SELENA BLACKWOOD

Selena's pov ☘️ I woke up early as usual like every normal day. Got ready for class and was headed downstairs for breakfast with my family when I noticed it. It was eerily quiet and it was unusual especially on a work day. Usually the entire house would be bustling with activities for both the maids and the drivers with my parents trying to get to the office on time for the morning meeting. But this was quiet. Too quiet. The maids looked like they were all walking on eggshells as if even making the tiniest sound would instantly kill them. And then I heard it. The soft whimper coming for dad's study and then it clicked and I knew instantly something was wrong. Terribly wrong. I tried asking the maids what was going on,but they all shrugged saying they didn't know. I decided to talk to my parents directly when I heard a voice I had never heard in my entire life. Low, commanding and intimidating and at the same time lazy (as if he didn't even need to stress over making anyone tremble). The study door was a bit open and so I decided to evesdrop. I know it's bad but I really couldn't help it. I've know my parents all my life and never have I seen anyone able to make them submit in fear like he did. I couldn't see his face but I could hear every word clearly and each one cut like a knife to my skin. The more I listened the more scared and angry I became. I had almost barged in when I heard the words that shattered my whole world completely I stumbled and backed away for the door. That's when my brother Josh found me and the way he looked at me told me everything I needed to know. He knew. They all knew. I was the only one that wasn't aware of what was going on. I immediately felt weak all over and would have fallen if it wasn't for Josh's arm around me trying to stabilize me. Every other thing happened in a blur, Josh leading me to the dining hall,me stuffing food into my mouth,heck I didn't even know how I got to school but somehow I did. "Miss Selena Blackwood" Mr Rowan's calm but cold voice echoed in the already quite class,can you please explain the concept of ergonomic in jewelry design for us? Startled,I froze then blinked before it finally registered that I was asked a question. The room was too quiet. 32 sets of eyes on me. And my hands were still shaking from what I heard in the hallway. I swallowed. My throat felt like glass. "...Ergonomics... in jewelry design... is designing for comfort." My voice came out small. Too small. I cleared it. "It's about... weight distribution. Fit. Making sure a piece doesn't hurt the person wearing it. Because if it does, then it doesn't matter how beautiful it is." A pause. Aiden Jiahao Blake. Popularly known as AJ. I could feel his stare from the back of the room. He hadn’t let go of me in the dining hall. Not since I called him that I wasn't feeling good. Mr. Rowan tilted his head, studying me_ "And? he asked again" "And... jewelry should be made for real bodies. Not for display cases." Silence. Then he nodded. Once. "Thank you, Miss Blackwood. And so the class continued like that. AJ had been trying everything possible to get me to talk to him, about what was wrong but I just gave a slight nod. I headed toward Zara, who was sitting at the back close to the window. She hadn't noticed me yet because she was on a call. I couldn't quite hear what was being said, but I clearly heard her say, "I would do everything possible to keep her here until that day, ma'am." I pretended not to have heard anything and just cheerfully nudged her shoulder. "Hey Zara, who are you talking to?" The moment she saw me, she instantly ended the call and put on an innocent smile. "Oh, no one important. Just a random spam call," she replied. Lies. All lies. And I was getting tired of hearing them lie to me over and over again. Keeping a calm face, I playfully told her, "Be careful and avoid getting scammed," to which we both laughed, as it wasn't the first time it had happened. Zara turned back to her phone, already scrolling. Like nothing happened. Like she hadn't just lied to my face. I sat down next to her. The chair felt too loud. My hands were in my lap, twisting the hem of my sleeve. The same way I did when I was 8 and lied about breaking mom's vase. "So... what did the 'spam call' want?" I asked. My voice was too light. Too fake. Zara didn't look up. "Just trying to sell me something. You know how it is." We laughed. I We were still laughing when I looked up. Josh was leaning against the doorframe at the back of the class. Arms crossed. Not saying anything. He wasn't looking at Zara. He was looking at _me_. Zara followed my gaze and immediately straightened up. "Oh, hey Josh," she said. "Zara," he said. His voice was flat. "Can I talk to Selena? Alone." Zara's mouth tightened. "Um... sure." The second she walked away, Josh sat in her seat. He didn't touch me. He didn't ask if I was okay. He just sat there, quiet, until the noise in my head got a little less loud. Then, very quietly, he said, "You heard." It wasn't a question. My eyes were glistening with tears. I looked up and met his gaze. And for a second, I thought I might actually fall apart right there. But Josh just exhaled and stood up. "Come on," Josh said. "I'll walk you to your next class." I nodded. We didn't talk in the hallway. I just kept my eyes on the floor, counting the tiles so I wouldn't have to think. Halfway there, I stopped. "Um... can I go use the restroom?" My voice came out small. Too small. Josh glanced at me. Really looked at me. His jaw ticked, but he nodded. "Yeah. Take your time." I slipped inside and locked the door. And that was it. The second the lock clicked, everything hit me at once. _I would do everything possible to keep her here until that day, ma'am._ Zara's fake laugh. Josh's eyes in class. My knees gave out. I slid down the bathroom stall and pressed my hands over my mouth so no one could hear me. But I couldn't hold it in. A sob tore out of me. Then another. And suddenly my whole life started replaying. Every weird conversation that ended too fast. Every time Mom said "not yet, Selena." Every time Zara changed the subject. Every lie. All of it. I was a stranger in my own family. And they were all keeping something from me. _Until that day._ I don't know how long I sat there on the cold tile. I only knew that by the time I stood up, I wasn't the same Selena who walked in.