I took another sip of my drink, feeling the familiar warmth spread through me. The evening had stretched on, the conversation flowing as freely as the wine. But now, as I set my glass down on the table beside me, I noticed Amory watching me with a concerned expression."I think you're drunk," he said, his voice gentle but firm. "Why don't we call it a night?"I scoffed, a grin spreading across my face. "Drunk? Who? You, Amory?" I dropped the glass cup onto the table with a clink, crossing my arms defiantly. "Then why don't you head to bed first?"He sighed, shaking his head slightly. "I'm serious. You've had quite a bit to drink."I laughed, the sound echoing through the quiet room. "Oh, Amory, you're no fun." I reached up to tie my hair back but realized I couldn't find the hair tie. My eyes began to wander around the room, searching. There it was, on the table across the room. I pointed at it, somewhat clumsily. "That’s mine."Amory stood up and walked over to retrieve it, his movem
I woke up slowly, feeling the warmth of the sun filtering through the curtains. Blinking, I realized I wasn’t in my room. I turned my head and saw Amory lying beside me, his chest rising and falling gently. Panic surged through me as I noticed the bright lipstick mark on his shirt, a stark reminder of the previous night."I fell asleep?" I whispered, clutching the blanket tighter. My mind raced, trying to piece together what happened. Did we... did we do it? I scanned my body for any signs, but everything seemed intact. My clothes were still on, though wrinkled, and my shoes were neatly placed at the foot of the bed. I exhaled, feeling a sliver of relief.I looked over at Amory again. He was sleeping peacefully, his face relaxed and, admittedly, very handsome. "He doesn't look too bad sleeping," I muttered to myself. Embarrassment and confusion swirled inside me. Quietly, I began to gather my belongings, trying not to wake him and I placed a small piece of paper telling him I was goi
The bowstring creaked as I pulled it back, the arrow nocked and ready. With a sharp release, the arrow soared through the air, a physical manifestation of my anger and frustration. It struck with a force that felt as though it had pierced through the hearts of both my sister and mother. The aftermath was immediate. My mother’s face, etched with betrayal, and my sister’s silent tears, left no room for doubt—I had caused irreparable damage.The next thing I knew, I was shoved into my tiny, dingy room, the door slamming shut behind me with a finality that echoed in the small space. I was locked inside, the familiar confinement of my punishment. The walls seemed to close in, suffocating me. I turned and slammed the door repeatedly, each bangs a desperate attempt to break free, to make them feel even a fraction of the pain that was tearing me apart inside. The sound reverberated through the house, a relentless rhythm that eventually faded as my energy waned.Exhausted, I sank to the floor,
I rummaged through my bag, finally feeling the smooth surface of my phone against my fingers. Pulling it out, I dragged a chair from the corner of the room and sank into it. With a deep breath, I pressed the power button, and the screen lighting up. I quickly unlocked it with my fingerprint, the familiar routine offering a brief moment of comfort.I tapped the Facebook icon and watched as it loaded, the blue and white interface appearing on the screen. My heart raced as I navigated to the search bar, typing in "Amory." His name popped up almost immediately, and with a quick scroll, his profile picture came into view. I clicked on his page, eyes scanning for any signs of news or gossip about us.Nothing. No mentions, no posts, and no pictures that hinted at the clandestine meeting Mia and I had orchestrated. Frustration bubbled up inside me. Determined, I navigated back to the search bar and began typing in the name of Amory's company. Before I could finish, it auto-completed, and I cl
"What? Don't you know you're no longer our family when you get married off? You should think about your family now that you're married. You shouldn't be so greedy". "I'm so sorry Mother," l lost all my appetite for a smile. Loads of water are already gathering in my eyes waiting for a blink for them to drop. "Hurry up and get rid of it, we don't want anyone to think our exhibition is lousy, " she turned to take her leave. "That's so harsh mother," Elena also turned, forming her lips to make a mockery of me. "Instead of looking at the painting, can't you see how I feel? Sure, I may not be up to your standard, but I worked so hard on it with all my heart," I spurted out as tears rolled down my cheeks. "Hey listen, you were working on that painting while you should've been working harder. That's why I was upset." "I'm sorry. I misunderstood you. It's for a good cause, so I'm doing my best and I won't disappoint you," I retorted, trying to find her favor. "Let me know if you
Have you ever felt like your heart has been put in a mincer? That is how I feel right now looking at them. I feel like my heart has been shredded into pieces. I wanted to run away. To look away, but I don't want him to see me feeling jealous of him. Unfortunately, Amory's phone rang, giving me the chance to leave the room. Feeling a lump form in my throat, I excused myself to the bathroom, needing a moment to compose myself. As I splashed cool water on my face, I couldn't share the feeling of inadequacy that gnawed at me, wondering all over my sister's words. As I hurried out of the bathroom, my mind still swirling with emotions, I failed to notice the figure approaching from the opposite direction. Before I could react, I collided with someone, nearly stumbling backward in surprise. Looking up, I find myself face-to-face with Amory. His eyes widened momentarily in shock before softening with concern. "Oh, I'm so sorry," he exclaimed, reaching out to steady me. His touch w
With my heart racing, I follow the officers, determined to uncover the source of the disturbance. As I rounded the corner, my breath caught in my throat when I saw the appearance of someone lashing out, slapping someone. Someone familiar, someone I never expected to see in such a predicament with a force that echoed through the room. It was my mother who was being slapped by one of her customers, Mrs Rodriquez. Shock and disbelief washed over me as I struggled to make sense of the scene unfolding before my eyes. How could this be happening? What had led my own mother to be slapped by someone not up to her level as she always claimed? Shock and horror coursed through me as I watched my mother stagger backward, her hand flying to her cheek in disbelief as she collapsed within a second with her assistant manager gripping her to stand. "The police will find out. What should I do?" I read the words forming on her lips. She whispers to her manager's eardrum. I can see the look o
Tip-toeing through the room looking for Zayn. I can hear my sister's voice echoing in the next room in front of me. I decided to make some silent runs and prevent my hill from making a sound against the tiles. Almost at the edge of entering the room, I could hear my sister's voice. "You have feelings for me? I already know you made it so obvious," I move closer to stay at the entrance to hear clearly and see who she's speaking with. "Only a dense fool like my sister wouldn't realize," what I heard shattered my heart. "I thought it was just a phase and overlooked your cute crush. But how dare you?'' She takes two steps forward, closing the space between them. "How any of you and Emma are so similar? Why do you both not know your place?" her voice rang out with anger, each word a sharp dagger cutting through the air. Her words echoed in the room. "You desire the things you can't have and create a mess…" her voice cut when she realized my presence from the entrance, a look of