When Valerie woke up the next morning, she felt her entire body aching. The mories of the past days and yesterday’s events flashed through her mind. She sat on her bed, ran a hand on her face, and sighed. It appeared as though a truck had struck her. Every muscle in her body scread in protest as she tried to move. She couldn’t help but wonder how she had felt this way and what exactly had happened the day before.
"Take it easy, Val," she heard Adrienne say from the other bed. "Are you in pain? Should I call a doctor for you?"
Valerie shook her head and faced Adrienne. There were many things she wanted to tell Adrienne about how she was feeling, but the words seed to get caught in her throat.
She mustered a weak smile and replied, "I’ll be alright, just a little sore. I just need so rest and ti to gather my thoughts."
Adrienne nodded and looked thoughtful.
"It must have been hard for you to see Airi die like that."
Valerie unconsciously clenched her fists on her lap. She wanted to talk with Airi and make so sense to her, but it was too late as Airi was trapped inside the burning car last night. Regardless of what Airi did, Val considered her her younger sister.
Tears spilled from her eyes uncontrollably as she wondered if things would have changed had she tried harder to reach out to Airi before it was too late. She couldn’t help but bla herself for not being there when Airi needed her the most.
The guilt weighed heavily on Valerie’s heart, and she couldn’t shake off the feeling of regret. She wished she could turn back ti and change the course of events, but now all she could do was mourn the loss of her sister and carry the burden of what-ifs.
"Did I push Airi to beco like that, Addie? Should I have left her be and pretended I didn’t know what she was up to?" Valerie’s voice trembled as she confided in Adrienne. She couldn’t help but question her own actions and wonder if she had unknowingly contributed to Airi’s struggles.
"Why do you do this to yourself, Val? Airi was perfectly aware that what she was doing wasn’t right. If she truly sees you as her sister, she wouldn’t have done what she did to you and your family." Adrienne replied.
She wasn’t sure if her intervention to save Valerie’s life had caused a massive ripple that was beyond irreparable. Adrienne only wanted Valerie to live for herself and not for others. She couldn’t help but question if her actions had inadvertently worsened Valerie’s struggles.
"Is there news of her?" Valerie asked her.
"I heard Nathan choose to cremate her remains. Your family decided not to hold a funeral for her." Adrienne answered.
Airi’s body was severely burned and beyond recognition. Adrienne couldn’t bear to share the grueso details with Valerie, who was already burdened with grief.
Valerie’s face fell, her eyes welling up with tears. The news hit her hard, and she realized there would be no closure or opportunity to say a final goodbye. Adrienne could see the pain in Valerie’s expression and wished she had a different answer to give her friend.
"I’m sorry, Val. I’m partly responsible for this problem."
Valerie shook her head. "No, Addie. It’s not your fault. I wouldn’t know Airi’s true nature if it weren’t for you. I wondered if Airi wouldn’t turn out the way she was if I paid her more attention."
"Val, you can’t bla yourself for soone else’s actions. Airi’s behavior is not your fault. People change, and sotis we can’t predict or control it. Even those close to us can surprise us with their true nature." Adrienne assured her before suggesting, "Do you want to hold a funeral for Airi?"
Valerie fell silent montarily but decided to proceed with Nathan’s plan. Perhaps it would be better to keep everything under control. If people knew Airi was the person behind her abduction and wanted to sell her to a human trafficking ring, it would affect the reputation of their family.
"No, but I think she would like to rest beside her mother." She answered.
Adrienne nodded in understanding and gave Valerie a reassuring smile. "I’ll help you make the arrangents."
Valerie felt a sense of relief wash over her. She knew she couldn’t keep carrying the weight of Airi’s actions alone. Having Adrienne by her side made her feel less alone.
As they sat together, planning Airi’s final resting place, Valerie couldn’t help but think about how much she had lost in such a short ti. Her sister, her sense of security, her trust in people--it was all gone. But as she looked at Adrienne, she realized she had also gained a true friend who would be there for her, no matter what.
"I haven’t thanked you and your brother for rescuing , Addie. I really thought I’d die there. "
"It’s not just who worked hard to track you, Val. If it weren’t for Kat’s help, I wouldn’t have known you were being kept there. And we’re friends, rember? I expect you to do the sa if I were in your shoes."
Valerie took a deep breath, wiped away her tears, and smiled at Adrienne.
"Of course. I did chase away those who tried to bully you, didn’t I? But thank you, Addie. For everything."
Adrienne smiled back at Valerie. "That’s what friends are for. And don’t worry, Val. We’ll get through this together."
Valerie nodded, feeling grateful for the support of her friend. As she leaned back against the pillows, her mind drifted to the past few days’ events. It was like sothing out of a nightmare.
She closed her eyes, trying to push the mories away. But no matter how hard she tried, the images of Airi’s face flashed through her mind. And with those images ca the guilt and regret.
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