WHERE IS ISH ANN GRAY

CHAPTER 10.

DISCLAIMER

This story is a work of fiction and contains themes of psychological thrillers, obsession, and intense emotional conflicts and self harm . The content may include scenes and topics that some readers may find disturbing, including but not limited to manipulation, mental struggles, and dark relationships. The narrative explores complex human emotions, including love, obsession, and the blurred lines between fantasy and reality. Reader discretion is advised. All characters, events, and situations are entirely fictional and not based on real-life people or events.

WARNING R-18

This story contains mature and intense themes that may not be suitable for all readers. It explores psychological trauma, obsession, manipulation, and emotional turmoil. There are scenes of emotional and physical conflict, as well as complex relationships that may be disturbing or triggering for some individuals. Reader discretion is strongly advised. If you are sensitive to themes of mental distress, unhealthy relationships, and dark emotional experiences, please approach this story with caution.

Are they sincerely missing me?

Do they really want me back home?

Finally, I should be celebrating, because finally for how long , they showed concern But no...

Instead, I feel this pain creeping in.

I want to cry.

Because deep inside, my inner child is still hurting. It’s like all the struggles I’ve gone through everything I had to endure just to move on, just to leave them behind and reach this point of success it’s all flashing back.

And it’s not healing. It’s just haunting me.

My heart clenched painfully. The sight of my parents suffering just now that she is already gone why didn't they show concern when i was on my knees was almost too much to bear, even tho we're not really in good terms for a very Long time but seeing them worrying about me is a different story

I hadn't been the best daughter i knew that-but seeing them like this tore me apart.

Then, the screen shifted to a new image. A man stood in front of a cluster of reporters, trying to get through them, his way blocked by a sea of microphones and flashing cameras. For a moment, I didn’t recognize him. But then it hit me.

The familiar figure. He’s like a walking contradiction, and that’s what makes him so fascinating.

He’s got this boyish charm, this kind of sweet innocence that makes you want to protect him. But then there’s this smoldering intensity in his eyes, this hidden fire that makes you want to explore him.

His hair, a little messy, a little wild, like he just stepped out of a dream. It frames his face perfectly, highlighting those piercing dark brown eyes that seem to hold a universe of secrets. He’s got this kind of shy smile, a little hesitant at first, but when it breaks out, it’s like the sun coming out from behind the clouds. And his clothes they’re not designer labels, but they fit him so well, like they were made just for him.

He’s got this effortless cool, this kind of quiet confidence that makes you want to get to know him better. He’s not just a pretty face; he’s got this depth, this intelligence that shines through in his eyes.

He’s the kind of guy you could talk to for hours, and you’d never get bored. He’s the kind of guy you dream about, the kind of guy you fall in love with. He is Zapper Deo, and he’s everything I’ve ever wanted. And the thing I sacrifice in order to have the life I want for me... it’s like I need to lose him to have everything, and now it’s gone. All gone. Including him.

My heart stopped. I leaned closer, my eyes fixed on the screen, as if by sheer will I could pull myself into the scene unfolding. Zapper looked different, more polished, more put together than I remembered. His hair was perfectly styled, his suit tailored to fit his athletic frame. He had always been handsome, but now he looked... unattainable.

"Zapper, is it true that you and Ish Ann were a thing before?" a reporter shouted, pushing a microphone into his face.

"Yeah, actually," Zapper replied, a faint smile playing at the corners of his lips. "She is my ex-fiancée, but you know, things change. I was taken aback about what just happened."

I felt like the ground had been pulled out from under me. The room spun, my vision blurred. Ex-fiancée? The words echoed in my mind, stabbing me like a knife. We had been engaged, yes, but we had broken up. And I had been the one to walk away.

"What can you say about the disappearance of Ms. Gray?" another reporter asked.

"I was really shocked," Zapper said, his expression sobering. "I found out late. I was in Toronto for my engagement with my fiancée last week, and..."

The rest of his sentence was lost to me. My mind latched onto one word. Engagement. Zapper Deo was engaged again?? What about me now? He’s getting married?? And not to me anymore, but to someone else already, sa iba na. Some other girl will wear the ring I had once worn before, he'll promise the other woman the promises he once made to me.

My chest tightened, the pain blooming like a wound that refused to heal. It was too much. The betrayal cut deeper than any blade.

Not because he had left me because he hadn’t. I was the one who had left, making my own name and reputation and the life I wanted for myself. And now, as I sat alone in this cold, unfamiliar place, I realized just how empty I had been, even after getting the life that I wanted for myself, if the guy I wanted to be with in that life is not mine anymore.

The moment I crossed the threshold of my room, the dam broke. I collapsed onto the bed, burying my face in the pillow as sobs wracked my body. I cried harder than I had ever cried before, letting out all the pain, all the anger, all the heartbreak.

I thought about our past, the days when we were inseparable. The late-night conversations, the promises whispered in the dark, the dreams we built together. Lahat ng iyon, wala na. Gone, shattered like glass. I had chosen to walk away, convinced that there was something better, something more. But what I hadn’t realized was that I already had everything I needed.

"I'm sorry, Zap?" I cried into the pillow, my voice muffled and hoarse. "I'm sorry."

I was repeating the words like a prayer, wishing the man could hear it.

