Adrien never thought he would be where he was. He never thought he'd be watching his mother leave out the heavy double doors of his home. What he thought was home. He had never thought he would hear the words that had spilled from her lips, as she had pried his arms from around her waist. The words that hurt his heart and set a fire to his soul. Words that made his throat dry and his voice croak.

"I can't stand this anymore. I can't handle you anymore. I can't handle any of this anymore." His mother had tears rolling down her cheeks and she pulled her crying son from her waist.

The words, 'wait, wait, wait' still lingering on his lips. Still spilled from his mouth like a broken matra. Words that still left him to his knees on the ground of the grand foyer. Even as his father's fists tightened on his shirt. Even as his father spat hateful words in his face. Even as his father shook him…. Nothing mattered. Nothing his father could do, phased him.

Her words echoed in his mind and the room around them and he was dead inside. He was left in the dark and everything blurred around him. His father threw him to the ground. "It's your fault. All of this is your fault."

Adrien's face was blank and his head was empty aside from the pain, aside from the ache in his heart. The sound of the doors closing ricocheting like bullets. Of the sounds of her suitcase rolling along the tile.

"It's all your doing! You're worthless!" His father kicked him while he was on the ground and he didn't make a sound.

His mother's green eyes appeared before his eyes and he wrapped his own arms around himself, pretending it was her. Just for a moment, feeling her warmth. But his father's words conjoined with his mothers. He finally whimpered the words, "It is my fault."

His father yanked him up. "Go to your room and practice your piano!"

Adrien let his feet carry him up the stairs and to his bedroom, not really paying attention to how he got there or what had happened. His mind was lost in negative loops and he shut his bedroom door behind him. Adrien set his phone into the docking system,threw himself into his pillow, and sobbed.

"It's my fault… all my fault…" He muttered over and over again until his throat ran dry and he couldn't speak anymore, choking on tears.

Chloe cracked open his bedroom door and peeked in. Her expression turned to concern and she walked over to him on his bed. He felt an extra weight on his bed and peered up at her from his pillow with swollen red eyes. She sighed and ran a hand along his shoulders to comfort him. He suddenly sat up and wrapped his arms around her and sobbed harder into her shoulder.

Tears fell down her face. "It's not your fault. It's never been your fault. I should know. My maman left when I was little. Remember? I blamed myself for years… It took time for me to realize it wasn't me. One day? You'll see it too, Adrikins. I promise." She hugged him tighter and he gripped at her shirt with his nails and tugged her closer.