Michelle

Breaking point

---

I was sitting on a bench in the school garden, the only place

students could go to get some fresh air and escape the noise of the

classrooms.

“Hey, Mich,” Tessa called out as she walked toward me, Sia and

Megan following close behind. “I heard your mum’s getting

married. Who’s going to be your mum now?”Sia and Megan burst

out laughing.Although I wasn’t on good terms with my mum

there was nothing funny about what Tessa said. No matter what, I

would never allow anyone to insult my family.

“Tessa, please stop,” I replied, my voice already shaking, tears

threatening to fall. But she didn’t stop. She kept going, her words

sharper with every breath, until finally, I couldn’t take it

anymore.

Before I knew it, my hand flew across her face, the sharp sound of

the slap catching even me by surprise.

By that time, other students had started gathering around us.

Tessa grabbed my hair, and I grabbed hers. We were so engrossed

in the fight, so lost in anger, that we didn’t even notice Mr. Hills

approaching.

“And what is the meaning of this?” he demanded, his voice

booming with anger as the other students quickly scattered.“You

two—my office Now.”We didn’t argue. We just started walking,

silently, side by side, knowing we were in big trouble.

As we headed to his office, I could hear the distant chattering and

laughter of students. I turned to look at Tessa. What an

unbelievable sight—her hair was scattered everywhere, and her

makeup was smeared across her face.Serves her right, I thought

with a small smile.When we finally got to the office, we sat down,

waiting nervously for Mr. Hills. He arrived after a few minutes,

his face still tight with anger. After what felt like hours of

questioning, he finally delivered our punishment:

We were to clean the female toilets and empty all the trash bins in

the school.

Relief washed over me. At least it wasn’t the janitor’s closet we

were sent to clean.

We got to the female toilets and started cleaning. I could hear

Tessa muttering under her breath, quiet threats about getting

back at me. She wasn’t even cleaning—just leaning against the

wall, watching me scrub. I didn’t want to pick another fight with

her. I just wanted to finish up and get back to class as quickly as

possible.

By break time, I was starving. I picked up a tray in the cafeteria,

scooped just enough food for myself, and headed toward my

usual spot. As I passed by one of the tables, Sia suddenly stretched

her leg out in front of me.

Before I could react, my foot caught her leg, and I went tumbling

forward. My entire tray of food spilled all over me. The sound of

trays and cutlery clattering was drowned out by a loud roar of

laughter from the other students. My face burned with shame.

“Oh my God, Mich, I’m so sorry,” Sia said in a voice dripping with

mockery. “I didn’t see you coming.”

She bent down, pretending to help, but instead grabbed a bottle of

ketchup from a nearby table.

“Here, let me help you clean up,” she sneered, then emptied the

entire bottle over me. Gasps, cheers, and cruel laughter filled the

cafeteria as she threw the empty container at me and walked

away with a triumphant smile.

I just laid there, frozen. I didn’t even know what to do. My whole

body felt numb. All I wanted in that moment was to disappear, to

melt into the floor and die. The sound of laughter and the flicker

of phone cameras snapping pictures surrounded me like a

nightmare I couldn’t wake up from.

“All of you, stop taking pictures,” a voice cut through the noise. It

was Ardee. His voice carried a quiet authority that made people

stop and look. “I want to be alone with her—and I hope you all

know what I mean,” he commanded.

Slowly, one by one, the students started leaving, their laughter

dying out. Soon, the cafeteria was empty except for the two of us.

Ardee walked over and gently helped me up, guiding me to a seat.

“Why are you so easy to provoke?” he scolded softly, though there

was worry in his eyes. “You’re lucky it wasn’t a serious fight this

time, or you would’ve been suspended.”

I couldn’t hold it in anymore. Tears spilled down my cheeks. “She

started it,” I said in a shaky, quiet voice.

“And you couldn’t ignore her?” he sighed, pulling a handkerchief

from his pocket and starting to wipe the ketchup stains from my

clothes.

“This won’t do,” he said finally, shaking his head. “Let’s get you

changed. You look like you fell into a garbage bin,” he teased

lightly, trying to make me smile as he guided me to the changing

room.

“I just want to leave this school,” I whispered, my voice breaking.

He stopped, turned, and pulled me into a hug. “We’re going to

graduate together,” he said firmly. “So don’t ever say you’re

leaving me behind.”

He pulled away gently, brushing a tear from my cheek. “I have to

go now. Get changed, and we’ll go back home, okay?” he said,

giving me a small, reassuring smile as he left.

---

When I got home, I went straight to my room and shut the door

behind me.“I’ve had the worst day,” I whispered softly to myself

as I collapsed onto my bed.

I stared up at the ceiling, wishing everything that had happened

would just fade from my memory. Then, suddenly, the light in my

room dimmed. Shadows crawled across the walls, and within

seconds, the entire room was swallowed by darkness.

My heart raced. I sat up, looking around, confusion and fear

tangling in my chest.

Then I saw her.

Standing at my door was my grandmother. My grandmother

—who had been dead for weeks .

She looked exactly as I remembered: kind eyes, gentle smile, but

there was something powerful, almost otherworldly, about her

presence now.

“It’s time, my child,” she said, her voice soft yet commanding,

echoing as though it came from everywhere at once. “This gift

that has been given to you can never be exposed to anyone. You

will only use it to help yourself when you’re in trouble and to

help others around you.”

I sat frozen, not even daring to breathe.“You must never use it

wrongly,” she continued. “If you do, it will be taken from you. And

remember,” her eyes grew serious, “do not ever use it to find out

what your lover thinks about you. Keep the necklace safe,you will

never be able to hear the thoughts of the person who truly loves

you—until you find a way to remove the barrier placed by the

deities.”

