Chapter 286
Rowena came out with red-rimmed eyes, happier than she had ever been. It was the first time she had ever been allowed to do something she truly loved. She ran to Winifred, bubbling with excitement.
“The director told me to wait for their call! I know I’m going to get it,” Rowena said.
For the first time, Rowena’s eyes shone with a bright, vibrant light, and she radiated confidence and energy.
Winifred smiled and said, “Congratulations.”
“Let me treat you to a meal. I know a great spot,” Rowena said, pulling Winifred along toward a place she used to frequent as a kid. It was a simple alleyway, and as soon as they stepped in, the tantalizing aroma of cooking filled the air.
In front of a modest, old storefront, a large pot was steaming, the source of the delicious smell. Rowena was already swallowing hard.
“Don’t mind the look of the place. The food is incredible. Come on,” Rowena said.
“Okay,” Winifred replied.
As soon as they sat down, Rowena called out to the owner, “Buffalo wings, garlic ribs, Hawaiian-style pork, spicy chicken bites….”
Rowena rattled off more than ten dishes in one breath. Winifred looked at her, slightly taken aback. “It’s just the two of us. We probably don’t need this much.”
Rowena patted her chest. “I can finish it.”
It had been so long since she’d had a proper, satisfying meal. Her mother was so strict about her diet to maintain her figure that she was only allowed a few bites a day. For once, she wanted to let loose.
“Alright,” Winifred nodded.
Winifred watched Rowena devour the food, then quietly looked away.
Rowena tore into the meat and gnawed on the chicken wings, not forgetting to put some food on Winifred’s plate.
“You should eat, too. It’s delicious, I’m not kidding. Try it,” Rowena urged.
“Thanks,” Winifred said, smiling.
After they had eaten their fill, Winifred offered to take her home. Rowena fell silent, her head bowed. Seeing her like that, Winifred stopped walking.
Rowena finally looked up. “I don’t want to go home.”
Winifred, who had a rebellious streak herself, smirked. “What, scared of your mom?”
“I don’t know,” Rowena admitted.
She had spent her entire life following the path her mother had laid out for her, devoid of her own thoughts. The punishments had been countless. It wasn’t fear anymore; it was numbness.
“When I was twelve, my dad married my stepmom. I picked up a brick and tried to smash his head in. I was too small, didn’t hit him hard enough. Later, I put snakes and spiders in their bed. In my world, I do what I want. If you can’t even do the things you want to do, you’re just building your own prison. You’re the only one trapping yourself, and you’re the only one who can save yourself. Be bold. Be defiant. If you don’t like something, fight it. That’s what my sister told me,” Winifred said.
After her speech, Winifred took Rowena back to the Clare residence.
Yvonne Clare waited at the school gate for an hour, but Rowena never came out. When she finally went inside to look for her, she learned that her daughter had left long ago.
Her calls went straight to voicemail…