you feel like HOME

CHAPTER 5

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Choi Laila's POV

I stepped into the shower, and the water hit me like a wave of heat, scorching my skin. It was so blazing hot that it made my skin flush a deep red, the heat almost unbearable, but somehow I didn't care. The steam enveloped me, the air thick with warmth as it wrapped around my body, making my muscles relax while the sharp sting of the water seemed to burn away the fatigue. I stood there, letting the intense heat flood over me, ignoring the discomfort as the water coursed over my body, making every inch of my skin tingle.

I slung my bag over my shoulder, the familiar weight of it doing little to ease the tension coiling in my chest. As I descended the stairs, an eerie silence greeted me. It wasn't the usual quiet of an empty house, but something heavier—something that felt wrong. The kind of silence that made the air feel thick, as if it were holding its breath, waiting for something.

I was still reeling from what my father had told me earlier. His words echoed in my mind, jagged and cold, and no matter how hard I tried to push them away, they clung to me, making my heart race.

Third person pov:

The girl descended the stairs, unease visible on her face, each step feeling heavier than the last. Her eyes darted around the empty hallway, searching for any sign of movement. When she found none, a breath of relief escaped her lips. Perhaps they were out or still asleep, she thought.

Seizing the opportunity, she moved quickly, her heart pounding as she dashed toward the door, praying she wouldn't be stopped. Every part of her screamed to get away, to escape the suffocating weight of the house, even if only for a moment.:

Just as Laila's hand touched the doorknob, her heart racing with the hope of escape, the door swung open. Standing there, framed by the doorway, was her stepmother, Haneul. Her glare was icy and filled with a disdain Laila couldn't quite comprehend, yet it was undeniable.

Haneul's face twisted in a mixture of disgust and pure hatred as she looked at Laila, her eyes sharp as daggers. The weight of her stepmother's gaze felt like it was suffocating, but Laila, too familiar with this treatment, lowered her head, bracing herself for the usual verbal assault or worse. But instead of a harsh word or cruel action, Haneul simply walked past her, as though Laila were nothing more than a shadow—an unwanted presence.

Confusion settled over Laila as she stood there, her mind racing, trying to make sense of the strange moment. But before she could dwell on it any longer, she gathered her resolve and, without another word, made her way out of the house. Each step was filled with a quiet sense of determination as she walked toward her college, seeking refuge in the normality of her routine, even if it was just for a brief while.

Laila's pov:

I was a bit taken aback by Haneul's behavior. She'd always been so cruel, so why had she just walked past me without a word? Maybe she'd had a good morning, or maybe she was in a good mood for once. But honestly, I didn't care enough to try and figure it out. It didn't change anything.

My thoughts, however, couldn't be pulled away from the one thing that haunted me. I found myself thinking about them again—the guys. The ones I could never have, the ones I could never even tell about my pain. I couldn't help but wonder what my life could have been like if that night had never happened. What if I hadn't been the cause of everything? What if she hadn't died because of me? The guilt gnawed at my insides like a constant, unrelenting ache.