"Where is she?" I heard a familiar voice outside my room. It was the kind of voice that haunted my thoughts—soft, commanding, and unmistakably his. I had been back in our home (the home I shared with Calyx) for two days now. Tres and Six were staying with me, but for those two days, I hadn't seen or heard from him. Yet, now, his voice cut through the silence, sharp and clear, reverberating in my chest.
I paused, fingers still gripping the edge of my suitcase, and let his voice settle in my mind. Then, unable to stop myself, I set down the things I had been unpacking and made my way to the door.
There he was. Standing at the threshold, looking as pristine as ever in a sharp three-piece suit. The suit was dark, almost too dark, the kind of elegance that seemed out of place in the quiet, comfortable home we once shared. His perfume lingered in the air—overpowering, foreign—too intense for my senses. It made my brows furrow in confusion and discomfort. It wasn't the scent I remembered. It wasn't him.
I hadn't seen him since our last argument, the one that left our words hanging between us like unfinished business. I hadn't heard from him since the rumors about his so-called wife flooded the news, casting shadows where once there was light. And now, here he was, standing so close yet feeling miles away, as if the distance between us had only grown wider in the days we'd spent apart.
His presence filled the space, a heavy, invisible weight. And despite everything, despite how much I should hate him right now, I realized—I missed him. I missed him more than I could even admit to myself.
I cleared my throat, forcing my face to remain impassive, as though his presence didn't affect me at all. The air between us was thick with tension, but I pushed it down, locking it away behind a mask of indifference.
"So, how's the preparation for the Gala?" I asked, my tone dripping with sarcasm, the words leaving my lips like daggers.
The Gala—the one he was likely attending with her, the woman who had replaced me in his life. It was a question I didn't need an answer to, but I asked it anyway, almost as if I wanted to test how much of a stranger he'd become.
His gaze softened, his eyes lingering on me longer than I expected. I stood there, dressed in nothing more than a loose V-neck t-shirt and plain shorts—nothing fancy. It was a stark contrast to how he used to see me, always dressed to the nines, even at home. But that was before, back when he only knew the Severa who wore perfectly tailored clothes, the version of me that fit his world.
Now, though, things were different. Six and Tres were here, and I couldn't risk giving them any more ammunition. The last thing I needed was for them to see me as some delicate little doll to be played with. They'd pounce on any moment of vulnerability, turning it into a game.
I couldn't be Severa of Calyx right now. Not with my friends around—my real friends, the ones who knew me for more than just the role I played in Calyx's life.
I almost laughed at the thought, but it came out more as a frustrated exhale. It felt like I was caught in some kind of split personality crisis. One part of me wanted to be the polished, composed woman who could captivate everyone's attention. But another part— the one that had lived with Six and Tres, the one that wasn't trying to impress anyone—wanted to stay real, stay raw, and not slip back into the mold Calyx had once shaped for me.
I flinched when I felt Calyx's fingers gently caress my cheek. The touch sent a jolt through me, leaving me stunned as I stared into his eyes. It was like a wave crashing over me—those familiar feelings, the ones I had long buried. The same love and adoration I had once felt for him flooded back in an instant. The emotions I thought I had forgotten, that I thought time had erased, suddenly surged like a first kiss all over again.
I closed my eyes, letting the sensation wash over me, feeling a bittersweet warmth spread through my chest. For a fleeting moment, everything else disappeared, and I just savored the connection between us.
I wish I wasn't imagining this.
I wish the ache in my heart would fade.
I wish we could stay in this suspended reality, just the two of us, with nothing else to tear us apart.
But the truth is, there were still those people in my life—those that seemed to thrive on tearing down everything I wanted to build, everything I dreamed of. I couldn't escape them. They were part of my life, part of my reality, and that truth was suffocating.
Just like this. Just like the moment we shared.
It was abruptly shattered when I heard the most annoying voice I never wanted to hear again.
"WHERE IS HE?! I NEED TO TALK TO HIM!"
The shout pierced the air, and I jolted, eyes snapping open. I looked at Calyx, who was just as startled by the intrusion. His expression flickered—surprise, then something deeper, something unreadable.
I groaned inwardly, feeling frustration tighten in my chest. I instinctively took a step back, pulling away from him, distancing myself from the comfort his presence had unknowingly offered. I hadn't even realized we were that close—our foreheads touching in an almost intimate way. A brief connection, one that once felt so natural, now felt entirely out of place.
