Isha

The knock on the door comes for the sixth time in the day, waking me up from my empty thoughts and the comfort I am finding in the dark room. Or, I am making myself think that I am doing good, cooped up in the guestroom of Aria and her fiancé's house for the past two days. I did not want to come here. I did not even want to let my sisters know about everything because one thing would have led to another and then, the truth of our lies revealed. I wouldn't be able to bear the expressions of betrayal on my sisters' faces, on the fact that I kept such a big part of my life hidden from them.

All I knew after returning home the other night that I did not want to be alone. My very apartment, where Calix had taken care of me when I had an injured leg, my painful period cramps and the humiliating episode I had gone through but later got comforted by the prince; that same place was haunting me. How he had gone nowhere but my place when he was drunk for the first time; the next morning and all the wholesome moments after that with my family's sudden visit; and the kiss we had shared on the balcony while the first snow of the season fell around us; nothing seemed like we were pretending. It never did. Hence, I could not find solace in that apartment tainted with unforgettable memories that will never return.

At least I do not have to attend school, due to the winter vacation going on, and answer to the curious faces. Till the time school reopens, I would have hopefully thought of a reasonable response with a nonchalant attitude, to focus on nothing but my students.

I couldn't stay with Anvi since she resided at her university dormitory. And I did not want to perturb Aria and Dakota, who were in the joyous mood of their future wedding and a baby to welcome.

The universe laughed upon me and the next morning Aria and Anvi decided to drop by, wanting to have a sisters' outing. They could read me like an open book. On top of that, my exhausted face, purple blotches under my eyes, pale lips, puffy visage was enough explanation. Aria literally dragged me with her to her house, and my future brother-in-law welcomed me warmly as well.

I was thankful but guilty nonetheless. The couple's main focus should be on their unborn baby and the wedding now; not an adult woman being all sensitive and emotional.

"Isha, please come out and have something at least. You need to put food in your stomach. Surely you cannot survive on just two chocolate bars."

I do not answer to Aria's call from outside the door. How long has it been since I have been inside this room? How long has it been since I have showered, eaten a proper meal, slept, and nestled inside the blankets? How long has it been since I have been...just me. Heck. I spent New Year's Eve last night, cocooned under the thick sheets. Today is 1st January, 2024. A new day of a new year, but a year started with bitter memories.

The light coming from my phone screen seems too bright for my eyes in the dark room. 2.30 p.m.

"Isha please, would you come outside? For your Didi?"

I rub my eyes. I should get up now and focus on myself. I won't allow myself to endure the same horrible time I went through after Killian, and dwell in the past. No. I sit up straight, forcing myself to let out a groggy voice, "I'll be out. In an hour."

I can feel Aria smiling. "Good. I'll heat up the food in a moment then."

As I hear Aria's steps disappearing, another sense of guilt passes through me. I am such an inconsiderate sister who has been making her sibling worried despite knowing that the said sibling is pregnant.

"You are fine. You are good. It's alright. Don't think about him," I mumble to myself, shaking my head and slapping it once or twice before, like an unforgettable horror movie, the memories from two days ago replay in my head.

Eventually, I push myself to get inside the attached bathroom.

"Your favourite. Chicken Alfredo Pasta. I made it, well, not alone of course. Dakota helped." Aria smiles, sliding across the table a plate filled with the delicious dish. The platter that once caused me to salivate whenever it came into my view and my tummy rumbling, made me lose my appetite today.

"You guys did not have to," my lips tug up stiffly in an attempt to send a polite smile. Of course, I fail as I take the fork in hand, and dig and twirl it around in the pasta, lost in thought.

"Of course we had to," Aria retorts as she sits down on the chair beside me and lovingly pats and rubs the back of my head, "Eat up."

My lips wobble at her gesture, my emotions wanting to resurface again. After Ma, Aria is the one I would call my second mother. She has always been there for me and Anvi, when necessary. Not because she feels a sense of responsibility as the eldest, but rather, it is her wholehearted love for us.

I move my gaze to the pasta to control my emotions and stuff my mouth with the food. Perhaps if I eat faster, I'll be able to finish the dish Aria has gone above and beyond to help prepare for me, even though her cooking skills aren't top-notch and quite clumsy. She does not like cooking difficult food either. Moreover, I need to stop stressing her out.

"Slow down. The pasta isn't running away," Aria chuckles, which allows a light smile to appear on my lips as I slow down my eating (or gobbling) speed. From the corner of my eyes, I catch Dakota slowly excusing himself to give us two sisters our own space. And this could also mean one thing.

Aria's questions.

"What happened? And I want each and every detail." The moment Dakota closes the door of the dining room behind him, Aria's face grows distressed. Oh no, this is not good for her or the baby.

"Didi, please calm down." I immediately put my hands on her shoulders, "I am absolutely fine."

"I am calm. I am calm." Aria chants, chugging down some water to help herself. Her pregnancy seems to have increased the anxious nerves she always possessed, even more. Aria puts the glass down, staring right through me with her dagger like eyes. "Now I want the truth. I have been with you since you were born. Of course I know you are not fine. Even anyone who doesn't know you can tell that you are going through an inner whirlwind of emotions.

