His Beautiful Rival

9.DESTROY HER

The pulsating beat of the music throbbed through the walls of Blaze’s house, the bass line so deep it seemed to vibrate in his chest. Laughter and shouts echoed through the rooms as teenagers danced, chatted, and enjoyed the freedom of a house without parental supervision. Blaze stood at the center of it all, a beer in hand, feeling a rare sense of liberation. This party was his escape, a brief moment to forget the pressures and expectations of his life.

As the night wore on, the party grew louder, the energy more intense. Blaze’s friends surrounded him, their faces flushed with excitement. He allowed himself to relax, to revel at the moment, to forget the weight of his father’s expectations, if only for a little while.

Suddenly, the front door burst open with a force that silenced the room instantly. Blaze turned, his heart plummeting as he saw his father standing in the doorway, his face a mask of fury. The music cut off abruptly, leaving a stunned silence in its wake.

"Blaze!" his father’s voice boomed, the anger palpable. "What the hell is going on here?"

Before Blaze could respond, his father crossed the room in a few strides and delivered a resounding slap across his face. The force of the blow sent him staggering, the sting of it leaving a burning imprint on his cheek. The room was so quiet now that Blaze could hear the rapid beating of his own heart.

The shock of the slap echoed through the crowd of teenagers, their expressions a mix of horror and pity. Blaze’s friends exchanged uneasy glances, unsure of what to do. One by one, they began to shuffle towards the door, the party atmosphere evaporating into an oppressive tension.

"You think this is acceptable?" his father continued, his voice shaking with anger. "Throwing a party in the middle of the night, disturbing the entire neighborhood? You’re an embarrassment!"

Blaze’s initial shock quickly gave way to a rising anger. He felt humiliated, his face burning not just from the slap but from the public disgrace and humiliation. "You never let me do anything!" He shouted back, his voice breaking with emotion. "You’re always on my case, always comparing me to Seraphina! I’m not perfect, okay? I can’t live up to your ridiculous standards!"

"So can't you make yourself better for yourself?"

"No, because I am tired if my shits being compared to that girl!"

The argument escalated quickly, his father’s rage matched by Blaze’s defiance. In the midst of the shouting, his father slapped him again, harder this time, sending a fresh wave of pain through him. Blaze’s vision blurred as he fought to keep his tears at bay, the sting of the slap mingling with the raw hurt of his father’s words.

His mother appeared at the top of the stairs, her face twisted in a mix of anger and disappointment. "Blaze, what were you thinking?" she yelled, her voice cutting through the air like a knife. "Do you have any idea how much trouble you’ve caused?"

Blaze felt cornered, his anger and anxiety spiraling out of control. "I just wanted one night to forget everything!" he shouted, his voice cracking. "One night to not feel like a failure!"

His father’s response was another slap, followed by a shove that sent Blaze stumbling back. "You are a failure!" his father spat. "And you’re proving it right now!"

Blaze could feel the tears welling up, the pressure of the moment overwhelming him. He tried to hold them back, tried to keep his composure, but it was a losing battle. The anger and shame boiled over, leaving him feeling raw and exposed.

The remaining teenagers quickly filed out of the house, the silence that followed their departure deafening. Blaze stood alone, his face stinging from the slaps, his heart aching from the verbal assault. His parents’ disappointment hung heavy in the air, a suffocating presence that left him feeling utterly alone.

As his father stormed out of the room and his mother followed, Blaze sank to the floor, his body shaking with suppressed sobs. He had wanted to escape, to find a moment of freedom, but instead, he was left with a deeper sense of failure and a gnawing anxiety that he couldn’t shake.

The house was silent now, the echoes of the party gone, replaced by the heavy weight of his parents’ expectations. Blaze buried his face in his hands, the tears finally spilling over as he let out a choked sob. He hated this life, this constant pressure to be perfect, to meet standards that felt impossible.

