Billionaire's Peeping Piper

XX. Difficult to Accept

Piper's POV:

Finally, it came.

Crystal stood in front of me.

I poured my face into my palms and after a moment of silence, I looked up. "What do you want to do now?" I asked.

Crystal got expelled from elementary school.

"Homeschool. I want to be homeschool."

Homeschool. An option we never had.

"With what money?" I question. I pinched my lips, "With what money?"

Crystal small fingers curled inward, "I don't need school. All those kids are a bunch of phonies anyways. They pretend to be nice to me in front of the teacher and then, they say shit about me."

My eyes widen when I heard Crystal cursed for the first time.

I stood up, "Where did you hear that word from?"

Crystal puckered his lips and looked away.

I kneeled and grabbed her shoulders. I wish I can shake some sense into this little body. "Where did you learn how to speak like that?"

She didn't respond to me.

"Crystal! You know you're not supposed to say those things!" Not at this age anyways. "What would you do once your dad hear-"

Crystal sucked in her red cheeks and slapped my hands away. "Who cares?! Haven't you heard?! Dad is dead!"

Without control, I slapped her.

She stood there in front of me with her head tilted to the side. When she looked at me with widen eyes, I noticed how pale her skin had become. She haven't been playing outside like she used to.

Crystal's eyes narrowed and a spiteful look made its appearance. Her small fingers curled inward, "I hate you!"

I know she doesn't mean it.

"I wish you weren't my mom!"

She doesn't mean it.

"I wish dad was here instead!"

When Crystal noticed her words, she covered her mouth. Her eyes widen once more, but with a different reason.

Neither of us spoke.

It was a hard pill to swallow - the truth. The reality that maybe, things would've been better if I was the one who disappeared instead of Emerson.

Emerson would've known what to do in this situation. The solution had always been easy for him.

My eyes went everywhere - anywhere except the fragile body in front of me. The tears escaped and I quickly wiped it away. I gripped firmly onto the sleeves and bit my lower lip so hard - it bleed.

Crystal reached for me, but retracted her hand. She hid it behind her back and looked away.

I know she didn't mean it.

It was merely a burst of anger.

I took a few blinks to wash away the tears, but it didn't work. "You're right," I whispered. "Maybe, it would've been better if your dad was here instead of me." I stood up, and made my way towards the bedroom.

I know I should've talked with Crystal. To somehow reassure her that everything will eventually be okay. How the pain will pass.

But, I couldn't do it.

The pain is still there.

I closed the bedroom door and slide downward. A low cry made it's way into the silence.