⚔ The Right Way ⚔

"Kallm, what happened?"

Corin felt a squeeze on her hand, but her eyes remained feeling heavy. Her mind was clouded, and Corin couldn't figure out who was talking but she knew whoever was holding her hand had been holding it for a while. The warmth made her feel safe and she knew that whatever was happening to her right now, she'd be alright. As long as this person didn't let go.

"I, I don't know aunty ji, she just, collapsed."

Again, another squeeze, the voice deep and strong struck a cord within Corin and she pushed herself to open her eyes. Looking up into the bright light, Corin was hit with a headache that caused her to close her eyes and grimace. Her throat was so dry that all she could do was open her mouth as a straw was pushed towards her.

"Beti? Are you okay?"

Corin realised it was Lirat and Kallm that were standing around her and closed her eyes again, this time out embarrassment, remembering what had happened.

"Yes aunty ji. I just don't think I had eaten today."

Lirat clicked her tongue and shook her head, rolling away towards the hallways, presumably to the kitchen to make some food for Corin.

The strong grip was still on Corin's hand, and she hesitantly rolled to her side on her bed. Kallm must have brought her here after she had fainted on him. Look at him, his cautious and guilty gaze on her, Corin's own eyes began to water. He cared for her so much, could she really bring herself to tell him what she had done to his brother?

"Does it hurt somewhere Lavender? Are you okay?" Kallm immediately stood up, fussing over Corin's pillows and blankets, trying to see what had his girl in pain. But Corin knew Kallm would never know unless she told him.

She nodded slightly and instead gestured for him to sit down. She had to do this.

Grasping his hand in both of hers, Corin answered Kallm's gleeful expression with a small smile of her own. At some point along the way, Corin had begun feeling what she assumed Kayana had felt with her brother. At some point, Corin had found herself wanting Kallm.

But she knew she had to do the right thing this time. She had already made the wrong decision once and she couldn't do it again.

"Kallm ji," Corin began, dropping her head, she couldn't look at the admiration fading from Kallm's eyes when she told him. "I need to talk to you about Vodia ji and Kayana."

Kallm's grip on Corin's hand began fading, the smile on his face dropping. How did Corin know about Kayana? He knew she was at the wedding, but he didn't know how close she was to either party.

"Yes? Go ahead Corin. It's okay."

"I'm the reason."

"The reason...?" At this point, Kallm had let go of Corin's hand completely and looked at her expectantly. He didn't know what she was going to tell him, but he could feel his heart dropping.

Corin looked up, tears streaming down her face this time and she looked at Kallm's honest face one last time. She was sure he was going to leave as soon as she told him what she had done.

"I am the reason why Kayana left."

"What do you mean?" Kallm didn't want to believe it, he didn't want Corin to be the reason.

"I betrayed her trust. I was the one who told her father about her and Raian."

It took a moment for Corin's words to affect Kallm, and when it did, Kallm stood up, knocking his chair down in the process.

The betrayal his brother had told him about, it was because of Corin? Corin had betrayed her best friend and his brother? She took away his brother's happiness?

Running both hands through his hair, Kallm looked at Corin, a look of disbelief on his face. But it was true. Corin couldn't even lift her head to look at him.

"You did this?"

Corin nodded and buried her head in her hands. He deserved to know.

"Why?"

He sounded so broken, so hurt.

Corin swallowed any remnants of her pride left and squared herself, she was going to show Kallm really how shallow and childish she was. He was definitely going to leave after this.

"I was jealous."

All Corin heard next was a growl coming from Kallm before he slammed the door shut behind him as he left.

Lirat came rolling in a moment after, horror on her face as she looked around the room. The chair laying on its side by the wall and a sobbing Corin on the bed, her face in her hands.

She must have told him.

Lirat's gaze became sympathetic. She knew what Corin had done wasn't what a friend or a sister should have done, but just the fact the Corin had got up the courage to come clean about it showed just how much she had grown. How much she regretted her actions. Lirat just didn't understand why Kallm had such a reaction to the news.

Moving forward to Corin, Lirat held her hand as Corin continued crying into her aunts' skirts. Lirat stroked her hair, her own eyes filling with tears as she witnessed the anguish of her niece, but she knew that Corin needed to do this for herself and her family.

"He's Vodia ji's brother, aunty ji."

Lirat simply nodded, they had more time to discuss that. For now, Corin was her priority. All Lirat wished that Kallm didn't run, that he didn't leave. She hoped he would come back and stand by Corin. Help her make things right. If he didn't, then Lirat was wrong about him.

Crying into her aunty's arms, Corin also realised something.

She was right.

He had left.

⚔ The Right Way ⚔