Content Warning: This chapter includes verbal abuse, emotional coercion, parental rejection, and forced displacement. Please take care while reading.

Her mother's voice hasn't eased since they left the hospital. Her words kept rising, even as she told doctors she understood what Milly needed now. It was as if, the more she sat with it, her anger grew, especially when she glanced at Milly.

Once they arrived home, her mother didn't even wait for Milly or Austin. She stomped out of the car, shutting the door behind her. The vehicle shook from the force as she yelled slurs, not even caring who heard it.

She marched straight to the front door, slamming the door. Austin glanced at Milly with fear, and her eyes reflected it, too. Their mother's anger was flaming hot, this time worse than they had ever experienced.

Without exchanging a word, they wondered if they should follow her inside. And a silent agreement passed through them. They may have issues, but if they didn't go inside now, she would only get worse with this reaction. She would blame both of them, and neither would be spared.

Milly slowly walked as her legs felt heavy, and Austin gently cracked the door open. She saw neighbors walking and throwing small cans in the garbage bin. She knew it was just an act for them to watch the trainwreck at her home.

The house was suffocating, and she knew where her mother was, even without following the anger.

Milly's room.

She stepped into the room, and there she saw it. Her mother had officially cracked. Her mother's hands were shaking, but there was no tenderness in her movements.

A sharp stabbing pierced through Milly's head.

Oh no.

Milly's mother shoved her clothes into the suitcase violently, as if this packing would rid the remnants of Milly's presence.

Everything is much worse than her nightmares.

Fix this.
How?
Think!

"Do you know what you did to me?" her mother spatted, her eyes feral with frustration. "Camilla, you've ruined everything. Everything!" She slammed her hand on the drawer, causing Milly to flinch.

Her brain couldn't think. Nothing worked in her mind except for one thing—she could only repeat one word. "Sorry." She kept repeating it out loud.

Austin walked out, his arms crossed. He was holding himself tightly, and his eyes filled with water. She knew it. Austin was truly scared for her for the first time in years.

Milly avoided his gaze, making her stomach churn at the pity he held.

The word kept repeating, barely a whisper, just a tremor.

Was she speaking to her mother, to herself, or the universe? Sorry for what? For existing? For making a mistake that felt too big to fix? The words fell from her lips, empty and hollow.

"Camilla, shut up!" her mother spat. Tears fell from her eyes, slashing any attempts at forgiveness. "Don't you understand? I hate hearing you. Seeing you. I want you out, and I'll make sure everything of yours is packed for you to be gone." The finality in her mother's voice felt like the final nail in Milly's coffin.

Her heart sank.

Every "sorry" she muttered felt like a broken record that could never make things right. She had already let them down—she had let herself down. There was no fixing what she had done.

Austin walked by the door, his body rocking, not quite entering it. And he provided a pained whisper, "Dad, they're in there."

His eyes met Milly's, but there was only an unbearable sadness, and he hid again.

"What happened?" her father asked. As he walked into the room, Milly's mother turned towards him; her rage was fully unleashed.

Her mother glared at her, her voice a seething hiss. "So, you called your father, thinking that would change my mind?"

"What happened?" her father asked again as he walked in, looking at Milly and her mom.

"Milly didn't call me, Austin did," her father said, his voice thick with dread at what was unfolding.

Austin's eyes filled with tears that began to stain his cheek. And Milly could tell her brother held regret as he avoided her gaze.

She knew with the way he kept glancing her way and at their mother, but not too long to be noticed. He was learning just how serious this was. It wasn't a mistake, but a disaster.

"Camilla, the big grown woman, is finally leaving," her mother ridiculed, her voice laced with venom. She raised her hand in frustration as her eyes held bloodshot tears.

Milly's heart sank into her stomach.

She avoided everyone's gaze because once her mom spoke, she knew they were all looking at her.

She attempted to shrink in her mind.

Please let her disappear.

But instead, she had stood there; her throat had become tight, filled with tears.

