Celinda rested in Selina's room after the doctor diagnosed her condition and provided the proper treatment. Understanding it was their family issue, Selina voluntarily went back to her room to look after Celinda.
Jason appreciated Selina's help and asked the doctor to step foot in his study room before explaining what drug was used on his younger sister. Once he heard it was an aphrodisiac, his expression darkened like raging thunder strikes smashing against a demolished puppet. His clenched fists crumbled the documents on his desk, straining his veins to the surface of his arm.
He walked the doctor out before checking up on his sister. His footsteps halted as his knuckles trembled inches away from reaching the door. Standing outside the half-opened door, he didn't have the courage to walk in and face his sister. Fear crept to his mind as the image of how pale and tormented she looked flashed in his thoughts.
Selina caught a glimpse of his figure by the door and quietly strode outside the room. Slowly, she pulled the door closed. Raising her head, she met his inconfident gaze and wrinkled brows. From the moment he walked into her room and rushed to the girl's side, she could tell how frantic he was. For the first time since meeting him, he has shown the weak side of him.
Minimizing the gap between them, she leaned closer and tiptoed to massage his furrowed brows. The storm in his eyes calmed as he gazed deeply into her soft stares. As her thumb gently rubbed the crease away, she whispered. "She will be alright after some rest. Don't worry, I'll be here with you."
Her sweet-sounding voice eased the calamity in his chest. With one arm around her waist and the other on her back, he bent down for a hug. His eyes closed as he buried his face in her shoulders.
Reaching her arms around his back, she softly patted in stroking movements to comfort him. She could hear his whispers and irregular breathing pattern against her ears. "Thank you..."
"Mm.." After hugging her for a while, he released his grip around her. Showing a recharged smile on his face, he squeezed her small hands in his. Rubbing his thumb on the back of her hands, he started to frown.
"You're cold." When his sister startled her awake, she ran out of the room without a care for her slippers. Then, she cleaned, dressed and took care of Celinda while being barefooted. Pulling her to his embrace once again, he lifted her up slightly and placed her feet on top of his slippers.
She looked down on her wiggling toes before blinking at him. Tilting her head sideways, she answered. "I'm not cold."
"Your feet and hands are cold. At least stay like this while you are out of your room." He caressed her cheek for a few minutes.
"Well, I'm warm because you're hugging me." She curved her lips up.
After making sure he was calmed down; she held his hand. "Ready to go inside? Her complexion is much better now."
Intertwining their fingers together, he nodded and entered the room in small steps. This time, Celinda looked more comfortable and was sleeping soundly. Seeing her arms out of the blanket, he moved them under the covers. The long sleeve covering her wrist rolled up slightly, revealing the bite marks and bruises.
His movements came to a pause as his fingertips brushed against the swollen skin. He gritted his teeth in anger. Pulling her sleeves back down, he tucked her arms under the blanket and pecked her forehead. "Sleep tight. I'll be right here."
Throughout the night, Selina stayed awake by Celinda's side. Once in a while, she would hear Celinda whimpering and see her tearing from her eyes. She noticed Jason's solemn expression and urged him to get some rest next door. Under her persuasion, he listened and went back to his room.
Wiping away the hot tears from Celinda's face, Selina whispered. "You're safe now. Everything is alright. It is a bad dream you're having. Once you open your eyes, you'll be feeling much better than before."
Repeatedly, she chanted the same words to Celinda's ears. Surprisingly, her voice and words worked like a lullaby. Around four in the morning, Celinda woke up to find Selina next to her. She looked tired with dark circles under her eyes.
Celinda tried covering her up with the blanket, but her slight movements woke Selina up. Rubbing her eyes, Selina jolted up in bed and asked. "You're awake. How are you feeling now? Do you want any water? Food? How about I get Jason for you?"
Taken aback by the many questions thrown at her, she replied with a confused face. "I'm feeling much better. I don't need anything for now, but who are you?"
"Ah! Sorry for not introducing myself first. My name is Selina, and I'm Jason's friend. For certain reasons, I am currently living with him."
Hearing that her brother actually let a female get close to him, joy rushed to her mind. She smiled and rubbed her chin teasingly. "I'm Celinda, Jason's younger sister. When you mentioned being his friend just now, you meant girlfriend right?"
Waving her palms left and right, Selina shook her head. "No. No. I'm just his friend. We're not dating or anything."
"Oh? But by girlfriend, I was referring to you being a female. At the same time, you are his friend." She chuckled at how adorable Selina looked with flushed cheeks. No wonder her iceberg brother would melt his million years old stone heart.
"Ahaha, do you want me to get Jason? He was very worried about you." Selina attempted to get out of bed, but halted when she felt something warm around her wrist.
