,” said Edward
Seeing Asher was soaked, Skye offered him a towel and wondered if he'd stay the night, as she knew he wouldn't want to go home in wet clothes. In contrast, Kathy couldn't care less; she plans to leave tonight, after packing her belongings. She'll go insane if she remains here. Her father stopped Kathy just as she was leaving. You’ve never stopped Skye from doing whatever she wants, Dad. I get yelled at no matter what I do. It seems like you care more about her than about me and Mom. Your true colors are showing.
“Kathy, you can’t walk away from this,”
“Why can I?
“You are older than her. You can treat her as your sister,”
“Hell no, I rather sleep with random men than make your mistress’ daughter my sister,”
Rising from his seat, Edward slapped Kathy across the face. Kathy never imagined her father would ever strike her, not even when she talked back. This is the first time Kathy has left the dining area without speaking.
“I plan to stay at the hotel for a couple of nights,”
“Here, take this with you,”
Kathy attempted to grab the object from her father's hand but failed, so she returned to her room upstairs. Kathy went into the closet and packed her clothes into her suitcase. Did she tell the truth? She has never seen Skye as her sister. She looked at her mother's picture and let out a quiet sigh. Yes, it's best for her to stay at a hotel for a couple of nights until things calm down. She can't leave her mother's ashes unsupervised; she's vulnerable outside the house. So Kathy found a gold cloth, wrapped her mother's box in it, put the pictures inside, and completed packing.
She's aware Skye likes to go in her room and mess with her things when she's not there. Having packed her belongings, she grasped her mother's urn, exited the room, and closed the door. The butler helped her carry her suitcase downstairs.
“Thank you,”
“You are welcome,”
Seeing her ex with her stepsister has enraged Kathy, but Skye is oblivious to the possibility of him repeating his behavior, perhaps even getting her pregnant. They'll get theirs; karma's a boomerang. It is no longer raining. With her mother's ashes, she carefully picked up her suitcase and carried it to the car, making sure it did not fall. After loading the car, get in and place the cloth on the passenger seat. With her car already warm, Kathy drove from the driveway towards a hotel, with a plan to pick up food en route. She didn't eat dinner because she wasn't hungry.
Kathy is overwhelmed with the urge to scream and cry, but is unable to. Her family constantly angers her, but she forces herself to remain calm. She arrived at the fast-food restaurant, retrieved her money from her bag, and placed her order. Because she's saving to stay at the luxurious Ruby Palace Hotel (a pricey $500-$2,000 per night), Kathy will finally be able to afford it and avoid a motel. After Kathy settles the bill for her meal, she will head to the hotel. She ate fries while driving; the weather has changed lately with the full moon being out tonight,. A gut feeling made her pull over; her mother's warnings about robbery and violence echoed in her mind. Noticing a man leaning against a tree, Kathy grabbed a bat from her car's backseat. She looked and listened before cautiously approaching him. She kneeled beside him to see if he was breathing; his chest rose and fell, indicating he was. Kathy saw blood pouring from his head wound, staining his face, and his shirt was ripped. The reasons behind the man's attack and subsequent abandonment puzzled her. His wound requires treatment at the hospital, so she'll take him.
"Sir, can you hear me?" "Because of your head injury, I'm taking you to the hospital."
Just as she rose, the man seized her waist, preventing her from moving. The moonlight revealed that he was blind. Kathy couldn't leave him to die from his head injury; she mustered her strength and managed to get him to the car.