From Sneers to Cheers: Anthea’s Ascent

“Nothing.” Lizzie patted the dust off Gina’s clothes, “Mom, why don’t you ever dress up a little?”

Gina looked at her daughter, puzzled, “What’s gotten into you today, honey? First, you’re asking about where your dad’s gone, now you want me to get all dolled up. What’s going on?”

“I’m heading upstairs to do my homework, Mom.”

“Alright, sweetie,” Gina nodded.

Once upstairs, Lizzie couldn’t focus on her homework at all. Her mind was haunted by the image of her father with that woman.

She couldn’t believe it, the man she idolized, her down–to–earth dad, was having an affair. This kind of soap opera drama was now her reality, and she had no idea what to do.

Lying on her bed, weighed down by her heavy heart, she couldn’t resist pulling out the photo she’d snapped, hoping against hope that she’d just seen it wrong.

But no matter how many times she looked, the image in the photo remained unchanged. That man was

her dad.

Time seemed to stand still until she heard her parents‘ voices drifting up from the living room.

“I already had a bite at home, so why’d you go spend money on takeout?” That was Gina’s voice.

“This place is a hit, and the food’s great. My bros had to queue for ages when we went, and I figured you and Lizzie would love it too.” That was the voice of Malcolm West, her father.

Lizzie snapped out of her trance and shuffled down the stairs.

Sure enough, her “dear” dad was back.

“Lizzie, come here, see what I brought you. Some tasty treats.”

Lizzie approached and saw the takeout from Yeager’s Delicacies.

If she hadn’t witnessed that scene earlier, she would have been over the moon, but not now.

To her, it was just a pile of leftovers.

The thought that Malcolm had his little rendezvous and then had the audacity to bring home the leftovers for them to eat made her stomach churn.

Unaware of anything, Gina was enjoying the food, “Lizzie, this place really does have good flavors. Just try.

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Lizzie struggled to control her emotions, taking the food from Gina’s hands, “Mom. Stop eating this junk. It’s not good for you.”

Gina looked taken aback, “Lizzie. What’s gotten into you today?”

Malcolm too sensed something was off with his usually sweet and obedient daughter, “Lizzie, are you upset about something? Talk to me, let me help you sort it out.”

Lizzie just stared at Malcolm, feeling the irony of the situation.

Her role model of a father, Gina’s loyal husband, was nothing but a hypocrite.

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All she wanted to do was scream out the question, “Why did you betray my mother?”

“It’s nothing,” Lizzie said, dumping the food into the trash, “I just think eating too much junk at night isn’t good for us.”

With that, she turned and went back to her room.

“What’s with her?” Malcolm scratched his head, clearly confused.

Gina frowned, “Lizzie’s not usually like this. Did she do poorly on a test or something?”

Back in her room, Lizzie clutched her pillow and sobbed.

She wanted someone to confide in, to give her advice, but family matters were supposed to stay within the family, especially when they involved Malcolm.

Unsure who to turn to, she suddenly remembered that there were online therapists she could pay for advice. She picked out a professional–looking one, described her situation anonymously, and sent it off.

The response came quickly, gentle female voice.

“Hello, my advice to you is to pretend you haven’t seen anything. Don’t interfere with your parent

issues. Believe that your father is still the man who loves you. This won’t lessen his care and affection for you. If you insist on bursting this bubble, you’re facing the potential breakup of your family. And I believe your mother, being a woman herself, would rather not face this reality.”