With that, she began to fade, her form dissolving into the shadows

until the room was empty again.The lights flickered back on.

I sat there on my bed, completely dumbfounded, my heart still

pounding.

“Did I just hallucinate,” I whispered, “or… was that real?”

---

I jumped up from my bed and ran downstairs, my heart still

pounding in my chest.At the bottom of the stairs, I nearly collided

with Mrs. Nancy, my nanny She looked at me with wide eyes,

startled by how fast I was moving.

What’s wrong with her? She looks like she just had a nightmare, I

heard her think—only she hadn’t spoken.

I froze.

“Wait… did I just read her thoughts?” I whispered to myself, my

eyes widening.

“Are you okay, my child?” Mrs. Nancy asked aloud, concern

softening her expression.

I forced a small smile, trying to calm my racing thoughts. “Yes, I

am,” I replied quickly before darting back upstairs to my room.

Once inside, I rushed straight to my drawer and pulled out the old

necklace my grandmother had given me before she died. I held it

in my trembling hands.

For a brief moment, it began to shine—soft, golden light pulsing

from its center—then, just as suddenly, it went dim.

“This is real,” I thought, my chest tightening as I sank to the floor.

My mind was spinning, confusion and fear tangled together

---

I undressed and laid down on my bed, hoping to get some rest. My

mind was still spinning with everything that had happened

earlier today—the fight, the humiliation, my grandmother’s

sudden appearance, and now this strange, terrifying gift

Eventually, exhaustion pulled me under, and I drifted off to sleep.

When I woke up, the room was dim, the soft evening light slipping

in through the curtains. My heart jumped when I saw someone

sitting in the chair by my desk.

It was Dad.

“You’re awake,” he said, his voice carrying that mix of anger and

calm that always made me nervous.

“Yes, Dad,” I replied softly, sitting up.“I got a call from your

school,” he said, crossing his legs, eyes fixed on me. “You were

involved in a fight.”“Ye—yes, Dad,” I stammered.

“Why?” he asked abruptly.

“She… she got on my nerves,” I admitted, my voice shaking. “She

talked about Mum.”

Tears slipped down my cheeks before I could stop them.

Dad’s expression softened. He let out a heavy sigh, then stood and

walked toward my bed.

“You shouldn’t have listened to her,” he said quietly. “You know

how much she hates you—and how far she’d go just to see you

hurt.”

He sat beside me, placed a hand on my shoulder, and pulled me

into a warm, protective hug.

“Don’t let them get to you,” he murmured.

And for the first time that day, I finally felt safe.

---

She would have to change schools.

“You want me to change schools?” I blurted out before I could stop

myself.

His jaw dropped open. “Wait… did you just read my thought?”

I nodded slowly, disbelief still crawling across my skin.

“Wow,” he said, blinking. “I thought it was going to wait until your

eighteenth birthday.”

I stared at him, confused. “What do you mean?”

He leaned forward, his voice lowering like the walls might be

listening. “Your grandmother’s gift… it’s begun manifesting.”I

shifted closer to him, my heart pounding.

“Listen to what I’m about to tell you,” he said.I nodded.

“Your grandmother was gifted with the ability to hear people’s

thoughts. At first, she used it to help others. She saved

relationships, solved problems, kept secrets safe. But one day, she

tried to read the thoughts of the man she thought she loved. Little

did she know… he didn’t love her back.

“She begged the deity to take the gift from her. It had become too

heavy, too painful. But the deity refused. Instead, a barrier was

placed — a cruel twist. After that, she couldn’t read the thoughts

of the person who truly loved her.

“She could only read the thoughts of the person she liked, but

never the one who liked her back.”

He sighed, his eyes softening.

“Your mother didn’t inherit it. You’re lucky — or unlucky,

depending on how you see it — to have it. But the gift can be

taken away from you if you try to read your lover’s true

thoughts.”

I sat there, trying to piece it all together, confusion tangling in my

chest.

“So… you mean if I’m in love with someone, and that person is in

love with me, I can’t read his thoughts?” I asked.

“Yes, dear,” he said gently.

I frowned.

“It’s dangerous to hear your lover’s thoughts,” he added, a small

smile tugging at his lips.

“But, Dad,” I said after a pause, “how do you know all of this?”

He chuckled quietly. “Your mum told me when we got married. It

was one of the sweetest stories I’d ever heard.”

I smiled despite myself.

“But baby,” he said, leaning forward again, his tone serious now,

“if you’re involved in another fight, I might have to move you to

another school.”

I burst out laughing, the tension breaking for the first time all day.

“Why are you laughing?” he asked, surprised.

“Dad,” I said, grinning, “have you forgotten I can read your

thoughts now? You were planning on grounding me, not

transferring me.”

He chuckled, shaking his head.

I leaned over and hugged him tightly. “I love you so much, Dad,” I

whispered.

“I love you more, baby,” he replied, patting my back gently.

“Have you eaten?” he asked as I pulled back.

“Not yet,” I admitted.

“Then let’s go out and eat,” he said, standing.

I hopped up and rushed to my wardrobe, pulling out a clean

outfit. “Daddy — privacy, please. A girl’s gotta get her privacy,” I

said with a teasing smile.

“Yes, your privacy,” he said, smiling as he walked toward the door.

“Don’t forget, I bathed you until you were twelve.”

“That was then,” I said, laughing. “I’m all grown up now.”

He shook his head fondly and stepped out as I got dressed, a

strange new calm settling over me.

For the first time, the gift didn’t feel like a curse. It felt like a door

— one only I could decide to open.