Forbidden Keys Under My Skirt - Chapter 5: Chapter 5
You are reading Forbidden Keys Under My Skirt, Chapter 5: Chapter 5. Read more chapters of Forbidden Keys Under My Skirt.
My breath hitched as I shoved the person off me in a panic.
Adrian muttered a curse under his breath, scooping up the discarded dress from the floor and thrusting it toward me. I snatched it and yanked it on as fast as humanly possible.
"Who's here?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Adrian shook his head, his expression tense.
Once we were both decent, he moved to open the door while I perched on the piano bench, forcing my breathing to steady. I hovered my fingers over the keys, pretending I'd just been about to play.
The door swung open—and an all-too-familiar voice cut through the air.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lowell. I'm looking for Chloe."
My heart shot straight into my throat as I whipped around.
"Mom?!" My voice cracked. "When did you get here?"
Please, please don't let her have heard anything. If she had, I was dead.
Mom's frantic glare pinned me in place. "Why aren't you answering your phone? Pack your things—now! Your great-aunt is dying!"
I glanced at my phone on the table. Dead. Of course.
Before I could even turn to say goodbye to Adrian, Mom grabbed my arm and hauled me up. As we rushed past the cello, her foot slipped—
Adrian lunged forward, catching her just in time.
Mom clutched her chest, still shaken. "Oh—thank you, Mr. Lowell. I'm so sorry for the commotion. It's an emergency."
Adrian nodded. "No trouble. Be safe."
Mom gave a hurried thanks, then frowned down at the floor where she'd nearly fallen. "Why is there water…?"
My face burned.
She'd stepped in mine.
As we left, I couldn't resist one last glance back. Adrian's eyes locked onto mine—then he pressed a finger to his lips.
Shh.
Great-aunt passed unexpectedly, and Mom and I returned to our hometown for the funeral.
Back home, tradition demanded the deceased lie in the funeral hall for days before burial. Inside, a frail girl knelt in mourning, dressed in white. She looked about my age.
Mom squeezed my shoulder, her voice thick. "That's your cousin, Lily. Poor thing…"
I barely visited home and had no memory of her. But seeing her red-rimmed eyes and exhausted face, my chest ached—especially once I heard her story.
Lily's parents divorced when she was little. Neither wanted her—just a girl, after all. She was tossed between them like an unwanted package. One year with Dad, the next with Mom. While other girls grew, she stayed small—malnourished, weak, always sick.
Finally, Great-aunt—Lily's grandmother—took her in. Slowly, she regained some health. Still slender, but no longer sickly.
On the third day, Great-aunt was buried.
That evening, relatives gathered for a meal—and the conversation turned to Lily's future.
Their stance was unanimous: No one wanted her.
Watching them, I saw Lily's childhood replay—unwanted by her own parents.
Then, out of nowhere, anger surged through me.
"If none of you will take her, I will."
Silence.
Mom yanked my sleeve, her face tight. "Chloe!" She forced a laugh. "Kids say the wildest things, right?"
But my outburst gave them an out.
"Second Sister, maybe… you could take her for now?"
Mom's expression darkened. "Her uncles are right here! Why me?"
Technically, others were more closely related. It shouldn't have been our problem.
Mom dragged me back into my seat, shooting me a glare that promised you're grounded for life.
I rubbed my nose, guilty.
Lily's uncles started making excuses.
Uncle Richard claimed his farm had failed—couldn't even feed his own kids.
Uncle Michael was divorcing, his home in chaos—no place for a girl.
"Second Sister, you only have Chloe, and your husband earns well. One more won't hurt. She'll start working at eighteen anyway. Lily's obedient—she'll help the family later."
Mom argued back, clearly unwilling.
Then someone suggested, "What about sending her to her mother?"
Another scoffed. "No contact in years. No one even knows where she is."
The mood turned icy.
Not a single adult at the table would step up.
At this rate, Lily would have nowhere to go.
My stomach twisted. I tugged Mom's sleeve under the table. "Mom…"
Just then, Uncle Richard spoke. "If we can't decide, Lily can stay in the old house for now. We'll figure it out later."
The others stayed silent—accepting his *non-*solution.
My chest tightened. "Later" meant never.
An underage girl with no income couldn't survive alone.
As everyone stood to leave, sealing Lily's fate, desperation clawed at me. I clutched Mom's hand, begging until she finally caved.
"Fine. She can come with us."
I exhaled in relief.
After the funeral, we brought Lily home.
She was sweet, soft-spoken, always calling me "sister."
As an only child, I'd always wished for a sibling.
Now, that childhood dream had come true—and having a sister felt perfect.
Back home, piano lessons resumed.
