Elara’s POV

I couldn’t speak. My throat felt dry, my eyes burned, and every sound faded away. I turned and walked out. No words. No fight. Just pain.

Kyle’s voice followed behind me, shaky and pleading. “Elara, wait—please!”

I didn’t turn back. I didn’t want to hear him. I didn’t want to see my mother again. The woman I called “Mom.” The one who taught me what love was supposed to look like. It pained so much that she didn’t even feel remorseful. All along, Kyle was the only one who pleaded and tried to hold me. She remained silent like she lost her voice completely. Her head bent like she had her eyes glued to the duvet.

Selene ran after me, calling behind.

“Elara! Wait up, listen to me, don’t do anything rash or stupid,”

“Selene, you’d have to watch your tongue. If you can’t shut the hell up, I’ll help do that for you, like, what the actual fuck?!” I yelled.

“Elara, what in heaven's name are you thinking right now? getting into that steering? hell no, no way!”

“Selene, I think you’ll have to get out of my way right now, do you expect me to sit around and watch these blood sucking demons who claim to be a part of my life destroy me? shattering every piece of my emotion? What’s your problem?! You’re acting like you didn’t just stumble on my stupid boyfriend kissing my own mother and if we hadn’t come here he’d be probably fucking the heaven out of her! Selene, do you know what that means?! to walk into this building and see his dick penetrating my own mother’s hole?”

“Listen to me, I’m not trying to say you’re wrong, you have every right to feel betrayed, but I wouldn’t just want you to get into this car to drive, you’re angry, you're not mentally stable, you’re lost. You don’t need to keep bothering so much, I’m here for you at least. Let’s go grab a coffee or some grills at the Dela Cruz instead,” Selene added. Her hands brushed my hair down through my shoulders.

I paused, folded my arms and relaxed on the vehicle. My world was crumbling, the plans I had for today all crushed within me. I imagined a lot.

I spotted Kyle coming out of the door. He had a T.shirt in his hands and was putting it on hastily.

“Baby, please don’t you give up on me, on us! We were both drunk, your mom and I, we just…”

He hadn’t finished with his words of lies before I landed a heady slap to his face. It felt so intense. I observed Selene widened her eyes with her hands partly spread as she watched in shock.

“Don’t you dare, refer to me as ‘baby,’ again.” I warned, this time the tears had no option but to drop, my face turned pale, I chiseled my lips.

I reached for my pocket. My hands were trembling so much I couldn’t find the keys. L

My chest ached. I wanted to scream, to hit something, but I just stood there, silent.

If someone had told me this morning that my whole world would fall apart, I would’ve laughed. Now, it felt like every breath I took hurt. I finally got into the car, my fingers stiff on the steering wheel. Selene climbed in beside me. She didn’t say a word. She just looked down, scared to speak. Kyle knocked on the window but we both pretended no one existed outside the vehicle.

I started the engine and drove off slowly. The world outside looked blurry through my tears. I could barely see the road, but I didn’t stop. I just wanted to go far away—anywhere that didn’t smell like that perfume in Kyle’s house.

As I drove, my thoughts were messy. “Maybe this is what happens when people in their sixties or seventies lose their way,” I muttered under my breath. “They just forget who they are.” I wasn’t sure why I said that, maybe because that’s how I felt—lost, old, and confused in a world that suddenly made no sense.

Selene felt frightened, I’d begun driving so fast. “Elara, slow down, please.”

But I didn’t listen. My heart was too loud. I pressed harder on the throttle, the road stretching endlessly ahead. Then, out of nowhere, a small figure appeared at the corner of the street.

I hit the brakes, but it was too late.

There was a thud.

My whole body jumped.

“Elara!” Selene screamed.

My heart stopped. I rushed out of the car and ran to the front. A little boy lay on the road, his school bag beside him, one of his shoes missing. His face was pale, his breathing shallow.

“Oh no, no, no,” I cried, falling to my knees. “Please wake up!”

Selene was already calling for help. A man stopped his car and helped us carry the boy into mine.

“What the heck happened here?!” He inquired, he rushed to the little boy as we both lifted him speedily.

My hands shook as I drove to the nearest hospital, not caring about the red lights or the horns behind me.

At the hospital gate, nurses rushed out with a stretcher. They took the boy in. I ran after them until a nurse stopped me.

“Please wait outside, miss,” she said firmly.

I nodded, breathless, my hands still covered in dust. Selene whispered beside me.

“It’s going to be okay.” But I didn’t believe her. My heart was beating too fast.

Minutes later, the glass doors burst open and a tall man came in. He looked around wildly until his eyes landed on me. His face twisted with anger.

“You’re the one who hit my brother?” he shouted. His voice echoed through the hall.

“I—I didn’t mean to,” I stammered, my eyes already wet. “It was an accident. I’ll pay for everything. Please believe me.”

“Pay?” he repeated, stepping closer. “You think money will fix this?” He yelled. His eyes wide open as he stared at me with fire burning in his eyes. I felt the pain as he continued before one of the nurses intercepted.

Selene stepped in between us, trying to calm him down. “Sir, please, she didn’t do it on purpose. It was—”

“Save it,” he snapped. His jaw tightened.

“You should’ve been careful. Do you even know what you’ve done?”

His words stabbed deeper than I expected. I wanted to say something back, but guilt shut my mouth. I couldn’t even remember how it happened. Everything after leaving Kyle’s house felt like a blur.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered. “I’m so sorry.”

The man looked away, his hands clenched.

One of the nurses faced him now. He was getting violent. “Excuse me sir, please we don’t condone any form of violence in here. I’ll appreciate it if you'll calm your nerves and await the words from the doctor.”

“Are you mad?! How dare you say such a thing to me?! Even when she’s the one who’s supposed to be answering questions.”

“I’m sorry about everything sir. But at least you’ll have to tell us who you are,”

“My name’s Julius,” he muttered finally. “And that boy in there—he’s all I have left.”

Hearing that broke something inside me. I covered my face and cried quietly. Selene rubbed my shoulder, whispering something I couldn’t hear.

The hallway felt cold, and the clock on the wall ticked too loudly. Every minute felt like an hour. Julius sat on the bench across from me, his face buried in his hands. For a moment, I wanted to go to him, to tell him I understood pain too—but I didn’t move. I didn’t deserve to speak.

Another nurse passed by, and I jumped up. “Please,” I said, “how’s the boy? Is he alive?”

She gave me a sad look. “The doctor will come out soon.” Then she walked away.

Selene sighed beside me. “It’ll be fine, Elira, You didn’t mean to hurt anyone.”

But that didn’t make me feel better. How could I explain that I’d already been associated with the word ‘hurt.’ enough people for one day? My boyfriend. My mother. Now a child.

Time dragged on. The walls looked too white, the lights too bright. Julius didn’t look at me again. His silence said more than any word could.

Finally, the doors of the emergency room swung open. A doctor stepped out, still wearing his gloves. His face was blank, but his eyes told a story I didn’t want to hear.

We all stood up. My breath caught in my throat. Julius moved first, reaching the doctor before anyone else.

“Doctor,” he said quickly, “please, tell me. How is he?”

The doctor looked at him, then at me. His lips pressed into a thin line. His voice was soft when he spoke, but it carried a heavy weight.

And just like that, the hallway fell silent.

I held my breath, waiting for the words that would change everything.