For a long time, Blaze sat there, his emotions a turbulent storm within him. The pain of his father’s slaps, the anger at his mother’s indifference, and the crushing weight of their disappointment left him feeling broken and lost. He knew he had to pick himself up, had to find a way to navigate this life, but in this moment, all he could do was cry, letting out the pain and frustration that had built up inside him for so long.

Eventually, as the tears subsided and the silence of the house enveloped him, Blaze took a deep breath. He would have to face his parents again, face the consequences of his actions. But for now, he allowed himself this moment of vulnerability, a rare chance to let his guard down and acknowledge the hurt that lay beneath the surface.

Blaze stormed up the stairs to his room, his anger and humiliation still burning hot inside him. His father’s words and the public slap still echoed in his mind, a relentless reminder of his perceived failure. He slammed his door shut behind him, the force rattling the frame.

He paced the room, his mind racing with a chaotic mix of anger, shame, and frustration. As he moved to his window, he glanced across the narrow gap between his house and the neighbor’s, his eyes landing on Seraphina’s window. His fury intensified when he saw her sitting at her desk, her head resting on her arms, clearly upset.

"Of course," he muttered bitterly to himself, his anger finding a new target. "Perfect Seraphina, always so perfect."

His anger surged, the need to confront her, to release the pent-up rage overwhelming him. He knew it wasn’t rational, but in his furious state, it didn’t matter. Driven by a need to lash out, he slipped quietly out of his room and made his way to the adjoining balcony that connected their houses.

Blaze climbed over the small divider separating their balconies, moving as quietly as he could. The night air was cool against his flushed skin, but it did nothing to calm the fire inside him. He reached Seraphina’s window and gently pushed it open, slipping inside without making a sound.

Seraphina didn’t notice his entrance, her body still slumped over her desk, lost in her own thoughts. Blaze took a moment to study her, the sight of her vulnerability only stoking his anger further. How dare she look so defeated when she was always the one who seemed to have it all together?

Unable to contain himself any longer, Blaze stepped forward, his voice a harsh whisper. "Seraphina!"

She was startled, lifting her head quickly and turning to face him, her eyes wide with surprise and confusion. "Blaze? What are you doing here?"

His anger flared at the sight of her tear-streaked face. "Why do you get to be upset?" he spat, his voice rising despite his attempts to keep it quiet. "You, with your perfect grades and perfect life. You have no idea what it’s like to be constantly compared to you, to always fall short."

Seraphina blinked, her confusion giving way to a mix of hurt and anger. "You think my life is perfect?" she retorted, her voice trembling. "You have no idea what I go through, Blaze. None."

Blaze’s hands clenched into fists at his sides. "Oh, really? Because from where I’m standing, it looks like you have everything handed to you on a silver platter."

Seraphina stood, her own anger sparking. "You don’t know anything about my life. You don’t know what it’s like to be me, to deal with the expectations and pressure I face every single day."

Their voices grew louder, the raw emotions spilling over in the confined space of Seraphina’s room. Blaze’s frustration, born from years of being overshadowed and belittled, crashed headlong into Seraphina’s own pain and anger.

"You’re not the only one who feels the pressure!" Seraphina shouted, tears welling up again. "I’m expected to be perfect, to fill a role I never asked for. And I’m tired of it, Blaze. I’m so tired."

Blaze took a step back, her words cutting through his anger like a knife. For the first time, he saw the pain in her eyes, the burden she carried. It mirrored his own, a reflection of the same expectations and pressures he struggled with.

The room fell into a heavy silence, the weight of their shared pain settling over them. Blaze shook his head and gave her a lopsided grin, tilting his head.

Leaning to her height, he glared at her, "are you tired? You? From what? From destroying my life?"

"Tell me, Seraphina. What does it take to be so perfect? Do you clean after a professor's mess to get such grades or do you give them a blow job-" his words were harshly cut off as she slapped him with her tears slipping on her cheeks.

A smile cracked from his lips as he began to laugh and pointed at her.

"I will destroy you!" He yelled over his laugh, making her drop to her knees and cry out loud.

No matter how much Seraphina tries, Blaze will never understand the things she went through.