Beauty and the Beast

Explosion

Bailey, Linda and Damien directly went to their parents' room and Baile banged impatiently at their door.

"Dad." She called as she continued banging.

Adolf opened the door. Despite Bailey being rude to them, there wasn't a trace of anger on his face. He was oddly gentle as he asked. "What happened Bailey? Is it something urgent?"

"Yes. Damien has this ridiculous theory that you blame Rose for what happiness twelve years ago. Tell him he is wrong." Bailey said impatiently. She wanted this ridiculous talk to get over as soon as possible.

It was like an explain went off in her brain when she heard the time.

No.

No, this was ridiculous.

It can't be what she was thinking. That was completely impossible.

What happiness was a fight between children. And besides, she apologized, in fact, she grovelled in front of them. There is no way they would have done what they said they would do.

That was just a fight between kids. There is no way it would get this intense.

Please! Please Lord! Don't let it be that. Anything but that. Because if it was.... She won't be able to live through it.

But today was bound to go against everyone's expectations. Just like Bailey who was only replied by silence.

"Dad?" Bailey asked again but Adopt remained quite. Bailey cooker back at him in shock. It was like an explosion went off in her mind as well and she staggered back, like she was physically hit by something.

Linda instantly went up to help her. "Tell us this is joke dad." Linda said as he looked at her father with a dark face. She is eldest among the three sisters. So she wasn't like impulsive like Bailey.

The correct way to describe Linda would be that she was like an iron pillar that became her sisters' silent support when they needed someone to rely on and their strongest defence when they needed protection just like right now.

"Because if it is not..." Linda didn't complete as she looked at her father with blank eyes like that of dead person. There was no emotion in them but it made people shudder with just a look.

She chuckled as she looked at her father who was avoiding her eyes. "Let me guess. You felt tired of blaming yourself. The new Rose was an easy target so she took all the blame. Right?"

Silence greeted them back again. Linda was burning with rage inside but the smile on her lips only deepened at her father's silent approval.

"Tell me father, how does it feel to be a disappointment again and again?" Linda asked, knowing full well how sharply her words cut her father's heart, specially when she mockingly emphasized 'father'. But that was what she wanted.

She warned him so many times before the marriage that Jace wasn't the right choice. That Rose wasn't ready yet. But he didn't listen. Was it because he wanted her to suffer to make himself feel better?

"You couldn't save Bailey because that was out of your control. You couldn't help me when I need you the most. But that too was out your control. But you could have changed what happened to Rose. What happened to us wasn't your fault. But what happened to Rose most definitely was. So tell me how it feels to become a disappointing father? Must be fun, your hidden ambition finally came into fruitition." Linda mocked again.

"Shut up. For god's sake please shut up." Finally Adolf spoke. He couldn't take it. That mocking, those words, he couldn't take it.

"You should have thought that before ruining Rose's life." Bailey sneered.

"I didn't. If Rose used it properly, she could have greatly benifited from this marriage. I tried to help her." Adolf said.

"Tried to help her? Rose was already traumatized from that incident. She couldn't speak for herself even if her life depended on it, believing that quitely editing everything is the solution. Yet instead of helping her through it, you ignored her. And then pushed her to a man, who could never cherish her. Never help her through it. What she needed was a support we couldn't provide." Linda shot back.

"Support? She needed support? For what? Apologizing? What does she had to be so traumatized about? She didn't have to go through 10% of what you had to. But none of you both said a word. So what does she has to be traumatized about?" Adolf asked back.

"What nonsense are you saying? She was eleven then, a kid. How could she not be traumatized?" Bailey yelled back.

"You were twelve when that happened. When that.... Monstrosity happened to you. Linda was thirteen when she saved you while a bullet pierced through her chest. How dare her get traumatized for a mere apology-"

Bang.

A loud crash stopped Adolf's rant. He looked at the source of that sound with irrigation but his mouth opened in horror, his eyes wide with terror from what he saw.

Rest followed his sight and followed his look as they saw a crashed flower vase and a pale faced Rose looking at them blankly as leaned weakly against the table the vase was on previously.

"Rose." They called together.