Ecstasy

Anguish and Agony, Misery and Sorrow

"Secrets help toxic parents cope by turning their families into private little clubs to which no outsiders are admitted." 

- Excerpt from Susan Forward

I hear a woman's voice and unless they ended up getting divorced, I'm assuming it's Amelia.

"Chloe, can you please call Ariana?" she says and I think the woman is in the kitchen, most likely getting the food ready.

"Ariana! Come down for dinner!" Chloe shouts and she sits down in a seat. I listen, sitting down in the seat next to her and Lorenzo does the same, one right next to me.

I see a little girl run into the dining room and go to Lucas.

"Daddy! Can I have ice cream after dinner," she asks him as she sits in a chair.

I wasn't expecting her to call him that. He was considered her 'father'. So, is he actually her... father?

He had another child?

Wow. He really has some obsession with me. You go and abandon your daughter to go and have another one. Ariana and I have similar features; black hair and blue eyes. It doesn't help that she has my middle name.

Brielle Ariana Williams.

It makes me upset and angry. I'm not mad at Ariana because it's not her fault that she was born and her father is a piece of shit.

"I'm sorry," Chloe whispers in my ear, "I wanted to tell you but... you definitely wouldn't have come."

"I'm fine," I tell her.

"Okay. Here's the food, sorry for the wait," a woman confesses, holding a tray of chicken. She places it in the middle of the table.

"Hello," she greets us, sitting down on the table, "Introduce us to your friends, Chloe."

"Well, this is Brielle and Lorenzo, her friend," she introduces.

"Great," Enzo mutters and I turn to him, elbowing him in the side. Of course, Enzo would be upset. However, I don't know what we actually are to be fully honest. Imagine I assume we're dating and he thinks otherwise... that would be an embarrassing situation to be in.

"Get over yourself," I whisper back to him and then turn back to everybody, giving everyone a wave.

Amelia begins digging into the food and it's probably the first time where I actually notice the rest of the food. Food that looks really appetizing.

Everyone, including me even though I don't have much of an appetite, begins digging in as well. Everyone else begins to chat, especially Ariana and Lucas.

They were acting as father and daughter... a family.

Something we used to do once at a dinner table. My appetite weakens even more.

Lucas occasionally made eye-contact with me and would glare. I would also glare at him back, I'm not afraid to glare at him.

I'm not afraid anymore.

Ariana began explaining away about what happened during her class. Frankly, I wasn't paying attention and just nit-picking at my food but now the conversation piqued my interest.

"My teacher called my name pretty!" Ariana shouts and Amelia hushes her down. I bite my lip to hold my anger from exploding out.

"Did he really? I mean I always liked the name too. Ariana. So adorable," Amelia compliments and I bite my lip harder.