...
Splash!
Clatter!
Swoosh!
The rain-soaked night seemed to swallow all sound, except for the soft hum of the car's engine and the gentle whoosh of the windshield wipers.
A small girl filled with despair at the backseat, shake with each sob she made. Her voice trembled as she pleaded with her mother, "Mom, please don't take me to Westwood Academy, please."
But her mother's expression remained stern and unyielding, her eyes flashing with disdain as she gazed at Wren through the rearview mirror.
"Don't let me come there Wren, you are going to Westwood and that is final." Wren shivered at her mother's words.
Rumors about Westwood Academy had long plagued Wren's mind, painting a picture of a school where discipline was strict, and rules were rigidly enforced.
Some said it was a place where creativity was stifled, and individuality was crushed under the weight of conformity. The thought of being confined to such a place filled her with dread.
As they arrived at the academy, Wren's eyes widened in horror as she gazed up at the imposing structure. The building loomed before her, its colorless walls seeming to absorb the light around it, casting a gloomy shadow.
The air was thick with an eerie, strange aura that made her skin crawl. She felt a chill run down her spine as her mother's grip on her arm tightened, dragging her towards the entrance through the rain-soaked ground. The wet earth squelched beneath their feet, and Wren stumbled, her eyes welling up with tears.
"Mom, please," she begged, her voice shaking. But her mother's grip only tightened, her fingers digging deep into Wren's arm.
"You're going to learn discipline, Wren," she said, her voice cold and detached. "You've been spoiled for far too long. It's time for you to shape up."
At the front gate, a burly man with a stern expression stood signing a register.
"Name, please," he growled, not even looking up.
"Wren Williams," her mother replied, her voice firm. The man nodded, still not looking up, and pointed to another man who was handling the kids' bags.
"Your new number is this. Keep it safe; it will guide you to your new room." He handed Wren a small tag with a number on it, his eyes finally meeting hers.
"Love your hair. Looks silky; would be easy for scissors to pass through." His words sent shivers down Wren's spine, and she felt her mother's grip on her arm tighten, as if in agreement.
With a surge of desperation, Wren turned to her mother, tears streaming down her face. "Please, mom, don't do this. I'll change," she begged, her voice barely above a whisper. But her mother's expression remained unyielding, her eyes flashing with anger.
"Finally time I broke it out to you Wren and that is you're not my real daughter," she hissed, her voice low and venomous. "I've been manipulating your father, Wren. Making him believe that you're out of control. And now, he's finally seen the truth."
Wren's heart shattered into a million pieces at her mother's words. She felt like she had been punched in the gut, all the air knocked out of her. The revelation cut deep, and Wren's world began to crumble around her.
"I've fed him lies about you," her mother continued, her voice dripping with malice. "Lies about your behavior, about your grades. And he's eaten it up like the fool he is." Wren's eyes widened in horror, her mind reeling from the betrayal. She felt like she was living in a nightmare, and she couldn't wake up.
"You're not worthy of your father's love, Wren," her mother sneered.
"You're not worthy of his name. And soon, you'll be out of our lives for good."
"Westwood Academy will break you, Wren. It will mold you into something useful. Something that will serve my interests, not your father's."
"I've made sure that your father will never take you back, Wren. He's signed the papers, and you're officially mine to deal with now."
"You'll never be happy, Wren. You'll never be free. You'll be trapped in that academy, and I'll make sure you never escape."
"I've been playing the perfect role, Wren. The role of the concerned mother. But don't be fooled. I'm just doing this for my own gain."
"Your father thinks he's doing what's best for you, Wren. But he's wrong. I'm the one who knows what's best for you. And what's best for you is to be out of his life."
"You'll learn to obey, Wren. You'll learn to follow the rules. And if you don't, there will be consequences."
"I've made sure that you'll have nothing"
Wren's heart sank, her eyes fixed on the receding figure of her mother, feeling abandoned and trapped.
The sound of the rain and the darkness of the night seemed to close in around her, and she knew she was truly alone now.
Each word cut Wren like a knife, and she felt her heart break into a million pieces. She knew she would never be the same again.
Meanwhile,The burly man hearing the mother's words sardonically said to the girl, his voice devoid of empathy.
"That's one drama I have witness in a long time, such irony, so much climax." The burly man nodded towards the building.
"Seems like your family knows best. Welcome to Westwood Academy, your home away from home."