Arabella Rivera "Please don't take too long in there Arabella," Gertrude whispered, looking down the hallway then flicking her eyes back to me. "I'll just take a second, I'll be out before mother gets back here. " I promised while scanning my eyes over father's study. It was very neat for a man who didn't allow his maid in there. Everything was lined perfectly and one would think he had never touched the place. If I needed mother to believe that her husband was a cheating bastard and a drug lord, I needed proof. Not only for her, but the police. I just really hope I would get some evidence even if I didn't know what I was looking for specifically. "I hope you know what you're doing Arabella," Gertrude sighs and closes the door. I hear the soft padding of her footsteps as she leaves me alone in my father's study. I pressed my lips together looking around the room. I didn't know where to start first. I didn't even know what I was looking for. But I needed to hurry before mother realized I wasn't at school anymore and came back here. Feeling the pressure to start anywhere already, I walked over to his neat desk. There weren't many things on the desk, just a few books with papers in them. I'll start from there. I shifted through the books, opening and scanning through each page. Nothing seemed amiss. Until my eyes fall on a neat cheque tucked between the few pages of a book. Curious, I slowly tugged it out. Looking at the door in hesitation, I brought my eyes back to the small rectangular paper. My stomach twisted when my eyes landed on Gweneth's perfectly written name. Bile rose in my throat when it was confirmed that it was from my father. He must've written it a few days ago, judging by how neat it looked. She wasn't lying. Father was paying for her services. Disgusted by the confirmation, I gripped the paper tightly, fighting the urge to tear it into pieces. My head snapped to the shelves on the left side of the room. They were decorated with expensive ornaments that I wished to shatter into millions of shards. I wanted to destroy this entire place. Make him see hell. Make him pay for everything he has done. Couldn't see him as a father anymore. I couldn't.I started for the shelves, my gaze on the gold trophy he won last year for winning the golf tournament. I snorted. He treasured that thing more than he ever treasured mother and I. I stilled when my weight is pushed down on the wood below. It makes a loud creaking sound that removed my attention from the trophy to look down at the creaking wood. I remove my feet, my gaze set on the tiny gold handle. Crouching down, I took a peek at the door before taking a hold of the handle and lifting the wood. A shock terrified gasp escapes me when my gaze landed on a gun, some bullets that were spread out unevenly on a bag of what I presume was cocaine. I have seen that powder before on some crime television show I had binged last summer. I was sure it was that illegal drug. Did mother know that Father had a gun in the house? Did she know any of this? Or was she completely innocent? I swallowed thickly, my heartbeat alone was alarming me. It sped too quickly. My head shot up in panic when I heard the sound of tires. Must be mother. She came back quickly. I shakily and nervously put the wood down and shot to my feet. How was I going to tell her? My head pounds painfully. My vision blurs suddenly. Was I going to blackout? Or were those tears? I lift my finger to my cheek then snaked it up to under my eyes. Blinking, I felt the fresh teardrop slip from my eyes to land on my finger. I was crying. Was it because I knew our family would be no more from today onwards? Or was it because I felt betrayed by the man who was supposed to protect me? I sobbed. Haiden wasn't lying. He was right, father was dangerous. I shakily look down at the floor. Trembling when I remembered what lay under the clean smooth wood. "Arabella!" Mother yells from downstairs in urgency. I should get out of here. But I couldn't seem to move. My heart thuds and suddenly I couldn't breathe properly. Was I having a panic attack? I clumsily fall to my knees, gasping for air as I shakily lift my fingers to grip the edge of the desk for support. "Arabella!" Another yell from her. She sounded near. I gasped as my hand leaves the desk to clutch my chest while the other grasped at the flimsy paper that could destroy my parents marriage. It could destroy our family. "Arabella!" Her voice was suddenly beside me. Beckoning me to answer. But I found myself remaining mute and trembling. "What are you doing in your father's study?!" She questions panicked while looking down at me. "Mrs. Rivera it was my fault-" I could hear Gertrude's voice from the doorway. "Leave us Gertrude." Mother demanded and the soft sound of Gertrude's departing footsteps faded seconds later. I try to hold on to their voices as I try to control my breathing. "Arabella? What's wrong?" Faint floral perfume blankets me as mother kneels beside me and pulls me into her arms. Never would I have ever thought that I would need her right now. I clutched her tightly, my eyes blurry with my unshed tears. I wanted the pain to stop. I wanted it all to stop. "Mother-" I whispered brokenly. "What's wrong baby?" She asked as she brushes the hair off my forehead. "Is it that fight with Gwen today? The principal called me to come to pick you up but when I was halfway there he called again to say you left the premises on your own?" Her confusion and panic were clear as day in her voice. But as she says Gwen's name I froze. I shook my head. I couldn't tell her. I can't find it in myself to tell her. So instead of telling mother, her husband was a cheating bastard, I thrust the cheque he wrote for Gwen into her hands. She looks at it confused before reading it. "Why did your father write a cheque for Gwen Arabella?"She looks at me concerned, confused, yet I could see that spec of realization that flickered lightly in her eyes. Lifting my head to her, I said shakily. "They betrayed us both. I found out today. She told me. That's why we fought." I confessed, feeling my own sorrow when mother's painful gasp reaches my ears. Her hand lifted to press on her lips as she lets out a chocked cry. Shaking her head as if not believing me. "That's not all," I whispered. She looks at me and I pointed a shaky finger at the little handle on the wood. Looking reluctant and slightly scared, mother lifted the wood and gasped. Wrenching away and letting the wood drop quickly, she turns to me. Her face resembles someone who had just seen a ghost. I flinch slightly when her hands cupped my face. "Listen to me Arabella." I sobbed. "We'll be fine okay. Everything's fine, we'll get through this together, just you and me. But now you need to be strong." She croaks. And even though she was telling me to, she herself wasn't. "What will happen?" I asked shakily. "What will you do mother?" "First we need to get out of here and have you clean up. Second, I'll wait until dinner tonight." She sighs shakily, looking at me in pain. This was painful for her. "Wait for what?" I breathed out. "For me to end something I should've done a long time ago."