"Anele, can we talk for a minute?"
"I really need to—"
Kyoko noticed she was avoiding eye contact.
"Just for a moment,"
Kyoko insisted, her tone brokering no argument.With a sigh, Anele nodded, albeit reluctantly.
"Okay. Just a minute, I have to get back to work."
Taking that as a small victory, Kyoko moved to sit on one of the chairs in the boardroom.
"Thank you. I know everything seems flipped upside down right now, but there's something I've been meaning to say..."
As Kyoko spoke, she poured out her heart, each word laced with sincerity and vulnerability. The weight of her secrets slowly began lifting, and despite the tension crackling in the air, each revelation felt like a step closer to healing—both for her and Anele.
"Anele,"
Kyoko continued, her voice trembling slightly,
"I know I messed up. I should have stood by you then, and I should have protected you now but I thought—no, I hoped—there might be a way to keep our family intact, a way to shield everyone from the fallout of the truth. I was trying to protect myself as much as I was trying to protect you."
Anele's arms crossed defensively, her expression a mix of hurt and frustration.
"Protect yourself? Or protect your family? You lied to me, Kyoko. I trusted you."
"I know. And that's what makes this so hard for me,"
Kyoko replied, her voice tinged with desperation.
"I can't stand by and let them hurt you anymore. I can't let the family loyalty dictate my life—and yours too."
Anele's brow furrowed as she processed Kyoko's words.
"I'd believe you if you weren't a Himura. Y'all don't care about anybody but yourselves. I made the mistake of believing that you could not hurt me twice for the sake of the mighty Himura clan but I won't repeat that for a third time."
Kyoko felt the sting of Anele's words pierce through the facade of control she had been trying to maintain. It wasn't easy to sit there, stripped of defenses, especially when she could see the anger and betrayal written all over Anele's face. The air between them felt heavy, yet she pressed on, desperate to reach the woman she loves.
"I get it, okay? You have every right to feel betrayed,"
Kyoko said, her own voice cracking under the strain of vulnerability.
" but I'm not just a Himura—I'm also someone who loves you, who cares about you. That has to mean something."
Anele's arms remained crossed, her posture rigid as she glared at Kyoko.
"Love? You think love just erases the hurt? It doesn't work that way. You speak of loyalty but where was your loyalty when it mattered? You turned your back on me for them."
"I was scared! Scared of losing everything—our family, our home—"
Kyoko took a deep breath, pinching the bridge of her nose as all the emotion threatened to overwhelm her.
"but I realize now that keeping quiet only prolongs the pain. I can't stay silent anymore. I can't turn a blind eye while they manipulate us both."
"but they're family,"
Anele shot back, her voice a mix of incredulity and anguish.
"and you don't get to choose when you're 'not one of them' based on convenience. This is not just about you feeling guilty."
"No, it's not,"
Kyoko acknowledged, meeting Anele's gaze finally, unwavering.
"It's about breaking the cycle. I don't want to carry this burden or allow it to dictate our lives any longer. I want to fight back, for you and for me."
Anele's expression softened for a fleeting moment, but the wall she had built up was still firmly in place.
" I find that hard to believe when it comes to your family, the Himura's, you'd do anything for them. Your brother raped me and you took his side , then they asked you to have my twins undergo a procedure without my consent and you agreed to save your brother once again. Forgive me for not taking you seriously this time."
Kyoko felt her heart sink at Anele's accusation, the sharpness of her words cutting deeper than she had anticipated.
"Anele, please just listen—"
Kyoko's voice wavered, desperation creeping in.
"I never agreed to anything with my brother out of loyalty or love for him. I was paralyzed by fear, caught in a web of family expectations and threats. It's taken me too long to realize that I allowed myself to be manipulated, but I won't be that person anymore."
YOU ARE READING
WHEN I NEEDED YOU. ( Lesbian Slow Updates.)
General Fiction" Stupid me. I thought you were different." " But I-" " Get away from me! I don't ever want to see your fat face again." Nothing hurt more than her words and the look of disgust on her face. The one person who she thought would believe her did not...
