The Page Turner

4

Warning: This chapter contains words about sexuality and physical harassment.

I was so nervous while Mom and I were on the road. She drove so fast until we reached the police office. It was just near our bar. I also saw Raf’s text to me earlier saying that he was already with Jay and their mom seems not to be calm. s**t.

There were already people outside the police office gossiping about the situation. They are looking at me, maybe the news about me and Jay having fun at night already spread out which is not true.

“This way, Ma’am.” We were assisted by a woman who works here in the police office. I think my Mom will explode anytime sooner because of anger. We saw that Jay’s parents were already sitting on the other side.

“The thickness of your face for hurting my son, I couldn’t even lay my hand on him in our house!” Jay’s mom started talking to us right away.

“How about my daughter? He hasn’t even had a boyfriend yet and then your son’s girlfriend will say that something has happened to them?!” Mom shouted back to her.

“My son is a minor! I will make sure to put you in jail!”

“Based on your son’s height, he doesn’t look young or a minor! And I will also charge your son for slandering my daughter and trespassing at our bar,” Mom said angrily. The police officer immediately stopped them from arguing.

“Calm down, first. We can talk about what happened. Sit down.” We followed him and sat down on the other side. I glared at Jay while he was glaring at my mom. How dare he!

“Is it true that something happened to you and Jay, Blair?” The police officer asked me. I immediately shook my head. “No, I am ready to get a medical certificate to prove it,” I answered, determined.

“Is it true that you don't want to stop talking to Jay?” he asked again. “That’s also not true. This is our text and chat conversation, we don’t talk anymore.” I showed them our chat and text. It was shown there when our last conversation, “Sarah was the one who told me to text Jay to contact her boyfriend,” I added.

“Your girlfriend was just jealous so you rushed to Blair’s bar and slandered her to her parents?” This time, Jay was being asked. He could not answer.

“That’s not the issue here, Sir. My complaint is that she hurt my son, who is just a minor,” Jay’s mom entered the conversation. I secretly sighed. “Ma’am, that’s why we’re talking here to find out what caused your child to get hurt.” The police officer looked at me again.

“Is it true that you had a drink in your house?” he asked. I know that I will be dead to my Mom and Dad later but I just have to admit everything right now.

“Yes, but it’s been a long time ago. I didn’t even know that he had a girlfriend. Besides, I also don’t like him so I don’t know why his girlfriend is jealous of me. Jay and I are just friends, as well as his brother, Raf.”

“Now, your mother was angry and that was why she couldn’t control her emotions and slapped Jay because she was taken aback by the misinformation that Jay’s girlfriend told her about you and Jay,” he concluded.

“Sir, I want to sue that woman for hurting my son,” Jay’s mother insisted. “Besides, I won’t be surprised. Her son is always being beaten by her. Blair used to talk about it.” The shock was obvious in my face because of what Jay said. Damn him!

“It was my fault why I’m getting hurt and that was part of how they disciplined me.” I replied so that Mom would not be embarrassed by the other people inside the room.

“We will have three hearings. If we do not fix this problem, I will take it to the court to make a case. We will call you at the next hearing,” said the police officer. We nodded and left first. I saw our friends outside that were with us when we were drinking at home. I didn't have the time to greet them and we just went to the bar.

When we got there, Mom and Dad were just quiet. There are also many customers inside. Our family attorney is right here and he immediately approached me.

“How are you, Blair? What happened?”

I told him everything that was discussed in the police office earlier and what happened in our house before. After I talked to him, I did not know how to talk to Dad because I was shy. I went inside Mom’s room at our bar and saw that she was crying there.

"Mom..." I didn’t know what to say. I feel sorry for my mom who was crying right now because of what I did. She was tired here at the bar and then I added to her headaches.

"I'm raising you well, Blair. How have you really been able to flirt? You're only 17! You're embarrassing our family. Did you know that other customers even heard what the woman said earlier? That her boyfriend had s*x with you? It's embarrassing that they saw how I slapped the man! Instead of us just working here, and you are just studying hard, you are still a nuisance to us!" She growled angrily at me. Tears welled up in my eyes.

"But what they are saying is not true! I am a clean woman."

"Clean? Really? You were able to have a drink at home! Why? Is that you? I heard that only men are with you and you are only two women. What is that? Are you giving yourself to them?!"

My eyes immediately widened because of what I heard, I could not believe the words my mother said.

"What?! Mom! I told you I'm ready to get a medical just to prove to all of you that I'm still a virgin!"

"Do you think I will believe you? And what? You will spend money for that medical? Or maybe you just say that because you think I will not do you medical treatment? Ha! You flirty woman!"

