Rossi One: Kian's Little Sky

70. she was betrayed

Third Person's PoV

The shock from Matteo’s message, compounded by the lack of food and the emotional turmoil of the day, was too much for Sky. Her vision blurred, her body felt light and distant, and then everything went dark as she fainted, succumbing to the overwhelming stress.

When consciousness returned to Sky, the sun was high in the sky, its rays filtering through the windows and casting a warm glow on her face. She stirred, disoriented, the events of the previous day rushing back to her in a flood of memories. The ache in her stomach reminded her of the missed meals, but it was the ache in her heart that was more pressing, more debilitating.

She sat up slowly, her head spinning slightly as she took in her surroundings. The apartment was silent, just as she had left it, a stark reminder of her solitude. Her phone lay beside her, and with a trembling hand, she picked it up, half-hoping, half-dreading what she might find.

But there were no new messages, no missed calls—nothing from Kian or her family. The silence from her phone mirrored the silence of the apartment, and Sky felt a profound sense of abandonment. She was truly alone, cut off from the people she loved, from the job that had given her purpose, from the life she had known.

Sky’s legs felt unsteady as she made her way to the kitchen, a place that once held the warmth of shared meals and the comfort of Kian’s presence. The sight that greeted her was a silent testament to the previous day’s upheaval. The food she had left for Kian, a portion set aside with care, remained on the table, untouched and cold.

A sharp pang of sadness pierced her as she remembered Kian’s promise, a promise made with a casual smile that now seemed worlds away. The unfulfilled assurance lay before her, a stark reminder of the gap that had formed between them, of words left hanging in the air, now empty and void of meaning.

A single tear escaped Sky’s eyes as she stood in the kitchen, a room that once echoed with the sounds of their laughter and the clinking of dishes. She reached for the refrigerator, her hands automatically searching for something to eat that didn’t require cooking, something to fill the void that gnawed at her insides.

As she opened the door, her eyes fell upon the chocolates Kian had given her just last night, a gift that now seemed like a relic from another time. The sight of them, so full of the sweet intentions of the day before, unleashed a torrent of emotions she had been holding back. Sky clutched the chocolates to her chest as sobs wracked her body, each one a release of the pain, the confusion, and the heartache that had built up within her.

The chocolates, once a symbol of affection, now felt like a bittersweet reminder of all that had been lost in the span of a day.

Sky’s sobs filled the quiet kitchen as she tore open the packet of chocolates. The foil wrapper crinkled in her hands, a stark contrast to the silence that surrounded her. She didn’t care about the mess, the chocolate smudges on her fingers, or the tears that mingled with the sweetness on her lips. She ate with a desperation born of hunger and heartache, each piece consumed with little thought to anything but the void she was trying to fill.

She ate like someone starved, not just for food, but for answers, for comfort, for the love she feared had slipped away.

As she sat there, chocolate smeared on her cheeks, the remnants of her composure gone, Sky realized how much she had lost control, how the events of the day had reduced her to this—crying and eating alone in the dimming light of what used to be a happy home.

The sudden ring of her phone in the living room jolted Sky from her sorrowful reverie. She scrambled to her feet, running faster than she thought possible, driven by the slim hope that it was Kian reaching out. But as she moved, a sharp pain from her period cramps seized her, forcing her to halt and clutch at her stomach.

“Damn it,” she muttered to herself, her breaths coming in short gasps as she doubled over. “This is all y-your fault,” she whispered to her aching belly, a mix of frustration and irrational blame directed at her own body. “If you hadn’t hurt so much y-yesterday, none of this would have happened.”

She straightened up slowly, taking deep breaths to ease the pain. The phone continued to ring, a beacon of urgency in the quiet apartment. Sky pushed through the discomfort, determined to reach it before the caller gave up. Each step was a battle against the pain, but she was resolute, driven by the need for answers, for a connection, for any sign that she wasn’t alone in this. The ringing phone was a lifeline, and she wouldn’t let her physical pain cut her off from it.

Sky finally reached the table, her breaths shallow and her body aching. She snatched up the phone, her heart sinking as she saw Matteo’s name flashing on the screen, not the one she had hoped for. With a heavy heart, she watched the phone ring, unable to bring herself to answer, each tone a reminder of the job she had lost, of the normalcy that had been stripped away.

The call ended, and the room fell back into silence. Sky’s eyes remained fixed on the phone, a mix of longing and dread filling her. And then, it rang again, Matteo’s name appearing once more. This time, something within her shifted—a need for answers, for any human connection, for a voice that wasn’t her own echoing in the emptiness.

With a trembling hand, she answered the call, her voice barely above a whisper. “H-ello?” she said, bracing herself for what Matteo might say, for more bad news, for anything that might explain the chaos that had become her life.

Matteo’s voice came through the line, steady and apologetic. “Hello, Sky. I just called to ask you to clear out your things from your locker because someone else will need to use it today.”

Sky’s heart sank further, if that was even possible. The finality in Matteo’s request was like another nail in the coffin of her rapidly unraveling life. Tears streamed down her face as she struggled to speak through her sobs.

“P-please, Matteo,” she begged, her voice a mix of desperation and hope. “I need this job. If it’s about w-what happened yesterday, I s-swear it won’t happen again. I can do b-better.”

There was a pause on the line, a silence that stretched and seemed to fill the room, amplifying Sky’s anxiety. She waited, her breath caught in her throat, hoping for a sign of leniency, for a chance to make things right.

Finally, Matteo spoke, his voice softer but still laced with the firmness of a decision made. “Sky, I’m sorry. It’s not just about yesterday. There’s more to it. I’ll explain when you come in. Please, just take care of your locker for now.”

“N-no, Matteo, I can’t just accept t-this. I really need this j-job,” Sky pleaded, her voice breaking with emotion. “I’m saving up to bring my mom h-here. Please, there has to be a way to fix t-this.”

The line was silent again, and Sky could almost hear Matteo’s sigh on the other end. The pause was laden with the weight of decisions and consequences, and Sky held her breath, waiting for his response.

“Sky, I understand this is hard for you,” Matteo finally said, his tone indicating that his mind was made up. “But the decision is out of my hands now. I’m truly sorry.”

“Out of y-your hands? You’re my boss, Matteo. It h-has to be in your hands,” Sky’s voice was a mix of confusion and disbelief.

Matteo’s voice was heavy with regret. “Please, Sky, it’s not that simple.”

Sky’s desperation rose, her voice firm. “No, I won’t a-accept this. I won’t clear out my locker u-unless you tell me I’m not fired.”

There was a heavy sigh from Matteo, and then his voice came through, tinged with sorrow. “Sky, this is hard for me too, but Kian… he used his connections. He was the one who wanted you fired.”

The room spun as Sky processed Matteo’s words. Kian, the man she loved, had been the one to pull the rug out from under her. Her knees buckled, and she gripped the table to keep from collapsing. The pain was too much, her heart breaking into pieces so small she knew they could never be put back together. In that moment, Sky felt the last of her hopes disintegrate, leaving her in a world where everything she had cherished was now irretrievably lost.

***
Mary Joye.