I Stopped Being A Coward, I Rule Now

Chapter 5

The entrance opened, and a wave of cold, damp air rushed toward me.

The smell of disinfectant filled the air. Dim red lights flickered overhead. Fake bodies, covered in white sheets, floated eerily on the surface of the water.

Then, at the corner ahead, Mila suddenly burst out from beneath the water.

My foot slipped. I fell straight into the pool, my forehead slamming against the edge.

The lights snapped on. The entire room erupted with laughter.

"Tessa, are you serious? That was only the first turn!"

My knee was scraped raw, and a painful bump was already forming on my forehead.

I grabbed the edge of the pool and pulled myself out. Then I turned around and walked straight toward the exit.

Sebastian followed me outside.

"Are you mad? Mila was only trying to help. She thought this would be good practice for you."

I pressed a hand against the swelling on my forehead and shook my head.

"I'm not mad. Why would I be? I don't really have the right to be mad, do I?"

He reached out and gently messed up my hair, smiling as if he were comforting a child.

"That's my good girl, Tessa."

After everyone left, Sebastian said he would drive Mila home.

"She lives on the east side. That area's kind of out of the way, and it's not safe for her to go back alone. You can just call a ride home."

I looked him straight in the eyes.

"When Mila's afraid of the dark, you go with her. When she doesn't want to be alone, you go with her. But when it comes to her facing her fears, suddenly you don't think she needs to learn how?"

He opened his mouth like he was about to say something, but in the end, nothing came out.

And suddenly, I realized it didn't matter what his answer was anymore.

"Forget it. Go take her home."

*****

When I got back, my mother was curled up on the couch, eating chips and scrolling through short videos.

"Did Sebastian bring you home?"

"No. He took Mila back."

My mother tossed the empty chip bag into the trash.

Then she looked at me with disappointment.

"Look at yourself. Do you even have any self-respect? Sebastian comes from a good family. He has a great career, he's handsome, and he has everything going for him. Standing next to Mila, they actually look like a perfect match. A man like him choosing you should be something you're grateful for. And instead, you're acting like you're too good for him."

I looked at my mother.

"Mom, you're right. Mila is a better match for Sebastian. And she's probably a better daughter for you too."

My mother shot up from the couch.

"So now you're talking back? You really think you're somebody now? You're exactly like your pathetic father. The two of you will never amount to anything. You'll never be as good as Mila!"

I closed the door.

She kept yelling outside my room for hours.

I put on my headphones and started throwing things into my suitcase.

The next morning, I went out to buy everything I would need for Africa: snake repellent, mosquito repellent, a first-aid kit, plus a pile of Band-Aids and iodine.

When I came home, the front door was slightly open.

Voices and laughter drifted out from inside.

The first voice I heard was Mila's.

"No, hear me out, we should do the engagement party by the ocean. We can add some romantic moment where you jump into the sea. What do you guys think?"