No matter how much I dreaded them, the final assessment loomed.
I had no choice but to go.
Adrian muttered a curse under his breath, scooping up the discarded dress from the floor and thrusting it toward me. I snatched it and yanked it on as fast as humanly possible.
"Who's here?" I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Adrian shook his head, his expression tense.
Once we were both decent, he moved to open the door while I perched on the piano bench, forcing my breathing to steady. I hovered my fingers over the keys, pretending I'd just been about to play.
The door swung open—and an all-too-familiar voice cut through the air.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mr. Lowell. I'm looking for Chloe."
My heart shot straight into my throat as I whipped around.
"Mom?!" My voice cracked. "When did you get here?"
Please, please don't let her have heard anything. If she had, I was dead.
Mom's frantic glare pinned me in place. "Why aren't you answering your phone? Pack your things—now! Your great-aunt is dying!"
I glanced at my phone on the table. Dead. Of course.
Before I could even turn to say goodbye to Adrian, Mom grabbed my arm and hauled me up. As we rushed past the cello, her foot slipped—
Adrian lunged forward, catching her just in time.
Mom clutched her chest, still shaken. "Oh—thank you, Mr. Lowell. I'm so sorry for the commotion. It's an emergency."
Adrian nodded. "No trouble. Be safe."
Mom gave a hurried thanks, then frowned down at the floor where she'd nearly fallen. "Why is there water…?"
My face burned.
She'd stepped in mine.
As we left, I couldn't resist one last glance back. Adrian's eyes locked onto mine—then he pressed a finger to his lips.
Shh.
Great-aunt passed unexpectedly, and Mom and I returned to our hometown for the funeral.
Back home, tradition demanded the deceased lie in the funeral hall for days before burial. Inside, a frail girl knelt in mourning, dressed in white. She looked about my age.
Mom squeezed my shoulder, her voice thick. "That's your cousin, Lily. Poor thing…"
I barely visited home and had no memory of her. But seeing her red-rimmed eyes and exhausted face, my chest ached—especially once I heard her story.
Lily's parents divorced when she was little. Neither wanted her—just a girl, after all. She was tossed between them like an unwanted package. One year with Dad, the next with Mom. While other girls grew, she stayed small—malnourished, weak, always sick.
Finally, Great-aunt—Lily's grandmother—took her in. Slowly, she regained some health. Still slender, but no longer sickly.
On the third day, Great-aunt was buried.
That evening, relatives gathered for a meal—and the conversation turned to Lily's future.
Their stance was unanimous: No one wanted her.
Watching them, I saw Lily's childhood replay—unwanted by her own parents.
Then, out of nowhere, anger surged through me.
"If none of you will take her, I will."
Silence.
Mom yanked my sleeve, her face tight. "Chloe!" She forced a laugh. "Kids say the wildest things, right?"
But my outburst gave them an out.
"Second Sister, maybe… you could take her for now?"
Mom's expression darkened. "Her uncles are right here! Why me?"
Technically, others were more closely related. It shouldn't have been our problem.
Mom dragged me back into my seat, shooting me a glare that promised you're grounded for life.
I rubbed my nose, guilty.
Lily's uncles started making excuses.
Uncle Richard claimed his farm had failed—couldn't even feed his own kids.
Uncle Michael was divorcing, his home in chaos—no place for a girl.
"Second Sister, you only have Chloe, and your husband earns well. One more won't hurt. She'll start working at eighteen anyway. Lily's obedient—she'll help the family later."
Mom argued back, clearly unwilling.
Then someone suggested, "What about sending her to her mother?"
Another scoffed. "No contact in years. No one even knows where she is."
The mood turned icy.
Not a single adult at the table would step up.
At this rate, Lily would have nowhere to go.
My stomach twisted. I tugged Mom's sleeve under the table. "Mom…"
Just then, Uncle Richard spoke. "If we can't decide, Lily can stay in the old house for now. We'll figure it out later."
The others stayed silent—accepting his *non-*solution.
My chest tightened. "Later" meant never.
An underage girl with no income couldn't survive alone.
As everyone stood to leave, sealing Lily's fate, desperation clawed at me. I clutched Mom's hand, begging until she finally caved.
"Fine. She can come with us."
I exhaled in relief.
After the funeral, we brought Lily home.
She was sweet, soft-spoken, always calling me "sister."
As an only child, I'd always wished for a sibling.
Now, that childhood dream had come true—and having a sister felt perfect.
Back home, piano lessons resumed.
No matter how much I dreaded them, the final assessment loomed.
I had no choice but to go.
End of Forbidden Keys Under My Skirt Chapter 5. Continue reading Chapter 6 or return to Forbidden Keys Under My Skirt book page.