Chapter 3 The Breaking
553 Words
But Orion remained resolute, his arm linked with Mia's, shattering my illusions. "Aria, this is my girlfriend, your future sister-in-law."
My head felt like it was exploding, a roaring sound filling my ears, Mia's ingratiating voice becoming increasingly indistinct. "So you're Aria! You really are cute. You can call me Mia..."
From that day on, Orion frequently brought Mia home. Even at school, I couldn't escape the gossip surrounding their passionate, enviable romance.
My heart struggled bit by bit, gradually sinking into despair. I stared at the countdown on the wall. Thankfully, only six days remained. I just had to persevere.
Suddenly, I heard the murmur of male and female voices downstairs. I quietly pushed open my door to peek.
Even though I had made up my mind to leave, I still couldn't resist eavesdropping. I was becoming more and more like a clown.
I heard Mia's coquettish voice. "Orion, can I see your room?"
Orion seemed hesitant, but he couldn't withstand Mia's pleas. Seeing them walking upstairs hand in hand, I quickly hid in a corner. Soon, they arrived upstairs.
Mia suddenly pointed at my room. "Orion, doesn't Aria live here?"
Before Orion could answer, Mia, ever so familiar, went forward and knocked on my door. Because I had left in a hurry, the door creaked open with the knock.
Mia peeked inside. "Aria isn't here."
Orion looked anxious. "Mia, you said you wanted to see my room. Let's not go in there."
Mia disregarded him and walked straight in, looking around. "Orion, I'll just take a quick look."
"What's this? I didn't expect Aria to be so childish."
Peeking around the corner, I was curious about what Mia was talking about. Then I saw her pick it up and start playing with it.
I realized with horror that she was holding my cherished wish bottle, a birthday gift Orion had given me the first year after we were adopted.
No matter how expensive or exquisite the gifts I received later, none could compare to their significance.
I couldn't stay calm any longer. I rushed over, forgetting to control my volume in my haste. "Put that down! That's mine!"
Startled by my outburst, Mia looked wronged and hid behind Orion.
"Aria, you were home! I saw the door was open and wanted to say hello. As for this wish bottle, I just thought it was pretty. I'll give it back to you now. Don't be angry." Mia's feigned weakness, contrasted with my aggressive stance, made me appear unreasonable in Orion's eyes.
"Aria, apologize to Mia!"
I stubbornly bit my lip and stared at Orion. "I did nothing wrong."
As I reached out to snatch back my precious wish bottle, before I even touched her, Mia frowned and cried out in pain. "Ouch! That hurts! Aria, don't grab me! I'll give it back!"
I was stunned as Mia suddenly let go.
The next second, with a crash, the wish bottle smashed on the floor, shattering into pieces.
Even then, Mia continued her act. "Oh no! Aria, why didn't you catch it? How could it fall? Don't be sad. I'll buy you a new one, okay?"
I stared blankly at the shattered remains of the wish bottle. From the corner of my eye, I saw Orion immediately checking Mia's hand. "Mia, are you hurt?"
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