His Queen

Hailey's Pain

Hailey had a day from hell, but she hadn’t wanted to ruin Cleo’s night by telling her. Seeing Cleo happy lately didn’t make her feel insanely jealous. Or like someone had taken something from her. Something Hailey realized she’d been trained to feel, she was starting to realize.  

Instead, Hailey for the first time she could remember had been selfless and pushed Cleo to go out. To enjoy herself and be with a hot guy wanting to show her off.  

And while still feeling the pinch of jealousy, Hailey now felt it moderately smaller. And instead felt happiness for her step-sister. Because after YEARS of being a b***h to her, Hailey knew if anyone deserved to be happy now, it was Cleo.  

Which is why she was trying to clean salt out of old wounds alone. And Peyton was in the basement screaming like a lunatic.  

Hailey wanted to ignore it, but if the neighbors, while older, might still hear her. And call the police thinking something was wrong. So, she walked down to the basement and found her birth giver covered in sweat.  

Buckets full of vomit and other bodily fluids, Peyton looked wrecked. Hailey stayed by the stairs as her mom blinked at her rapidly, “Baby! Baby you have to help me!” Hailey sighed as she kept on a mask of indifference, “What is it now?” Peyton struggled to focus but she looked at Hailey with mock motherliness that didn’t fit her character.  

“Sweetheart I know you can let me out, I haven’t heard Cleo in hours. I know she’s gone now, and I swear if you let me out, I'll change! I’ll be a better mom, and we can start over wherever you want.” Hailey watched her mother gag and wretch like her own lies were making her sick.  

“Yeah, your withdrawal must be really kicking your ass huh?” Hailey muttered bitterly, “I bet you’d promise me a corvette you can’t afford to get out of this basement. Just so you could go shoot more s**t in your veins.”  

Peyton tried to deny it with tears and lies of getting better. But Hailey’s heart was numb to her mother at this point and Peyton saw that. Breaking the character of broken mama with an addiction, she became the heartless addict in a drop of a hat.  

“Damn you were my gullible before, what did that b***h say to you?” Hailey looked at Peyton for a moment, “Nothing. You showed me the truth about yourself, I saw it and I tried to deny it. Until you finally told me what you did to my brother.”  

Paling, Peyton tried to remember the conversation. Had it been the lie or the truth?  

Nervous now, Peyton watched Hailey walk over curiously and pick up a tool box. Heavy and rusty, she knew it had been her late step-father's. He’d been the last real man to come in this house and actually work.  

“You’re right,” Hailey agreed as she grabbed small metal sledge hammer. Walking to her mama, Peyton grabbed a dusty fold up chair and sat in front of her. “I was gullible.” Peyton watched nervously as the metal head of the hammer tapped on the metal leg of the chair, “I believed everything you said to me, because you were my mother.”  

Wincing at the sneer in her voice, Peyton whispered scared, “Hailey-.” Hailey stopped her with a cold look, “I let you convince me Cleo was enemy number one. I listened to you b***h and moan how I was ugly and fat. How I had to work so hard to get a guy to notice me if I wanted to keep him around.”  

Swallowing hard, Hailey realized, “But all you were doing was repeating what you heard. Pushing all your insecurities and bullshit on me. Well not anymore.” Leaning forward, Hailey hissed, “You told me you left my brother in a Home Depot parking lot with five dollars and a burner phone. Was that true?”  

Peyton’s face said it all, yeah it had been true.  

She’d abandoned her son, before meeting Billy Bryson. She’d had no choice. “What the f**k is actually wrong with you?” Hailey asked disgusted, “He could be dead or have had the WORST life with strangers. Because of you!”  

Angry at the audacity of her daughter Peyton yelled, “I had no choice! I had to make decisions so that you could have had the best of everything! Designer clothes, shoes, going wherever you wanted whenever you wanted! I took care of it all!”  

Hailey held up her hammer and Peyton winced as she jabbed it at her, “Don’t you dare, put you abandoning my brother on me!” Scoffing in disgust, Hailey knew for a fact, “If you had needed to, you would have dumped me if I became dead weight. But it was easy for you to claw your way into someone’s life with your little replica huh? A cute face to soften hearts and make it seem like you’re some doting mother? Couldn’t be done with almost a teenager in rags.”  

