A cold night in the middle of summer, at least that what greeted Lu as she walked through the empty street towards her home. If it were months ago, she wouldn’t dare to cross the street to her home at this ungodly hour of morning. But her father luckily made a good one-or-two-things that could made them wealthier and moved to better part of the town. Better, but still on the verge of dying. Wealthier, but not healthier for my heart. That’s what Lu always kept in mind. Because nothing is easy, or free, in this world. Every steps taken meaning more concequences coming.

“I’m home.” Lu sighed as the warmth of her own house sipped through her bones. She could never resist cold air, it made her sneeze. All she wanted was her thick blanket and maybe some hot chocolate. And some peace, of course. No sound, urgh.

“what are you doing?” came a slurred rough voice from the kitchen on her left, heard just before she went up to the stairs.

“I’m doing what you want.” She answered while keeping her head low, as if her keeping track of her toes were much interesting than listening to whatever is coming from the mouth she dislikes much.

“Yeah? Why did you come home then?”

The man—her own drunk, ambitious, gold digger father—slammed his expensive liquor bottle to the table. Probably one of his colleagues present, she kept notes in her mind.

“Because i wanted to.”

She had knew it from the start, the reaction of her own father were never usual. He made a quick detour from the table where he was sitting and slammed his hand to the wall, barely an inch from her head.

“Listen here, you ungrateful little snake.” The smell of brandy came to her sense of smell. “i didn’t pay a huge amount of money and work until my bones fell out of my skin to keep you home. You thought this is for you, weren’t you. Walking your poor feet around doing so great on your own throwing all the flapper-seeker away. Huh? You think i don’t know?”

Years of practice, Lu knew the best way to deal is just by keeping shut.

So no words came from her. But she waited. One, two, three second..

“Meaningless.”

And he chugged all the liquor remained from his bottle and lied on the couch.

“I wish you wouldn’t come home. I wish you would all kiss their foot up for all i care. And when the time comes you weeping on the ground with no penny left on your little rude pocket, that’s when you know how i am right all along. That’s when i will say to your face, i told you so!”

Many will have their hearts broken or blood boild whenever they heard words like that. But Lu didn’t want to take all of those to her heart.

“tomorrow meet the bakers. I already told them you’d come.”

She raised her head to protest,

“or go outta my house.”

That made her cancelled the attempt.

--

Lucille was just an ordinary girl on her 20s who longed for a quite, ordinary life. A life where she didn’t have to answer yes to whatever impossible requests her father made her just to climb out the society. A life where she didn’t have to hear bunch of curses coming from her own flesh and blood. A life where she could be.. loved, at her own home.

Scratch them all, she just wanted a home.

Because on this two story building, she couldn’t feel safe at all