I pushed the moment aside, mentally steeling myself as I left the room. Six, always the first to react, stepped out from another room just as I did, his eyes sharp, already sizing up the situation.
"Geez. I never thought this girl would try to destroy Nine's marriage," Six's voice cut through the heavy silence. His words were a mixture of annoyance and amusement, like he found this whole mess more of a game than anything else.
I turned toward the living room and found Tres standing there, arms crossed, one eyebrow raised in quiet judgment. She was waiting, watching—expecting me to do something, to take charge, to react. Her eyes were a challenge, her stance a reminder of the expectations she had for me.
It felt like the walls were closing in, the weight of everyone's eyes on me, waiting for me to show some kind of control, to navigate the storm that was brewing around us. I didn't know how to handle this, not anymore.
I shook my head, the frustration in my chest growing too heavy to ignore. Without thinking, I rushed down the stairs, my feet pounding against the steps as I saw Jillian barreling toward the entrance.
Tres and Six immediately moved, stepping in front of her to block her path. I knew why she was here—she was following Calyx. The thought made my stomach churn.
"What are you doing here, Jillian?" My voice came out sharper than I intended, the anger bubbling up. I had no idea what kind of drama she was about to bring into my life, but I wasn't in the mood for it. The last thing I needed was more of her antics.
I couldn't hold it in. "Are you here to fuck?" I asked, the words coming out cold, blunt, and without hesitation.
The air between us thickened with tension. Six and Tres looked at me, their expressions frozen in shock. They hadn't expected that kind of response from me.
"What?" I asked, noticing their wide-eyed stares. "She was here last time. Fucking." The word tasted bitter on my tongue, but it felt like the only truth worth saying.
"Yeah, I'm gonna fuck your husband and take him back again! Calyx's mine! He's mine!" Jillian yelled, her voice shrill with a mix of anger and desperation.
I rolled my eyes, the sound of her ranting making my patience snap.
I was so damn tired of handling this kind of drama. Why did antagonists always have to act like raging lunatics? As if they could still take what I had, as if I hadn't made it clear enough that this was my life.
Maybe it was because of how I acted—like I didn't care, like I wasn't really fighting for what was mine. Maybe that was what fueled her confidence, this delusion that I'd just step aside and let her tear everything down again. But she was wrong. I wasn't going to let her have that power over me, not now, not ever again.
"Stop it, Jillian." Calyx emerged from the shadows and walked over to her, his voice steady, almost too calm for the storm that was brewing. "Just leave," he said, his words soft but firm.
"Leave? Do you want me to leave?" Jillian's voice cracked, and I watched as tears welled in her eyes, the sight twisting something inside of me. It hurt.
Her tears felt manipulative, a tactic she was using to play the victim in this whole mess. Maybe she was the victim. After all, Calyx had left her for me. I couldn't deny that. But what did I really know about their relationship?
Yeah, I knew Calyx still had some kind of lingering feelings for her. That much was obvious every time he looked at her—those flashes of regret, of something unspoken. But what did I really know about Calyx's feelings? Was he still torn between us, or was I just a consolation prize?
Six approached me, his voice low as he whispered, "You're the youngest among us, but you've already faced this kind of drama. How do you handle it?"
I didn't answer right away. What could I say? The truth was too painful to admit. If I answered honestly, I'd have to admit that the way I was handling it was by running and hiding from Calyx—letting everything fall apart around me while I stood by, paralyzed. I was telling myself that I would let him go if he asked me to, but every time he looked at me, every time he gave me those mixed signals, I couldn't make sense of it.
I had convinced myself that I was going to fight for this marriage, fight for what I felt—fight for us. But in reality, I was doing the opposite. Every time Calyx reached out, I distanced myself, pulling away without even realizing it. I was telling myself one thing, but my actions spoke a different truth.
This was far from the Brinth that Six and Tres knew. This was far from the life I had before—carefree, confident, and strong. But maybe that's what marriage does to a person. It changes you. And I could feel it happening to me.
I was changing, yes, but not in the way I had expected. Instead of growing stronger, I was getting lost in the process. I was slipping away from who I once was, and I wasn't sure if I could find my way back anymore.
"You can't just throw me away like our relationship was nothing, Calyx! She's maybe your wife, but you married her just to save her!" Jillian's words struck like a slap to my face. My mouth gaped open, my mind struggling to process what I had just heard. Save me from what?