Nose flaring as her tremors picked up, Peyton whimpered as she scratched at her arms. “When did you start using?” Hailey asked curious now. Peyton rolled her eyes, “When I left him, but I stopped after I met Billy. He would have noticed, and I couldn’t-.”  

Stopping from exposing herself, Hailey did it for Peyton as she guessed, “You couldn’t have trapped him if he knew you were an addict? Yeah, he was too smart for that, I'm surprised he didn’t see through the act though. You must have really hammed it up for him.”  

Peyton scoffed as she muttered bitter, “All he wanted was a pseudo wife who cooked, cleaned, and took care of the kids. Bastard worked so much he barely had time for me, or you!” She reminded harshly as Peyton immediately got defensive over Billy.  

Eyes turning to slits, Hailey reminded her mother, “He didn’t have to take me in, and he didn’t have to love me as his daughter. He did. Billy was the one who paid for my clothes, put food on the table, and provided. That was more than my own father EVER did.”  

Surprised by the claim, Peyton tried to correct her daughter’s thinking, “What are you talking about? Baby your daddy adores you! If only you’d call him more! He’d give you whatever you want!”  

Hailey was silent and still as she thought of that. Peyton thought she’d rocked her daughter enough to have her guard down. Jumping up sluggish she tried to run on her bambi legs. But Hailey casually shifted the chair to the side and tripped her mother up.  

Hitting the floor hard, her face took the worst of it with a loud splat. Peyton groaned and cried as she held her bloody nose, “Ow, you f*****g ungrateful little b***h!” She wailed. But Hailey sighed, “Yeah, that’s what I think he wanted to call me too.”  

Peyton’s head shot up to her blank face daughter.  

Eyes filled with tears but so distant, Hailey gasped out, “I thought I was over him not being around. I remember Walter, vaguely. The prestige lawyer coming and going from our shitty little apartment, whenever he pleased. You were all but too happy to play the mistress to him, and let him bank roll our life. Until we became too expensive and his wife noticed. Then we were about as important as gum on the bottom of his shoe.”  

Peyton sat back trying to stop her nose from gushing as Hailey remembered, “He never talked to me, never entertained me. He just looked at me with this annoyance and boredom. Pushed me to the side like I was nothing.”  

Scoffing as her grip tightened on the hammer, “He only came around the first six years of my life to keep having s*x with you. To have the torrid affair with the only commitment being with his wallet. Not to be a real man, trying to take care of his family. And damn sure not for me.”  

Peyton blurry-eyed and bloody now grumbled, “Where did you see him?” Hailey sighed, “He came to the house actually.” Head snapping up in horror, Peyton asked, “Why? What did he want? He’s never been here before? Was he looking for me?”  

Hailey laughed mockingly, “Yeah, but not for what you think. He wasn’t leaving his wife like you so dreamed.” Peyton soured and watched Hailey boil as she remembered, “It comes as no surprise he wanted something. I just hadn’t expected it to be from me.”  

The knock on the door had startled Hailey and she’d answered without looking. Opening the door, she froze seeing the handsome older white man in front of her. Tall, brown-hair, and hazel eyes, the towering figure stood in a suit.  

Surprised she’d answered the door, Walter Winslow faltered and then forced a smile, “H-hi, is your mom home?” Hailey shook her head quickly, “No, sorry.” Going to close the door, Walter stopped her by gently asking, “Know when she’ll be back?”  

Hailey sighed as she forced herself to politely say, “No, she’s out of town for a while. I’ll tell her you’re looking for her.” Hailey started to close the door again, but Walter blurted out, “Do you know who I am?”  

Looking up at the same hazel eyes, Hailey shrugged, “Yeah Walter I know who you are.” Walter Braxton looked down at his daughter, his blood. But she was a stranger still, and he knew it wasn’t anyone’s fault but his own.  

But now he needed her... 

