Chapter 2 SUICIDE
Dandelion.
"How can Chase be such a scumbag! A lousy, good-for-nothing, greedy, ugly bastard!"
Lilian's voice exploded through my bedroom, raw with fury as she hurled insult after insult at him.
And with each word, my crying grew louder, harsher, more broken.
I clutched my chest as if it would somehow keep my heart from tearing apart. My whole body trembled uncontrollably.
"Dandy, breathe," Lilian begged, her voice cracking. " you're shaking."
But I couldn't stop.
Everything inside me felt like it was collapsing, My throat burned from crying and my vision blurred.
"It's over, Lilian..." I choked out weakly. "Everything... everything is over."
"No. No, it's not—"
"It IS!"I snapped, cutting her off. "They all believe him, Everyone."
Tears streamed down my face again, hot and endless.
"They think I slept my way to the top," I whispered, the words like poison on my tongue. "They think I'm disgusting."
"Dandy—"
"And Chase..." I swallowed hard, my voice trembling with hatred. "Even after everything he did to me... he still ruined me."
Lilian's hands shook as she paced in my bedroom, her expression a mix of fury and helplessness.
"I broke up with him this morning," I continued, my voice breaking. "But he shoved me against the wall and told me I'd regret it."
Her eyes widened. "So the photos—"
"He took them secretly without my consent and leaked them. He wants to destroy me because I stopped being his puppet."
Lilian shook her head violently, tears streaming down her own face now.
"Then you need to fight back! Make an explanatory video. Tell people the truth! Call the police!"
"No." The word came out hollow. Final.
"What do you mean no?!"
"Lily..." I showed her my phone, the screen filled with vicious comments. "Look at this. They don't care about my explanation. They think I'm lying for sympathy, and I think Chase is instigating the comments."
I scrolled through the endless hate comments.
'She's just playing victim now.'
'Attention seeker.'
Lilian's face crumpled. "But the police—"
"Won't help!" I yelled, my vision blurring with fresh tears. " they won't help me because I don't have evidence.... And now my endorsements are cancelled, my manager won't even answer."
I clutched my chest again, struggling to breathe.
"I have nothing left, Lily. He's destroyed me completely."
Lilian stepped toward me, shaking her head as tears streamed down her face.
"Dandy, please... please calm down..."
But I couldn't, I stood up, grabbing my car keys from the nightstand.
"I can't stay here," I whispered. "I can't breathe."
"you're scaring me," Lilian said, her voice breaking.
I stumbled toward the door.
"Dandy, where are you going?! WAIT!"
She followed behind me, but I ran out quickly, her voice echoed down the hallway as I ran, barefoot and blurry-eyed
"DANDY! DON'T DO ANYTHING RASH! PLEASE!"
But I didn't stop.
\---
The cold night wind slapped my face as I drove, but it did nothing to cool the fire suffocating my lungs.
Even if I survived this nightmare somehow, the scars would never leave. Scandals in the entertainment industry were never forgotten, especially for someone like me, who had never had one before.
Now they've all turned their backs on me.
Only one place came to mind.
The only place that ever felt like comfort.
\---
Blue Haven Cemetery.
The gates groaned as I pushed them open, the sound echoing through the empty night.
I walked slowly, like a ghost.
My mother's tombstone stood exactly as I remembered it, clean, simple and gentle.
A small white candle sat beside it, half-melted from my last visit. The dead stems of her favorite flowers, Dandelions, lay scattered around the base. The seeds had all blown away.
Just like my life.
I knelt before the stone, with trembling hands.
"Mom..." My voice cracked like glass. "I... I messed up."
Tears dripped onto the marble.
"I tried so hard," I choked out. "To make something of myself. To make you proud."
My lip trembled.
"But I'm ruined now." My breath hitched. "He destroyed me. Chase... my first love... the whole internet is filled with pictures of me..."
My fingers curled against each other.
"I'm tired, Mom," I whispered. "I'm so, so tired."
The loneliness pressed into me until I could barely breathe.
"I can't face the cameras, The comments, The shame. The hate...even Dad refused to believe me"
I sobbed.
"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry I'm not strong enough to face this. I'm sorry I failed you."
I leaned forward, pressing my forehead against the cold marble.
"At least I'll be happy with you." I whispered
\---
Glass Lake.
It was just a short walk from the cemetery, the man-made river for tourists in Greenville, with only one bridge connecting it to the city.
My mother used to bring me here as a child. We'd walk across the bridge hand in hand, looking down at the water together.
Now it felt like the only place I could disappear.
The water shimmered beneath the moonlight, Beautiful, Peaceful yet dark and icy.
I walked toward the bridge, my breath shaking with every step.
Below me, the water rippled.
As if it was waiting to swallow me whole. To take the pain away. To quiet the voices. To end everything.
I stepped up onto the railing, gripping the post with one trembling hand.
"I'm sorry," I whispered to the night.
A tear slipped down my cheek and dropped into the water below.
The wind grew colder, like the universe was warning me.
But my mind was already made up.
I closed my eyes.
Breathed one last time.
And jumped.
The cold water hit me like a thousand knives, piercing through skin and bone.
My body folded inward. Air knocked out completely.
I sank fast.
I closed my eyes tightly as water filled my ears. My long black hair spread around me like dark seaweed.
My lungs screamed for air, but I didn't fight it.
I wanted peace.
My thoughts grew soft. Blurry and Distant.
I could almost feel death reaching out for me.
But suddenly....
I felt the ripple against my skin.
Someone dove in.
Strong hands grabbed my waist.
No. No, no.
I tried to push the figure away weakly, but I had no energy left.
I was dragged upward, forcefully, toward the surface I didn't want to face.
We broke through.
Air slammed into my chest painfully.
Then, faintly, a man's voice, deep and cold spoke near my ear,
"You're not allowed to die here."
I gasped, choking violently as water poured from my mouth and then succumbed to the heavy darkness.