Chapter 1
Athena's POV
The buzzing of my phone hasn't stopped for the past two hours.
Instagram.
Twitter.
TikTok.
It's all the same picture of my father with his arms around an unfamiliar woman. He's smiling and there's a young man with striking green eyes behind them.
My life is falling apart and I can't do anything about it but to…stare.
Marcus Steel is getting married. And, I, his only child, only found out about it through social media.
“Now, pirouette!“ the ballet dance instructor says and I spin too fast, tumbling over and falling to the floor.
“Oof” someone says on my behalf while I sit there on the cold ground, panting as I squeeze my eyes shut to ward off the pain and shame.
This can't be happening…
I fought, begged and cried to join this team, but here I am, falling apart in front of the people who already hate me.
God, I can't breathe.
“Jesus Christ, Athena!“ Mrs Tara, the instructor, yells and my eyes snap open.
"Athena, are you okay?" someone asks and I lift my head, giving a fake smile before I give my answer.
"I'm great, thank you"
This is theater, always wear a smile, your pain doesn't matter, you are here to please the people.
"I think you should take a break, we are too much at risk to have an…accident like this" Mrs Tara cold voice snaps.
“Yes ma'am” I whisper, dragging myself off the floor.
"And pick up that damn phone while you're at it" she adds with spite.
I don't know why she hates me, but she does.
"Yes ma'am" I mutter before moving away quickly.
I don't like the eyes on me, I can almost hear their whispers even if it's all in made up voices in my head.
’Did you hear? Athena's father is getting married’
’Did you hear?’
’Did you hear’
"Athena. You're spreading your negative energy everywhere, get out of my class" the woman says and I grab my phone with my pink bag before running out.
Once I get out of the suffocating studio, I sit on one of the benches outside with my head down and my bottom lip trembling.
Why is this happening to me? Dad promised me that it would just be the two of us!
My phone buzzes again and I look at the screen. This time, it's not a notification from one of the apps, it's a call from my dad.
“Dad” I say as I accept the call, chest tight and heart breaking.
“Hey princess, where are you?“ he asks and I don't answer.
It's not because I don't want to give him an answer, but because I can't breathe. I'm choking up with tears.
“Fuck, you've heard about it, haven't you?“ he asks and I nod even though he can't see me right now.
“I'm sorry princess”
“Why?“ I ask in a small voice.
“Look, baby, I was going to tell you about it but-”
“I found out my life is about to change through strangers posts, dad” I say in a weak voice while keeping my head down.
“Changes are bound to happen, Athena, people are going to move on…we are going to have to move on” he says and I bite down on my tongue to stop from screaming out.
Changes? Move on?
I can't move on.
My mom's death is still too fresh in my memory, it's been over three years, but I can't move on.
No one can erase the image I saw, or take away the trauma it gave me, but at least I had my dad's love.
Am I being selfish?
“Thena?“ he calls me by that nickname that he gave me a long time ago and I make a noise that sounds like a whine.
“Don't cry, princess”
“I'm not crying” I lie, brushing away the tears from my cheek.
“I promise you, they're good people”
They?
“They?“ I manage to ask without my voice breaking and I hear the ruffles of paper from dad's end of the call.
He's working right now.
He should be home with me, he should be explaining why there is a ’they’ in our lives without my consent, but he's working right now.
“Yes Thena, Diana and her son” dad says like it's the simplest thing to announce in the world, and like he's not ripping my heart to shreds.
“Her son? dad…” my voice breaks with the news that I didn't expect to receive.
“Don't worry love, when you meet your stepbrother and stepmother, you'll see why I chose them” dad says and my shoulders drop.
I'm not only getting a stepmother, I'm also getting a step brother. Two different people at once are invading my home, and my dad is still not seeing that I'm unhappy.
“Your stepbrother attends your school as well, Thena. I'm glad you won't be lonely anymore” he says and I feel my chest tighten with hate for the stepbrother I never wanted.
I don't even know him. I don't even know his name too, yet I already hate him so much.
There's a knock on dad's end of the call, and I know that our conversation is over.
“I'll see you tomorrow for dinner, okay? I'll have someone come pick you up” dad says and I nod again, too tired to say anything or argue about it.
Moving on.
“Athena, I love you, okay?“ he says and I whisper my answer; “I love you too dad”
“Take care of yourself princess, see you tomorrow” dad ends the call and I let out a heavy sigh.
I don't want to meet a new family, but I don't have a choice, I don't want to break dad's heart.
As I lift my head, I see a man on a black bike parked across.
From the distance, I can feel his eyes through the visor watching me…I don't know if he's looking at me…but it feels like he's watching.
Dark leather jacket, broad shoulders, frozen like I am.
Watching…
