Joan's POV
" Why are you attacking me now? You have been acting like this ever since Hannah went missing…are you going to keep acting like dad now?" I asked her so many questions at the same time, that it appeared to her, as if I was arguing with her.
"Oh shut your mouth!" She scolded me, at once.
"Hmm" I winced in pain, when I noticed my bone had shifted a little in my ankle.
I managed to limp to the couch, twisting and massaging my ankle, while she gave me a disgusting look.
I couldn't care less about what was in her mind, here I was in pain and there she was, looking at me like as if I was a criminal.
"I don't want to regret giving birth to you honestly" she lamented while she signaled for a maid to come.
"Go clean this mess up" she instructed the maid.
I had to turn to look at the so-called mess she was referring to. Only for me to discover that there was oil spilled all over the lower stairs, as if someone had intended for me to fall, and get seriously hurt.
"Mum" I looked at my mum suspiciously, since she was the one disappointed that I didn't fall.
"Oh please! Don't look at me like that. You see why I always have second thoughts about who is smarter between you and Hannah" She heaved a huge breath, and took a seat next to me.
"What is it?" I rolled my eyes, and crossed my legs. Waiting for the long lecture she was about to feed me.
"Ever since Hannah went missing, your father has been on. From one police station to another, hiring the best detectives to go in search of her. Or have you been too busy to notice that?" She asked me.
"No, I have not been too busy to notice it. Yet, I still don't get your point of where this conversation is headed" I shook my head aggressively, while I struggled to take my leave.
"Will you sit back down? I am talking to you, don't forget that I am your mother, so I can always put you back in your place.
Just in case you might have forgotten that fact" she cautioned me, when she noticed that I had gotten off the couch.
I couldn't bring myself to say anything to her, believe it or not. I was somehow scared of my mom, her mind can be very dangerous.
"Good" she was satisfied after I had taken my seat again.
"Now, I want you to injure yourself. I don't care how you do it, but you just have to do it, since you have refused to fall down the damn stairs" she instructed me.
"And why would I do such a thing to myself? That sounds like something that I would do to Hannah'' I responded, so clearly.
"Oh, my sweet girl. Sometimes you just act brainless. Can't you see that your father is only doing all this now, because he is scared for her life? If a similar thing is to happen to you, then he will shift his attention towards you as well" she explained.
But still, I didn't see any way I would on my try to harm myself, it was something that I will happily do to Hannah, but myself…uhhh…quite complicated.
"Why are you squeezing your face like that? You don't have to put yourself in real pain.
It can just be a small fracture, a little injury, but how much attention you get from your father will have to depend on your acting skills'' my mum explained to me, and I looked away from her for a few seconds, I thought hard about what she said.
"Mum, are you sure this is going to work? I don't want to hurt myself for no good reason" I frowned.
"You are talking like I asked you to go stand in front of a vehicle or something. Just pretend, act, slip on a banana peel, or something. I don't know what is wrong with you, this silly girl. '' She didn't seem happy that I was having double thoughts about the whole thing.
I am not to be blamed though, anyone in my position would think the same way.
"If you want to get your father's attention and all his love, then this is your only opportunity. Because, as it stands now, he doesn't care about your existence.
I have said what I had to, if you like it, then you take it. If you don't, excuse me" she hissed and walked away from me.
Honestly, I don't know how I am expected to handle my mum. If I go left, she wants me to go right, and by the time I start going right, she suddenly needs me to go left.
I buried my head in my palms, confused about what to do next…my confusion didn't last for long though, as a wonderful idea just struck me, and it came just in time.
Dad, I am sorry for what I am going to do next, but you can't just be diverting all your attention towards Hannah, especially when she isn't present. Now, you are going to have all your energy focused on me and only me, no one else.
It was already 11 pm, as Joan sneaked out of the house, with plans to return before 3 am. She put on her party dress and held her heels in her hands as she tiptoed out of the house like a thief.
*****
"It took you so long to get here?" James was pissed, he had been waiting for her at the club for over an hour. Not like he wasn't enjoying himself during that hour, but still she had promised to be there earlier.
"I am sorry, you know how my mum can get when she is upset, and right now.
The house isn't in such good shape that I would want to piss her off, so I just had to sneak out….I'm sorry babe" she pleaded with him, not taking her eyes off the guy that was standing behind him.