I Wish You Never Met Me

44

CHAPTER 44

I woke up to the tv airing the news. Kayden's name displayed across the screen. They found him. He got arrested. As for Clarise, she was taken into jail with her parents after Darnell gave all his evidence to the police. He was arrested too. All this unfolding and the comments were somewhat the safe. It's why I haven't gone on Instagram since the trial results were released.

Jaxson sat on the couch next to me. "Hey firecracker, how was your nap?" I sat up as he held a mug in front of me. "Made some tea for you. I have a feeling you're going to need it seeing all this."

I took the mug from him, taking a sip. "You might be right. My Instagram is a hot mess since I last logged into it the day I did sixty minutes episode."

Jaxson cringed. "I know. Marissa and I have been trying take care of all the death threats you've been getting from the Runnels lap dogs."

"Sorry, they're relentless."

"Don't be," He placed his hand over mine. "We're doing whatever we can. However, some networks have been emailing and calling me nonstop to get an interview with you about the case. Pat's also hoping you'd get back to designing soon. She says the people need a collection."

I sighed. "As much as I loved it. It brings back traumatic memories. I can't design again."

"How about this, do a livestream on Instagram. Put the nail in the coffin," he suggested. "Don't let your parents be the person you stopped doing what you love."

He was right. I shouldn't let what they did to me stop me from designing in the first place. I shouldn't let the smear campaigns stop me from creating. I've been seen in public wearing suits I made. At the trial, of course, but still they were made by me. Grandpa was the reason I started in the first place. He was the one who inspired me to start. He was the one who introduced it to me through his bags. I can't believe I forgot that. I forgot my reason for designing in the first place. Grandpa.

I gave Jaxson a light smile. "You know what? Maybe I should come out of retirement."

"What made you decide that?" he chuckled. "You literally said you were never designing again on the Sixty Minutes episode you did."

"Considering this my official exit from the fashion world. Meiko's first collection in two years and last." I take another sip of the tea. "I'll show it at New York Fashion Week next fall."

Then I left him to watch the rest of the news and went to my room. There, I logged into Instagram and set my phone up against the fashion magazines I was able to keep since my parents never knew I had them. Smoothing out my wrinkled hoodie from my nap earlier, I looked at my last post.

A picture of me wearing a dress I made at homecoming. In that photo, I was a naïve girl who really thought everything was peaches and cream. A girl who was happy and grateful for everything she had. Little did she know, someone was bound to take it all away by using the people she cared about the most. I don't bother to open the comments but started a livestream although anxious of what the world might say after this.

The moment they see me, I noticed the number climb from 0 to 2,000 in less than five minutes. I took a deep breath preparing the bear everything I could bear. I saw comments roll in asking me where I have been or how am I after everything that's been going on. Or what happened to me.

"Hi everyone, it's been a while since I've done of these. Bear with me. To answer your questions, I've been home, in and out of the courthouses as you guys saw in the news. The last time you guys saw me was the 60 minutes episode, right?" I acknowledged the comments. "I'm sorry. I'm sorry you had to see what you saw, but whatever it was. None of it was true. I understand if you don't support me anymore. After all, you have every right to support me. Thank you for your support though. I'm grateful. I see you all wearing the bags I made, and it makes me emotional. Those bags were inspired by my grandpa who used to be a seamster. He used to make handbags for a living."