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CHAPTER 6
Last Updated:
2024-03-04 20:07:29
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The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 7
(AHVI’S POINT OF VIEW)It's 6 pm on a Saturday. After a long, grueling day at practice, my body aches and begs for a bed, but as soon as I walk into the living room of the house where I grew up, I wish I hadn't.The stench of smoked tobacco in the air is so overwhelming that I have to clap a hand over my nose to avoid inhaling it.The floor is littered with empty cans of beer and other unknown alcohol, particles of half-burned cigarettes, and a cloud of smoke, and amid the chaos is the familiar form of my Mom, crouched on the floor, her back against a sofa, and a full stick of cigarette stuck between her fingers.In an instant, my body is leaking feelings to the surface as my jaw tightens, and my hands clamp hard around the rucksack on my shoulder. Not again! I thought she stopped when she got married to David! “Mom,” My voice is barely audible as I try to contain the flood of emotions as she raises the cigarette to her lips but comes to a halt at the sound of my voice. She looks at
Last Updated : 2024-03-07The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 8
(AHVI’S POINT OF VIEW)When I'm done with my morning routine, it's around 9 in the morning. I stroll down the stairs, carrying my practice rucksack, into the living room. I want to forget but the events of last night come rushing back though there is no evidence of dirt or anything, Everything is shiny but that won't be able to erase everything that happened.Just then, Mom and David stroll down the stairs together. Without a moment's delay, I begin walking towards the door but David's voice makes me pause in the middle of the room.“Ahvi,”The sound of my name makes me clench my knuckles knowing he is going to do it again; being the peacemaker between us. Exhaling, I turn back around. David looks relieved I don't walk out while Mom's looking at the floor. My eyes flicker between them.Even in a hundred years, she still won't deserve him. David is too good for us. “Your Mom told me what happened last night,” David starts. “And she regrets every moment of it,” I look at my Mom, she'
Last Updated : 2024-03-07The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 9
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)Coming to practice is one thing I always look forward to; it's my only escape and it gets even better when Raven gets to escort me. It's fun seeing her trying to skate but only ends up falling on her ass for times I've lost count and after another failed attempt, Raven gives up with an exhalation and doesn't bother getting up from her position inside the ice rink.I giggle and slide towards her on my skates and pass her a bottle of water she'd shoved in my hand earlier. She takes the bottle from me with a snort and I sit in front of her with another laugh.“I just don't get how you do this, I'm flexible too you know. I can bend however you want,” her tone goes from annoyed to teasing in a second at the last part of her sentence which tells me she isn't talking about skating anymore. For someone who's a virgin, she's never shy to open her big mouth and say absurd things.“I'm a professional in his field just as how you're good on the tracks.” Although we share a
Last Updated : 2024-03-11The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 10
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)“Ahvi,”I lift my head from my phone at the sound of my name, finding David coming out from the kitchen with an apron around his hips. “Can you go get Vance? Dinner is ready,” I stab my inner cheek with my tongue, watching as David goes back to the kitchen. I stand up from the living room sofa and drag my feet to the staircase.I take my time and arrive a minute later. I stand in front of Vance's door and knock with enough reticence. However, the door opens rather. With a gulp, I shove my head in.“Vance?” I call in confusion, inspecting the empty room. Deliberately, I make my way inside and stand in the middle. The room looks disorganized with clothes all over the floor and the bed looks like someone just got up from it. That's when I hear the bathroom door click open and sharply, I turn just as Vance steps out of the bathroom with nothing but sweatpants on his hips and a bare chest. He has a habit of being half-naked!“What are you doing here?” His voice is
Last Updated : 2024-03-11The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 11
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)Two weeks pass in a jiffy with no sign of Vance and there's this sickness in my stomach that has been persistent ever since; it makes me uncomfortable.I tried questioning David about it, but he constantly dismisses it with a shrug, claiming Vance is a full-grown man capable of caring for him, but what if he winds up dead somewhere no one can find?The thought causes me to shake my head, and for the nth time, I am staring down at my phone, debating whether to call or not. It isn't weird to call my stepbrother and ask about his whereabouts and health right? That I should be thus concerned is only natural—he is family. It's only weird that I haven't called him this long when I know he's sick.With a nod, I turn on my phone and dial Vance's number but at that moment, the door of my bed opens and my mom enters. She never comes into my room unless she wants me to do something, what does she want this time?She approaches the bed I am sitting on with my legs folded an
Last Updated : 2024-03-14The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 12