“Well, I was hoping we could talk. If you don’t mind, I’d love to talk to you.” Hailey didn’t like the sound of it, and immediately shook her head, “No, I’m sorry I don’t want to talk to you. But I’ll tell my mom you came by; she’ll be home in a few weeks hopefully-.”  

Walter coughed as he painfully admitted, “Yeah I don’t have a few weeks.”  

Stopping in the middle of her sentence awkward seeing Walter awkwardly shuffle, Hailey waited for him to say more. Growing frustrated when he just stood there, she sighed and asked, “Well what is it then?!?” Walter jerked back shocked at the slight aggression in her tone.  

“D-don’t you want to invite me in?” Hailey scoffed shooting him a look of distrust, “I don’t know you.”  

Walter hated to note it, but she had a point. Sighing closing his eyes defeated, Walter confessed, “I have Kidney Failure. Do you know what that is?” Hailey nodded slowly and Walter confessed, “I need a kidney transplant, doctors said it’s vital or I'm going to go downhill. Fast.”  

Not a drop of concern or care showed on Hailey’s face. It was an empty canvas with no regard to the usually sad news. Instead, she prompted, “And?” and waited to see what that had to do with her.   

Walter wilted seeing his own daughter not giving a f**k he was sick. But then again, he was sure her hearing he was sick didn’t change a thing.  

He was still the prick who had never been there for her.  

Breathing out shakily, Walter admitted, “I was going to have your mother speak to you about this. But I was hoping you’d find it in your heart to forgive me. Forgive me enough to get tested to see if you’re viable.”  

Hailey felt a heavy brick of disappointment land on her stomach. Of course, he was here because he wanted something from her. A big something, that wouldn’t be easy to do. And of course, she’d hoped for something else. 

 Like a fool she’d believed it was an apology, him wanting say he was sorry. Apologize for not being there and say he wanted to change that now. Before it was too late.  

Something.  

“Let me answer that question with a question Walter.” Walter’s heart raced uncomfortably as Hailey looked up at him with a merciless expression, “If you didn’t need an organ from me, would you have even acknowledged my existence as your daughter?”  

Walter wanted to lie, he wanted to lie purely because he knew the truth was so horrible. And the excuses he’d longed used were about as dry as a dessert. But as the truth played clear across his face, Hailey nodded, “Exactly.”  

Stopping her from closing the door, Walter pleaded, “Harley please,” The slap was loud and a neighbor sitting on her porch looked up shocked. But it woke Walter up as he looked at his child, face stinging with her rage.  

“My name, DAD is Hailey. You wouldn’t know that Walter because you don’t know me. And out of all the s**t you deprived of, you have nerve to ask me for anything?” Walter was ashamed of the shamelessness of it.  

But he was desperate. “I-.” Hailey shook her head, tears filling her eyes, “Save it.” She whispered pained. “Save it for someone who needs your lies and bullshit excuses. I don’t.”  

Walter watched her breath out before admitting, “And I want both my kidneys in case someone I actually love needs one. So, the answer is no in case you didn’t realize it. So how about you go ask your other kids to maybe give you a kidney.”  

Feeling a lump in his throat, Walter wanted to plead and beg. But the chilling look in Hailey’s eye was followed by, “You know, the ones you raised? Asshole.” His parting words were told to the door. He kept saying he was sorry, how he just needed to explain. But when music was cranked up, Walter walked away defeated.  

Peyton exhaled not even surprised at this. “Walter isn’t a bad man.” She told her daughter tiredly. Hailey looked at her mother who shrugged, “He wasn’t the worse guy I've been with. He was just...greedy. He wanted the nice house, with the pretty wife, and the envy of everyone. He was groomed into it, so he became it. He couldn’t help that. But he also wanted the hot woman on the side, you were an unexpected dilemma.”  

Hailey scoffed not even hurt at the truth of being a mistake, “You’re making excuses for him? Shocker.”  

Wiping blood off her hands with the baby wipes given to her, Peyton sniped, “Oh I’m so sorry we all can’t be bitter and angry.” Hailey watched her mother numb, “Bitter? No. Angry? f**k yes. But it’s no shocker you want to give him an inch.”  

