I walk inside the apartment expecting it to be empty – Cassie gone and my dad and Jenny at work. But only Cassie's missing.

My dad is sitting in the couch, his uniform still on, and his phone in his ears. Jenny is sitting by him with her hands gently massaging his back. Ughh.

They both turn around when I close the door behind me. I brace myself for an explosion that never comes.

Dad takes one step forward. "Where have you been this time?"

I cross my hands over my chest, refusing to fall for his stupid caring dad act. "What's it to you?"

He opens his mouth to answer but then he just shuts it and moves back to the couch. His head falls between his thighs.

Jenny stands there like a security guard monitoring my every move. She really does think she owns the place.

When dad finally lifts up his head to look at me, my knees weaken under his stare. He's not mad, nor really disappointed. If it was any of these feelings, I would have handled it. I know how to deal with these. They are my mother's most common facial expressions.

The emotion that's staring right at me is one I'm still yet to get a handle on. It's irrevocable and unlimited love. Undying and pure love of a father for his daughter. It's the one thing I crave the most. Now, it's staring at me but I have no idea how to deal with it.

I bite the inside of my mouth just to feel pain, to have some familiar territory in the midst of this new terrain. I can't believe how he can still feel so much love for me. Why can't he just be like mom? Doesn't he get that I'm just going to keep hurting him? I can't do anything else. I don't know any different regardless of how many times he has shown me the route.

"I don't know what to do anymore," his rough voice breaks. "I just wanted to redeem myself to you. I just wanted to be a good father."

You are, I thought but I continue to stand in silence.

I want to tell him everything. I want him to know that he's the only one I know who's currently willing to stand by me till the end and that's why I'm so scared. This baby is bad news for us. This baby is going to tear us apart. I can't handle sharing him with anyone.

It's all her fault.

My eyes drift to Jenny again. She senses my blazing gaze and turns to look at me. Her eyes are blank. She doesn't care. I know she doesn't. She's trying to take the last person I have away from me.

We're going to see about that.

I make a move to walk straight to my room but her filthy hands stop me. How dare she? I have half a mind to just deface her but I don't know. I know that would only ruin my plans to get her and her baby the hell out of my life. It would only straighten her hold on my father if I do something bad to her right in his face.

Besides, I want him to lose faith in her not me. So I settle for the classy bitchy stare which she graciously returns.

She can be fun sometimes – when she's not trying to steal my daddy.

"Don't forget we have court tomorrow. Maybe this time try to stay in the house." She lets go.

Her words have put out my fire. I no longer feel the wrath twisting inside of me, making me want to break everything in my reach. Even my father's unreturned love has taken a seat in the back of my mind.

Now, it's all about Steven, Darwin, and foremost...my mother. All thanks to Jenny.

I spend the night without an ounce of sleep. Sarah and Kenny are quieter than they've ever been which irritates me even more. The only time I want them to feel my mind with endless insults and they decide to shut it.

Does anyone in this world ever does anything my way?

For about an hour or two, I go on my knees and beg God to make me invisible to my mother tomorrow. Perhaps make her blind or something. Just make her not pay attention to me, make her not even notice my presence.

It sounds like a rather fair request. Even though I don't really believe in God's almighty love and care for humanity that my Sunday-school teacher tried to force down my throat. The old man watched my life go from bad to worse without ever interfering. Screw him but it can't hurt to make a tiny wish.

***

Like always, my wish has been ignored. Guess who's at the witness stand today? And Guess whose eyes stay on me while they try to convince everyone how good of a man Steven is and how messed up my brain is?

Screw you, God. What is your almightiness good for anyway?

Mr. Rowland stands, unbuttons his suit before approaching the witness stand. "Mrs. Reel, has your daughter ever given you any indication that your husband makes her feel uncomfortable?"

Her stare loses their iciness when she moves to look at the lawyer in the perfectly tailored suit. "No, she has not. Steven and she were getting along just fine when she was younger."

"Yes, and bleach is just spicy water," I murmur.

"Not now Rachel," Mr. Gibbens scolds me.

"Has your husband ever talk or look at your daughter in any kind of inappropriate manner?"