She could feel her father's gaze on her. Once she peeked up, she saw it. He held confusion, with his gaze rotating between her mother and her.

He stepped further into the room, but slowly. "Milly, where are you going? Honey, where will she be going?" he asked, taking a small step forward as if he could somehow undo the damage that was done.

Her mother didn't even wait for Milly to respond before her tirade began anew. "You don't know what she did!" Her voice was bitter, and she turned toward Milly's father. "Tell him, Milly. Tell him what you've done."

"Sorry," Milly whispered again, the words naturally departing her mouth, but they meant nothing.

Milly's hand began to shake. Her mind had raced, clawing at her throat for words to come out.

Tell them she's sorry!
Explain it was just a dumb teenager's mistake.

Milly stared at her mother's clenched jaws, and the glare burned in her eyes. There was no hope for redemption. And her head pounded with a sharp piercing.

Could anything fix this?
Nothing.

A trembling hand intertwined their fingers.
It was Austin.
His trembling hand stilled hers.

Her father turned to look at Milly, his gaze hardening as he searched for answers. His patience was waning. "Milly, what the hell is going on? Austin! Someone tell me."

Her mother jumped in. "She's pregnant! Jason, could you believe that? Your daughter is pregnant."

Her father's eyes widened, and his face pale. He took a step back, almost tripping.

Milly saw his throat move with strain as he swallowed hard before his voice cracked. "Pregnant?" His tone wasn't angry but scared. He searched her diligently with his eyes from head to toe.

Milly remained quiet as her heart raced. Austin slowly rubbed her hand nervously. But Milly could see the disappointment in his eyes, as he fell back, not discovering what he was looking for.

Her mother continued, her words sharp like daggers. "I've worked hard every damn day at the hotel! Camilla, this is how you repay me? With this?" She turned toward Milly, eyes blazing with rage.

Her father rubbed his head. "Pregnant?" he repeated, his voice strangled. "Are you sure?" His words were clipped as if he couldn't quite process it.

Milly didn't answer.
She couldn't.
Nothing could come out.

"Yes, the doctor confirms it! The best part," her mother spat, "She's been lying to us for three months—almost four—and now we're finding out. Can you believe that? Imagined if it was up to her."

Her heart pounded in an attempt to be ripped out of her chest. But, Austin squeezed her hand and moved to her side.

Her mother cut in again. "The funniest thing is, your daughter doesn't even know who the father is. When we were sending her to school, she was..."

Her mother's words twisted her insides, tearing them apart from within and creating an ache.

Her father's hands balled into fists as he pushed his hair back and shook his head. He approached her mother again, interrupting her words.

"Honey..." he said, his voice shaking with hurt but determination.

Milly knew it was useless.

Her mother's tears poured from her eyes, but it didn't stop the resilience in them.

She raised her fist. "Jason, I don't care. I am not doing it. Why should I raise another child?"

Her voice cracked, but her anger erupted once more. "She's supposed to be focused on school! And now? It's over. If she can make a baby, she can learn to survive by herself."

The words stung painfully. Milly's future was over, and she had failed before she had a chance to experience it. Tears burned her cheeks, seeping into her mouth.

She couldn't stop anything anymore.
But she still hoped.

Try again.

"Mom, please," Milly whispered with a hiccup through her tears. "I'm sorry. Please."

Her mother's eyes flashed with something cold and unrecognizable. "Get her out of this house now. Before I do something I would regret!" Her words were laced with so much venom that Milly almost believed she would.

Her mother collapsed onto the bed, and she screamed, holding on to the suitcase she filled tightly. Her tears fell nonstop.

Milly's father glanced at her, but she knew he was staring behind her. Austin's hand released hers with sorrow as he hugged their mom tightly.

Her mom was damaged.
Milly was.
Austin was.

Her father picked the suitcase up, which released a next shrilling scream from her mother. Her mother tried to reach for it again. But once her eyes glanced at Milly, it stopped. Her eyes were so broken.

Milly's mind was blank. Her legs followed her father with no instruction from her, just moving. Exiting the house in silence, as the sound of her mother's sobs echoed behind them.

