𝐒𝐓𝐀𝐑𝐑𝐘 𝐍𝐈𝐆𝐇𝐓 ➪ 𝐕𝐈𝐂𝐓𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐀 𝐃𝐄 𝐀𝐍𝐆𝐄𝐋𝐈𝐒

XVI. MOMS AND DADS DON'T LOVE EACHOTHER FOREVER

[TW - SMOKING, USE OF STRONG LAMGUAGE, TOUCHING AND MENTIONS OF DIVORCE]

"You couldn't have written it smaller, Althea, you couldn't have." I cursed myself under my breath.

I was practicing my solo for our group performance that was nearing in large steps. Unfortunately, when I was writing the notes, I had been sitting too close to the page and wrote them in tiny writing. So now, when I was trying to practice from a distance, they were barely readable.

"Oh, fuck it." I put down my violin harshly on my bed and sat on the bed, holding my head in my hands.

I couldn't concentrate because of the shouts coming from my parents, downstairs.

I stood from the bed and opened the door to my bedroom, walking out.

I went downstairs, the shouts getting louder and louder every step I took and then eventually reached the living room where my mother had tears streaming down her face while shouting at my father, who also shouted back.

"IT'S HAPPENING!" shouted my father.

"YOU KNOW WHAT? MAYBE IT'S BETTER THAT WAY!" shouted back my mother, more tears streaming down her face.

"WILL YOU BOTH JUST SHUT UP? JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP!" I shouted at them and they both fell silent, turning to face me with shock on their faces. "I CAN'T CONCENTRATE ON ANYTHING WITH ALL THESE SCREAMS! DO YOU WANT YOUR SON TO GROW UP IN THIS ENVIROMENT?"

"Althea, we - " started my father, softly which was weird for him since he always shouted at me.

"NO! I DON'T CARE!" I shouted at them and sat on the sofa, letting the tears fall. "All I hear all day is shouting! I can't fucking concentrate on anything! My final exams are coming up but neither of you care, you just shout at each other and make my life hard!"

"Althea, let your father speak." said my mother sternly.

"What?" I said harshly as I turned to my father.

"Me and your mother are getting a divorce." said my father.

I felt like my whole world just collapsed right there and then. All my childhood memories, destroyed.

"Wha - what?" I whispered looking back and forth between my parents. "You're getting a what?"

"A divorce. We're getting a divorce." confirmed my mother.

The more seconds of my silence that passed, the more tears gathered in my eyes. I tried to blink them away but it was no use.

"You - you can't be getting a divorce! Not after so many years of marriage! What about Annie, your marriage counsler?" I said, quietly.

"I'm sorry, dear, her strategies aren't working." said my father. "She said that she doesn't know what to do anymore."

"Couples therapy." I said. "You can - you can go to couples therapy!"

My mother just shook her head. "I'm sorry, honey. We're filing a divorce next Friday."

"You - you can't do that!" I shouted. "What about me and Teo? He'll grow up without a father! I wanted the arguements to stop, not your love for each other."

"I'm sorry, Althea, I really am. But we've been thinking about it for some time and we finally decided to do it." said my father, placing his hand on my shoulder, smiling at me sadly. I could tell he was devastated by this just as much as my mother, he wasn't the best parent but at least he was there for me. "I'm sorry for being such a bad parent. I'm sorry for everything."