Captured (A Modern Medusa Story)

CHAPTER 23: PHOEBE💙

I sensed darkness when I stepped into the living room.

I tapped my cane on the floor and began my way upstairs. Only to be stopped by the sound of a switch turned on. My feet froze in the middle of the stairs.

"Well well well . . . "

I grimaced at the annoying sound of my father's voice. This was the part where I rolled my eyes, but I couldn't.

"It's almost midnight," he marked. "It's not you to stay out so late."

"When did my schedules even start to bother you? It's not like you ever cared."

He never gave a fuck about me before. Why was he giving shits right now?

"Who said I never cared? You just never really went out anywhere," he pointed. "Found something you like out there? Share some details with Papa, maybe?"

I wanted to hold up my middle finger up at his face but for the sake of respect —
"How about you go back to your goddamn lab? I'm sure there are far better experiments waiting for you to test them there."

I kept on making my way up.

"Phoebe." His voice halted me on my feet again.

"What, Papa?" I gritted my teeth, sick.

"Come with me," he ordered sternly. "There's something I need to show you."

Show me? Did he forget that I couldn't see anything?

Before I could let out any complaints, his feet were moving. His footsteps were fading, so I hurriedly trotted down the stairs and followed him. He had a tendency of not waiting on anybody, and it was the most irritating thing ever.

Did he think everyone worshipped at his feet? The brute.

I rushed until I could sense him close to me. I couldn't afford to lose sight of him, as impossible as it sounded.

I reached out my hand and grabbed his sleeve. With that, I let him guide the way.

The silence dragged my mind back to the encounter with Averista and–her mother?

I had been trying to avoid the thoughts ever since I left their trailer. I didn't want to acknowledge the anger that kept growing in my guts at how Averista had lied to me. Moreover, how Halima had never mentioned that she had a daughter before.

Wasn't I trustworthy enough? Why didn't anybody ever tell me anything?

What was Averista's intention in keeping that a secret from me? She knew me more than she made me believe she did. Her sweetness had been driving me too crazy to even see all this coming. In all my life, I had never thought it would ever be possible for me to be mad at the one person who made me feel alive. The first person who ever made my insides turn by the mere thought of her. But now she was making me question everything. Was everyone around me a set up scheme? Was Averista also one of my father's 'paid best friends' brought up to take away my attention from my misery? Should I be worried about my safety around her right now? I didn't even know who to trust anymore.

Déjà vu. That's what it was.

I had met Noreen under the same circumstances. I had gotten so attached to her, thinking she was there to save me, only to discover that she was actually not the angel she proclaimed herself to be. Did I give out my trust too easily? Will I ever even find someone to truly trust? Someone with no ulterior motives to harm me or chase on my money. I just wanted someone genuine. Was that too much to ask? And why was Averista the only person I wanted to be with despite it all? Maybe that was her initial intention—to wrap me around her little finger.