I slumped on the couch after physio, still in my black sports bra—damp and clinging to my full chest—and loose gray sweatpants pooling at my limp ankles.
My body ached from the useless session; no progress, legs still dead weight. I don’t know what will happen to my legs—they aren’t working at all. Mia did say sothing on the lines of being patient and hopeful, but I am scared.
I grabbed the remote, flicked on the TV, and curled into a half-sleeping sprawl, bare feet tucked under soft cushions, pink-polished toes idle, my sweaty raven ponytail falling loose.
The screen showed a business interview—my cheap dad Viktor, my cheap mom Elena, and my cheap stepbrother Alexei standing together in sharp suits, smirking with fake unity. They were all bad people who hated —I hated them right back, those liars and poisoners. I hate them too much!
Viktor leaned into the mic, silver hair gleaming under the lights. "We’re happy to see our new pet clothing section blooming strong. It’ll take ti, but people know our brand and trust what it delivers—real quality every ti."
The reporter pushed back, notepad in hand. "Your daughter’s Helly Paws brand took off in just months. Are you competing directly now? Her partner Hellen just launched a tech company—it seems aid right at you."
What? Hellen started a tech company? Against them? I bolted upright, erald eyes wide with shock, one sports bra strap slipping down my shoulder. Why did she do that? Was it for ?
Viktor waved it off with a smug chuckle. "Nothing personal against Hellen—her company was in ruins until Helly Paws propped it up using our designs. As for my daughter, she stole our ideas outright to fake her success. Pure theft."
"My designs! Those are mine! You stole them!"
I glared at the TV, fists clenched tight, pink nails digging into my palms. Those were my original sketches, you thief!
The reporter shifted gears. "What do you say about your daughter’s oga gender reveal? Did you ever suspect she was hiding it?"
Elena tilted her perfect porcelain face, orange hair flawless. "She’s always been volatile—stalked that famous actress Lily obsessively for years. We had no idea about the oga side; she was so introverted as a kid, always secretive and odd."
Why did OG Emily have to get such parents? Why do they hate her... so much?
"Her mind just doesn’t work right," Viktor added, his voice dripping fake concern under the studio lights. "Frankly, she needs a ntal hospital—so real treatnt for her own good."
"I’m not mad! You all are!" I shouted at the TV, voice cracking raw with fury, fists pounding the couch cushions once.
Tears welled up hot in my erald eyes, throat burning with pure anger and betrayal. But I refused to cry for them—not one drop. I blinked hard, swiped the tears away roughly with my wrist—monsters, all of them. I slamd the remote’s power button, the screen snapping black, silence flooding the room.
Reyes strode in then, her gray eyes sharp under the cap, fra filling the doorway as she caught my red-rimd eyes and shaky breaths. "Emily? What happened? Talk to ."
Her jaw tightened, gray eyes flashing protective fire. "Bastards—twisting your past like that. You’re not broken, oga or not. We’ll shut them down." She pulled into a firm hug, cap brushing my raven hair, her steady warmth cutting the rage cold.
I wiped my face quick with my damp sleeve, black sports bra clinging sticky to my full chest, legs limp and heavy under the loose gray sweats.
"My so-called family... on TV, with Alexei smirking beside them. Bragging about their stupid pet clothes line, claiming I stole their designs for Helly Paws. Said Hellen’s starting a tech company to fight them—did she?"
Reyes knelt quick by the couch, her strong hand gentle on my knee, gray eyes soft under her cap. "Yeah, it’s true—a small startup for pet trackers, nothing huge yet. Maybe she’ll expand to chips, phones, smart collars... whatever shakes things up."
Sniffling hard, I pushed on, voice wobbling unsteady, words tumbling through hiccups. "Th-they c-called v-volatile, s-said I-I stalked Lily obsessively... that I hid my o-oga side ’cause I’m i-introverted, secretive, o-odd. V-Viktor said my m-mind’s broken, n-needs a ntal hospital—real treatnt."
Fresh tears brimd hot in my erald eyes, throat tight as a vice, but Reyes squeezed my knee firr, thumb tracing soothing circles. "Hey, breathe, Emily. They’re liars spitting poison—your mind’s sharp as ever. Oga or not, you’re tougher than their crap."
She shifted closer, arm wrapping my shoulders steady, her cap tilting as she held through the sobs.
"Am I-I a c-cry-baby...?" I hiccuped out, erald eyes searching Reyes’ gray ones desperate, fresh tears spilling hot down my flushed cheeks, damp sports bra rising-falling with shaky sobs.
"No, Emily—not even close," she said firm, cupping my face gentle in her callused palms, thumbs wiping tears soft, her cap shadowing us close.
"...Really?" I whispered doubtful, sniffling hard, limp hands twisting the gray sweat hem nervous.
"Of course," Reyes murmured warm, pulling tighter into her chest, heartbeat steady under my ear. "You’re hurt, betrayed—normal to feel it. Crying doesn’t make you weak; bottling it does. I’ve got you."
"Thank y-you..."
"Emily, you have to be strong."
"Should... I-I t-talk... to H-Hellen?" I stamred through fresh hiccups, erald eyes wide with worry, clinging to Reyes’ steady arm as sobs rattled my damp sports bra. "I-I d-don’t w-want her to... g-get h-hurt... by them. Th-they’re vicious, Reyes—vipers." What if they do sothing to Hellen? I don’t want her to be hurt because of .
"I know, but she will fine. Look, ignore all these things. Just focus on getting better."
"What... if t-they s-sue... h-her company... into the g-ground, or worse? Alexei’s probably plotting already, that smug stepbrother creep."
"They can’t sue her just like that. Besides, she can handle them if it’s concerned to you—we all will."
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