Chapter 17: A Lonely Flower's Past
"Princess." The charming voice of my father entered my ears.
"Darling." He continued to call out to me.
"I want to sleep, Papa," I refused to open my eyes.
"Sugar Pea... Are you really going to sleep in on your birthday? Well, I guess I tried. You'll just sleep your birthday away this year."
"Birthday!" I jumped up immediately.
"Morning, Birthday girl," He greeted me.
"Good morning!" I replied excitedly.
"Well, my little Rosebud, you need to get ready, or you'll be staying home alone today. We have a big day planned, it would be a shame if you missed your own birthday."
"No! I'll get ready," I exclaimed.
"Take your time. Mom is still cooking breakfast. So you have time." He said, then left my room.
It was February 11th, my birthday... and the day everyone remembers as the day my parents died.
I hurriedly got ready then rushed downstairs.
"Happy Birthday, Princess," My mother greeted from the kitchen.
"Happy Birthday, Rose," Hope said as soon as she saw me.
"Thank you," I thanked both my mom and elder sister.
"We're going to go to a gorgeous flower field today!"
"Yay!"
"Can't you keep a secret!? Jeez. If I ever plan a surprise party, I'm locking you in the closet."
"Honey, there's no harm in telling them. Besides, locking me in a closet is a bit much, don't you think?"
"Why a flower field?" Hope asked with an annoyed expression.
"Rose adores flowers, and it's her birthday, so it just makes sense," Dad answered.
"I don't want to go to a stupid flower field." She pouted.
"Hope, it's Rose's birthday." He said, stooping to her level.
"So?" She crossed her arms.
"I'm sure you would like your sister to join you in doing something you like for your birthday."
"No, I don't need her to come," Hope replied.
"Why are you so upset?" My father was confused.
"Why are you giving Rose special treatment again?"
"We don't give her special treatment." Father rebutted.
"Oh, yeah? Then last year, I only wanted you and mom to come to my ballet recital, and neither of you showed up!"
"I already told you. We could not go because I was in the hospital, and mom was taking care of me."
"You were still in the hospital when it was time for Rose's play, yet mom made it to that," Hope complained.
"Rose, have some cookies." Mom handed me three large cookies. I gladly accepted and began nibbling on a cookie.
She took off her apron and handed it to my father, "Darling, cook, I'll take over."
"Ha!" Hope seemed annoyed.
"Hope, you're sixteen right now, right?"
"Yeah?"
"You should be able to understand the problem of distance, then. Your recital was a five-hour drive away from the hospital. Rose's play was only fifteen minutes away."
"So? If you did not come to mine, you should not have gone to hers either. Fair is fair."
"Darling, we promised to make it up to you this year," My mother reminded.
"Then why are you giving her such a grand birthday!?" Hope stomped her feet.
"What?" Mother was shocked.
"If you want to make it up to me, her birthday should be shitty, and mine should be grandiose." Hope explained.
"Hope, that is not fair to your sister. I am sure you also know that you are being selfish right now."
"It wasn't fair for me either! And I wouldn't have to be selfish if you knew how to treat your children equally!!!"
Mother held her head and took deep breaths. It seemed as if she was trying to calm down, so she would not yell at Hope, "But Hope darling—"
"No buts! I hate Rose, and I hate you both more! I hope all of you die on your happy family trip!!!" Hope stormed off.
Mother sighed then called her friend. She asked her to come over and keep Hope until she calmed down and was ready to apologize and have a proper conversation.
After Hope was picked up, we began our day of fun. On our way to the flower field, we stopped at a park. I played some games, ate some food, and my father bought me a bouquet of roses. We were all so happy.
We began driving once again. I was excited and couldn't stop talking about how happy I was and how sad I was that Hope would miss today.
Then suddenly, there was a loud screech, and I was in pain. Blood and falling rose petals were the last things I remember seeing before everything went dark.
The last thing I heard was a man, presumably, the truck driver. "That's the second time today! Hopefully, both that kid and his dad and the family die. That way, they leave me alone. I can't bother getting sued again," then the sound of a truck driving off.