The words hung in the air, suffocating me.
"You may have married that girl, but I'm still the one who owns your heart! You're still in love with me, and I know it. I can still feel it."
Each of her words hit like a knife, twisting deeper with every breath. It felt like being stabbed a million times all at once. The pain was sharp, overwhelming, and it was all I could do to keep myself from crumbling.
I took a step backward, the weight of her accusation pressing on my chest. It was as if the ground beneath me was slipping away, and I was losing the battle right there, in front of everyone. I couldn't stop it.
"Hey, Nine. Are you okay?" Tres and Six's voices reached me, but I couldn't find the strength to answer. Instead, I just took another step backward, retreating further into myself.
I caught Calyx's gaze, and for the first time, I saw it clearly—something in his eyes that made my heart shatter. What Jillian said… it might be true. The truth I was afraid of but never wanted to acknowledge. That thought alone made my heart break into a thousand pieces.
He moved as though he was going to approach me, but before he could take a step, Jillian blocked him.
"Save me from what?" I asked, my voice trembling. Tears began to stream down my face, no longer holding back the flood of emotions I'd been trying to bury.
Jillian's smirk was almost triumphant. "Why don't you tell her?" she taunted Calyx, her eyes gleaming as if she was already tasting victory.
And there I stood, feeling like I hadn't even begun the real battle yet—yet somehow, she was already winning.
What are the things I didn't know about this marriage?
The thought echoed in my mind, sharp and painful. Damn it. How much of it had been a lie? How much had I been blind to, all along? Was everything I thought I understood about this relationship just... nothing?
I felt like the ground beneath me was crumbling, the weight of my own doubts pulling me further into a spiral. I had never signed up for this kind of heartbreak. I wasn't prepared for it.
I'm gonna kill Uncle Bryan if I found out what's the real score of this marriage. I'm gonna kill him!
Is Uncle Brian aware of the real score of this marriage? Did they make me feel like I was the one who trapped Calyx into this?
The thought gnawed at me, twisting my insides. Had everyone been playing some kind of game, making me believe one thing when the reality was so different? Was I just a pawn in someone else's twisted plan?
"Tell her, Calyx! Tell her!" Jillian shouted, her voice rising in desperation.
"Jesus, Jillian! Stop it!" Calyx snapped back, his tone harsher than I'd ever heard it before.
"Why? Are you afraid she's gonna run away? No! She can't run away! Because if she can, she'll d---"
Before she could finish, Calyx cut her off, his voice loud, filled with frustration and anger. "Fuck, Jillian! I told you to stop it!"
The outburst left me frozen, my mind a whirlpool of confusion. What was happening here? The words felt like a storm, and I was caught right in the middle of it, drowning in the mess that was supposed to be my marriage.
"Geez! What the fuck is happening?" Six exclaimed, clearly as lost in the chaos as I was.
Tres glanced at me, her eyes narrowing, and then she shook her head, her frustration palpable.
"I don't know what's happening here," she said, her voice cool and steady, "but I guess Brinth deserves to know the truth." Without another word, she pulled her phone out of her pocket, her movements deliberate and calm.
"What are you doing?" I asked, a sinking feeling in my chest.
I knew exactly what this meant. The thing I hated most about Tres was that when she pulled out her phone, it wasn't just for casual browsing. It was because she was about to make a decision, a big one, especially when things were in trouble. And right now, I was the one in trouble.
"I can't let you be with this kind of man, Nine." Tres's voice was firm, determined. "Maybe I don't understand why you got married so early, but I can't stand by and watch you get hurt because of this. I'm calling Kaiser, and we'll stay there for now. You don't need to attend tomorrow's Gala."
"No—" I tried to protest, but my words were cut short. Tres was already dialing Kaiser's number, her mind made up.
"No, don't take her away from me!" Calyx's voice cracked with desperation, and all three of us turned to look at him.
"Seriously, Mr. Lockhorst?" Six asked, her disbelief palpable. "You can't just destroy our friend's life because you're the husband." She shot a glare at Jillian. "And you, girl? We're not letting you tear her apart any more than you already have."
Six turned back to Calyx, her gaze hardening. "If you really married her just to save her, then you need to save her from this heartache! You need to save this marriage! Or at least, do the right thing for once!"