Peony

I was utterly stunned by what Michael did. I looked straight into his eyes, thinking he would apologize for everything that had happened today. He had hurt me so deeply by choosing Violet. I hoped he would regret it all and beg to come back to me.

But I was wrong. Instead, Michael shoved me against the wall, trapping me there, his face flushed red, his jaw tight. My breath caught, my heartbeat racing wildly. From the look on his face, I could already sense something terrible in the words about to leave his lips.

“Control yourself. You need to know where your limits lie, Peony.”

My brows furrowed. His words unsettled me deeply.

I tried to straighten up, to move so I wouldn’t be pressed against the wall any longer. But Michael only pushed harder, pinning me firmly in place.

“Michael, you’re hurting me!” I cried out, struggling to free his hand that was forcing me against the wall.

But Michael didn’t care. He held me there, his voice a low hiss, lips slightly parted.

“There’s nothing between you and me. There will never be a future for us.”

My eyes burned, lips trembling as I fought back tears. Michael, however, stood resolute in his words. His hand tightened even more on my shoulder.

“I only love Violet. Forget everything that ever happened between us. There’s no place left for you. Remember that.”

The bitter truth filled my chest, suffocating me. Michael had doused me in poison without hesitation. He shattered me fully aware of what he was doing. Tears streamed down my face uncontrollably, spilling over as the weight of everything crashed into me.

I shoved Michael’s hand away, pushing him back before walking off. There was nothing left for me to hold onto. With only a bag of clothes, I left the house I had called home all this time.

So many memories lingered there. Visions of a beautiful future had crumbled, leaving behind nothing but bitterness and wounds. They destroyed me so perfectly, without a thought for whether I could even bear it.

I thought I still had hope, even when Bella and Violet hated me and drove me out of the house, because there was Michael, who I believed loved me sincerely. He had treated me with sweetness and smiles, giving me the meaning of happiness.

But I was wrong. He was no different from those who had already hurt me. Even my own father had the heart to cast me out. He trusted his wife and stepdaughter far more than he ever trusted me.

And here I am now, lying still as I stare at the damp, dingy ceiling. This tiny flat is no bigger than the maids’ quarters back in my old home. It feels so narrow, pressing down on my chest, suffocating me beneath the weight that keeps piling up with no escape.

“I’ve been discarded.”

That’s all there is, nothing more. They must be celebrating, rejoicing after throwing me away with no way back. Violet is surely basking in joy, now engaged to Michael. And me? Look at me now. I’m nothing but alone, weeping over the cruel fate that’s struck me down.

Even Michael’s words, how he chose Violet over me—echo endlessly in my mind, looping like a broken record. I have no words left; only my tears speak for me.

And foolishly, the sorrow lingers, dragging on into the third day since I was forced out of the house. My life feels utterly empty, stripped bare.

This very morning, when I looked at my reflection in the bathroom sink mirror, I froze for a moment. My right hand brushed across my cheeks one after the other before I let out a long, heavy sigh. “Just three days, and my cheeks have already sunken like this.”

I don’t know how much weight I’ve lost from my body, since I haven’t been paying attention to my chaotic eating habits anymore. I spend more time daydreaming and crying in silence, until I forget what hunger even feels like.

Only sometimes do I eat at night, when I can’t fall asleep because of the twisting pain in my stomach.

“This is bad.” I thought I needed to get out and find some fresh air. If I kept locking myself inside this flat, sooner or later, I might be found lifeless. Depression would surely haunt me, and I wouldn’t know how to fight it.

At last, I chose to step outside for a breath of fresh air. With a blue jacket and a pair of long jeans, I shut the flat’s door and went down to the first floor, which was eerily quiet. The other residents had already left for work, I could usually hear their morning rush and their evening complaints about how exhausting work was.

My main destination was the park located two blocks away from this narrow alleyway. It would only take me twenty minutes to get there, passing a main road and crossing once at a traffic light.

Even though my destination was the park, my mind kept wandering. Back to the times when Michael and I were still together.

“Why was he with me if he loved Violet?”

I wanted so badly to laugh, laugh at myself, because what I was going through was absurd. I had been dating someone who, in my eyes, seemed so perfect.

He was handsome and warm, he had even planned to get engaged to me. Yet in the end, he destroyed me more than anyone else ever could, by choosing my own stepsister.

Lost in my thoughts, I almost missed the moment when the traffic light was about to change. Only a few seconds left, and if I didn’t hurry, I’d have to wait for the next red light before crossing.

With those few remaining seconds, I rushed my steps to reach the other side. But unfortunately, before I could make it across, the light had already turned green. Car horns blared all at once, urging me to get out of their way.

And then came one deafening honk, followed by the screech of tires. My heart nearly leapt out of my chest, my breath came in ragged gasps. My eyes widened, and my legs turned weak like jelly. My body collapsed onto the asphalt, staring at the blazing headlights of the car that had almost hit me, nearly ending my life in an instant.

“Sorry! I’m so sorry. Are you al—Oh, Peony?”

A woman stepped out of the car. I couldn’t focus, my vision blurred and my body felt so cold. She hurried over and immediately placed her hand on my shoulder.

She then helped me up and guided me to a bench by the side of the road. My heart was still racing as she handed me a bottle of water.

After taking a few gulps, I finally began to calm down. My breathing steadied, and the chill in my body slowly faded. I looked at the woman who had almost run me over, and only then did I realize—its my high school friend.

“Laluna?”

But instead of answering right away, Laluna gazed at me intently. I didn’t understand, but her eyes were glistening with tears. She held my hand tightly, gripping it as though she didn’t want to let go.

“I never imagined I’d meet you here.”

Laluna drew in a shaky breath and lowered her head slightly. “I already heard about everything that happened to you. That bastard of a man left you for that crazy woman who wormed her way into your house.”

Now Laluna lifted her head, her eyes beginning to glisten. “I’ve really been worried about you, you know?”

And then tears spilled down her cheeks as she pulled me into a brief hug, warming my heart.

I nodded, returning her embrace while holding myself back from sobbing in front of her. Faintly, I heard her hoarse voice.

“Are you okay, Peony? You must be suffering so much.”

I couldn’t answer, because the truth was, I was suffering, and I wasn’t okay at all. No one cared about my wounds; I’d been left alone with a pain that refused to heal.

After a while, the sound of car horns broke through. Laluna released me from her embrace and wiped away her tears. She looked at me intently.

“Come with me for a bit. There’s something I want to talk about.”

“Where to?” I didn’t immediately agree, but Laluna was already rising from her seat.

“Just come along. We’ll talk about it later.” And with that, Laluna led me toward a white car parked not far from where I’d been sitting. A woman was in the driver’s seat, clearly visible through the open window.

My eyes couldn’t leave her. It was as if something about her pulled at my attention. Laluna opened the door and let me slide into the back seat. Even from this angle, I found myself stealing glances at the woman.

Her golden-brown hair fell loose around her shoulders, and she wore gleaming sunglasses. Her lips were painted a striking shade of red, undeniably alluring. But above all, what stood out was her aura, so powerful it seemed to keep drawing my gaze to her again and again.