Breaking Bedlam (Beautiful Bedlam Book 2) (9 page)

“For the love of God, will you answer me?” she screeched and knocked the mug on to the floor causing it to break and shatter across the floor.

“What the hell is wrong with you?” her mom yelled and jumped back. She heard a strange humming in her ears and smacked her ear slightly to get the voices out. “Nothing. I’m fine.” She huffed and put her fingers in her ears and paced around some more. “Ever since you were a child, you were always weird but I accepted that. But now, its almost as if you’re completely insane. You don’t sleep at night; you talk and yap, yap and yap relentlessly at times like you just can’t stop. Then all of a sudden you sit there moping in bed for days and days at a time. And don’t think I don’t see you talking to yourself.”

“I don’t talk to myself. You’re over reacting as usual and you’re deflecting! Lets go back to the real problems we have! Did dad even know about Annie?” she asked thinking back to the huge argument they had on the night he passed away. Her mother remained silent and jaw clenched. Her facial expression gave Sienna the answer she needed.

“When did he find out? When did he find out that yet again you went behind his back and had an affair and that he was raising another man’s child yet
again
?” she asked standing taller and coming right up to her mother’s face gazing unflinchingly in to her conflicted guilt-ridden hazel eyes.

“You know when.” She whispered back shakily.

“You let everyone blame me. You let them think it was my fault he died. You let
me
think for
months
that it was my fault he died!” she gasped. She felt her shoulders slump and the air suddenly leave her body leaving her feeling completely deflated.

“What are you talking about? Nobody blamed you!” her mother exclaimed baffled by Sienna’s accusations.

“No one can know about Annie. She can never find out! She’s all I have!” Maria hissed as she noticed her daughter going in to another one of her manic episodes. “She’s all you have left of Logan’s dad you mean. God, you’re pathetic. That’s why you disapproved of Logan; you were too scared I would get too close to finding out the truth somehow! And as for Annie she deserves to know the truth about her father one day!” Sienna shouted as her mom tried to grab hold of her arms.

“Get off of me!” Sienna yelled. She could hear the thunderous footsteps of her hefty elder siblings tearing down the staircase.

“I disapproved of Logan because he’s extremely wealthy, chauvinistic and too good for you. I’m trying to save you a lifetime of pain. Walk away from him now before its too late. Before you end up marrying the wrong man, living in the wrong house, hearing constant lies about how much he loves you and is going to leave his wife for you until one day out f the blue he decides you’re not worth it and he dismisses you like a scorned child. So in the end all you’re left with is a broken heart and a void nothing in this world can fill but him. You spend years yearning for a just mere glance of him. That’s what you’re subdued to.” She whimpered and collapsed in to a fit of gasping tears.

She was a trembling tear jerking mess. Meredith and Cora burst in to the kitchen and took in the situation immediately.

“What the hell is going on?” Cora barked as she danced around the broken bits of porcelain. She was barefoot so that can tell you all about her level of intellect and refinement.

“Who broke my coffee mug?” Meredith squawked staring straight at Sienna’s face as if that was the biggest problem this family were facing.

“What’s going on?” she then asked inquisitively. She waited for her mom to say something, anything, but she didn’t. She remained mute and impassive just like her heart. Instead she wiped away her tears and started gathering up the letters and returning them back in to the box.

“Nothing. I’ll clean up the mess. Just…go back to bed.” Sienna sighed as her mom avoided her disappointed gaze. “I’m not going anywhere until somebody tells me what the hell’s going on!” Meredith yelled then screwed her eyes at Sienna for a few short moments.

“You’re
pregnant
, aren’t you?” she gasped. Sienna stilled instantly as all eyes fell upon her followed by deafening silence.

7.

“No!” Sienna yelped suddenly.

“
God
, why would you even think that?” she asked outraged that she would even think that. Did her family know her at all?

“What? Its not a shocking question with the way you’ve been behaving recently.” She said derisively with a sneer on her face. Sienna closed her eyes and took a deep breath, choosing to ignore her sister even though it was clear she had been sent on Earth to drive Sienna crazy.

“I’m not pregnant. I’m still a virgin. Not that it’s any of your damn business!” She sighed annoyed with her sister’s disbelieving looks.

“Well then why is mom crying?” she bellowed.

“I’m fine, girls, honestly go to bed.” She replied softly and blew her nose on a piece of Kleenex tissue.  Meredith and Cora exchanged disbelieving looks with each other and stood their ground. They weren’t going anywhere without answers.

