Innocent Emily Kim

Chapter 31: Mother Knows Best

Mari Kim released a resolute no. She was starting to lose trust in her daughter. No one spends an entire weekend at a sleepover, she thought.

Emily's heart pounded in her ears. She hadn't seen enough of Aiden at school. They didn't share any classes. The only chance she had to see him was lunch, which was spent with their friends. She craved his closeness. His sweet words. His goofy laugh and cocky smile. She wanted him, badly.

"Please, mother. I won't ask you for anything else ever again," Emily pleaded from across the marble counter, waiting for the fat-full cookies to bake.

Mari frowned, crossing her arms and narrowing her eyes at her weak daughter. I should've had a son, she reflected, thinking about the family name. It would end with her.

"I said no. My word is final," she spat out, setting her jaw. Her eyes sparked with fury at her disrespectful daughter.

Emily's lips parted slightly, her heart hurting. She needed Aiden to breathe. He was the only one she wanted to comfort her, to calm her pulsing veins. There must be another way, she pondered.

"I-I was going to see Nathan. He can come over here, right?"

Mari Kim's eyes searched her daughter's face, looking for any signs of guilt. She couldn't find any.

"He's the gay boy?"

Emily inwardly cringed at how critical her mother sounded. She nodded, her brows furrowing slightly.

Mari huffed.

"Fine. He can stay over. I don't want you whoring around with anyone in our house. You've got responsibilities to uphold as a Kim."

Emily's head tilted down.

"Yes, mother."

The timer rung in the background. Emily grabbed a mitt and opened the oven, pulling the cookies out. She set the pan down on the white marble counter.

"Perfect. Did you make the snickerdoodles this time? You know they're my favorite," her mother mused.

"I did," Emily responded monotonously.

"Look up when you're spoken to," Mari Kim chastised.

Emily's head shot up. She wanted to glare at her mother, but she couldn't. She didn't need more reprimanding.

Mari grabbed a cookie from the still warm pan, bringing the sweet treat to her mouth. Biting down on the cinnamon sugar dessert, she watched her daughter shift the balance in her feet.

"Also, I'm going to a conference on Saturday. It's in Seattle, so I'll likely be back on Sunday. Just a quick trip, but I'm grounding you for the time being. Stay in the house, do you understand?" her eyes narrowed as she pointed warningly at her suspicious daughter.

"It's not like we could anywhere anyway," Emily grumbled under her breath.

Her mother's eyes flared.

"What did you say?" She raised her voice, demanding control.

"Nothing," Emily spoke out. "We won't go anywhere."

Mari grabbed another cookie.

"Good. And tell your friend not to try on any of my clothes. I don't want him stretching them out. I have a figure to uphold."

Emily sighed quietly.

"He's not like that," she reciprocated.

"Sure he isn't," Mari replied, not convinced.

Emily pursed her lips, wishing her mother would just eat her cookies in silence. Mari looked at her daughter, wondering why she was still here.

"You may leave," Mari commented, hoping Emily would take the hint.