TWO LIVES - Shattered Illusion
“Are you trying to punish me? I…I don't know how many times I can apologize even if it wasn't my fault that I almost—”
“I never asked you to. You do whatever you want, Niya, and I really don't care. Neither should you bother with what I do.”
“You're hurt. You're hurt, Alex, and you're acting out. Don't worry we could talk this through. This isn't you.” I try to reach him again but he shoots me a deadly glare that pierces through my skin like a dagger.
“Sure it is. You've just never seen me like this. You don't know what I look like when I'm not in love with you,” his brows grow together. “Now we’ve had enough of your drama. You'll find the papers and enjoy the party or use the fucking door.”
He pulls away and my eyes cloud again. My ears and heart find it hard to process what is actually going on. The looks on their faces tell me it is awfully too late—I have already lost everything.
“Niya, careful now,” my grandmother slowly tugs at my arm as if that will somehow make everything better. “We have guests. Don’t cause a scene.”
A scene? I have literally just seen a whole movie, ma.
*************
My name is Niya Kendrick. I’m 25, an author who once believed she had the perfect life. But how quickly can everything I love be stripped away in the blink of an eye? Or worse, what if the life, the family I’ve cherished has always been a blatant lie, a mere fragment of the truth? Now, I’m awake, and reality is far harsher than any dream.
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Chapter: CHAPTER EIGHT: You too good to serve now?Niya pushed through the door too fast and nearly stumbled to a stop just outside Mr. Don’s office.She was seething. Her pulse pounded against her ribs, fingers curled into fists at her sides, and her breath uneven out. She felt a dull ache pressed against her temples, and her jaw locked tight.Cold fingers closed around Niya's wrist, suddenly yanking her back with just enough force to jolt her. A flash of heat ran through her, not just from surprise but from the immediate need to pull away.“What the hell are you doing here?” The voice slithered into her ear. Rina’s brows pulled together under widened eyes, but her grip didn’t loosen a notch. Her voice came out snippy. “Don’t go in there—” She stopped abruptly, glancing around before dragging Niya farther from the door, tucking them into the left corner.The fire on Niya’s cheeks died out. “What?” She winced, yanking her arm free. “You’re hurting me—”“You can’t just waltz in there, Niy,” Rina hissed, finally letting go. “Do you eve
Last Updated: 2025-03-06
Chapter: CHAPTER SEVEN: I’m changing.It looked the same. Felt the same.She felt something crawl under her skin. A slow, prickling awareness, like stepping into a space just after someone had been talking about her.Maybe it was the way people glanced at her—not with excitement or surprise. But warier. Like they didn’t know whether to acknowledge her or pretend they hadn’t seen her at all.Or maybe it was her. The girl by the checkout.Petite. Brunette. Bright eyes that sparkled easily in the way she beamed at everyone she passed. The kind of smile that screamed ‘first day’, too sun-shiny, too eagerly, almost like she was trying to make a good impression.She laughed at something one of the cashiers said, tucking a loose strand of hair behind her ear as she slid a barcode over the scanner. There was a smoothness in her conversation with them, a familiarity Niya had never had with her coworkers.Not that they were unfriendly. She’d just never been part of the casual back-and-forth that came naturally to people who'd worke
Last Updated: 2025-02-24
Chapter: CHAPTER SIX: I remember them.“Miss Kendrick! Oh, thank God. I’ve been meaning to reach out, but I wanted to give you time to—”Niya knew there was only one person who had refused to stop addressing her like that. “Claire?” she straightened. “From BookLore?”The name hadn’t crossed her mind, not even once. But the second she heard that voice—like a switch being flipped in a dark room—it spark-plugged her smudged-out memory. It was strange, really. How some things clung to her mind without effort, while everything else felt like it had been scrubbed away.“Yes! It’s me. Listen, I don’t want to keep you long,” Claire exhaled audibly, the static of her breath crackling in Niya’s ear. “I wanted to say I’m so glad you’re back on your feet.”Niya let out a dry breath, her gaze drifting to the floor. She’d barely found solid ground. “I—uh, thanks,” she muttered.“I know it’s a lot to process,” Claire continued in the most careful voice she could. “But BookLore still wants you. We all do. And Mason Chloe… she was really e
Last Updated: 2025-02-14
Chapter: CHAPTER FIVE: Reality.PRESENT“So, that’s why you quit your job?” Her grandmother’s voice cut through the brewing silence like a chopping knife.“Yes.” Niya huffed, perplexed. Her brows pulled up, then she quickly averted her gaze, letting it drift somewhere past Ma Phil.There was a long pause. No sound came from either of them as if they were ready to pounce on the first to breathe a word. Finally, Niya spoke.“It was killing me. And it’s not like I had a choice.” Her eyes finally met her grandmother’s, and something flickered in them. Something new that Ma Phil had never seen before. And for the first time, she looked away. Ran her wrinkled fingers through the thick, matted fur of her ugly, puffed-up cat, before her voice dropped to a low murmur, “Since when do you get to make such decisions?” Niya swallowed, but before she could answer, Ma Phil slurred, interrupting her. “You’re still under my roof, Niya. I’m the one who’s been here, making sure we didn’t lose this house when your father died.”Niya
Last Updated: 2025-02-12
Chapter: CHAPTER FOUR: I died.PASTNiya slammed the cash register closed and pulled off her name tag with a tired sigh. It had been a long day at the supermarket, one of three jobs she juggled to keep her life afloat. The first shift was at the local diner from six to noon, followed by the supermarket until three, and finishing with freelancing she ran between BookLore and her tiny room in her grandmother's manor.She’d been juggling this routine for nearly six months, ever since her father passed away. His unexpected death left her drowning in medical bills and loans she hadn’t even known existed. On top of that, her stern grandmother had barely given her room to breathe, piling on expectations and criticism as if grief wasn’t already enough.“One last dollar for the sweat,” Niya muttered under her breath as she signed out of her shift.She turned to leave, but paused when she noticed Pony bounding toward her. Her cheeks were flushed, rosy from the cool air, as she leaned against the sign-out counter, a grin ligh
Last Updated: 2024-12-31
Chapter: CHAPTER THREE: You need me too.PASTAlex adjusted the cuff of his sleeve, his mind unwillingly drifting to the meeting ahead. He had no clear picture of Niya, only memories of a lanky girl from high school who always seemed to have a book tucked under her arm. But her grandmother, Ma Phil, had painted a different image—poised, graceful, capable. Although, he doubted her grandmother's words. She may not fit his idea of the perfect wife, but she needed money. Fast. People didn’t change that much, did they? He couldn’t help but wonder if this arrangement would be more trouble than it was worth.When the door opened, Alex’s breath hitched. Niya stepped in, her yellow off-shoulder top paired with dark blue jeans, cutting a figure that was neither timid nor polished at all. Her long pin straight, black hair was pulled back into a low loosed bun, but a few strands framed her face, softening her serious expression. Her skin gleamed like polished bronze, and her almond-shaped dark eyes held his gaze with a directness he wa
Last Updated: 2024-12-31
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