Milly could feel the shrill through her bones. But she still moved on autopilot.

"Milly, you did it now," her father muttered, his voice strained as he shoved her bag into the vehicle.

Milly's gaze remained on the passenger window, which had resorted to a reflection. She saw her father's veins poking out on his neck, and his grip on the steering wheel was tight. His gaze would glance her way, but his jaws only tightened. Neither of them spoke.

"Milly, why didn't you say anything?" he sadly asked. "At least to me."

She didn't know.

But nothing escaped her mouth. And she didn't try to.

What's the point?

The vehicle finally stopped at a rundown apartment complex. Her father didn't say anything as he walked out. He only opened Milly's door, without a word, his footsteps heavy as he walked toward the building. Milly followed.

"Jason," a man called out.

"Didn't you say there was a unit available?" her father asked, his voice tight with exhaustion.

The man nodded and looked at Milly with confusion. "Don't you have a wife?" His words were awkward, filled with unease.

Her father's voice was tight as he snapped. "This is my daughter. She needs a place to stay."

The man showed them the apartment, but Milly barely took it in. The place was confined, with the kitchen and living room being one.

A small bathroom, barely any walking room with only a sliding door, and a tiny bedroom with no closet. It felt unreal to call a unit, but she knew it was her new home.

Her father signed the papers without a word, paid the payment for her to move in, and then turned to her. "Sign it," he said, holding out the pen. His face was tight, his pain obvious, but his eyes were still filled with hurt.

Disappointment.

Milly took the pen and signed. The deal was done.

He drove them to a store near the apartment. Her father picked up a blow-up mattress and groceries with mechanical movements. He didn't say much, and neither did Milly. The weight of everything was too much for either of them to process.

Milly hesitated but followed. The glass door jingled as they entered, a secluded area. A man behind the desk glanced up, his face worn with age and long shifts. His tired eyes flicked from Milly to her father.

"Jason," the man greeted, wiping his face on a cloth and standing up. "Not expecting to see you for another month. What brings you here?"

Her father didn't waste time. "You still need someone for the register?"

The man—Tom, judging by the name tag on his shirt—raised a brow and glanced at Milly. "Yeah. One of my night girls quit two days ago. You got someone in mind?"

Jason placed a firm hand on Milly's shoulder and pushed her forward slightly. "Her."

Tom looked her up and down, skeptical. "She got experience?"

Her father didn't even look at her as he answered. "She learns fast."

Milly swallowed, her stomach twisting. She had never worked a job before.

Never had to.

Tom exhaled through his nose, then shrugged. "It's cashier work. Not hard, but if the customers give you trouble, you deal with it, not me." He turned back to her father. "I can give her a trial run. Two weeks. If she screws up, she's gone."

Her father nodded. "She won't screw up."

Tom shifted his attention back to Milly. "You can start tomorrow. Five to midnight. You don't show, don't bother coming back."

Milly nodded quickly. "Okay. Thank you."

Tom just grunted and turned away.

Her father turned on his heel without another word, returning to the vehicle. Milly followed, her feet heavy.

It was happening.

They drove back to the apartment, and the weight of it all sank in.

The apartment.
The job.

Her father had just handed her a means to survive.

Once they returned to the apartment, her father turned to her, his voice was quiet but sharp. He handed her a key.

"This is your apartment key. The rent is $800 a month, and it covers all necessities, so your pay should help."

Milly felt tears burn behind her eyes, but she forced them back. She nodded.

He gently touched her hand. "Milly, I love you, but I can't fix this. You did this. Get some sleep. You start tomorrow."

She stepped out, gripping the blow-up mattress and groceries they had bought, and walked toward her new home.

Her father didn't wait for her to get inside.

He was already pulling away.

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Thank you, so much if you read this chapter, I know its heavy. But Milly journey is just beginning.

What is your thoughts about Milly moving into her apartment?

What did you think of Austin in this chapter?

Do you think Milly's mom is hiring or just cruel?