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)The stadium is empty since it's almost past 10 pm and I'm the only one left there, on the ice rink, trying to recreate the steps taught to me by the choreographer. While I have no struggle getting the spins and turns, my head is enveloped in thoughts of my Mom.Since she'd always ignored me as a child by leaving me with my grandma, I never had a bond with her. I avoided her as a child because of the disgust in her eyes whenever she saw me; I only became accustomed to it as I grew older. She is in pain, as evidenced by the permanent look in her eyes, but how can I tell what she is feeling when I do not know what she has been through?I have become accustomed to her being referred to as a mistake and a mishap. I grew up feeling unwanted and unloved and she thinks I'm being inconsiderate when she asks me to do the absurdist things. “Your feet placement is wrong,” The unexpected voice causes me to turn, but I slide on the ice and land up on my ass. “Ouch!” I cry o
Last Updated : 2024-03-14The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 13
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)There are a few times I wish David could stop straining so hard to keep the family glued together. Like not suggesting a family bonding time at the seaside and I wish Vance could have kept his mouth shut and not consented to what his father said and here we are; on the road, heading to the beach for the weekend.I sigh as I peek out the window of the moving car, making an effort not to feel Vance's presence beside me in the back seat and only watch the moving structures.“Do we really have to do this, David? There are multiple things I need to take care of for my project and going to a beach isn't going to get the work done faster,” Mom grumbles from the front seat beside David who has his hands on the wheels and attention on the road.“Come on, it's going to be fun. Our lives don't always have to pivot around work, Jade,” I realize it's the first time I've heard him use my mother's name. It sounds peculiar coming from him since he's one with pet names.“I know
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(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)I've made frivolous life decisions that I feel were inevitable and they had to happen, but never have I made a mistake this ludicrous!Drinking!God! Ahvi! What the hell were you thinking?!I facepalm for the nth time since I woke up feeling afloat and with a pounding headache, I could have detoured so early in the morning if I wasn't so damn fatuous!My grunts get noisier when I hear the sound of my phone that rests on the nightstand. I don't recall putting it there but I take it and answer the call.“We've been waiting for you Ahvi. The breakfast is getting cold!” My mom's voice comes from the other side. “I didn't think you were one to sleep this late and heavy and tell your brother too!” With a beep, the call ends. I curse under my breath and thank heaven when I notice the room is barren of Vance. Where did he go? I hiss. Likely on his phone again!My head stays stuck in vapor and my vision remains blurry till I'm under the shower and then suddenly, everyth
Last Updated : 2024-03-17
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(VANCE’S POINT OF VIEW)5 years. It feels like a lifetime, and yet it feels like no time at all. Only a few days and nights of silence and regret stretched so endlessly until now. 5 years and she's standing in front of me again, like a dream that seems far reached and unachievable.She’s here. Standing right in front of me, her presence feels surreal, like a dream I’ve replayed countless times but never dared hope will come true.Ahvi.She looks different, yet the same. Stronger, maybe. There’s a fire in her eyes I don’t remember seeing before, but there’s also exhaustion. Her hair is short and falls in soft waves around her face, and though her expression is guarded, I can still recognize the girl I once knew and literally, there goes the beating of my heart again. It throbs painfully yet it is alive again after 5 years.I don’t move. I don’t dare breathe too loudly, afraid this moment will shatter and I’ll wake up in that endless slumber again.Her voice breaks the silence and ends
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(AHVI’S POINT OF VIEW)“What do you mean you didn’t get a call for a missing child?”I strain not to lose my patience as I look at the airport manager, who looks like he’s freaking depleted of his job, and if he doesn’t find my child in the next few minutes, he’s going to wish he never existed.Isleen stands beside me in the office. We rushed here the moment the plane landed at Chicago airport, and now this idiot is standing here spouting nonsense.“I’m telling you, Miss,” the manager says, rubbing his temples like I’m the one giving him a headache when it’s my child that’s missing. “We didn’t get a call from Ireland about a missing child. Perhaps the call didn’t come through. But…” He pauses like he’s skeptical if he should continue as my glare amplifies. “There was a child here yesterday, brought to us by security. I can take you to the CCTV room to confirm if it’s your child.”I give a glance at Isleen and her expression mirrors mine, uneasy and terrified. We watch as the man stan
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 99
(VANCE'S POINT OF VIEW)I follow Scar and Damein aimlessly from behind, like a child forced to step out of his comfort zone; the only difference is that I'm not a child. Scar and Damien are talking but I can barely hear a single word that left them. Everything feels like it's from a distance. The busting of the airport, the rolling sound of suitcases, the mutters of people, and the sound of beeping machines sound like they are all fading.“Dad!“Realty welcomes me back with the sound of Scar's voice; her worried eyes dance over my face. “How long are you going to stay in your head? she's gone; move on already.“ she almost snaps. I can never move on from her. “You shouldn't worry about me, Scarlet. Go and have fun in Italy. Live your life." I try to curl my lips into a smile but the muscles refuse to move. She sighs in frustration. “You think I'm going to stop worrying just because you say so. You wouldn't have left your dark room if you weren't forced out; is that how you're going
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 98