When I opened my eyes again, I was in a hospital. Two months had passed.
A young lady came and spoke with me. She told me that my mother was at the same hospital.
Then the scene I previously mentioned unfolded.
After finding out my mother was dead, I was devastated. And then, to make matters worse, the doctor told me my father had died immediately. I spent the next two weeks crying.
Apparently, the nurse from the day before was inexperienced and did not realize what was happening to my mother. The strange phenomenon where a patient about to die suddenly recovers for a short period of time before finally leaving this world.
My mother never had a chance to survive. They only kept her alive so that I could meet her for a final time.
Two more weeks, exactly one week after my awakening, Hope and the Family friend came and visited us.
Hope did not seem to be the same.
It was like something was eating away at her. But no one else noticed.
The family friend brought us home to pack and move in with her. Hope broke down immediately after entering the house. But I was unnervingly calm. To be accurate, I felt numb.
The funeral happened five months later. Many people cried, but I was numb. I had no more tears left to cry. I had spent an entire month mourning, and at the time, I barely felt alive.
I was eating and sleeping every day, but my parents weren't there. I sang like I always had, but my parents weren't there. I tucked myself in at night because my parents weren't there. I played the piano, I played the guitar and even acted in a minor role in a movie, but my parents weren't there.
It wasn't the same. A part of me was missing. I was breathing, but I wasn't alive.
And people noticed. They called me heartless and even accused me of killing my own parents.
I wrote a total of twenty-eight letters asking my parents to come back. Or at least take me with them.
After a while, I remembered my mother's last words. I tried my hardest to live by those words and recovered well.
At first, my sister was worried about me, but her desire to know what happened outweighed her care.
She once gifted me a bouquet of roses to bribe me into telling her. But I no longer liked roses. They reminded me of what happened.
I hated flowers.
I hated roses.
I hated my name.
I hated my hair.
I hated myself.
Those thoughts scared me, so I threw the roses away.
My sister found out I threw away the roses, then forced me to accept a bouquet of various flowers. The thoughts entered my mind again. But this time there was a new one as well.
You are the reason your parents are dead. And your silly obsession with roses.
I slapped them out of her hand and yelled at her.
I didn't mean to, but it had already been done.
The next day, when I woke up, my room was filled with all kinds of flowers. I was surrounded by what I now hated most. It was like being in a nightmare. The thoughts in my head were louder than ever. It was driving me mad. I hit my head with my hands to make it stop, but that didn't work. So I bashed my head into the ground until I lost consciousness.
I woke up in the hospital the next day. My sister did not pursue the matter and never gave me flowers again.
However, Hope changed slightly after that. She started treating me differently.
...
"Oh no, my poor child. You were so young." Delilah also had tears streaming down her face.
Delilah hugged me, and Draken did as well.
Tears continued to stream from my face.
Suddenly, Hope burst into the room.
"Oh my, Rose must have troubled you. I'll take her off your hands."
"No, not really. I didn't mind." Delilah replied.
"Look, she even made you cry." Hope shook her head. "She loves telling lies and playing the victim. So don't worry. I understand. I'll take her home." That made me angry. She didn't even know what happened, but she was already making it seem like I was a villain.
"No. Rose was perfect. In fact, I like her very much. I would like to take her home."
"What?" Hope was confused.
"I have taken a liking to the girl and want to take her home," Delilah repeated.
"You can't—"
"I want to go!" I was both scared and angry.
I recognized the way my sister was acting. It was not a good thing for me. She was going to punish me. But for what? What the hell did I do? I did nothing wrong. And I refuse to get punished for something I didn't do again. I would much rather go home with Draken and his mother.
"Fine." She said aloud. Then she got closer to me and pretended to hug me, so she could whisper, "Go. If they torture and kill you, I'm not going to hold a funeral. I tried to take you home. You should know no one will treat you better than I do. I'm your only family, so I am clearly the only person in the world that would treat you as nice as I do."
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