Silvia's POV
"I can't believe you guys are doing this." My voice trembled, the words slipping out before I could stop them.
The woman, standing just a few feet away, tilted her head, eyes glinting with a cruel amusement. "If you'd be kind enough to hand over the stone, we'd be on our merry way."
"Wh...what?" My heartbeat thundered in my ears, my mind racing, desperate for an escape.
"Right after we kill you," she added, almost casually, as if we were discussing the weather. "You know, since you might kill us later."
Another voice, harsher, cut in. "We should just kill her and take it from her."
"You fool," she snapped, eyes flicking to the man beside her. "If we kill her, we'll die."
"I can't stand this anymore—" His frustration came to a head, and before I could blink, the strangest thing happened. The woman was suddenly in front of me, her eyes wild. And then...
A knife plunged into my stomach.
Shock drowned out the pain at first, but then it hit me like a wave. The world seemed to tilt. My vision blurred, and my knees buckled as warmth spread across my torso, soaking my dress.
*This is how it ends?*
Memories rushed at me in fragments—moments of misery, of struggle. But there, hidden among them, was one particular face. One person I wished I never had to leave. Someone who, in this moment, I'd give anything to see again. *Why did I let them go?*
*My life... what have I done with it?* I never went to college, never got the chance. Just mountains of debt to show for my miserable existence. I don't even own a car. If I survive this... God, if I survive... I swear I'll slap that useless thing I call a boyfriend so hard, his whole life will flash before his eyes.
Oh, you must be wondering how I got here, right? Well, let me tell you—it all started with a stupid date.
---
It was a slow day. The kind where time drags, each minute a sigh. No bonus for me, just my minimum-wage shift dragging on as I watched the only customer left in the café sip her coffee like she was some princess in Buckingham Palace.
She'd been sitting there for forty-five minutes, and I swear she'd been sneaking glances at me the entire time. At first, I thought it was my hair—people love my hair—but no, this was different. It was like she was studying me. I tried to shrug it off, telling myself I was overthinking it. I was on a "positive mindset streak" lately, trying to avoid spiraling into dark thoughts.
But there was something about her that unsettled me.
I caught her glance again. *Maybe she likes me,* I thought, smirking to myself. Not that I'm into women—hell, I barely even tolerate men these days—but still, I'm a catch. At least in my own opinion. And maybe some creep's who doesn't understand the concept of personal space. But don't worry, I've introduced a few to my knees and elbows before. I can't fight, but I can scream—very, very loud.
Still, something about her felt... off.
Just as I started staring back, my alarm rang. Shift over. *Thank God.* I packed my things, trying to shake off the weird vibe as I waited for Sara to take over. She showed up in under two minutes, as always. After some quick small talk, I got the hell out of there.
I had a date to get ready for. Yeah, with *him*—my boyfriend. It had been a while since we went out, what with all the recent fights. We'd even taken a "break" for a bit. But we were still together. And that was all that mattered, right? All couples fight, after all. It didn't help that he was the only person in my life. I loved him, and I thought—*no*, I convinced myself—that he loved me too. In his own way.
I rushed home to my tiny apartment, my sanctuary. If only I could get my boyfriend to move in with me. It would save me money, make us closer, right? Lately, we'd been growing more distant, and everything was so damn expensive these days. I'd been working extra shifts, trying to save for a car, because walking everywhere was killing me.
After a quick shower and some makeup, I put on a simple black halter dress. I looked okay, but there was a nagging feeling in the pit of my stomach. Something wasn't right, but I brushed it off. Tonight was supposed to be special. I ordered a taxi and headed to the restaurant.
---
When I got there, my suspicions only deepened. The receptionist—an icy woman with a superiority complex—looked down her nose at me.
"Check the reservation. His name is Drake Anderson."
She didn't even glance at her list. "There's no reservation under that name. Please stop wasting everyone's time and go back to whatever hole you crawled out of."
I froze, rage bubbling beneath the surface. But instead of exploding, I smiled—a tight, forced smile—and turned on my heel. But not before pulling out my pepper spray and giving her a *parting gift*. Her screams echoed behind me as I dashed outside.
He didn't make the reservation. The *bastard* didn't even bother. I texted him, called him. No answer. By the time I hailed another taxi, I was fuming. If he was with another girl... I would lose it.
---
When I barged into his apartment, key in hand, I knew. He was with someone. And they were going at it like they had no care in the world. My heart twisted, but I couldn't even feel it anymore. It wasn't pain—it was fury. Cold, hard fury.
I didn't shout. I didn't scream. I walked to the sink, grabbed a bowl of water, and dumped it on them.
"What the hell!!!" they screeched in unison.
He stared at me, wide-eyed, scrambling for words. "Wh... wh... Silvia?"
I laughed. I laughed because what else was there to do? "You're a piece of shit, you know that?" And then I slapped him, hard. The girl behind him gasped, clutching the sheets to her chest.
"You forgot our date. You didn't even bother to show up! And now you're here with *her*?" I could barely breathe, my voice shaking with the weight of it all. "After everything I've done for you?"
His eyes widened as it dawned on him. He'd forgotten. The realization hit him, but it was too late. "Baby, it's not like that," he started, but I cut him off.
"Don't. Don't 'baby' me."
He reached for me, but I slapped his hand away. "I'm done. We're done."
I turned to leave, but something hard struck the back of my head. The room spun, and I collapsed, darkness closing in around me. His voice, now cold and cruel, echoed in my ears.
"I said, you *can't* leave me."
---
The next thing I knew, I was lying in a pool of my own blood, staring at a woman who wanted something far worse than my heart.