𝐢𝐱. Palm Woods Serenity.

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𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖
[ Chapter Nine | ⋆.ೃ*: ]

KIMBERLY COULDN'T REMEMBER the last time she had seen her mother

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KIMBERLY COULDN'T REMEMBER the last time she had seen her mother. Not properly, at least. There were a few phone calls here and there, but that was far from the nurturing presence a child needed.

Kimberly's mind drifted to the day her parents divorced, when her father sat her down, and told her everything she needed to hear. 

"Your mom's career is taking off, Kimberly, and I can't keep feeling like I'm a second choice. We're not happy anymore, and I don't want you to grow up thinking this is how a marriage should be."

She had cried herself to sleep that night, wishing things could go back to how they used to be. Before the long working hours, and the constant ringing on her mother's cell phone that always stole her attention. 

And now, in her living room at the Palm Woods, Kimberly faced the woman who used to be the center of her world. 

"What are you doing here?" Kimberly asked, her voice tinged with anger and sadness.

Anastasia took a deep breath, attempting to compose herself. "I just wanted to see you, Kim." she finally said, her voice strained.

Kimberly scoffed. "Really? After all these years, you just wanted to see me? Give me some credit, Mom."

Anastasia's lips pressed into a thin line. "You know I wouldn't have come if I thought it wouldn't be welcome."

"Maybe not," Kimberly got up from the sofa and started walking around, "but you wouldn't have come at all if it wasn't convenient. You left me with Dad, remember? Sacrificed your family for your precious career."

"Kim," Benjamin said, his voice a calming balm, "let's not..."

"No, Dad," Kimberly interrupted, her gaze fixed on Anastasia. "It's time she actually heard this. And how did you even know I was here?"

Anastasia's eyes flickered to Benjamin, a flicker of pain crossing her face before it was masked by a glacial composure. "Please, Kim," she said, "let's not rehash the past."

"No, we are rehashing the past," Kimberly insisted, her voice trembling with hurt. "The past of missed birthdays, empty holidays, and a father who had to pick up the pieces while you chased your dreams."

Benjamin got up and tightly grasped around Kimberly's hand. "Kim, please," he pleaded, "don't make this harder."

Tears welled up in Kimberly's eyes. "It's already hard, Dad. Every day is so hard, wondering why she chose her ambition over me, her own daughter."

Anastasia stood abruptly, her eyes flashing with a mixture of anger and regret. "I made a choice, Kim," she said, her voice sharp. "A choice I wouldn't take back even if it meant losing you."

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The room fell silent as the weight of Anastasia's words hung heavy in the air. Kimberly stared at her mother, with a mixture of anger and disbelief clouding in her eyes. Benjamin, caught in the crossfire, remained silent. His brow furrowed in worry.

"I- I don't even know what to say right now." Kimberly sighed in disbelief. 

As the emotions intensified, a distant but muffled thud caught her attention. She turned towards the door, realizing that the commotion had caught the ears of someone passing by. 

Through the partially closed door, Kendall Knight and Logan Henderson exchanged glances, registering the tense atmosphere within.

Kendall, with a cautious nod toward the door, suggested to Logan, "Maybe we should..."

Before he could finish, the door swung open, and a stormy-faced Kimberly emerged. Her eyes, still wet with unshed tears, met the curious gaze of Kendall and Logan.

"Uh, hey," Kendall stammered, caught off guard by the intensity of the situation.

Logan added, "We, uh, heard... well, not everything, but..."

Kimberly cut them off, her voice sharp. "This is none of your business. Just keep walking."

Kendall hesitated, a genuine concern in his eyes. "Look, we just heard some arguing, and we wanted to make sure everything's okay."

"Everything's not okay," Kimberly snapped. "So, unless you can magically fix years of family drama, you can't help." 

And with that being said, Kimberly slammed the door shut and returned her gaze to her mother, the bitterness still fresh in her voice. 

"You made a choice, Mom. And now you have to live with it."

"Kimberly, I understand you're upset," Anastasia's expression shifted between frustration and sadness. "but you have to believe that every decision I made, I believed it was the best for us."

"For us?" Kimberly scoffed, then yelled. "You mean for YOU. For your career, and for your ambition. There was never an 'us' in your choices, Mom."

Benjamin, who had been silently observing, finally spoke up. "Enough, Kimberly. This isn't helping."

She turned to her father, frustration etched on her face. "It's about time someone told her the truth, Dad."

Anastasia, perhaps sensing the futility of the conversation, took a step back. "I came here hoping for a chance to rebuild, not to argue. I'll leave you to your life, Kimberly. When you're ready, I hope you'll let me be a part of it."

With those words, Anastasia exited the room, leaving behind a heavy silence, and the click-clacking of her high heels. Benjamin approached his daughter, his eyes filled with a mix of sympathy and regret.

"Kim, I know this is hard," he began, "but she's trying. People change, circumstances change."

Kimberly, however, wasn't ready to hear it. "She can't just waltz in and expect everything to be okay, Dad. That's not right, that's... I-."

Kimberly's voice caught in her throat, choked by a torrent of emotions. Anger, hurt, and a gnawing sense of betrayal clawed at her from within. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to make Anastasia understand the years of neglect and loss, but the words wouldn't come. 

"I need to rest."

Benjamin nodded, then sighed. "Okay."

And with that, Kimberly walked up to her bedroom and closed door behind her. In the peacefulness of her room, she took a deep breath, and propped herself on the bed, desperately needing to take a nap.

𝐈 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖 𝐘𝐎𝐔 𝐊𝐍𝐎𝐖, Kendall Knight.Where stories live. Discover now