Peyton sent Hailey a drooling look, “He’s still your daddy. Besides, what did he really do so terrible? So, he wasn’t the Uncle Phil of fathers, hell how did you think we made it so long before Billy? He took care of us and provided until his b***h of a wife got salty.”  

Laughing for a solid minute, Hailey had her mother scared as she barked, “What’s so funny?” Hailey’s head rolled over to look at her mama on the floor. So dirty and disgusting, hair matted and greasy. She looked gaunt, pale, and horrid, not at all the woman she’d portrayed she was.  

This was the true her, the real her.  

Rotted on the inside. And now it was finally showing on the outside.  

“You. You’re pathetic as s**t mother.” Peyton had the nerve to look offended. But Hailey leaned forward as she gritted out, “Because you honestly believe the half ass attempts Walter made at being a father were anything but scraps. He didn’t care about me, he still doesn’t. Everything he did, he did it for himself.”  

Rolling her eyes, Peyton barked rudely, “Oh grow up Hailey. I told you the way of the world long before anyone else had to learn it.” Leaning into her daughter, Peyton sneered, “Every man does s**t for themselves. They have the power and the money, but if you can get the man? All that power and money is yours.”  

It was sad to see and hear the motto again. But Hailey knew her mother’s issues stemmed from someone telling her that as well. It was too well rehearsed, too known. But since she hadn’t ever known either grandparent, Hailey couldn’t tell who had planted the seed.  

Licking her lips, Hailey realized, “Do you want to know why Cleo has such a good head on her shoulder? Why she has a man like Tyrone Royal ready to give her the world? And I’m down here, with you?”  

Peyton didn’t want to say it, but Hailey did, “Because her daddy loved her. Billy was a good man, who raised her to know her worth. He protected her and he loved her, in the right way. He might not have been the richest or the best at everything. But he did right by his daughter.”  

Shaking her head, Hailey whispered, “Maybe you’re right, and Walter isn’t a bad person. But he’s also not my father, because of you and your manipulations, I don’t get to have one. Walter never tried and I tried too hard to force it with Billy. I didn’t let him raise me, I pretended to be someone I’m not so he could love me. I missed out on having him as a father, because of your voice in my head.”  

Holding up her hammer, Hailey warned her mother softly, “But that voice mama? It’s gone now.” Scared as she backed against the wooden post, Peyton trembled as Hailey stood up, “So stop looking for the little girl who believed in your lies. She’s officially dead.”  

Peyton felt her stomach turn as she gasped, “Baby-.” Stopping when Hailey put the cold hammer against her mouth, Peyton winced. “Because I’m done letting you two selfish assholes ruin who I am. Who I could be.” Hailey looked her mother in the eye, “I forgive you mama, but I'm done helping you. From now on, you’re on your own.”  

Turning to leave, Peyton was spluttering out a shaky breath as Hailey told her harshly, “And stop your f*****g screaming. No one can hear you, no one cares, so shut the f**k up or I’ll make you.”  

Peyton, agitated now and yanking on the chains screwed into the wall, bellowed, “You f*****g b***h! Or you’ll do what? Mope me to death? Try to make me feel guilty for how you turned out?”  

Hailey turned and looked at Peyton who stood on wobbly legs, “You liked everything we did and said to that b***h too. You liked being in control and having someone hate you so much they wanted to be you. I taught you how to put someone like her under you! You should be thanking me.”  

Walking slowly down the stairs still holding the hammer, Hailey hummed, “Maybe, in your mind. But I now know I was liking being a b***h because I was so insecure. Cleo will never be under me, no one is. I’m just a girl with a drug addict for a mother, a ghost for a father, and a missing older brother. Nothing to be jealous of.”  

Kicking her mom so she fell back on the floor. Peyton’s eyes widen as Hailey held up the hammer, “And I learned the error of my ways with a painful lesson. Now it’s your turn, because I told you to shut the f**k up.”  

And then the hammer came down. And Peyton’s scream was bone chilling in the late night.