Trapped in a loveless marriage

The sun beamed brilliantly today, casting a warm glow over everything in its path. The birds sang their hearts out, filling the air with a symphony of cheerful melodies for those who were barely making it alive. 

As Gabrielle sat at the table, a spoonful of soggy cereal lay abandoned before her. Despite feeling a wave of revulsion, she couldn't bring herself to be upset. Her bank balance was perilously close to zero.

The chilly morning air wrapped around her delicate arms, a poignant reminder of her scant meals over the past day.

"Have you remembered to take your medicine?" She whispered as she hurriedly helped her stepmother to sit on her bed. Her stepmother was sick and bedridden, needing her care and attention.

After the devastating loss of her mother, Gabrielle's world was completely upended when her widowed father sought comfort in the arms of another woman named Laura, whom he eventually married. Gabrielle struggled to come to terms with the idea of her cherished family being torn apart by this new relationship. She was deeply hurt; it hindered her whole being.

Just as she began to come to terms with her father's new relationship, tragedy struck again. With her father's passing, Gabrielle was left with no option but to live the life that Laura was leading. 

To her, she’s the unluckiest person to have ever existed. Having to aid a woman she’s not even blood-related with and working her ass off to provide for both their needs. 

As she took in the gravity of the situation, fatigue crept into her eyes. The lack of sleep and potential dehydration weighed heavily on her. She's tired, more than her senses can take. 

It pained her to see her stepmother looking pale and frail, unable to stand the sight of her in such a condition. Her eyes grew tired when she realized the weight of the situation, she was currently in. No sleep and is potentially dehydrated, she can't stand seeing her stepmother pale and weak. 

“You have to get it together, mom.” She sniffed, not knowing how she could pass by a day without shedding a single tear. “I cannot afford to lose another parent again.”

Silence enveloped every side of the room. The only thing that was creating noise was the droplets of water coming straight out of their rusty roof. 

“Hahaha!” Wild laughs rang in Gabrielle’s ears. It is not uplifting, rather, it makes her feel uneasy. 

“And I cannot leave you behind either.” Gabrielle felt a pang of sting in her throbbing heart while she stared at her stepmother's empty, half-sane, and dull stare. She kept on fidgeting on the linen of her shirt while biting her tongue so as not to cry. 

Her trembling voice couldn’t get out. “Yeah… and I will leave now.” It was an excuse so as not to see herself broken down. 

She turned her back to her stepmother and did not say a word. However, she was taken aback when she grabbed her wrist and made her knees weak. 

“Thank you…” It’s almost as if it was said to make her stay. 

She just nodded. It would be best not to throw another glance or else, it’ll be hard. 

Gabrielle dashed out of their door and took a long sigh before proceeding out. Countless thoughts filled her tiny brain, those that she knew she could not fight with.