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)The airport is buzzing with energy, a symphony of rolling suitcases, overlapping announcements, and people in transit. The last time I was in an airport was five years ago, running from my demons.I walk beside Andre, his suitcase trailing behind him, as he glances down at his phone. His brow furrows for the nth time. I want to ask what’s on his mind, but I don’t want to start anything heavy. Not now. Our little date is still fresh in our minds and we decided to talk more about our relationship when he returns from the conference. “You’re sure about your gate?” I ask instead, scanning the signs above us. I'd left the twins with Isleen at the entrance.He nods and tucks his phone into his jacket pocket. “Yeah, Gate 14. Thanks for walking me in.”He slows down near the security checkpoint and adjusts his tie—a navy blue one I bought him on a whim last month. I can remember how delighted he was that he almost bounced on his feet like an excited child. The memory b
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 97
[VANCE POINT OF VIEW]The walls are closing in again.They've been doing that a lot lately—pressing closer, shadows tightening around me until I can barely breathe. I lie here, barely able to see through the darkness filling the room. Five years. Five years since she vanished from the surface of the earth and took the last of the light with her. I made promises I couldn't keep and swore things I had no right to swear.'I'll protect you,' I told her once. 'I'll never let anything happen to you.' And yet here I am, all these years later, a prisoner of my own empty words. Five years of being tormented by everything and everything around me. I feel like everything is mocking me, laughing at me for how weak I have been. I had one job yet I have failed even before I could do shit. I laugh at how pathetic I sound.Then I hear it—a knock, soft and hesitant, like someone doesn't want to wake the dead—probably. Everything is still around me, and everything is so quiet that I can hear only th
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 96
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)I agreed to Andre's date, and the day came sooner than expected. It is strange dressing up for a man. I remember always trying to look pretty, hoping my stepbrother would notice me. Looking back, I remember looking like a love-struck puppy anytime Vance was near. How naive.I shake my head and clear my mind to keep all thoughts of Vance at bay and focus on what is in front of me; Andre taking me on a date to a fancy restaurant.I am dressed in a sleeveless crimson dress that hugs my curves and falls over my knee; Isleen made me wear it. My makeup is well-done. I feel and look pretty when Andre is dressed in a fine black suit, as opposed to the casual clothes and doctor's coat that I usually see him in; he even brushed his hair back.“I have only dreamt of this day.” He looks excited as he sits across from me at the table.“Please don't tell me you spent all your savings for this?” I jest, yet with a hint of seriousness.He chuckles. "I believe there is nothing
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 95
(AHVI'S POINT OF VIEW)(FIVE YEARS LATER)Five years almost feels like five days. Time runs fast when you're not keeping track of it. It's like I've only shut my eyes and then opened them. Five years in Ireland, I've grown accustomed to the people and the culture. It no longer feels strange. I've gotten used to everything here. I looked after the kids for two years before getting a job as a kindergarten teacher, and the experience has been one of a kind. Stepping out of the grocery store with a few bags of groceries, I smile as the evening sun shines on my face and the soft wind blows through my short hair. With an exhale, I make my way to the car and head home to my boys.It doesn't take more than ten minutes to get home. As soon as I'm out of the car, the front door opens. Mael and Ciel come rushing out, with Andre closely behind them. "Mama!" I open my arms wide and let them run into me. The boys are identical; it's almost impossible to tell them apart. Their hair is a s
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 94
(RAVEN'S POINT OF VIEW) The next day drags on, and I barely get a moment of sleep. The dead eyes and sad expression of that boy haunt me as soon as I shut my eyes. What if he's really serious about dying? How could I leave a suicidal kid in the middle of nowhere? I could have at least taken him to his front porch. I don't even have his name! And the bruises on his body? What if he's being maltreated at home? Shit, Raven. How can I be so blind and impulsive?! After a long night of self-hate, I spent the next day trying to find the boy, starting with the convenience store where I dropped him off. "I'm sorry, miss, but I've never seen such kid." Those are the words I'm told. I take the route he took and find myself in a dirty and dark alley. It gives me the creeps. I almost turn to leave, convinced he's not here, until I see a figure cowered at the side of the wall.I get closer curiously until the familiar sight of his blond locks comes into view. "Hey, kid!" I call, barely b
The Cursed Passion CHAPTER 93
(RAVEN'S POINT OF VIEW)It wasn't until we were in the Manager's office that I feel maybe I might have overreacted.There’s a pound in my head that refuses to go away, and there's a numbness in my hands that has been there since I took the boy to the hospital.“I will not tolerate this childish behavior in my office. If you have a problem, take it outside my fucking building and do your shit!” the manager yells with the veins in her head popping out. “Do you know what you have cost the company today because of your behavior? I could expect this awful behavior from Sierra, not you, Raven!”“This is not my fault!” Sierra clamors. “I was only trying to help her since she was running late. I never expected her to be a bitch about it, and she was the one who kissed my boyfriend, and I'm not even mad about that!”“I'm sorry,” I immediately apologized. “I had an emergency on my way here, but it's not an excuse to behave the way I did. I will fix the mess I created. It won’t happen again.”“Y
