Love Royally²

Chapter 1

Kaia

"Where are you?!" Mom's unforgiving voice instantly filled my ears.

"I'm at the subway station," I hurriedly responded. "I mentioned that I would be working until late today."

"Then who do you expect to cook?" She asked.

I had to bite my tongue to not let my older sister's name out or even my little brother's as I meekly responded, "I don't know."

"Just get back soon." She said before hanging up without another word.

I could only sigh as I leaned against the cold steel of the train while my eyes remained locked on the darkness outside.

Working at a movie theater was never what I would call my first choice, but it's what was out there when I needed a job. My parents never thought highly of me, not once in my life have I ever felt as cherished and loved as my siblings did. I was always the one sent to run errands, the one shouted at for things she never did. As a child I would get undeserved punishments while my siblings never got even corner time.

I can never tell anyone what I did to deserve the treatment I dealt with every single day of my life. I tried everything I ever could to be the child they would be proud of. I worked hard to get good grades, but they were never acknowledged. When my siblings got a 50%, they would always be comforted with snacks and treats while I was left in the shadows. Eventually, I gave up and told myself that I was working for myself and myself alone.

That is until my father was retrenched at work and money stopped coming in. I knew that with my mom never having worked a day in her life, we would starve to death so I did what I had to do- I got my first job as a waitress at the age of 16. After 4 years of working there, the restaurant shut down and I was forced to find a new job, which is how I found myself at the cinema three years ago.

A part of me wanted to be greedy and leave the house as soon as I could, but I could never find the strength to just abandon my family even after all the hardship they had put me through.

Instead of going to college or Uni, I have been working to provide for my family while my siblings have continued with school and eventually, my older sister went to varsity where she is now doing her second degree. My brother on the other hand has been getting part-time jobs ever year since he graduated from high school, but they never last for over 6 months. He has never mistreated me nor looked down on me like my parents and on some occasions as our older sister, but he by no means tries to help me with the financial load. None of them do.

Sometimes- no, more days than none, I find myself wishing that my life was different. I don't wish any bad onto my family, but I do wish that I was born in a different family, one where I would be loved and cherished. One where I didn't need to suffer as I have and still do. I never fail to wish that my life was different.

My eyes connected with the bright city landscape until all I could see was blurriness as my vision blurred from the emotion that always bubbled in me when I thought of home. Was it even home when I felt like a modern day Cinderella than a loved child?

I don't know.

The exhaustion from the day's work along with my emotions were heavy enough for my eyes to grow heavy and slowly start closing until I was encompassed by darkness. The movement of the train only lulled me into unconsciousness as my thoughts slowed and my emotions calmed.

How I wish a wish wasn't always just a wish sometimes.

The calmness within me is something I wish I had in my every day life. The image of a happy family, a happy life is something I will always envy until I find my own. Maybe one day I will though, right?