“Are you going to tell them or should I?” Sienna asked her mother. Her mother stood up and wrapped her arms around her eldest daughters and took a deep breath.

“I will.” She replied shakily.

“Tell us what?” Meredith asked sounding like a frightened child. Cora remained silent and wide-eyed as if she were expecting her mom to announce she had cancer or something. “Just say it mom!” Meredith yapped. Her heart raced and thudded against her ribcage rhythmically sounding like the hooves of a thoroughbred charging for battle. ‘
This is it. She’s finally going to tell them about her all of her affairs. She’ll tell them how it wasn’t my fault daddy died. She’s finally going to tell them about her drink problem. Finally, everything will be out in the open and I won’t feel so alone buried alive with all these secrets anymore
.’ She thought feeling immensely relieved. Maria rubbed her beloved daughter’s backs and looked at them lovingly before turning to look at Sienna. Something suddenly shifted in her hazel eyes that sparked confusion in Sienna’s mind.

“Your sister is severely ill. She has been for quite some time. She needs medical and professional help.” She breathed out and looked at Sienna worryingly. Sienna could see both her sisters exhale breaths of relief simultaneously as they took in the new information.

“What? Me? I’m fine! You’re the one who needs help!” Sienna shouted.
How dare she? How dare she turn this all on me?
She thought frantically. Meredith hugged her mom tightly. “Oh thank God, for a second there I thought you were going to say cancer.” She said erratically.

“Oh for the love of God and all that is holy! I am
not
pregnant and I do
not
have cancer! What the hell goes on in your head?” Sienna shrieked exasperatedly putting her hands in the air and began taking her shoes off. Her feet were sore from wearing heels for so long and her mind was torn up from lack of sleep and an overdose of family drama.

“I don’t care about you, you idiot! I was talking about mom. Just for a moment there, I thought you were seriously ill or something.” Meredith sighed.

“I’m fine, sweetheart. Trust me I’m not going anywhere any time soon.” Maria replied calmly.

“Mom, you’re not fine. Please for
once
in your life will you just please tell the truth!” Sienna hissed. Her mom returned her with a steely glare.

“I am telling the truth. You’re sick. You need help.” She said in a low voice.

“That’s it! I’ve had enough of your constant lies. Mom cheated on dad at least twice!” Sienna shouted putting two fingers up in the air for emphasis and began pacing around.

“Do you even know what the hell you’re saying Sienna?” Cora scolded her little sister for her ridiculous accusations. Mom and dad were completely and madly in love. She would never in a million years have ever cheated on dad! She looked at her sister’s jumpy eyes jumping from corner to corner wildly. She noticed her tugging on her ear nervously every few seconds. That wasn’t the first time she had seen her do that. Mom was right. There was something seriously wrong with Sienna.

“She cheated on dad with another guy; with my biological father. Dad found out and forgave her but then she cheated on dad again this time with Logan’s dad and had Annie and-“ Sienna began rambling and explaining herself very quickly as she saw the trio looking down at her as if she were a broken toy that needed fixing or throwing away.

“Sienna calm down.” Meredith barked angrily as if that was magically going to tranquilize her.

“Don’t tell me to calm down! You calm down! Why is no one even listening?” she hissed. The ringing in her left ear returned again, the sound was almost deafeningly loud and piercing gave her a throbbing headache.

“Annie’s dad is Mr. Jackson. Cora, you believe me right?” she asked with pleading eyes. She needed at least somebody on her side.

“Mr. Jackson, Logan’
s dad? You mean the Senator?” she asked skeptically.

“Yes! Why’s that so hard to believe? He and mom used to date back in high school! That’s why mom hated me dating Logan. It wasn’t because she hated him, it was because she was scared I would get too close to finding out the truth and I did!” Sienna said breathing heavily. She could feel her eyes prickling and brimming with tears. ‘
Why does nobody believe me?
’

‘
Nobody believes you because nobody believes in you. Besides, nobody believes a nobody.’
That smug patronizing voice in her head sneered at her confusing her furthermore. All three of her family members stared at her for a moment with shocked slightly horrified expressions on their faces.

“What? What now? Why are you all staring at me as if I drowned a damn puppy?” she snapped. She followed their line of sight and looked down at her bare feet riddled with warm ruby rich blood. She carefully lifted her foot up and took out a large piece of porcelain from the broken mug out from her flesh where it had somehow got lodged deep within. She then chucked it in the garbage disposal unit without wincing at all.

