A Fairytale's End

Since then, that old house had become a silent, unspoken boundary between Sienna and me.

After she rose to fame, she had the best cleaning crew come every month to maintain it, keeping it spotless.

Every holiday, she would accompany me back, lighting incense for my mother.

She would share a quiet meal with me in that cold, empty house.

She said it was about keeping my mother’s company.

It seemed I would be the only one paying my respects at this mid-autumn festival.

I had not even reached the door when a harsh crash echoed through the air.

My chest tightened. I ran inside and saw several workers swinging sledgehammers at the walls.

“Stop!”

I shouted and stormed in.

The house was a wreck. Furniture was smashed to splinters.

Lance stood amidst the ruins, seizing my mother's ancestral tablet and smashing it to the ground.

Crack! The tablet shattered into pieces.

He was not satisfied. He stomped on my mother’s black-and-white portrait, grinding it into the floor.

“Zach, look, your mother’s face is surprisingly resilient underfoot.”

I felt my blood boil. I tried to rush him, but Sienna’s bodyguards held me back.

I shouted at Sienna, who stood silently to the side.

“Sienna! Are you just going to watch him desecrate my mother?!”

She avoided my gaze. Her voice was soft, almost apologetic,

“Zach, it’s been so many years since your mother passed. A photo can't hurt.”

“Besides, no one could live in this house anymore.”

“After the demolition, I’ll have it restored exactly as it was. Don’t worry.”

Lance smirked and wrapped an arm around Sienna’s waist.

“Sienna, didn’t you promise me three things?”

“The third thing? I want this house to be my doghouse.“

“No!”

“This was the last thing my mother left me! My only connection to her!”

Sienna stayed silent and nodded.

The pent-up rage and despair completely overpowered my reason.

“You’re not human, Sienna! You owe my mother your life!”

“You deserve to die at the hands of those obsessive fans!”

I let loose, every cruel, venomous word I had ever held back, throwing it at her.

“No, I shouldn’t have saved you back then! You deserved to break your legs! You deserved to die!”

Smack!

…

Sienna raised her hand and slapped me across the face.

She lifted her foot and kicked me with all her strength into the rubble at the doorway.

“Zach, my patience has limits!”

“I never begged your mother to save me!”

I hit the ground hard. Pain shot through my chest as metallic taste rose in my throat.

The internal injuries from that car accident years ago had left my body fragile.

I clutched my chest, coughing up blood uncontrollably.

The woman who had once vowed to shield me, to care for me always...

Now wounded me more deeply than anyone ever could.

When I woke up, I was alone in a single hospital room.

Two black-suited bodyguards stood at the door with an expressionless look on their faces.

Sienna sat by the bed, peeling an apple, not even lifting her head as I stirred.

“Zach, once Lance and I complete the wedding and have the child, I’ll be done with him.”

“Stay here and recover for now. Wait for me.”

Every way I could contact the outside world had been taken from me.

She had imprisoned me.

However, she could not stop Lance.

He showed up like clockwork to flaunt his victory everyday.

“Zach, look, this is our wedding photo, isn’t it beautiful? The photographer was the one you carefully picked for her.”

“Oh, and the wedding venue, Sienna said to use yours. She told me that you have good taste. Saves me the trouble.”

He even brought the custom suit I had ordered for myself and gestured with it in front of me.