Chapter 12: The Distance Between Blood and Love
324 Words
“Sometimes, the real orphaning doesn’t happen when a parent dies. It happens when the story you were raised on turns out to be fiction.”
– Katienne
Scene 1: Day After Silence
Katienne didn’t speak to anyone for two days.
He barely ate. Didn’t answer texts. Left class halfway through.
Liora knocked. Waited. Left.
Yuna didn’t even knock.
Scene 2: Cherry’s Proposal
Then, on the third day -
Cherry appeared.
Tight ponytail. Fierce eyes. Holding her phone like a weapon.
“I know everything,” she said before he could speak.
“Of course you do.”
“And I have a way to fix it.”
“Let me guess: more fake dating?”
“Yes.”
“I’m not doing this again, Cherry.”
“You have to.”
She dropped her phone on his lap.
The screen showed a trending post:
#CelestineScandal
“Sources say the late Dr. Ellian Vale raised a secret child with links to the Celestine family. Cover-up or corruption?”
“They found out,” Cherry whispered. “It’s out. You’re out.”
Scene 3: The Lie That Could Save Him
“You let me say we were together,” Cherry said, “just for one day. We make it look like the media got it wrong - you were dating me, not tied to their family. You weren’t hidden. You were just mine.”
“You want me to pretend again?”
“Just for one interview. Just to kill the fire.”
Katienne looked away.
“That lie would kill the truth.”
“The truth already burned down everything you had.”
Scene 4: Liora’s Distance
Meanwhile, Liora stood outside his dorm again - letter in hand, hair curled for no reason, heart trembling.
She didn’t knock this time.
She just whispered to the door:
“If you’re not ready to fight for us…
Then I’ll stop fighting too.”
And walked away.
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