The night was deep and still by the time Diara reached the front door of the house. The silence surrounding her felt heavy, almost suffocating, as if the darkness itself was pressing down on her. Her breath caught in her throat, her heart racing faster with each passing second.
She knew all too well what awaited her if her uncle and aunt were still awake—scolding would be the least of her worries. The worst-case scenarios flickered in her mind, sending a shiver down her spine.
Taking a moment to steady herself, Diara exhaled slowly, releasing the tension in her chest. Her hand, trembling slightly, reached for the doorknob.
The metal was cold against her skin as she turned it as quietly as she could, praying the creak of the hinges wouldn't betray her.
The door opened with a soft groan, and she slipped inside, closing it gently behind her.
The sitting room was shrouded in darkness, thick and impenetrable. Diara strained her eyes, trying to make out any shapes or movements, but the shadows remained stubbornly obscure.
The silence was unnerving, the kind that made her feel like she wasn't truly alone. Her muscles tensed, ready to react to any sudden noise or appearance.
Slowly, she began to tiptoe toward the staircase, her movements careful and measured, each step barely making a sound against the wooden floor.
But just as she reached the base of the stairs, the room was flooded with light. Diara froze, her heart stopping for a beat.
"Look at who's here," a voice cut through the air, sharp and familiar. It was a voice that haunted Diara's sleep, a voice she could recognize even in her deepest dreams. Scarlet.
Diara turned slowly, forcing a smile onto her face, though her heart pounded with dread. Scarlet stood at the other end of the room, her expression one of amusement and cruelty.
Diara knew reasoning with her cousin was futile, but she had to try. "Oh, I didn't realize it was that late," she said, her voice as calm as she could make it. "I didn't mean to come home so late."
Scarlet's smile widened, but it didn't reach her eyes. She moved toward Diara with slow, deliberate steps, each one sending a ripple of tension through the air.
Diara's muscles tightened, instinctively bracing for what she knew was coming.
Without warning, Scarlet's hand lashed out, the slap echoing in the quiet room. Diara's cheek flared with pain, a stinging heat that spread across her skin.
She held her cheek, feeling it redden beneath her fingers, but she didn't react beyond that. She knew better than to retaliate—Scarlet would only scream for her parents, and then things would spiral out of control.
"You're just despicable and dirty," Scarlet hissed, her voice dripping with venom. "I don't even know why my parents let something like you stay here."
Scarlet stepped closer, her presence looming over Diara like a dark cloud. Diara could feel the malice radiating off her cousin, a palpable force that pressed down on her shoulders.
Scarlet leaned in, her breath hot against Diara's ear as she whispered, "You're lucky you escaped today, but you won't be so lucky next time."
Diara wasn't shocked. Deep down, she had already known that Scarlet was behind the events of that day
. It was just like her cousin to pull the strings from the shadows, watching with satisfaction as Diara stumbled into the traps she laid.
Scarlet began to walk upstairs, her steps slow and deliberate, each one echoing ominously in the quiet house.
But before she disappeared from view, she stopped and looked back over her shoulder, a wicked smile curving her lips. "Watch your back, dear cousin."
As Scarlet's footsteps fade away, Diara remained where she stood, her cheek still burning, her heart still racing.
The light from the sitting room cast long, eerie shadows across the walls, making the house feel even more oppressive. She exhaled shakily, knowing she would find no comfort here, only more torment.
Slowly, Diara turned and ascended the stairs, her movements careful and quiet. The night had only just begun, and already it was suffocating her.
Diara stepped into her small, tight room, the walls almost pressing in on her as she dropped her bag onto the floor.
The weight of the day clung to her, and she quickly decided on a shower, hoping the warm water would wash away more than just the grime of the day.
As the water cascaded over her, she could feel the tension in her muscles start to ease, but her mind remained restless.
After drying off, she slipped into her soft nightgown, the fabric a comforting contrast against her skin.
The small room was dimly lit, a single lamp casting long shadows that seemed to stretch and twist, playing tricks on her tired eyes. But Diara wasn't ready to sleep just yet.
Her thoughts kept returning to the small, insignificant card she had tucked away in her bag.
Her fingers fumbled slightly as she searched through the bag, her heart beating a little faster with anticipation. Finally, she found it—the business card.
She held it up, staring at the neat print with a smile that grew wider the longer she looked. The card was just a simple thing, yet it represented so much more to her—a possible connection, a glimmer of something new and exciting.
Her mind raced with the memory of the encounter, and she could almost feel the presence of the stranger, armored in his kindness, standing beside her once more.
With a deep breath, she reached for her phone, her fingers trembling slightly as she punched in the string of numbers from the card. When she finished, she saved the contact under a name that made her heart flutter: *Sweet Stranger in Armor*.
Diara hesitated for a moment before typing out a simple message: "Hello." She sat on her bed, the springs creaking under her slight weight as she anxiously waited for a reply.
Her eyes never left the screen, her heart pounding in her chest. The seconds ticked by, each one feeling like an eternity. The anticipation was almost unbearable, a mixture of hope and fear swirling in her stomach.
Finally, her phone buzzed, and she quickly glanced at the screen. Her heart sank a little at the sight of the reply—just a single, cold word: "Hello."
It was dry, devoid of any warmth or interest, but Diara didn't let it get to her. Not yet. At least he had replied, she told herself.
She quickly typed back, her fingers moving faster now, as if trying to inject some of her enthusiasm into the conversation.
"Um, it's the girl you saved on the roadside today," she wrote, her message tinged with nervous excitement. But after she hit send, there was nothing. Silence.
The minutes stretched on, and with each passing second, her hope began to wane. She stared at the screen, willing it to light up again, but it remained dark.
Her heart felt heavy as she finally placed the phone down beside her, lying back on the bed with a sigh.
She closed her eyes, trying to shake off the disappointment that was creeping in, but it was no use.
The excitement she had felt only moments before was now fading, replaced by a hollow feeling of rejection.
Just as sleep was about to claim her, her phone buzzed again. Diara's eyes snapped open, and she quickly sat up, grabbing the phone with renewed hope.
But when she saw the message, her heart sank even further: "Ok."
That was it. Just two letters. It was like a punch to the gut, and Diara's smile vanished completely.
She dropped her phone onto the bed, her heart heavy with sadness as she curled up under the covers. The small room felt even smaller now, closing in on her as she tried to hold back the tears that threatened to spill.
With a deep, shaky breath, Diara closed her eyes and let sleep take her, the hope that had once burned so brightly now just a dim, flickering ember in the back of her mind. But deep down she wasn't giving up just yet.