Lowering her gaze, she saw Celinda holding her back and shaking her head. With a forced smile, her eyes swelled and voice began to crack. "No need. There are some things I can't tell him about. It'll break his heart, and I've already done things that hurt him in the past. I'm sorry. We just met, and I'm already like this."
Retracting her hand, she bent her head backwards and covered her eyes with her sleeves. Selina understood how difficult it was to speak about a horrible experience. Crawling to the front of the bed, Selina moved the pillows out of her way and wrapped her arms around Celinda.
Though Selina didn't say anything, the warming comfort she provided released the tension in Celinda's system. Hot tears streamed down her cheeks, moistening it. Her cheeks turned shades redder as her lips quivered. Selina's soft strokes on her back was like an outlet to all the bitterness she suffered.
Selina patiently listened to her story. She took many short pauses between words to catch her breath and clear the lump in her throat through hard swallows. Many words she didn't dare tell her own family were lifted off her chest.
Trembling, Celinda grasped Selina firmly on her arm.
Slowly, she spoke about the heaviness of her deepest scar she had never dared to disclose to anyone.
"A long time ago..I was kidnapped by a gang. They took me to a parking lot kind of place..where nobody normally walks by. One after another...they ripped off my clothes even though I screamed and begged them to stop. The smell of their sweat, saliva and chapped lips against my skin was very disgusting. I went from screaming, kicking, and struggling to losing all faith and hope."
"Bu..But right at the moment, I heard his voice. Though my mentality was up to a breaking point, I heard punches, kicks and then a bunch of footsteps running off." She separated herself from Selina's embrace and looked at her with a heartbroken smile. With her shaking hands, she slowly lifted the blanket to cover her chest.
Wrinkling the soft fabric against her torso, she cried. "Then, he wrapped his jacket around me and told me everything was alright now. The bad people were gone. After that incident, I didn't dare go outside without having my family with me. I was scared to even use the bathroom alone. But he..he was there for me. Through my hardest time, he was my support."
Selina squinted as her stroking movements slowed. As if she could feel Celinda's pain on herself, her chest ached for her. Celinda gasped for air while her body shivered vigorously like history was repeating again.
Spreading her arms out, Selina gave her a few more back rubs. She placed a pillow on her lap, pulled Celinda into her embrace and pulled the blanket over her body. With her arms protectively wrapped around Celinda, she continued listening to her silently.
"Soon, this person I considered as my savior... my hero became my boyfriend. He was gentle and considerate. Never had he forced me to do anything I didn't like. Even when he found out I was infertile, he told me he didn't mind. I really minded being unable to have my own children, but he accepted this part of me. My flaws....My everything."
"Brother didn't agree to our marriage, and I started having breakdowns. It was painful to the point where I suffocated. Once, I locked the bathroom door and took a knife from the kitchen. I really wanted to slice my wrist and just not care about this world anymore. But I didn't. Because that person was there. He was my support."
Sucking her lips inwardly, her teeth began peeling her chapped lips. "He..became my husband two months and ten days ago. I thought I was the happiest person...until I found out about my vitamins being swapped on our wedding night. Other than myself, I only let him get my refills for me. My mind was a mess, and I couldn't consummate our marriage until this is cleared up."
Her trembling fingers reached to cover her ears. "I found out...he changed my vitamins to antidepressants. I started noticing things I've never realized about him. He wasn't who I thought he was. I tried convincing myself to not assume and not fear him. But whenever he touches me, I can't help but tense up."
"What should I do? I saw how happy my parents were during my wedding. I knew my brother didn't like him, but I've done many stupid things to push my brother away. And then...tonight came. He asked me for a favor, and I refused. He drugged me and pushed me down. I struggled, but couldn't break free. He was just like that gang."
"And now..I came to realize he wasn't who I thought he was...How could one person beat up a gang? He suffered a few punches..bruises...Why did I trust him? Why did everything happen to me? Have I done something wrong?"
Celinda repeatedly asked as if she wanted to hear an answer. Inhaling deeply, Selina wiped away her tears and said. "You didn't do anything wrong. You were only innocent and naive to trust the wrong person. Don't blame yourself for all the unhappiness and suffering others caused you. Your brother and parents will always be yours to lean on. No matter what you do, they'll love you. They'll spread their arms to hug and protect you."
After patting her softly for a while, Celinda stopped crying and fell back asleep. The migraine Selina had felt in the middle of their conversation rushed back to her head. She closed her eyes and massaged her temples, hoping to reduce it.
When she opened her eyes again, she saw rainbow colors and started having small flashbacks. She saw a sharp blade penetrate her chest and heard herself crying in her car. However, she couldn't see the person who caused this injury. Instead, she heard her own cries and felt her shredding heart ache as if someone had ripped her heart to pieces.
Her hand reached to her chest where the healed scar was located. "Who was it?" She cried.