I was shivering with anger so I just left the room. I immediately told my cousin to give me a ride to get home. I just cried because of what my Mom was thinking of me. I never thought she would think that way. I'm willing to take a test!

The next day, my eyes swelled as I entered the school. They immediately knew what had happened to me because I told them about our group chat last night.

"When was the first hearing?" Candie asked me.

"I don't know, no news yet."

"You know girl, I think that Jay’s girlfriend wanted to take revenge against you so she reported it to your parents. Maybe they think that if they’ll find out, they will hurt you like that," Alliah said. She is now angry with her friend, who is Jay's girlfriend.

"I don't know about them, just what they want. They want trouble then I'll give it to them."

"You're right there, sis! She’s so attitude, I want to throw her away." Lei said, annoyed so I just laughed and shook.

Two days later, a hearing was held in the police office. I was just quiet next to my mom as we waited for the other side. It was ten minutes before they arrived.

"We'll just settle. I don't want to exaggerate this anymore and we are busy." I looked at Jay's mom when she suddenly said that.

"Are you sure Mrs.?"

"Yes, Sir. One more thing, I am calm now. My son is also at fault because he is under his girlfriend."

To my surprise, Mom suddenly cried next to me, "Thank you and you also understand me as a mother. I just couldn’t control my feelings because that was why I hurt your child," she said. I feel sorry for her again because she’s crying in front of other people because of me.

"Just pay for what we spent because Jay's braces were damaged by your slap. Then everything is settled." My Mom immediately agreed with what Jay’s mom said.

I looked at Jay, he did not look at me. After talking inside, Jay immediately left the room and left. We also went out.

"Blair, I'm sorry. I didn't know that Jay's girlfriend behaved like that. Now I don't want that woman to enter our house." Jay's mom suddenly approached me.

"I'm sorry again. I heard that Blair is also your other son's friend and she told me that you are really kind," Mom smiled at her.

"I'm sorry," I said.

"I know you're a good person, Blair. I used to be with you at home. I was really not in my right mind last time so I was like that."

That night everything went well. It's good because I don't want trouble anymore. But because of what happened, Mom and Dad stuck it in their minds.

"You are grounded now. I will give Dixie the key to the house and you can no longer hold it. I don’t want you to make this house a motel, you’re so gross." My body is shaking because my mom hurt me. She was tired again and hurt me because I was answering her.

Who wouldn't be angry if that's what they tell me! There is no truth!

"That's where you're good at. Me? Slut? Flirt? Dirty? What else? Shout it out to your neighbors, am I embarrassed?!" I shouted back.

"Why not you? They see that you always let men in my house, stupid! Then you drink and then when you get drunk, you will go and have fun with them in the room?"

I REALLY WANT TO LEAVE THIS HOUSE. BUT I CAN'T! WHAT KIND OF MOTHER WILL SAY SUCH A CHIL ?! I could no longer hold my anger and I exploded.

“How about you? You used to have another guy, didn’t you? When I was a child, every time you and Dad fought and then Dad would run away, a man would come to the house, right? Do you think I don’t remember that? Even though I was young back then, I can see what you two are doing! Did I talk about that before? Dad also knew it, did we tell you something--”

I could not continue what I was saying because she slapped my face real hard, causing me to bleed. She slapped me again while cursing.

"You ungrateful child! How dare you talk to me like that while I just adopted you in the orphanage! If our first daughter didn’t die, you wouldn’t have a chance to live your life. You should be grateful to us because you are not locked to the orphanage anymore! I should be the one regretting now for adopting a child like you! You are a plague in my life! You will die!"

She choked me so hard that I could barely breathe properly. She just let go of me when I was coughing. I suddenly laughed out loud.

"What? Are you crazy?!" She shouted out of annoyance.

"Who's crazy between the two of us?" I said while still laughing as if I was really going crazy.

She left the house and went to our bar. Me? Stunned and just staring at the knife on the table.

When did my mother believe me? Everything I tell him, she just Ignores everything. Even though I have no experience with the words she throws at me, she thinks differently. I don't know if it's because she is always tired at work that her brain is affected.

My everyday life is like this. Ever since they adopted me from the orphanage, she has been constantly hurting me. December 24, two years ago, they beat me. Dad just got drunk and because he got mad at me, he beat me then Mom suddenly took action too. They have been getting mad at me for some small reasons and I don’t understand why. I even ran away and went to Candie's house that time. Mom just texted me to go home that night and celebrated Christmas.

The amount of pain I experienced was enough to have suicidal thoughts, but I was never able to hurt myself. I never had suicidal thoughts because I knew it was bad. Mom was right, I should be grateful to them because I am living my life outside the orphanage. But this is not the life that I wanted.

I promise myself, I will do everything to stand up and prove myself to everyone.