Chapter 20 Chapter 20.

Chapter 20 Chapter 20.
(Rebecca)

The panic that shot through his eyes was unimaginable. "You're here?" He finally managed to say. "Where were you, Rebecca? I've been looking everywhere for you. I called your number numerous times but you weren't answering."

"So it was you all along," I accused, ignoring his frantic questions. "You did this to me."

"Rebecca..." he started to explain, but I cut him off with a dismissive wave of my hand. "I thought I would have at least one person with me, but it turns out I have no one. You are the person I should run away from most."

I stormed out of the room, tears blurring my vision as his words echoed painfully in my mind: "I know. But what I planned was something grander, something bigger than the mere shame her exposed videos from the game house brought them."

What had I done to him to deserve such cruelty? Did he find out I was the spy his men were hunting yesterday? He should have confronted me directly instead of resorting to such humiliating tactics.

But then the word "them" lingered ominously in my thoughts. Who was “them”? Whom else would be affected by my videos being released if not my family? If so, what had my family done to him to warrant such injustice? I needed answers.

I retraced my steps back to the bedroom, determined to confront him, but all I found was emptiness. He was gone.

My phone beeped, drawing my attention. I pulled it from my pocket and let out a defeated exhale. Notifications flooded in: hate messages, criticisms, each one like a dagger to my already shattered spirit.

I ran my fingers through my hair in frustration as tears threatened to spill. Everything I held dear: hope, family, love, was crumbling around me.

When my phone rang again, I saw Daniel's name on the screen and nearly smashed it against the wall. Why wouldn’t he just let me be?

I turned on my heel to escape to the garden for some fresh air when I collided with him at the doorway. I ignored him and tried to walk past, but he grabbed my wrist firmly. "We need to talk," he insisted, urgency lacing his voice.

I yanked my arm away. "There's nothing to talk about," I shot back, my pulse quickening. I tried to walk away again, but he caught my hand again, stopping me in my tracks.

"Babe, please," he begged, and I finally turned to face him, my heart racing with a mixture of anger and pain.

"Babe?" I scoffed, raising an eyebrow. "Since when, Daniel?"

"I never broke up with you, Rebecca," he insisted, stepping closer, desperation etched on his face.

"But I did with you, and that is final." I replied, my voice steady, though my heart trembled beneath the surface.

"Because you didn't understand me," he said, his tone filled with a mixture of frustration and vulnerability.

"And what's there to not understand, Daniel?" I challenged, crossing my arms defensively. "I understand everything you’ve said and done perfectly well."

"And everything screams that you don’t love me. You never did!" I added, my heart tightening with both anger and sorrow.

"I did, Rebecca. I do love you," he said, each word tumbling out as if they were a lifeline. "You just didn't understand me."

"And what didn’t I understand?!" I yelled, the room echoing my unresolved hurt. "What didn’t I understand, Daniel?! The fact that you don’t want me anymore or the truth that you've never loved me?"

"The fact that I did everything for a reason!" He yelled back, frustration crackling in the air. "Everything I said and did to you yesterday was because I had to protect you!"

I scoffed, my tone dripping with disbelief. "Protect me from what?"

"From what has already happened," he answered quietly, his eyes searching mine. "I did everything to hurt you and get you mad so you'd leave the game. But even after all that, you stubbornly remained."

"And your plan, unfortunately, didn’t work, did it?" I smirked, masking my vulnerability with defiance.

He heaved a sigh, closing the gap between us. "You have to believe me, Rebecca," he said plaintively, as if my belief in him could change the tidal waves crashing around us.

"You lost that right a long time ago," I replied, my eyes empty of the love they once held. "Now, you can’t fool me anymore."

"Rebecca, I..." I didn’t let him finish. I turned and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut as it also slammed my tears locked inside.

I fled to the garden, my only safe haven, where I could finally be alone to pour out all my pain, frustration, and annoyance. The world around me seemed to shift in response to my emotional storm; the wind howled fiercely as if it shared in my sorrow, and the flowers swayed gently, bowing to the rhythm of my tears.

As I sank lower, caught in my spiral of despair, I suddenly felt a light touch on my shoulder. I turned instinctively to find a young woman standing behind me, her eyes filled with warmth and concern. A contestant from the game I barely registered her presence. I quickly wiped my tears with the back of my hand. “Yes?” My voice emerged as a croak.

Without hesitation, she stepped closer, enveloping me in a comforting embrace. “You don’t need to act tough. Just let it all out,” she said softly, her voice like a balm to my wounded spirit.

I was bewildered by her compassion, how had she found me? Why was she here, offering solace? But as I melted into her support, the dam within me broke. My tears flowed freely, cascading down my cheeks and soaking her shoulder. I held onto her tightly, as if her unwavering presence might anchor me in this tumultuous sea of emotions. In that moment, she felt less like a rival and more like a lifeline.

Time seemed to suspend itself as my sobs slowly subsided. Eventually, she pulled back, her fingertips gently wiping away my tears with a soft handkerchief. “Now that’s enough,” she said with a firm yet kind tone. “You’ve cried enough. It’s time to face the world.”

I sighed deeply, meeting her concerned gaze with my swollen eyes that still held shimmering remnants of my tears. “I don’t think I can do that anymore. I’ve lost the zeal for it,” I confessed, my voice barely above a whisper.

“I know everything seems bleak right now,” she began, her voice sturdy with conviction, “but this is just the beginning of your brighter future. If you quit now, it only means they’ve won, the ones who’ve pushed you to this point, and you'd be the loser.”

The word “loser” echoed in my mind, igniting a spark of anger. I remembered Daniel’s words from yesterday, the bitterness coiling within me. “Never,” I replied, my fists clenching defiantly.

"Good," she nodded. "Now get up and kick their asses."

I hesitated, my heart racing. "Why... why are you helping me? In this game, we're supposed to be against each other for the purpose of winning." I had to ask; the confusion swirled within me like a storm.

She let out a soft sigh, her expression shifting to one of understanding. "You're right. We should be rivals, and I should be reveling in your struggles… but as a person, I can't. I’ve been in situations like this before, and I know how crushing it feels." The vulnerability in her voice struck a chord, and I could see the raw emotions in her eyes.

"And let’s be honest," she added, her playful spirit returning as she smirked, "it wouldn’t be nearly as entertaining without you in the game. You bring the drama, and I live for that." Her smile was infectious, and I found myself chuckling despite the weight of the moment.

"Thank you," I said, my voice thick with gratitude. It was a small word, but it felt monumental, carrying the weight of my appreciation.

"Veronica," she said warmly, raising her hand for a handshake, introducing herself like an ally ready to forge a pact.

Caught off guard, I smiled back, extending my hand to meet hers. "Oh, yeah, Veronica," I replied, feeling the warmth of our brief connection. As we shook hands, an unexpected sense of camaraderie bu
bbled between us, melting away some of the tension that had been squeezing my chest.