Ginger Fox Part 2

"Well, it looks like there won't be any cake for breakfast," Aunt Charlotte says disapprovingly, clearly upset about the missing treat. "The cook wanted to inform us that the chocolate cake made yesterday simply vanished from the kitchen this morning."
I feel myself sinking into the chair, wishing I could disappear as I try to hide my face behind the coffee cup.
"Well, it wasn’t me. I got home after five and went straight to my room." I look up at Bob, quickly calculating the times in my head.
I entered my room almost at six. By the time I got out of the shower, the sun was already high. That means Bob must have snuck in while I was with Jonathan, just enough time to enter Jon’s room and push the wardrobe.
"And you, Miss Fox? I suppose you wouldn’t know what happened to the cake." Bob’s smug, bothersome smile lights up his face as he teases me.
I stare at him, unsure if he’s just provoking me or if he actually knows where I was last night.
"No, I don’t."
"But who would eat an entire chocolate cake..." Baby’s voice, laughing, breaks my stare at Bob, and I turn my gaze to her. Her attention is fixed on the strands of my hair between her fingers, her eyes widening as she looks at me.
"What a shame, I’m sure it was delicious," Jonathan says casually.
Baby and I glance simultaneously at Mr. Roy, who sips his coffee nonchalantly.
The blonde, her red lips slightly parted, looks at me in disbelief. I nod, answering the silent question in her eyes. Her hand immediately releases my hair, and she grabs a napkin, wiping her fingers, her cheeks turning red as she stifles a laugh.
"God forgive your soul, Ginger," Baby whispers to me, laughing and taking a sip of her juice.
If I had the chance, I would have told her that I genuinely seek His forgiveness for the sins I’ve committed and the ones I have yet to commit.
"Do you two want to share the joke with the rest of the table?" Aunt Charlotte asks us.
"No!" I reply in distress, almost shouting, causing the old woman to look at me with suspicion. Baby finally lets out the laugh she’s been holding back, making me feel even worse.
"Baby, stop tormenting Miss Fox." Jonathan’s deep, commanding voice has the opposite effect on Baby, making her laugh even harder as she looks at him, tears of laughter in her eyes. "What do you really think happened to the cake, Jonathan?" she teases him, making him grip his cup tightly.
"Traitor," I murmur to Baby, who can’t contain her laughter.
She turns to me and gently strokes my cheek, giving it a light pinch. She leans in close until her nose touches mine. The smile on Baby’s face fades as her eyes focus on something behind me. I look to the side, noticing that everyone’s attention is now directed toward the same place Baby is staring at. I move to see what it is and find Mrs. Lorane glaring at me with a murderous look.
"Who authorized this?" she chokes out, closing her eyes and clenching her mouth. "Who gave you permission to do this to Jon?"
I glance at Jon’s black hair, the source of the woman’s rage. I quickly stand up, feeling worried.
"No one, actually, Mrs. Lorane." I raise my fingers, pointing to his black hair. I see Jon quiet, shrinking back, dropping the piece of bread he was eating. "I was going to dye my hair, Jon asked to change his color too. I didn’t know it wasn’t allowed; after all, his hair was blue before. I didn’t think black would be a problem."
"Lorane," Baby calls out, making the agitated woman open her eyes and glare at her. "It’s just a color." It’s as if the two of them are having an argument with just their eyes.
"A color? Did you look at him? Is it just a color?" I don’t understand, nothing comes to mind as to why she’s so angry about Jon’s hair color. "I hate her, I hate her and you know it! I HATE HER!"
I flinch as she charges at me like an out-of-control train. Baby raises her arms, holding me with her so I don’t fall to the floor. A dark shadow looms over us, and I see Mr. Roy’s back moving with his heavy breaths, his arm outstretched, holding Lorane’s hand, which is ready to strike my face.
"She’s stealing him from me! She’s stealing him from me!" I’m in shock, scared, cornered. No one has ever attacked me before with the intent to harm. My body collapses onto Baby’s lap.
"Shut up, Lorane!" Jonathan quickly moves her, dragging her out of the room.
"I didn’t mean to, I didn’t know, Baby..." I feel tears streaming down my face, feeling frightened.
"It’s okay, it’s okay. Calm down... Jon, take Gim to the garden." Baby gently moves me off her lap as if I were a scared child. Her fingers wipe away my tears. "Go to the garden, I’ll join you both shortly."
Jon stands up, holding my hand. I see his eyes, as frightened as mine. I try to pull myself together, not wanting my fear to worsen Jon’s state. I grip his fingers, gently stroking his hand.

"I warned you this wouldn’t end well," Aunt Charlotte says as she pushes her chair back, looking at the table. She shakes her head in disappointment, slowly walking out of the dining room.
The only thing left in that silent room is Bob’s condemning stare, his face twisted into a bitter, Joker-like grin. He raises his coffee cup towards me, as if making a mocking toast, before finishing his bread.
"Come on, Jon."
I leave without looking back, praying to keep my composure, not allowing my legs to buckle in front of Jon.



***


I still have the image of Dona Lorane's crazed face etched in my mind, her words echoing in my head. "You’re stealing him from me! You’re stealing him from me!"
What am I stealing from Lorane? Jon? Her husband? Maybe she arrived with Bob. I rub my face, feeling nervous and cornered. She must have seen me with Jonathan, which would explain her outburst. The hateful words she threw at me were fueled by jealousy—a sick, twisted jealousy.
"I think they managed to control that stupid bitch for a while," Bob’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. I lower my hands from my face to see him standing just two steps away from me.
My eyes search for Jon, finding him sitting by the edge of the pool, his legs playfully splashing in the water.
"In the end, I think I underestimated you, Ginger." His every step towards me radiates pure disgust, and my body recoils from him.
"Shouldn’t you be inside, taking care of your cousin, Mr. Bob?" I say, trying to deflect, but he just rolls his eyes and shrugs.
"Lorane got what she wanted. I think my presence would be unwelcome right now."
Jonathan?
I turn my face away, not wanting him to see what I’m feeling. She is his wife, as twisted and unhealthy as their relationship may be. Maybe Lorane isn’t as immune to Roy as I thought. I close my eyes, a melancholic feeling creeping in, and take a painful breath.
"I have to go," I say quickly, standing up to distance myself from him.
His disgusting hand grips my wrist tightly, holding me in place.
"You think you're better than me, don’t you? I can see the arrogance in your eyes, just like the rest of this family." I feel the strength of his hand crushing my wrist. "You think you know everything?" I yank my arm free with force.
"You don’t know me well enough to know what I think. But the one thing I do know right now is that I don’t like you, Bob!" The words rush out of me, and I feel dirty where his fingers touched. "Don’t you dare touch me again!"
I glare at him with all the fury burning inside me, turning to walk away.
"Funny how you didn’t feel that same disgust when the madman fucked you in the kitchen." I freeze in place. My eyes dart nervously toward Jon, who’s still distracted, playing by the pool, and I’m grateful he didn’t hear what this snake just said. "Yeah, I know, my sweet Ginger."
I release the breath I was holding and turn back to face Bob. He shoves his hands into his pockets, puffing out his chest, looking down at me with an air of superiority.