EXPOSED
As Marie complained to her father about her step-mother reading her personal diary, she started crying before she completed her sentence. Her hands held Mr. Jones tighter now, which made it seem as if she was broken down and scared to leave him. The father-daughter bond was still very much intact despite Delilah’s constant try to break them apart.
Mr. Jones widened his eyes as he heard his daughter tell him that. He did not have any other option because the last thing that a father would like to see is his daughter in such a condition. In fact, not even the last thing because that is something no father will ever want to see his daughter in such a critical condition; emotionally broken down.
He immediately looked at Delilah who was still seated on the couch and was making faces at Marie even though she was not looking at her. She was a weird lady who did not have any feelings for her step-daughter, and she was too afraid to say that. Afraid of getting into a fight with Mr. Jones or whatever else. Anyway, both of them were not physically close in bed. Maybe that was the reason she had built a grudge against Marie even without her being at fault.
“Why did you read her diary?” Mr. Jones questioned Delilah.
She rolled her eyes enough when she was put on the spot. Not taking this thing seriously at all, she had to be asked the same question one more time, and that is when she opened her mouth to talk the way she had planned to grill Marie about her diary.
“It was lying on the bed, and I did not know it was her personal diary. I thought it was one of her notebooks,” Delilah lied.
“Okay, say sorry to her,” Mr. Jones instructed and pulled Marie back so that she could listen to her step-mother’s apology. It did not look as if Mr. Jones was really understanding the intensity of the situation here. His daughter, Marie, was at such a crucial age that privacy was an important deal for me. All the young people need to be given some space to themselves so that they can mess up with their decisions and learn the right things through experience because listening to parents is too mainstream for today’s generation.
When about a few minutes had passed with all the drama that Delilah was doing, Mr. Jones once more asked her to apologize to his daughter for reading her personal diary. He also said, “Do not repeat it again with both my daughters.”
Marie’s father did not see Rebecca and Marie differently at all. To him, both of them were his daughters, and that sentence ended right there without any comma or semi colon or any other thing to give it continuity. He looked at Delilah in anger waiting for her to do what he asked her to do, and that is when she made some effort to at least have an expression of a little concern.
“I am sorry, Marie,” she apologized. After that, nothing was said or done. There was pin-drop silence for some time, and then, Mr. Jones took over from there without giving any more time to Marie to reply. He started to talk about some lady who would be visiting them the next day. Not only did his mood get better, but he had to control the smile on his face every time he mentioned who was coming.
With him talking very fondly of her, all the three ladies at home got a little inquisitive to know more about this lady who was going to visit them. While Marie got a glass of water to drink for her dad, Rebecca stayed seated and was only listening to the conversation, Delilah was finding ways to carry forward the talk that they were having. To make sure that the discussion did not go back to reading Marie’s diary, Delilah pitched in and asked, “Who is this lady and why is she coming home?”
“She is a friend of mine,” Mr. Jones replied.
“Friend? What friend?”
“Kids, go to your room,” Mr. Jones commanded.
He did not want to have that discussion with Delilah in front of the two young girls as he feared that it may have a wrong impact on them.
As soon as Marie and Rebecca walked out of the living room and into the dining room which connected to their bedroom, Mr. Jones looked at Delilah with the most obvious look and to the question which she had asked, he responded, “Can I not have any friends? You should not ask me lame questions and especially not in front of my daughters. They are both young, and I do not want them to have such a filthy impression of married life.”
“Why are you so rude to me?”
“You know that answer very well. Don’t ask me, ask yourself.”
“I only want us to live like a happily married couple.”
“That cannot happen after what you have done.”
“What have I done?” Delilah asked.
“Do you really want me to mention it?”
“Please do. I do not know what I have done for you to hate me.”
“Which neighbor have you been chatting with?” Mr. Jones questioned.
Delilah was puzzled at that question and responded in a weird way. Not wanting to be exposed for her wrongdoings, she said, “Neighbor? What neighbor?”
Mr. Jones replied, “The answer to my question will also answer your question to me since the two situations are similar.”
“How do you know about the neighbor scene?” Delilah asked.
“Only you can intrude in other’s life and no one can horn in on yours?”
“I am sorry, I am confused.”
“I read your chat with him. I have no complaints about you being happy with whatever you have been doing, but you should also have no complaints with me. We are together only to complete a family so that our kids can have a positive environment,” Mr. Jones explained.
Delilah got even more confused at that wondering which neighbor’s chat he was talking about because she had been a very playful kind of woman because Mr. Jones stayed busy all the time, and she wanted to pass her time with little excitement. In the meantime, Mr. Jones said, “A very special lady is coming tomorrow. Be at your best in front of her.”
