Betrayal

 “Grow up!” her mother yelled at her. 

“Dream big! Life isn’t about just becoming some random artist. Be a doctor or a teacher or a scientist,” her mother continued.

“But I don't want to do all of those things. I want to be an artist!” Jennifer insisted. After a few minutes,  the doorbell rang. Her mother opened the door. Her mother and father had separated. A man dressed in a navy blue long sleeved shirt and tie came. 

“Sweetheart, are you ready to go?” he asked, in a sweet tone. Patrica, Jennifer's mother was dressed in a tight red satin dress. She was chewing pieces of gum.

“She’s getting ready,” her mother answered, rolling her eyes. Jennifer then came. Her eyes were red from crying. 

“You’re crying. Patricia, what did you do to her? What did you do to my daughter?” he exclaimed in a tone of deep anger. 

“Dad, Dad calm down! We will be late for dinner,” the girl spoke. 

 “I’ll deal with you later,” he warned her mother. Jennifer and her father entered in the shiny black Porsche. 

“Sweetheart, what happened? You can’t hide things from your dad,” 

“Dad, I just can’t get good grades like how Cindy gets but Cindy can’t draw. I want to be an artist and Mum is so against it,” Jennifer’s father was the Chief of Surgery in a private hospital.

“Cindy should not be compared to you. Cindy’s dad doesn’t earn as well as I do. When you around six there used to be this little girl coming over to our abode. She used to look like your mum. Your mum will say that it was one of the teacher's daughter. Until one day I heard the girl called Mummy. Jennifer, I was shocked and I just decided to divorce her for being unfaithful. If you ever think that I left your mother it was because she was being unfaithful to me," he explained.

“You know that I will support every decision of yours,” he continued. They reached the restaurant and Jennifer sat down with her father and had a nice meal and chatted together. It was half past nine and he sent her home. 

“ Call me if there’s an emergency at any time. You’re always my top priority. Love you,”  he said watching his teenage daughter getting out of the car.

“Thank you for the dinner. Good night, Dad,”  Jennifer went upstairs and entered the room where Cindy was.     

“Your dad gives you whatever you want and he brings you to these fancy expensive restaurants. Jen, you’re just so beautiful! You’re so lucky! Look at your hair. It’s so pretty. Oh dear, look at the colour!” she smirked, touching Jennifer’s brown coloured hair. 

“Thank you, Cindy. Good night,” Months had passed and Jennifer’s relationship with her mother wasn’t good. During one dinner time, the doorbell rang, Cindy went to answer it. A young fair boy stood with a bouquet of flowers. 

“I’m looking for Jennifer,” Cindy called Jennifer. 

“Edward, you’re here,” Jennifer answered, smiling at once. Jennifer beamed as she saw her boyfriend. 

“Yea,  just wanted to give you this bouquet of your favourite flowers, ”

“Thank you,” she winked, closing the door. Her stern mother stood there. 

“You have a boyfriend? You just failed your exams and you have a boyfriend? Jennifer, you’re only twenty and you are in a relationship,”

“He’s so handsome I wish he was mine,” Cindy muttered. 

“No, Mum. I asked Dad before he asked me out for prom and Dad knows that he’s my boyfriend. He even joined us for dinner a couple of times,”

“Your dad knows about this relationship and he didn’t even ask my permission. The worst thing is the boy’s my student. B

“Mum, seriously. His dad is a chief of police,He’s just a friend to me and I love him,” she answered.

“Love at twenty?” Cindy slyly questioned. 

“Cindy, you supported me and now you’re supporting Mum? Edward’s such a kind hearted boy,” Her mother came closer and slapped her. 

“You cheat!” All of a sudden, her mother threw a flower vase at her. It shattered and a small bit hit Jennifer’s head.

“Ouch,” she yelled. It was a coincidence that her dad called. 

“Jennifer, want to have lunch together?” he asked, in a jovial tone.

“Dad, I’m injured,”

“Wait! I’m coming right away,” Jennifer’s mother and Cindy just sat at a corner.

“Want to have romance. This is the punishment,” she muttered. 

“I wish you weren’t my mother! I should have choose Dad over you,” After a few moments, he came. He entered the apartment. His daughter was on the floor. He saw blood coursing down his daughter’s head. 

“Jennifer!” he bent down and dabbed a tissue on her head. He called the police. She sobbed bitterly while telling her father what had happened.

