The toy..My phone's incessant pinging grated on my nerves, fueling an annoying heat in me. I stared at the screen as expected; it was Damon. Every three hours, he’d blow up my phone with calls and texts. I put the phone in silence and hid it beneath the pillow.The shower stopped, and Eliana came out, a towel tied around her body. “If you don’t do something about it, he’s going to keep disturbing you.” She had been staying with me for some days now. I sighed and turned restlessly on the bed. “Better still, block him.” Eliana sat on the bed.I rose to a sitting position.Thoughts of Damon crossed my mind. The bed carried so many memories. I dug my fingers into the bedsheet. A part of me wishes Lucy never showed me the diary; I should have continued living in the delusion—I was happy.A bloody war was going on in me—me wanting to let him go, the other begging him till he accepted me. None seemed easier. Eliana burst into laughter. “When did you become such a reckless romantic?” Sh
The CEO..The air was always thick around the house, but it was much thicker today. Maybe it was because my father’s voice was sharper than usual. With a deep inhale, I opened the door and walked in. My footsteps echoed, merging with the pounding of my heart—how I hated this house.I nearly bumped into Lucy. Her eyes were filled with panic. My expression hardened; I already knew what was about to happen.In the living room, my father sat on a single couch, four hefty men standing behind him, each gripping a bat, an iron pipe, and a steel rod. I sighed, the sight all too familiar, and braced myself for yet another confrontation.My father cleared his throat, his voice laced with disappointment. "Why do you keep wavering between being a failure and a Wesley? Is this perhaps the consequence of weak blood flowing through your veins?”I stood there without a word.With a cold, disdainful gaze, he continued, "Lucy has told me everything. You even left the house. Damon, I thought you would
The CEO..It was barely up to two weeks, and she was already back here—the hospital. I sat on the chair outside the emergency room. My heart pounded in my throat, and my sweaty palms clasped together. My eyes widened, and I froze as they rolled my Binky out of the emergency room. She lay on the bedside trolley, her pale face barely visible under the oxygen mask. Blood seeped into the bandages around her head and her clothes.Tracy covered my eyes with her hand. “You don’t have to see her,” she advised.I pushed her hand away. “I need to.” The medical team surrounded her. Their urgent movement knotted a tie in my stomach.“We need to take her to the surgical theater,” the doctor stated.I scurried behind them and gripped one of the nurses. “What’s happening?” I asked with a strained voice.“Severe head trauma, possible internal bleeding. We need to operate on her immediately.” The nurse walked away, her words tightening my throat. I smacked my forehead again and again.Tracy caugh
The CEO...My chest tightened as my heart pounded panic into my system. Desperately, I battled with the rope. I had to be set free; I had to protect her. Each futile attempt only led to rope digging deeper into my skin and blisters forming on my skin.“That’s not going to happen,” Tracy stated her voice firm. The clicks of her heels against the floor mingled with the tension. “He’s coming with me.”“How’re you going to do that?” He inquired. My father’s tone mocked her. “Last time you abandoned him.”Another tension brewed between them. Hatred, anger, and pain filled the air; no wonder it was always thick.Tracy inched closer and stared up at him, her gaze unwavering. “You see, Williams, everyone has changed; you are the only one still stuck playing god in your delusional world.” Her demeanor changed completely; it was cold. My father flinched at her words. His throat visibly tightened. “Tracy,” he yelled, but it sounded different—not the way he yelled my name when I disappointed h
Aria (15 years old)..I scurried upstairs, my heart dancing in my chest. My eyes fell on Ariel sitting on her bed, cuddling her teddy bear, her eyes fixed on a book.“Guess what,” I stated, jumping on her bed. Ariel forced a smile. “Did she agree to buy you a diary?” She questioned.“Yes,” I yelled. “Well, I did everything She told me to do.” I pouted. “Get a diary too,” I blurted.Ariel’s gaze shifted to meet mine. “What would I write about?”“Are you serious?” I sprang up from the bed, throwing my hands in the air. “You can write about anything—your day, your crush, and things you don’t want to tell anyone. Secrets,” I suggested. Ariel’s expression morphed as her lips curled downwards. “Anything I can’t tell anyone.” She shook her head. “I don’t want to stop telling you things. I don’t need a diary—I have you.”My face reddened and I turned my face away as she turned her attention back to the book she was reading. “What are you reading?” I jumped on her body, and she winced. I
Ariel (15 years old)..My legs were weak, trembling from pain. My throat was parched as I had screamed as loud as I could—searching for a savior. My stomach hurt—everywhere hurt.Aria tried to touch me, but I recoiled; instantly she pulled back. She sat silently, lost of words. The sadness in the air was palpable, perfectly blending with the musty smell inhabiting the basement.“Did he?” Aria’s voice began to wobble. “Did..he?” Her voice, although shaking, deepened.I tried to speak but couldn’t. Leonard had gone, but his painful touches lingered, making me want to claw my skin. His words still echoed in my head: “If you don’t shout and complain, it only goes by faster,” stabbing my mind. When all she got was tears, she had answers. “I’m so sorry; I shouldn’t have begged you to stay.” Aria began to cry, guilt chipping at her voice. “If I didn’t ask you to stay, this would never happen." She attempted to touch me but froze midway. “This is all my fault. All because of a stupid diar
Ariel (15 years old)..Time heals every wound they say. Three weeks had passed and not a sign of improvement. Instead, it got worse; anytime I closed my eyes, I could still feel him on top of me. My body still tightened anytime I heard his voice echo in the house. I stopped having food at the dining, and in no time Aria joined me. The home became like a prison—bounding me to that night. I lay with my stomach on the bed, my legs kicking in the air, and my attention on the novel I was reading. Aria and my mother’s voices filled every corner of the house, making it hard to concentrate on the book. I could hear their voices from our room. I wasn’t the only one who changed that night; Aria did too. She became more defiant, doing the exact opposite of what my mother tells her.The slamming of the door as Aria stomped in broke me out of my reverie. Her face was red, and her eyes were burning with anger. “She’s so difficult.” Aria sighed as she collapsed and sprawled on the bed.I rose
ARIA...We were back at school. My heart pounded with anger as I spotted Ariel crouched in a corner, tears streaming down her face. I hurried over, my concern sharp. “Ariel,” I called out, “what’s wrong? Why are you crying?”She glanced up at me, her eyes red and swollen. “Aria,” she whispered, using her sleeve to try and dry her tears.“Tell me what happened,” I pressed, my fists clenching involuntarily. It was clear someone had hurt her again.“Louisa and her friends attacked me,” Ariel said, her voice quivering with hurt. Louisa? She again?The name sparked a scorching fume within me. Louisa had always been envious of Ariel and seemed to pick on her every chance she got, making her life miserable.“Yes,” Ariel said, her voice breaking, “she told me I was worthless and that no one would ever want me because Logan showed interest in me.”My heart twisted painfully. Just like every other girl, I had my own feelings for Logan, but as usual, he chose Ariel. It stung, but I had to mov