Solely Mine

veling

to's

mean?Suddenly, there was a knock at the door. Lerato froze, her heart leaping into her throat. For a brief second, she considered ignoring it, but then the door cracked open slightly, and her father's face appeared in the gap."Lerato," he said softly, stepping into the room. "Can we talk?"Lerato stood still, watching him carefully. "About what?"Her father closed the door behind him and gestured to the chair by her desk. "Mind if I sit?"Lerato shrugged, her guard still up. She crossed her arms, waiting for him to speak. He looked older tonight, his face worn with a kind of tiredness that hadn't been there before. His hands fidgeted in his lap, as though searching for the right words to say."Lerato, I know you're confused," he started, his voice low. "And I know we haven't been very open with you about why you're here."She stayed silent, her eyes fixed on him. Finally, it seemed like the moment of truth was coming. But was she ready to hear it?"I...wanted to wait until we had everything settled, but it seems like you're already picking up on things," he continued. "Your mother and I-we've been having some difficulties for a while now. Financial troubles, business issues, you name it. And it's...it's affected us more than we expected."Lerato narrowed her eyes, her patience wearing thin. "What does that have to do with me? You made it sound like I was needed here for family reasons, b

one. "Lerato, this isn't your problem. You need to trust that we're doing what's best for you."Lerato shook her head, her voice trembling with anger. "No, I'm done with that. You don't get to decide what I need to know. You've already dragged me into this mess."Her mother's face darkened, but before she could respond, a loud crash echoed from downstairs, followed by the sound of the front door slamming open. All three of them froze, their eyes wide with shock."What was that?" Lerato whispered.Her father's face drained of color. "They're here," he muttered, barely audible.Lerato's heart raced as the sound of heavy footsteps approached, growing louder with each passing second. The

were voices softly speaking beneath her room.with anger