There was no answer, only the echo of her cries filling the empty room. Her mind replayed the memories like a cruel, taunting film.

their plans for a future, the laughter they shared. Ang mga pangako na hindi na matutupad. The life that I set aside for my dreams , am I being too ambitious to forget it hurts in the process I'm so focused on success that I didn't know the whole times the pain is just there waiting to be unravel and highlighted it's there

As the hours passed, her sobs quieted, replaced by a numbness that spread through her body. Her tears ran dry, but the pain remained, a dull ache in her chest. She felt empty, drained of all emotion, as if she had cried out everything she had left.

She lay there, staring at the ceiling, her mind replaying the news clip over and over. Zapper's face, his voice, his words. They cut her deeper than any physical wound. She didn't know how long she lay there, lost in her thoughts. Time seemed to blur, and reality felt like a distant concept.

At some point, she became aware of the music. It was soft, almost imperceptible, like a memory surfacing from the depths of her mind. Taylor Swift's "Midnight Rain by Taylor swift " played softly, the lyrics haunting and all too fitting. The words wrapped around her, echoing the regret and sorrow she felt.

That's right

He wanted a wife I was making my dream life

He wants to settle down while I still want to explore

I broke his heart by choosing my dream over him.

He broke my heartt when too but why does it sound like it's all my fault now

Now all I could do is break down

It was a relief that the mask guy was nowhere to be found. Wala siya sa bahay. She could cry without holding back, without fear of being seen or judged. Her captor was probably out, doing whatever it was he did. She didn't care. She was grateful for the solitude, for the chance to break down without witnesses.

But the silence was suffocating. It pressed down on her, making her feel even more isolated. Her mind drifted back to Zapper, to the life they could have had. Would he have saved her if he knew she was in danger? Would he have come for her? Or had she lost that chance when she walked away?

She closed her eyes, the music lulling her into a state of calm. She could almost pretend she was back in her old life, that everything was okay. But reality was a cruel master, and the moment she opened her eyes, she was back in the prison of her own making.

The rest of the day passed in a blur of despair and self-loathing. Ish Ann wandered aimlessly around the mansion, her thoughts tangled in a web of memories and regrets. She found herself back in the living room, staring blankly at the television, though it had long since been turned off. Her eyes were red and swollen from crying, her body drained of energy. She hadn't eaten or drunk anything all day; the thought of food made her stomach churn.

The news of Zapper's engagement replayed in her mind like a broken record, each repetition driving the knife deeper into her heart.

How could he move on so easily? she wondered. The thought of him with another woman, holding her the way he used to hold Ish Ann, whispering sweet words in her ear, was unbearable.

Her fingers traced the edge of the remote, her nails biting into the plastic as she thought about all the things she had lost. A loving fiancé, a supportive family, friends who cared about her-everything had been within her grasp, and she had thrown it all away.

Maybe... maybe it would be better if I just disappeared completely, yshe thought, her heart heavy with the weight of her emotions. (If I were gone, they wouldn't have to worry about me. They could move on, be happy.)

The thought was like a spark, igniting a fire in her chest that spread through her veins. She stood up abruptly, her vision blurring as she made her way to the bathroom. The spacious, marble-clad room was cold and sterile, a sharp contrast to the turmoil inside her.

Ish Ann stared at her reflection in the mirror, barely recognizing the girl looking back at her. Her once vibrant eyes were dull, her skin pale and sickly. She looked like a ghost, a shadow of her former self. Her fingers trembled as she reached for the medicine cabinet, pulling it open to reveal an array of pills and bottles. Her eyes fell on a small pair of scissors, the metal glinting under the harsh fluorescent light.

"What would it be like? If I'm dead maybe it will stop hurting this much. " she wondered as she picked them up, turning them over in her hands. She didn't care. She just wanted the pain to stop but as she cut her wrist she start to feel pain blood is gushing out from the fresh cut and she start feeling it , but the thought of her emotional pain lingers "Mas ma isasakit paba sa nararamdaman ko Ngayon"

Slowly, almost mechanically, Ish Ann filled the bathtub with warm water.

The sound of the water running was soothing, almost hypnotic, and for a moment, she felt a strange sense of peace. She slipped into the tub, the water enveloping her like a comforting embrace. She leaned back, the cool edge of the tub pressing against her neck, and raised the scissors to her wrist. And start non stop bleeding that mix in the water

-

A memory surfaced unbidden, a moment from a time when she and Zapper were happy.

"Ish, you're my everything," he had whispered, pulling her close. "I can't imagine my life without you."

She laughed, brushing off his words with a teasing smile. "no woman after me then , promised that ."

But he had been serious, his eyes searching hers. "no one can replace you my love Ikaw lang in this lifetime and the next ."

Laugh bitterly at the thought of that memory

"Akala ko ba walang ipapalit "

Tulad ng sinabi mo sa akin noon? Where was that again? Ohh it's gone I never dated anyone's else aside from my job, my passion and my career just like what I said I've been inlove with you while catching my dreams hoping after everything I will be back in your arms and make it up to you all over again, the thing that's keeping me here my only motivation is too get out in this place to make things right with you,

The memory faded, replaced by the reality of the cold bathroom and the weight of the scissors in her hand. A sob tore from her throat, her chest heaving with the effort to breathe. She pressed the blade to her skin, the sharp edge biting into her flesh. A thin line of red appeared, the pain sharp but fleeting. She pressed harder, dragging the blade down her wrist, watching as the blood flowed into the water, turning it a sickening shade of pink.

It will be over soon, she thought, her vision blurring as the blood flowed faster.

Maybe in another life I can fulfill those promises with him and undo the things I've chosen over him would that make things better