So tell me without fear or hesitation or whatever is bothering you because I will never judge you. And I will definitely never abandon you."

"Even if I commit a crime?" I chuckle softly at my own joke. Aria grins, mirroring my laugh.

"Even if you commit a crime. Need help hiding a dead body? I am always ready." She snorts.

As the laughter subsides, the nostalgic feeling of remorse and being seen as a betrayer overcomes me. And so, I sit there in silence and eat the pasta. For fifteen minutes, perhaps. I am not sure. And Aria stays right beside me, giving me the time I require to collect myself and spill out the unspoken truths. I was thankful, especially considering the fact how so not patient Aria's personality is.

Soon enough, I had finished the entire plate. Sighing, I turn around to face my sister, who is already gazing at me and providing me with a pleasant smile. She does not speak but I know what she is conveying. Take your time. Your big sister is right here, whenever you need her.

And then, I begin. I tell her everything. How it all began, my drunken misunderstanding, the few seconds of kiss, the scandal, King Richard's decision about the fake relationship, our bet, and how slowly but eventually I fell for a man who I thought was mine. When he clearly wasn't. Calix was true about me misinterpreting everything. Seriously, why would a prince, who is now the Crown Prince of Syncitia, want to be with a common woman like me?

Calix is the moon I have been chasing, not realising, it is never physically possible to reach to the sky and grab the celestial being.

"...well, this is what happened," I finish narrating the tale of my life, with a shaky voice. I look at Aria, searching her unreadable expression for anything. Hurt. Disappointment. Pity. But she stays silent, as if deeply taking in everything before speaking.

"I will be honest, Isha. Of course, I do feel a twinge of hurt at the lies we all believed but..." She clasps her hands with mine, "I do understand. And I won't hold the situation against you."

"I—" the emotions resurface like a fountain as without any words coming out of my mouth, I hug my sister who embraces me back, with pure love.

"At least this incident made you realise the fact that you should not drink carelessly, just anywhere," Aria says with a laugh, rubbing my back as I cry like a baby, "But, the small misunderstanding also did create an opportunity for you to meet a wonderful man like Calix. So, I am happy for you. Especially after what you went through with that asshole Killian."

My breath hitches as I abruptly stop crying at the mention of Calix being the perfect man for me. I have yet to tell her about the recent happenings, and I am not too sure about Aria's reaction. When she is angry, she turns into a firecracker and she might even go to the extent of yelling at the prince, with the help of a microphone, while standing in front of Nirvana.

Aria senses something in my muscles tensing up. Her gaze hardens as she pulls away from the hug and silently demands for the final truth.

Massaging my temple, I reveal. "I don't know what happened, but Calix had to leave for an emergency on Christmas morning. I returned home safely but couldn't get into contact with him for four days straight, when I had to ultimately contact his secretary. She told some really shocking information that I had to ultimately take the decision of personally talking to him.

And I did. But I hope I hadn't and just moved on with my life after listening to Audrey. He..." I suck in a tight breath, clenching my jaws. The memories from two days ago are still fresh and alive in my mind. "He said some things. Some really, true yet hurtful things. The bottom line is, Calix broke things off. And honestly, I do not want to hold grudges against him and torture myself with his thoughts, but—"

"He did what."

A demonic, satanic, and everything terrifying, voice full of violent fury, seething to burst out, is heard. Like the calm before a torrential storm, ready to cause destruction upon anything. And unfortunately, the familiar voice belongs to only one person. My sworn protector. Lady in shining armour. A momma bear when need be. And a brutal woman to the ones who transmit even just an ounce of distress to me. She is here at Aria's house, standing at the doorway of the living room, and she has heard every single thing. Perhaps not all, but surely, the ending.

Lola Hwang.

Shit.

If Aria is a firecracker, Lola is a bomb. A nuclear bomb, to be exact.

I should have been more mindful of the time I was pouring out everything to Aria. Now that I remember, while I was in an isolated state of mind, Aria had messaged me about a day ago that she had phoned Lola to inquire about me, but the other woman had no idea either. Knowing Lola, I should have predicted that she will somehow adjust her schedule and arrive by herself at Aria's house to check up on me.

"Lola..." I steadily stand up, as if I am approaching a feral animal. My best friend is fuming. Not just any fuming but F U M I N G. In all caps. "Lola, please calm down—"

A murderous laughter erupts from her throat as she throws her hair back, before declaring in a dangerously low voice.

"I will kill that fucker."

Before I can stop the girl, she is already out like the speed of light and when I reach the front door of Aria and Dakota's ridiculously large house, I find Lola and her car already gone.

After Killian had left me, he was safe from facing Lola's wrath just because he had moved abroad for work, almost immediately. I had to hold Lola back and bribe her with her favourite things to stop her from getting on her private jet and flying across the globe to possibly commit a murder.

Calix is dead today.