Youthful Bliss

Hell

"I need Diana. She hasn’t finished her chores. She can sleep at my place tonight. I’ll pay her wages.” Rachel’s voice was quick and impatient, she did not want to stay for any second. Diana grabbed this chance, using all her strength to run and clutch Rachel’s hand tightly.

Rachel and Diana walked in silence. The night was like a thick, inky blanket covering the sky, with not even a hint of starlight. The narrow road was illuminated only by a faint streetlamp, guiding Diana’s steps. Rachel, seemingly in a fit of anger, shook off Diana’s hand and quickened her pace. Diana, struggling to keep up, eventually collapsed onto the ground.

Hearing the noise, Rachel turned sharply, her eyes piercing. "Why aren't you moving?"

Diana, intimidated by Rachel’s sternness, propped herself up on her hands, trying not to fully collapse. Blood dripped from a wound on her cheek, each drop blooming like a red mandala on the ground. "I can't," she murmured, knowing what Aunt Rachel was really asking.

"What do you mean you can't? The world is vast, and your life is chosen by yourself. If you keep enduring, they'll just take more advantage of you. They may be your foster parents, but have they ever treated you well? To them, you're not even as good as a dog. Are you waiting for them to suddenly care about you? To feel sorry for you? Are you waiting to become someone like me?" Rachel’s voice cracked as she shouted, her eyes bloodshot and tears welling up, veins bulging on her neck in fury.

Diana, frightened by Rachel’s outburst, stammered through her tears, "It's not like that, Aunt Rachel. I hate them too. I want to leave, but I really can't. Please believe me."

"It's you who don't believe in yourself! You are not disabled. What do you mean you can't? Forget it, get up. This is all I can do for you, so at least I have a clear conscience," Rachel turned away, not wanting Diana to see her tears.

Diana shakily got to her feet and followed Rachel, her eyes filled with desolation. It wasn't that she didn't want to leave; she knew she could just run away, drop out of school if needed. She was physically capable and could save up for the tuition fee eventually. But Nora and Ralph were despicable. When they adopted her, they claimed they would keep her family's heirlooms safe, but they never returned them, and they used this to subtly threaten her, forbidding her from leaving. These were things she couldn't tell anyone, not even Aunt Rachel or Emily. She didn't want to burden others with her troubles.

"Help yourself to some food. The first aid kit is in the bedroom cabinet. Treat your wounds and get some rest," Rachel said, her tone softening as she saw Diana’s exhausted face.

"Thank you, Aunt Rachel. You should rest too. I'll make breakfast in the morning," Diana replied, not wanting to owe anyone. At this moment, she felt like a robot, completing the commands given to her despite being on the verge of breaking down.

Rachel sighed at the girl's stubborn resilience. "Do what you need to," she said, leaving a set of bedding before turning towards her own room.

Diana lay on the sofa, staring at the old ceiling and the creaking electric fan, slowly drifting into sleep.

---

“Dad! Mom! Come quickly, the view here is so beautiful. I want to stay here overnight, okay?” A childish voice echoed in Diana’s ears. She turned around sharply, and there was her younger self! Diana recognized the hotel immediately—it was the night before the car accident. Little Diana, being playful, had begged her parents to stay another night at the forest lodge. Despite needing to rush to her grandfather’s birthday banquet the next evening, her parents couldn’t resist her pleading and reluctantly agreed.

“No, we must leave! You have to listen to me, don’t stay here!” Diana tried to grab her younger self but couldn’t touch her. She screamed with all her might, but it was useless. Finally, she gave up, realizing she was just an observer here, unable to change anything. She watched her parents and younger self playing together, a nostalgic yet happy smile on her face, though her eyes were wet with tears.

Time flew by, and soon it was early the next morning. Her father, holding her sleeping sister in one arm and leading little Diana with the other, walked towards the car. He settled his wife and children in before driving down the mountain. Diana watched everything numbly. As expected, on the same treacherous mountain road, a truck overloaded with goods lost control and veered towards them. Despite having witnessed this scene countless times, Diana’s face turned pale, her heart pounded, and her pupils contracted sharply. "Dad, Mom, stop the car! Don’t!"

Unfortunately, the scene didn’t stop. The two vehicles collided violently, the truck crashing through the guardrail and plummeting off the cliff, while the small car was crushed beyond recognition, its occupants losing consciousness.

“Mom, Dad, wake up! Get up and take my sister and run!” Diana frantically circled the wrecked car. Little Diana was the first to wake up. She stumbled through a narrow gap in the door and ran outside. Suddenly, the car exploded, the massive flames engulfing her father, mother, and sister, as well as little Diana’s paradise. Seeing this terrifying scene, little Diana cried out in horror, screaming for her parents.

Diana knelt beside the car, uncontrollable tears streaming down her face. This nightmare, like an inferno, had tormented her for so long. Every midnight, she relived it all. It was her punishment. If it weren’t for her, her parents wouldn’t have died. Why wasn’t it her who died instead of them? Why? Why was the world so unfair? Why did the wicked always seem to thrive?

Diana bolted upright, eyes wide open, and looked around. She was still at Aunt Rachel’s house, and the clock on the wall pointed to six o’clock. She exhaled a long breath, wiped her face, got up, washed, and quickly prepared breakfast for Mia and Aunt Rachel before heading out.

At Riverview High School, the students were doing their morning exercises in an orderly manner, all cheerful and energetic. Diana stood by the window of the teachers' office, looking down with an unreadable expression, both nervous and expectant.

“Diana, are you okay? What happened to your face?” William walked in and was startled by the scar on Diana’s face. This child was too careless, just slapping on some iodine and calling it a day.

“It’s nothing,” Diana tilted her head, trying to hide from the principal’s gaze.

“Go to the school hospital later and have it properly treated. You should take care of your appearance; it’s part of being a student. Also, Diana, are you sure you want to apply for accommodation? Although special enrollment does cover this, living at home is always better than being alone outside, right?” William asked while looking over Diana’s approved application.

“Yes,” Diana replied curtly.

William Thompson glanced at Diana, thinking she was indeed a reserved child. He wondered if she could integrate into the group. “Alright, there’s one more thing. Although special enrollment students typically attend Top Class, your case is unique. Besides, James believes that class is already full, so do you prefer the Top Class or Class Two? The school will respect your decision,” William said nervously. James Anderson had recently become quite arrogant, even daring to defy school regulations. If not for his connections with the Westcott family, he would have been replaced.

Diana’s eyelashes fluttered at his words, and she looked at William Thompson. “I heard that the Top class has a full scholarship for studying abroad in Europe,” she said, making her choice clear. Despite her dislike for James Anderson, she couldn’t let it affect her decision.

“Indeed, it does. Alright, follow James to class later. Go to the school hospital first, and I’ll have James pick you up,” William hurriedly arranged everything and left.

Diana slowly walked towards the school hospital, retracing the route Ethan had taken while carrying her. It didn’t take long for her to arrive.