"Of course not. My husband has been the perfect gentlemen ever since he walked into our life. He bought us a home, he provided for us, he loved us, and protected us. He's not perfect but he would never lay a finger on Rachel. He loved her like a daughter."

She slowly rubs her growing stomach before throwing me a quick glance. In that one instance, it's not her face that stares at me but Jenny's. Jenny's hard brown eyes stare at me as a creepy smiles brighten her face. It seems like her bulging stomach is taunting me.

Before I could think better of it, I'm up ready to smash that victorious smile off of her face.

"Ms. Jackson, what is the matter?" The judge's question makes me come back to reality and the face returns to my mother's smug look.

"Rachel?" Mr. Gibbens pulls at the sleeves of my shirt. "Sit down, right now."

"She's lying," I mumble as I take back my seat.

"Everybody's lying," he counters. "Welcome to the justice system."

"Mrs. Reel, how would you describe your daughter's mental health?"

Great, might as well shoot me right now.

"Rachel has always been a little troubled. I think my divorce with her father has affected her worse than she wants to admit."

Mr. Rowland grabs a folder from his desk. "I see here that your daughter was admitted to a mental health hospital earlier this year."

"Objection," Mr. Gibbens spring to his feet. "Your honor, we've already established my client's mental health. Her psychotic depression has nothing to do with this."

"You mean to tell me that some teenage girl is accusing an outstanding citizen of rape but we should not take into account her mental health. Especially since said girl has been prone to hallucinations and hearing voices?"

"But we've already talked to her therapist and..."

"You mean the same one her father is currently paying."

"Actually, your honor, Mr. Steven Reel was the one to originally hire Dr, Frey as..."

"Enough, counselors," the judge knocks down his gavel. "I have other cases to handle today. Mr. Rowland, let's move on from the plaintiff's mental health. We all know all about it already."

"Yes, your honor."

"Is this a court hearing or a pissing contest?" Sarah laughs.

"What's the difference?" Kenny giggles hysterically.

Not now!

"You don't make our schedules," Kenny answers.

"Keep talking like that and we'll drive you crazy in this room right now and you can kiss goodbye your little justice league stunt."

"Mrs. Reel, is this the first time your daughter has come up with a story of such magnitude for her own enjoyment?"

"No, it's not. Like I said, my daughter is very troubled and I'm afraid she lashes out on everyone that's in reaching distance. I guess this time it's my poor husband's turn."

Someone passes her a handkerchief. She dabs the corner of her eyes in all the elegance only Henriette Reel can possess while sitting in a courtroom with her husband and brother-in-law in handcuffs.

"I was wrong," Sarah says. "I think she has earn the mother of the year trophy. She's fabulous up there. Rachel, a round of applause for your dear mother."

I drop my head on the desk loudly enough to gain everyone's attention. Mr. Gibbens sighs quietly before grabbing my head up and signals for everyone to keep going.

"Can you tell us of any other stories your daughter had come up with in the past?"

"Yes," she breathes in and out slowly as if it pains her to relive my mistakes.

Some of the judges are shaking their head. The old lady from last time looks at her in such sympathy. I bet she had her fair share of troubled teenager, the dumb whore.

"She accused a young boy of trying to drown her earlier this year. When she was twelve, she said one of her teachers had tried to rape her."

"So this isn't her first rape story?" Mr. Rowland drags out dramatically as he turns towards the jury.

"Objection,"Mr. Gibbens shout to his feet.

"I'm getting tired of his stupid objections whenever it's about to get good," Sarah snarls.

"If only we still had our darling Rachel," Kenny says quietly. "She would have come up with something to break it out of him in a minute."

"Too bad we're stuck with a broken Rachel now."

"She dropped the charges," Mr. Gibbens continues.

"Who's to say she's not going to drop them now? Who's to say she's not having the time of her life by dragging two innocent men's name through the mud? For all we know, we're just pawns playing the game of a deranged teenage girl throwing a tantrum."

Yay, another chapter done. I would have never been able to write this chapter without spending endless hours glued to a TV, watching Annalise Keaton slay everyone on How to get away with murder. 

Vote and comment how this story is going for you so far. If you're shy, remember that being stuck behind a computer screen is the source of your power. Take it from me, I'm the shiest person to ever walk this universe. 

Next chapter's title is Mean girls don't change. Drop your predictions.