Betrayal and sadness, that's Jade.
16 year old Jade Lockwood stumbled upon a dark path when her father abandoned her and her mother when she was only 10. She believes that hacking is her escape. Binary digits and codes don't lie like people do. Thin...
The rain kept thumping on the overhead roof, making a loud irritating sound. The weather was less than pleasant, it was dark and gloomy, parallel to the Lockwood Residence that night.
"I can't stand it anymore Rachel!"
Little Jadelyn, no more than 10 years of age, walked slowly towards the stairs, her teddy bear held close to her chest and numerous scenarios running wildly in her head about what her parents could possibly be fighting about. Her long sleeved pyjamas were enough to shield her body from the bitter coldness of the night but her feet instantly became ice cold as she walked towards the large staircase. Regretting she didn't put on any socks, she tiptoed slowly down the stairs.
"Stop screaming, you're going to wake Jade up!"
As curiosity got the best of her, Jade held onto the railings and listened attentively as her mother and father had their third fight that week.
"You know what? I don't care anymore. I'm leaving, you can raise your daughter on your own!"
"My daughter? She's yours too!"
From the nadir of the staircase, Jade looked at her parents who were in the kitchen, with a tinge of sadness in her eyes, a single tear cascaded her cheek and fell on the stairs. No child likes hearing their parents argue, nonetheless, for three consecutive nights.
As her parents exited the kitchen they saw their daughter waiting impatiently for some news about what the commotion was about. Rachel's heart sunk 20 feet deep when she saw her daughter in an anxious, melancholic state.
"Mum, dad, are you guys fighting again?" she questioned with a slight sniffle in her tone.
Her father, looking as angry as the last two nights he came home from work and her mum, looking so pale and worried.
"No honey, mum and dad are just talking."
Brave as she was, Jade's mum could never bring herself to tell her daughter whenever her and her husband got into a fight, simply out of fear that it would affect Jade.
"Talking? That's what you call it!?" replied her husband in a tone of pure anger.
John Lockwood marched up the stairs and every step he took made the stairs shake slightly. When he was a hair's breadth away from Jade, he looked at her with disgust and looked back at his now soon-to-be ex wife.
"As for her," he held onto Jade's arm and the poor child could do no more but wince, she knew fighting would have been in vain, clearly she didn't stand a chance fighting her own muscular father, "you can have her!"
Rachel gasped and covered her mouth when she saw John push Jade down the stairs towards her. With opened arms she grabbed hold of her sole daughter and held firmly as she planted numerous kisses on her forehead.
"It's going to be okay, it's going to be okay," she whispered repeatedly to make sure her daughter had reassurance. Reassurance that no matter how messed up things are now, in the end everything will eventually turn out right, or so she thought.
She could hear how fast Jade's heart was racing and took pity for her child. Her cerulean blue eyes immediately filled with tears, so glossy that you could practically see your reflection in them.
Rachel jumped when she heard John coming down the stairs. Reluctantly, she shot her head up to look at him when he opened the door to make his departure. A huge gust of wind invaded the house making a few portraits fall off the wall and hitting the floor with a loud thud.
"John don't go, it's raining outside!"
Instantaneously there was a loud clap of thunder and Jade buried her face in the crook of her mother's neck, the place she always rested her head whenever she was in fear or in doubt and right now she was feeling both.
"Why do you care!? Feel free to run back to your office boyfriend, I'm sure he'll take care of you and your daughter!"
His wild and preposterous accusations were enough to leave a bruise on Rachel's heart. Nothing hurts a female more than being accused of things that she never did, but because Jade was here she pretended like everything was going to be okay.
In the midst of the darkness, Rachel stared at John's vehicle as the darkness swallowed it whole.
John's departure was inevitable. She knew that eventually he would leave, especially after hearing those twisted rumours their neighbours generously shared with him.
Her only worry now was whether or not her daughter was going to be alright. Physically, yes she was alright, but the fact that she just witnessed her own father abandoning her was going to leave her scarred and tainted, for as long as time ran its course.
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