Chapter 9

I never told my mom or anyone else what happened between Mark and I. Instead, I got myself focused on getting ready for college. I wanted to go for business so that I could learn to run my own tattoo shop. After that, I planned on going to a tattoo school in California, just to get away from all the drama and terrible memories of this place. My mom was kind of upset about it but…I had to do it you know?

About a week before my departure, I received terrible news that my father had been murdered in a bombing. I was so distraught over the news, that I actually thought about not going to college and staying home with my mom.

"No honey, you keep following your dreams." She told me at his funeral. "Your father would have wanted it that way."

"Yeah but what about you mom?" I asked her. "I don't want to leave you behind if you're going to be sad."

She smiled and then hugged me, "I'm a strong woman Serena…just like you."

I smiled behind her, "Thanks mom."

She stepped back from me and smiled, "I want you to get away from this place. You need to start your own life."

I nodded, "Ok mom."

Just as I turned to go outside I came face to face with my cousin, Sara. She sniffled and pulled me into a tight hug. I wasn't even sure if I wanted to hug her back at first but her tears made me somewhat feel bad for her. Like me, she too was close with my father. I missed those times when she and I actually did get along.

"Oh Serena, I'm so sorry about your dad." She said as she pulled away, "How are you holding up?"

"Pretty good…I'm leaving for school tomorrow." I told her.

She smiled, "Wow where to?"

"Arizona, I'm going there for business management." I told her.

"Sweet, I'm happy for you." She said.

I nodded and then remembered that she and Mark had just went through a divorce, "How are you holding up?"

She sighed and looked away from me, "Ok I guess."

"Are you sure? You know you can talk to me about it." I said, trying to reassure her.

She sighed and then asked me to come outside with her. I nodded and followed her, unsure of her intentions until we got outside.

Without warning, she turned around and smacked me across the face. She had hit me so hard that my nose began to bleed.

"What the hell is your problem!" I screamed as I held my nose.

She kicked off her heels with fury, "You're my problem! How dare you smile in my face after what you did!"

I wasn't prepared to take the hit that landed in my belly and then one to my face. I fell onto my back as she mounted me and began throwing punches. I heard my mom and few other people yelling for her to stop before Steve scooped her up off of me. I sat up and started crying from all the pain in my face.

"Sara! What in the hell has gotten into you!" Steve yelled. "Her father was just buried and you're acting like this!"

She struggled to get back to me as I stood up. "Let the bitch go! If she wants a fight I'll give her one!"

"Absolutely not!" my mom yelled. "Sara what is the meaning of this!"

She chuckled, "Oh she didn't tell you! Your little brat fucked my ex-husband!"

Everyone gasped and looked at me, including my mother.

"Yeah, Serena fucked my ex-husband while we were on that trip!" she screamed. "He told me everything!"

My mom sighed, "Is this true honey?"

I didn't know what to say as I looked into my mother's eyes. Damn this was going to hurt her so much, but I knew I had to tell the truth.

"Yes…it's true." I said.

"Serena!" My mom yelled. "How could you!"

I started crying, "He trapped me in a cabin with him for three days and basically forced me to…It wasn't my fault that your man was a bastard and you were a slut!"

She tore for Steve's grip and charged at me, only to get knocked on her ass by my mother. "Sara! Get in your car and leave now! Serena…get in the house. I'll be in there to talk to you in a second."

I nodded and turned around so I could go in the house. When I got in there, I went straight up to my bathroom and washed all the blood from my nose and mouth. What a bitch…she would catch me off guard like that. Then again…I didn't really blame her for feeling the way she did. After all…Mark and I did sleep together while they were still married but she was cheating anyway!

"Serena!" My mom yelled as she came up the steps. I sat down on the edge of the bathtub and waited for her to find me. I knew this wouldn't be a good conversation but I mentally prepared myself for it anyway.

"I'm in here mom." I said.

She came into the doorway of the bathroom and folded her arms, "Serena…I am very disappointed in you. How could you sleep with your cousin's husband?"

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, "I didn't mean to mom…besides she was already cheating on him anyway."

"Yes but that doesn't make it ok to go through with it Serena." She said. "Did he really force you or did he give you a choice?"

I dropped my gaze from her, "He told me that if I did it…he would move me down to Texas and open up a tattoo shop for me."

"And you fell for it?" she said.

"Mom I tried to fight him as much as I could…but…I don't know…I guess I felt like I wanted to do it. Sara has been nothing but a bitch to me for years…it's about time I got some revenge."

She shook her head, "I can't believe you just said that. Serena you're nothing like Sara! How could you stoop to her level?"

I sighed and folded my arms. "I don't know mom, but it happened and now it's over with. Mark and I are done and so are Sara and I."

She sighed, "Ok then, but I want you to apologize to her, even if she's still mad after the fact."

"Why should I? She's never apologized to me for things she's done!" I yelled as I stood up.

"Yes but like I said…you're nothing like her and you know it. Maybe that's part of the reason Mark decided to sleep with you."

"No. He just used me for a little pleasure….at least that's what he said." I said.

She glanced down at her feet, "Did it feel that way when you were sleeping together?"

"What do you mean?" I asked.

She rubbed the back of her neck and then looked at me. "When a man makes love to a woman…you can always tell if there is passion behind it…tell me…did he seem passionate during the experience?"

Tears filled my eyes as I thought about it, "Yes."

She nodded, "I figured. Any time Mark was around at family functions, I could see how he looked at you."

I sighed, "You did?"

"Yes. I just never thought he would let it get this far." She said. "Look you go to school tomorrow and put all of this behind you. Sara will probably get over this eventually."

I nodded, "Ok mom…I'm sorry I put you through this."

"It's alright…I just hope you've learned your lesson."

I nodded as she left the bathroom. Come tomorrow morning, I planned to be gone from this place…never to return again.