Page 190 of Poison Aches

It’s as if my mind, soul, and heart have their own dictator that they willingly submit to.

I need to get out of here.

As soon as possible.

When I finally sit up straight, the sun is shining bright and New York is up and active.

I need to go get my luggage from that house…after all, my IDs are there.

I really don’t want to see those people again, but it’s Friday morning. I doubt anyone would be there.

I get up and make my way to the bathroom and wash my face. Lucky for me, the mouthwash I got yesterday is still there, so I use that and then still wearing the same clothes as last night, I leave and hail down a yellow cab.

Might as well experience one New York City thing before I leave.

As we drive, I decide to search up the Hughes family.

I should’ve done this before meeting them! This should’ve been my first indication. Showing up at any new space without being prepared is just begging to be taught a lesson.

For some stupid reason, I didn’t want to have any preconceived notions built from the internet when meeting my father.

I just knew he was called Teddy Hughes. Never in my wildest dreams did I think he’d be this…

And never did I imagine that the woman who I spent my entire life crying for, missing, begging for, she’d been married to that same man and living lavishly all this time.

Hundreds upon hundreds of search results pop up within seconds.

All the notable achievements, bills, and policies Governor Hughes has been part of pop up.

His poll rankings in the past few years.

There are even fan sites, urging him to run for president.

Not only that, the pictures on social media are something else too.

I click on one and there he is, with a huge smile on his face and standing next to him are his wife and daughter. The perfect family that represents everything America is supposed to be.

And yet I’m the reserve daughter they kept apart to give as a blood offering in exchange for power and greed.

I feel sick to my stomach.

It’s only then that I realize I haven’t eaten since the strawberries and chocolates from the plane with Emmett yesterday.

Has it really been less than twenty-fours? Why does it feel like an eternity has passed already?

Just as I’m about to lock my phone, a link grabs my attention with one simple headline.

Governor Hughes Not So Honest About Family Values.

Immediately, I click the link with trembling fingers only to see it’s a blog with a picture of Governor Hughes, his wife, and daughter Melissa. All three have big smiles, but the article only has a few vague sentences alleging that all is not what it seems within the Hughes family.

I freeze.

What does this mean?

Is my name, face, and the fact that I’m Governor Hughes’s dirty secret child going to blow up?

I’m aware that politics is a dirty game, but so far this is the only article that hasn’t picked up any traction…simply because it’s vague.

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