Page 40 of Once in a Lifetime, Part 2

“My life isn’t perfect, Dad!” she snapped, her voice breaking. “The clothes are perfect. The room is perfect. But nothing else is!” Her breath hitched. “And all you care about is what people will say if they see your not-so-perfect daughter being humiliated!”

“Watch your tone,” he said, grabbing her shoulders. “You’ll speak the way I tell you to. You’ll act the way I tell you to. Everything you have is because of me.” His grip tightened. “Without me, you’re nothing. Do you understand?”

The front door slammed open as Kash rushed in, crossing the room in seconds and grabbing their father’s hand before it could come down. “Don’t you fucking touch her.” His jaw clenched, teeth pressing together.

“Both of you,” their father snapped. “Useless. Living off me and still talking back—”

“We’re not your pawns,” Kash shot back. “You don’t get to control us.”

“Kash, apologize to your father right now!” their mother cut in.

His gaze moved between them. “What about you? When are you going to apologize to your children?” He glared at his father, not blinking. “If you ever lay a hand on her again, I swear to God—” His fingers closed more firmly around Stella’s wrist, but he didn’t look away. Then he turned and pulled her up the stairs.

They stepped into his room, and he shut the door behind them, the click echoing in the silence. For a moment, he just stood there, staring at her. The smeared makeup. The dried cream still clinging to her skin.

His expression shifted, something tight and shaken breaking through, as he moved closer. “Come here,” he said, his voice low. He guided her into the bathroom and wet a towel under the sink. Then he stepped in front of her and wiped the cream from her cheek, then her jaw, slow and careful.

She didn’t speak. Neither did he. A tear slipped down her cheek, cutting through what was left of the mess. His hand paused, then wiped it away just as carefully.

“They were my friends…” she whispered.

“What happened?” he asked.

“I celebrated my birthday.” She looked at him, and something in that look made his chest tighten.

“I’m gonna—”

“No,” she cut in. “Don’t.” A small, broken laugh slipped out. “I probably deserved it.”

Kash shook his head. “No.”

“My whole life I tried to be perfect… a perfect daughter, a perfect friend… And I still ruin everything.” Tears gathered in her eyes. “Our parents can’t stand me. My friends hate me…”

His hands settled gently on her shoulders. “I don’t,” he said. “I love you.”

A faint, sad smile touched her lips. “You’re the only thing keeping me here.”

His fingers curled against her skin, pain flickering across his face.

“You know… what I did to Mano…” she murmured, her gaze drifting. “It doesn’t even feel like me.”

He stayed still, watching her.

“I just wanted him to love me…” her voice cracked.

His thumb brushed against her shoulder.

“But he’d look at me like he already knew.” A tear slipped down her cheek. “Like he knew I wasn’t worthy of being loved. Like nothing I did would ever be enough.”

“That’s not true, Stella.”

“I don’t blame him,” she whispered. “I was angry because he saw it.” She let out a shaky breath. “I hated that he was right… Because I couldn’t prove him wrong.”

Kash shook his head, his jaw clenching.

“He didn’t deserve how I treated him…” Tears spilled over before she could stop them. “I can’t do this anymore,” she said, shaking. “I can’t stay here and pretend I’m something I’m not.”

He pulled her into his arms. “Then we won’t,” he said. “We’ll leave.”