Page 45 of Dancing with Vipers and Shadows

This is the moment where it finally sinks in.

It doesn’t matter how many days, months, or years I spend here.

Their pride and joy is Odessa.

Not me…

That’s what pains me the most. What makes the tears continue to cascade down my cheeks and onto this stranger who has no choice but to look up at this mess of a disaster.

Me.

The mistake that shouldn’t have been born, to begin with.

I decide it’s best to get off this poor man and take the walk of shame back to my suite, where I can cry my heart out and debate whether staying here at N.M.U. is even worth it anymore.

If I disappear like my sister… they wouldn’t care, would they? No one would…

“S-Sor…” I try to apologize, but it’s cut off by my whimper. “S-S…”

Despite surviving the trials, I feel as though I’ve failed.

I’ve lost my point of existence after hearing my own mother say she never wanted me… only Odessa.

I feel myself being pulled back down against this man, his hand pressing the back of my head before he comfortingly strokes it.

As if to say everything is going to be okay.

He doesn’t say a single word. All he does is gently stroke his hand along the back of my head, the motion so simple, yet it’s the most comfort I’ve experienced in years.

It might be why it’s so easy to cry in his arms.

My sadness consumes me as I shed every tear that begs to escape the hollows of my aching heart. I mourn the idea of doing all of this for some sort of validation from my mom, knowing deep down that nothing I can do will satisfy her own trauma and suffering that she’s not ready to confront.

Let alone forgive and heal from.

I cry until I can’t anymore, the sobs shifting to quiet whimpers before I finally feel strong enough to make a decision.

I got to N.M.U. by myself. I have to do this for myself.

With a sigh and a sniff, I slowly pull back from the stranger, his draped hand moving away so I can be free to go. Staring back down at him, I’m given this moment to get a glance at him. Red eyes, dark green hair, a corner lip piercing, and clean skin. He has a sharp jaw, clean-shaven, with flawless skin. His attire is all black, but I briefly catch onto the pin that glimmers from its spot in the middle of his knotted tie.

A rose, a bullet, and the slithering symbol of a golden viper.

“Thank you.”

It’s the only thing I can say before I rise up and stare at him one last time.

Without waiting for a spoken word, I spin around and walk away, leaving the silent stranger behind and secretly hoping we’ll meet again.

Thank you, handsome stranger.

9

WALK THE PATH OF MY DESTINY

~OPHELIA~

“Idon’t even feel like studying at this point,” I mutter to myself before washing my face with cold water. I’m hiding out in the private washroom next to the library entrance. I’m grateful it existed because I couldn’t take the walk of shame back to our suite unless I knew that a handsome stranger wasn’t around.

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