Unwritten Spring Unending Sorrow

Chloe stood in front of the mirror, wiping away the layers of stage makeup to reveal her everyday look. She turned to Thomas with a bright smile. "How do I look?"

"You're always beautiful," he said warmly. "Makeup just makes you look like someone else."

Her smile froze for a split second before she regained her composure, slipping back into her usual soft-spoken grace.

I felt a pang in my chest listening to them, a sharp ache that would not ease. I glanced down at the shoes before me. As I slipped my foot in, a sudden, stabbing pain shot through me—there was a needle in the shoe!

Blood welled up, and Chloe, ever the silent shadow, slipped a silver-gray mask over my face, her breath chill against my ear. "This is my gift to you, Rebecca."

Pushed onto the stage, I danced through the pain, each step a battle to keep standing.

The moment I stepped off the stage, my legs gave out and I crumpled to the floor.

Thomas walked up to me, his eyes icy and emotionless.

I was panting, desperately trying to grab onto his pant leg.

"Thomas, it hurts... There's a needle in my shoe, please help me."

Thomas looked at me with revulsion and kicked my hand away.

"Rebecca, you were just bouncing around on stage, and now you're talking about a needle? What's this act? You think a little blood in your shoe is going to trick me? For all I know, that could be any animal's blood."

Chloe swooped in like she was the good guy, helping me up with a fake look of concern. "Rebecca, are you alright? You were amazing up there, but trying to snag Thomas's attention like this? Not cool. Thomas wants people who keep it real."

As she spoke, her razor-sharp nails dug into my arm, sending waves of pain through me.

I tried to shove her off, but she suddenly seized my hand and pretended I had knocked her violently to the ground.

"Rebecca! I'm so sorry! I know you can't stand me! I'll stay out of your way from now on."

I glared at Chloe, my anger boiling over as I thought of all the women Thomas had paraded around. "Get lost, you homewrecker! You're nothing but a husband-stealer!"

Thomas's hand struck my face, and I touched the blood trickling from the corner of my mouth as I hit the ground.

"You insult her? You're not even in her league."

I lay there, watching Thomas lift Chloe in his arms and walk away.

His back turned to me, and Chloe's smug look burned into my memory.

My heart, already numb with pain, throbbed with a fresh wave of hurt.

In the end, all I could do was hail a cab and head home alone.

I made it back to the villa way past midnight and found Thomas there, waiting for me like some kind of grim statue. He was casually holding a cigarette, his back against the door.

"Come here," he said, his voice icy.

I hesitated, but I moved closer.

"Hold out your hand."

Before I knew it, he flicked the ash into my palm and then snuffed out the cigarette right there on my skin. His other hand clamped down on mine as I tried to pull away. Pain shot through me, and I could not hold back the tears.