Page 236 of Obsession

It breaks my heart to know that you gave up dancing because of me.

I am sorry that I made this decision. I believed until the last moment that I would take you with me, that you would choose to come with me. You know how close we were and I would have given anything to have you here with me. I would never have left you, Katherine.

Your father and I no longer had a future together. I started a new life, and he probably did the same.

But you still connect us, sweetheart, and I wish with all my heart that even if you don’t want to live with me, you will at least talk to me.

I know you hate Hugh, but I can’t change my decision. I am going to marry him and I want you to come to my wedding, Kath. I need you, darling. I need you to forgive me and at least tolerate me if you can’t love me anymore.

You are and always will be my soul, and I can’t take this step without you. I hope you won’t hate me even more because of it.

Maybe one day you will understand why I did it.

I love you, my little girl!

I clutched the paper tighter to stifle the sobs and tears that had returned like a storm. I sank to my knees and swallowed painfully.

Why had she done this to me?

I reread the last words and gritted my teeth. She didn’t even have the decency to write by hand to show me how she really felt. This text was poetic and cliché, probably written by someone else and typed into the computer.

Angrily, I walked towards the box, not caring what was inside. I picked it up, it was heavy, and I threw it straight over the balcony, letting out another scream of rage, expressing all the sorrow inside me, hoping it would release it.

I was wearing nothing but a towel and noticed my neighbor outside in her yard, watering her flowers. She let out a short scream as the box hit the ground loudly.

“What?” I yelled at the old lady, who looked at me like I had no manners.

Maybe I didn’t have any, but who the fuck cared?

I turned around and slammed the door behind me.

I didn’t want her damn presents, and she still didn’t realize that she couldn’t buy me with them.

How dare she invite me to her wedding? How could she think for a second that I would accept? It was obvious why it was hard for her to marry that bastard: she didn’t love him. She did it for his money, but she felt forced and tortured because she had lost me. Somehow I felt good, at least that proved she loved me a little.

I was her child. Even a beast loved its cub, but my mother didn’t love me enough. It was a matter of priorities, and there were many things ahead of me on that list.

I threw the towel off me and pulled on a pair of black jeans and a black T-shirt.

Harris.

As soon as I saw myself in the mirror, I thought of him.

He was the only one I had left, even if he was also the cause of the chaos around me.

I would have cried some more, but I had no tears left.

I smoked another cigarette to give myself some courage so I could go back and get my phone.

I sat on the bed, my hair wetting my T-shirt and causing discomfort.

I wanted to go to the bathroom to get a towel, but on the way there I stopped when I heard that engine. It braked so suddenly that I could hear the wheels squealing even from inside the house. I stopped at the window and breathed a sigh of shock when I saw Harris get out of the car and walk quickly towards my house.

My neighbor was outraged.

“Young man, this street is not a racetrack!” She shouted at him, but Harris just ignored her, making me giggle.

I heard the front door open loudly and his quick footsteps coming up the stairs.

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