Chapter 26: No Fairy Tales
The kitchen still smelled of Dad's Secretburger, the sweet juice sour in my throat. Mom's words from last night—I'm seeing someone—burned deeper than Edenville's shadow. The hum in my chest roared, a wildfire of betrayal, as I stood rigid, her plea cutting through the silence.
"I just want to live," Mom said again, tears streaming down her face, her voice breaking.
I looked at her, and something broke inside me, a crack in the armor of the Female King. My eyes stung, but I turned my back, wiping tears away, hiding my weakness. The hum hissed, angry, urging me to stay strong.
"Ella, please," she begged, stepping closer. "I'm sorry. I haven't been a good mom. Maybe I handled things badly, but I just want what's good for you. You'll have a good life, a family again. Paul's wealthy, Ella, nothing illegal. Sweetie, you can go to school. I know your dad left money for you, but I don't want to touch it—not until I'm sure it's clean."
The hum screamed, a melody of rage. I spun around, fury boiling over. "Don't you see, Mom? I don't want that life! I'm the Female King, not some dog begging for treats. I don't care if he's legit. And you talking about Dad's inheritance, how 'clean' it is? Bullshit, Mom! I haven't demanded it because I'm not sure if it's a trap—those bastards in Edenville waiting to get us. I don't give a fuck if it's clean or not. No one's innocent, Mom. Every legality's got a sprinkle of illegality, and fuck the world for pretending it's cool."
She flinched, but I wasn't done. "And family? We are a family. When Dad died, we had each other's backs, picking each other up, side by side through thick and thin. That's family, Mom!" I yelled, the hum blazing. "Not some Shazam fairy tale you're chasing. This is reality—wake up! I don't want that life. And you're wrong, Mom. You are a good mom. You did everything to make it right, never gave up on me, never abandoned me. I swear to God, I'd give you the world, anything you want, but asking me to accept him? I can't. I won't. You might've found your so-called happiness, but not me. Not with that dude. Hell no. Call me selfish, but it's high time we start being cautious."
My voice cracked, tears threatening again, but I held them back, the hum steadying me. Mom sank into a chair, sobbing, her hands shaking. "Ella, I'm not replacing your dad. Paul's… he's good."
I laughed—sharp, bitter, ugly. "Good?" I hissed. "Good men don't survive in this world, Mom. If he's tied to Edenville…" I stepped closer, my shadow stretching across the kitchen tile, "…then he's already fucking marked."
Silence crashed over us, heavy and suffocating. The hum in my chest raged like a war drum, every beat screaming that this wasn't over—not even close.
Fairy tales died with Dad.
No white knights. No magic endings.
Just me.
The Female King.
And I don't do fairy tales.
I burn them.