“I can prove it! You all think I’m crazy but I’m not. I’m not! Look!” she said and froze as her eyes fell on to the empty island countertop.

“Where are the letters? Mom, where are the damn letters?” she asked and began rummaging in the many cupboards. “What are you talking about? Sienna, just stop, before someone gets hurt!” Maria shouted. “Sienna this is getting ridiculous. Stop! You’re getting blood all over the kitchen tiles!” Meredith yelled and tried to hold her arms and pin her down, as she were a rabid dog. However, Sienna was much more athletic and leaner in structure and squirmed out of her reach easily swatting her way as if she were a fly.  Meredith ricocheted off the kitchen countertop and on to the hard cold floor. Sienna snatched the box from the larder and began displaying the letters frantically before turning around to see what she had done. Maria and Cora were crouched over Meredith calling her name hysterically. There was no response.

“What happened?” Sienna gasped terrified. She clasped her hand over her heart in shock.

“You. You happened that’s what. You did this.” Her mother spat out and looked up at her with hot angry tears gushing down her face.

“Me? No. No, No.” Sienna replied shaking her head refusing to believe her. She had only wanted to show everyone the truth. To show everyone that she wasn’t crazy. She never meant to hurt anyone. Cora put her finger to Meredith’s neck.

“She’s fine. She’s just out cold.” She replied.

“I’m moving her to the sofa.” Maria announced happy to leave the room. She couldn’t stand another second looking at the runt of her litter. She was disgusted by her behavior.
Why couldn’t she just keep her mouth shut?
She asked herself bitterly over and over again.

“Cora, look. The letters, they say the truth. I’m not lying.” Sienna said and outstretched her arm handing her the fistful of letters. Cora put a hand over her eyes and sighed tired of Sienna’s drama. She didn’t understand why anyone would make up such lies. Why on Earth would create problems just for the heck of it? Was it more attention? Cora didn’t know. One thing was for certain; Sienna was clearly unhinged. She had been ever since their father’s funeral.

“Please, just read them. That’s all I’m asking for.” Sienna pleaded. Cora looked in to her sister’s bright green imploring eyes.
Green
eyes. None of her parents had green eyes, not even her grandparents or aunts or uncles. Everyone had various shades of honey, amber, hazel, brown even grey. No green whatsoever. Although Sienna had inherited her mom’s Columbian curves and long dark hair and full lips, the rest of her came from someone else completely. She was tall and slender whilst they were shorter and stouter in stature. She didn’t look like any of her siblings and nothing like their dad.
Maybe
, just maybe she was telling the truth. Cora was just about to take the letters scrunched up in Sienna’s fist before their mom snatched it out of her hands making sure she got every single letter and held it in the air away from her reach.

“Don’t listen to her lies. You’re just encouraging her insanity. We must pray for your sister.” Maria said and walked out of the room to the living room where Meredith still lay motionless as a doll. Sienna ran after her only to find her burning the letters in the fireplace.

“See? She’s burning them! Cora look!” she said and spun around to find no one behind her.

“Sienna, just stop it! You’re only making it worse for yourself!” Maria whispered. Her face looked eerily beautiful yet sinister with the light of the fire reflecting against her olive skin.

“I hate you.” Sienna spat out angrily. “I know but you’ll forgive me one day. You’ll have to. I’m the only mother you have. Whereas you on the other hand are not my only daughter.” She replied without a hint of remorse on her face.

“You’re making it look as though I’m some insane lunatic making all of this up! You’re making everyone think that I’m crazy!” she hissed.

“No dear, you’re doing that all by yourself.” Maria replied and stood up and went back to the kitchen to get an icepack for Meredith’s bruised forehead. Sienna followed her again. Cora was on the floor wiping the white tails smeared with blood.

“For goodness sake, can you at least put on a bandage and stop walking around. You’re getting blood everywhere its disgusting.” She hissed angry that she had even considered for a second that she was telling the truth. Sienna grabbed the old high school yearbook and showed Cora the page wherein Mr. Jackson had signed. Look. To
Maria
, I can’t believe high school’s already over. I don’t know how I’ll manage without you when I’m gone. Although things look they’re about to drastically change for the worst, know that with the welcoming of every new season there comes new opportunities for new memories, memories of us.  There can be no blossoms in the spring without the passing of a beautiful white winter. And it goes on and on. And he even signed it; I will love you always and forever, Robert Aaron Jackson. R-A-J.” Sienna read out and showed Cora the picture of their mom and Logan’s dad blissfully happy and young.