It was a new day in the city of love—or, well, at least that’s what they say about Paris. But Kate wasn’t in Paris. She was in New York, the city that never sleeps. Or, in her case, the city that lets her sleep until 1:00 PM. It was supposed to be just another boring and stupid day, just like all the others in her routine and she had no reason to rush out of bed.
She didn’t bother making breakfast. She was more tired mentally than physically. Instead, she plopped herself back onto the sofa, where she sank into a half-conscious stupor.
The sound of her dog, Lucky, interrupted her dazed and dumb thoughts. He was standing beside her, waiting for his turn to eat.
That’s when the phone rang.
It was a strange sound in her otherwise quiet apartment, muffled by the thick pillows of the couch. She groggily reached for the phone, barely glancing at the screen before she picked it up. It was her perfect mother. (irony)
Her heart stopped.
Kate almost dropped the phone in shock. Her mother?! How could it be?! Her mother was supposed to be in jail. There was no way that she was actually calling her. After what happened last Christmas, the madness with Clint and the police, Kate didn't expected to hear from her mother for at least a long time
She stared at the phone, still in her hand. Why wasn’t it Jack, her lawyer, calling instead? He had been the one managing everything for months. He’d been the one assuring her that her mom was behind bars, that she wouldn’t be a problem anymore. So, why was she calling? And why now? The questions spun in her head faster than she could grasp them.
Her mother. That manipulative, controlling woman who tried to (indirectly) kill Clint—the one person Kate trusted when she was caught in a web of manipulation and lies, trapped by her bloodline.
Her mother had always known how to push her buttons, how to make her feel guilty, confused, and so fucking stupid. Kate’s mind flashed back to Christmas. The night when everything fell apart. The night Clint almost died, because of her mother’s schemes.
For a moment, Kate just stood there, frozen. Her fingers hovered over the screen, debating whether to answer or not the call. What would she even say? What if her mother started shouting at her, accusing her of things she didn’t do? What if she tried to manipulate Kate into helping her escape from prison? What if—what if Kate was in danger again?
The longer Kate stared at the phone, the more panicked she felt. She could almost hear her mother’s voice, the icy sweetness hiding all the venom that layed underneath. The fear of her mom lashing out at her, the guilt that always seemed to come with even the smallest conversation, it all made her stomach turn.
And yet, she couldn’t bring herself to answer it. She couldn’t make that call. She couldn’t face her mother. Not now. Not when everything still felt so fragile, so uncertain.
But what if her mom got angry? What if she screamed at her, called her names, made her feel like she was the one to blame for everything again? The thought of her mother’s wrath sent a chill down her spine. Kate’s fingers trembled as they hovered over the screen.
She knew it was coming, but she didn’t know how to deal with it. She didn’t know if she could survive another confrontation with her mother. The guilt, the fear—it was all so overwhelming.
In that moment, the only thing Kate could do was breathe, staring at the phone, heart racing, mind whirling.
And then, finally, the phone stopped ringing.