“Patricia, why did you do  to my daughter?” he questioned, while holding a piece of tissue on the wound.

“She first of all failed her exams and she has a boyfriend,”

“She’s an artistic person. That boy is such a cool and loving guy,” After a few moments, that guy came. He immediately bent down. 

“Jennifer, are you fine? You’re bleeding. What happened?” 

“Edward, you’re here. How did you know that Jennifer was here?” her mother questioned. 

“We both installed trackers on our phones. Is she here? Who did this? I will tell my dad,” Edward replied looking miserably. Jennifer’s father put a hand on Edward’s shoulder. 

“Don’t worry about Jennifer. I will take care of her,” Jennifer’s mother got up. She worked as a teacher. 

“Edward, you are my student. How dare you date my girl? Oh my, that’s the reason I always see you holding hands and laughing and giggling. It was because you were in a romantic relationship!” she yelled, staring at Edward.

“Ms. Patricia, I will always protect your daughter. Do you know that I also motivate her to study and not always do art?”

“A rich boy like you won’t do that. You’re only after my girl because of her looks and her richness. I know she’s so pretty, look at her hair. Look at her blue eyes. That’s the only thing that I like from my ex husband,”

“I seriously do that. Ms. Patricia, you know that I’m a top scorer and I’m trying my best for your daughter to be a top scorer,”

“Yes, I know that you are a top scorer,”

“Dad, Cindy didn’t help me! I thought that she was my sister and she would never betray her,” She was crying bitterly and her father hugged her. 

“Calm down. I expected Cindy would do this. A hospital janitor's daughter will obviously do this!” she muttered as his crying daughter sobbed while his hand was around her. 

“Hey, my dad’s a janitor but I’m still smarter than your daughter!” she  yelled, in a defensive tone. Edward had called his father and the cops home. His father came with two other female cops behind him. 

“Jennifer, you good?”

“Yes, I am thank you,” 

“Ms. Patricia, you would have to be taken away for awhile,” The woman argued but they took her. 

Cindy and her mother were taken away. He looked at his heartbroken daughter. His shirt and tie was all wet with tears. 

J“Jen, let’s go now! Wipe those tears. You’re going to move in with me,” She went and packed her bag. In her hand there was a picture of Cindy and her. Her father snatched it and threw it away. He led his daughter to the Porsche and drove home. Jennifer got down.

“Jen, may I have a word with you privately. Edward, I know you’re part of this family but I need her for abit. She's going to inform you the news as well,"

“Sure, no worries. I’ll be playing with Jen’s dog for a bit on the patio,” Edward walked away. 

“Jennifer, I’m going to take l you out of your school. I want to be in a school that focuses just on art and not much of academics,”

“Edward, won’t be there with me anymore,”

“He can visit you. He can stay with us if he wants. I don’t if he has dinner with us,"

“I’ll speak with him. Thank you Dad,”

“Love you always,” her father replied. She went to the patio. Edward was sitted on the patio with Jennifer’s Golden Retriever and Siberian Husky next to him. Both the dogs were sitted on both the right and left. Jennifer gently pushed the husky to make space for her to sit next to Edward. The husky then lay it's head on Jennifer and she ran her fingers all over his head.

“Hey,” he smiled.

“Edward, my dad’s taking me out of collage and sending me to art school,” He started to gasp. 

“You’re leaving! Jen, you can’t leave. I can’t survive without you in this world. My love for you is undefinable. When we are the right age we will get married. You know that I-. Jen, don't go," He lean his head on her shoulder. 

“ My dad said you could have dinner with us. Edward, it doesn’t mean that we would be separated. We will never be separated. Don't worry," Edward began to tear up and Jennifer wiped his tears. They hugged each other. Jennifer entered an art school and excelled. After a few years, she graduated and Edward became a doctor. Edward proposed and after a few months they got married. Jennifer was getting ready in the room with Edward's sister.

"My mum's going to miss my wedding," she suddenly answered, tearing up. Her father came adjusting his tie.

"Dad, Mum isn't going to attend my wedding," she answered, tearing up.

"She doesn't deserve to. She threw a vase at your head. She doesn't love you. Jen, it's fine. I have no idea where she nor do I care. Go Jennifer and get ready. Edward's waiting for you," She sat down on the chair. After a year, they had a son. Jennifer thought about her mother but never meet her.