Chapter 7 1st of August
1st of August 2025
{UNKNOWN POV}
A cough, a throaty, raspy cough, and then the splash of sweet-smelling, cherry-red blood. I inhaled and exhaled, enjoying the delicate scent that surrounded me, clinging desperately to my skin and begging for a second glance.
I trudged towards the coughing man, a smirk laced against my bloodstained face.
He suddenly stopped coughing and tried to shift away from me, clutching his bleeding side.
"I... I am sorry, please, don't kill me," he muttered, breathing heavily and struggling to survive.
"Oh, poor thing," I whispered, clicking my tongue.
He stiffened, his eyes widening as he caught sight of the blade in my hand.
"Please, I beg you," he muttered, shaking his head with tears lurking in his eyes.
The sound of sirens blared from a distance, thrilling me even more.
I grinned widely, the smell of his blood eating deep into me. I could hear it calling for me, begging to let it escape to me. Death kept hovering around the man and me, her hands stretched out for his soul, her low, deathly sighs impatient.
"Forgive me!" The man cried out.
The smile on my face suddenly disappeared, and my hand gripped the blade tightly, anger setting in.
Forgiveness? That word was one of the three words forbidden to be spoken to me.
"That word does not exist," I muttered, and the man stiffened, dread slipping in. He knew he had made a mistake, and that mistake had revealed my Identity to him.
"Forbidden trinity," he muttered.
I smirked sinisterly, pleased that the last man to die in this room remembered me. He would carry that name to hell with him.
"You called," I replied, and before he could say another word,
I sank the blade into his chest.
VICTORIA
I stared at the plate of dessert, wondering if I should skip the faithful diet practice I started a few days ago.
I slowly reached for the fork and dug into the dessert, my throat clenching. I promised myself that a bite wouldn't kill me. Besides, I was already in great shape.
Just when I scooped up some dessert, a hand jerked my shoulder from behind me.
The fork fell from my hand as my heart jumped, and a scream escaped from my mouth.
“You promised!” Naomi snapped behind me, and I scoffed loudly.
“You fucking startled me, bitch!” I retorted.
She chuckled and pulled out a chair for herself, then slumped down before grabbing the plate of dessert before me.
“Hey!” I warned, glaring at her. Her lips turned up in a mischievous smirk.
“You think I will let you play with that diet?” she said, raising the fork.
“Comparing our body size, you need the diet more than I do,” I said, and a frown crept into her face.
“You are bodyshaming me!” she grumbled, and I scoffed loudly.
“Stop with the victim card.”
She narrowed her eyes and ate the dessert.
Naomi had been my closest friend since we met in kindergarten class. She had always been this way, despite that we had spent our college days away from each other.
Unlike me, Naomi barely got noticed by the people around. I would spend hours defending her against bitches who always bodyshamed her in high school. She was one of the people who never liked Simon and would constantly complain about her dislike of Erica.
I used to think it was all out of jealousy, but she had been right all along. I still regretted cutting her off because she supported my father against my marriage to that bastard.
Now, she will be getting married soon to the man of her dreams.
“So, when will you head back to your father?”
I raised my head and let go of the glass of lemonade I was clenching onto.
“Tomorrow,” I replied, and she tilted her head to the side.
“Oh, that soon? I should get you a gift before you go,” she grumbled, and I huffed loudly, smiling at her words.
“I’m pretty sure you’ll miss me when I'm gone,” I teased.
Her lips turned up, and she paused from eating, huffing loudly.
“Miss you? You will be the last person on my mind,” she snarled, narrowing her eyes in anger.
I chuckled loudly, and my parted lips slammed shut when my father’s name flashed across the screen of my phone.
“A minute, please,” I held up my hand and notified her before getting up. I stepped out of the restaurant and accepted the call with a clenched heart.
Silence reigned between the lines, and the only thing we could feel was the anxiety that filled our hearts.
“Dad?” I finally whispered. I heard a sigh from the other end, then a chuckle.
“I was afraid you would hang up again,” he said.
“That was in the past, Father. Everything has changed now. When I said I was returning home, I was returning to you and my brothers,” I muttered.
“I will be expecting you, my dear,” he responded, and I smiled lightly. I could picture him smiling with my mother’s picture in his hand.
“Are you holding mom’s picture right now?” I asked. Silence trailed after my question, followed by a sharp sigh.
“You still remember?” he asked in a flat tone.
“It's going to be her remembrance soon, how can I forget your habits?”
He laughed out loud, though that laughter was lined with pain and the yearning for the one who would never return.
After years of working on my mental health and my life, I realized that ghosting my dad was worse than the disobedience I displayed years ago.
He was right from the onset about Simon, even though his hatred for him was because of his background.
Ever since my mom’s death, he had been there for me and my brothers. He had only meant well for us, but in return, I disobeyed him, rejected him, and ghosted him.
“Victoria?” he called, and my head jerked up.
“Yes, Dad?” I tried so hard to hide the pain in my voice.
“Are you crying?” he asked, his voice filled with concern.
“No, Dad. I don't cry anymore,” I said, chuckling.
“I will call you when I get to the States,” I quickly added, and the line went dead after his low hum.
I wiped away the tears on my face and headed into the restaurant.
“Your call lasted longer than expected,” Naomi muffled as she munched a chicken.
“I thought you would stop at dessert,” I said, my lips turned up as I stared at her.
She raised her head and narrowed her brows in nonchalance.
“I’m hungry, bitch!” she groused while stuffing another chunk into her mouth.
Sauce covered the side of my mouth and her chin.
“I should be done packing my bags if you hadn't come along,” I mumbled.
She scoffed and dropped the chicken in her hand before grabbing a napkin, cursing at me.
“That doesn't overshadow the truth that you can’t do without me,” she grinned.
“What has this got to do with what I’m saying?” I asked, and she shrugged.
“I’m just giving you a reminder,” she said, and I scoffed loudly.
She waved at a waiter, then faced me with a mischievous smile on her face.
“You know the bills are on you, right?” she asked, and I narrowed my eyes before pulling out my card. I settled the cost of the food she ordered, and we got up and then began to head to the door.
“I will help you select the perfect revenge dress!” Naomi said, waving her hand in the air.
“Who says I’m going back for revenge?” I said.
“We both know that's why you are going back to that city,” she replied, and my chest tightened.
She was right. I had promises I needed to fulfill. I had a happy home I needed to shatter.
“Victoria?” a voice called from behind as we reached the door. I and Naomi stopped and exchanged confused glances before spinning around to face whoever the caller was.
I felt my heart drop into the pit of my belly, and a chilling feeling enveloped my body as I stared at Theo, the man I left for Simon.