Serenade in a Coffee Cup

Fractured Truths

Orm drove aimlessly through the dark streets, her mind racing as fast as the car beneath her. Her tears blurred her vision, but she couldn't stop. Not yet. The weight of Ling's confession, of the secrets that had been kept from her, crushed her chest, making it hard to breathe. The trust she had built with Ling, the love they had shared—it all felt fragile now, as if one more revelation could shatter it entirely.

After what felt like hours, Orm pulled into an empty parking lot on the outskirts of town. The car's engine hummed softly as she slumped against the steering wheel, her forehead resting against the cool leather. Ling's words replayed in her head—I didn't want to put you at risk... I was trying to protect you.

But all Orm could feel was the sting of being kept in the dark. How could Ling not see that by hiding such a huge part of her life, she had already hurt Orm in ways far deeper than any external danger?

She sat there for what seemed like an eternity, trying to untangle the web of emotions inside her. Fear, anger, disappointment—but also love. Even in her hurt, Orm couldn't deny how much she loved Ling. That was what made it hurt so much more.

Suddenly, her phone buzzed, jolting her from her thoughts. She glanced at the screen, expecting another message from Ling, but instead, it was from Kai.

Kai: We need to talk. There's something you need to know about Apinan. It's urgent.

Orm sighed. Of course, there was still the looming threat of Bright and Apinan. As much as she wanted to fall apart, she couldn't afford to—not now. She had to keep fighting, not just for herself but for everyone else caught in this mess.

Orm: Where?

A response came almost immediately.

Kai: Meet me at the old studio in 20. And Orm... stay alert. Things are getting heated.

Orm threw her phone onto the passenger seat, her mind buzzing with a new sense of dread. What now? What could possibly be worse than what she had already discovered?

She took a deep breath, wiping the tears from her cheeks. Orm parked her car just outside the old studio, her emotions still raw from the confrontation with Ling. Her head was swimming with a storm of confusion and hurt. She wanted answers, needed them, especially after everything that had happened tonight. She stepped out of the car, squaring her shoulders as she spotted Kai waiting by the entrance.

The night air was thick, humid, making it hard to breathe as she approached. There was tension between them, a weight that hadn't been there before. Orm didn't waste any time with pleasantries.

"Why didn't you tell me?" she demanded, her voice sharp, cutting through the silence. "Why did you let me walk around like an idiot, not knowing that Ling was working with you this entire time? Was it fun for you two, making a fool out of me?"

Kai's face fell, and he took a step toward her, hands raised defensively. "Orm, it wasn't like that—"

"Then what was it like, Kai?" she snapped, her frustration boiling over. "You're supposed to have my back, and instead, you and Ling are off playing your own little game, keeping me in the dark. Do you know how humiliating that feels?"

He sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You're right. I should've told you. You have every right to be angry with me."

"Then why didn't you?" Orm's voice cracked. "Was I just another pawn in your secret mission? What, you thought it'd be better if I didn't know?"

"It wasn't about keeping you in the dark, Orm," Kai said, his tone earnest, pleading. "Ling didn't tell you because she was trying to protect you. She wasn't sure how deep you wanted to be involved with everything going on. I didn't say anything because I didn't want to break her trust. It wasn't my place."

Orm scoffed, turning away from him. "Protect me? By lying to me? That's not protection, Kai. That's betrayal."

Kai winced, the weight of her words hitting him hard. "I understand how it looks. But Ling... she cares about you, more than you know. She's been struggling with this for a long time. And I—"

"Just went along with it?" Orm finished, bitterness lacing her words. She crossed her arms, refusing to look at him. "You two really think you know what's best for me, don't you?"

"No, that's not it. You're not a pawn, Orm. You're the reason I'm doing this," Kai said, stepping closer. "After everything you've been through with Bright, Apinan, and the industry, I couldn't just sit back and let it happen to someone else. I've been trying to take them down, to stop their network from hurting anyone else."

Orm's fists clenched at the mention of Apinan and Bright. "I know about them," she muttered. "And I'm going to make sure they pay for what they've done."

Kai nodded, handing her a folder filled with documents. "I found more evidence—links between Apinan's money laundering schemes and Bright's grooming of young artists. It's bigger than we thought. Apinan's pulling strings across the industry. But with this, we can finally take them down."

Orm took the folder, glancing through the papers, but her heart wasn't in it. All she could think about was Ling, the secrets, and the betrayal she still felt burning in her chest.

"I'm sorry, Orm," Kai said quietly. "I should have trusted you with this sooner."

There was a long pause before Orm spoke again, her voice barely a whisper. "I don't know who to trust anymore."

Kai looked at her with regret in his eyes. "I get it. But whatever happens with Ling, just know that I'm on your side. I've always been on your side."

Orm didn't respond, her gaze fixed on the ground. The weight of everything—Ling's secrets, Kai's involvement, the darkness of the industry—was too much to bear. She felt as though she were drowning, with no lifeline in sight.

Kai sighed, realizing he wouldn't get through to her tonight. "I'll leave you alone for now. But when you're ready, I'll be here."

Orm gave him a small nod, not trusting her voice to respond. Kai turned and walked away, leaving her standing in the empty parking lot, her mind spinning.

After what felt like hours of standing in the oppressive silence, Orm finally slid back into her car. Her hands gripped the steering wheel tightly, her knuckles white. She sat there for a long time, trying to make sense of everything, but nothing seemed to fit. The world around her felt unsteady, like it was crumbling beneath her feet.

Eventually, she drove home, the silence of the car as heavy as the weight in her chest. When she stepped through the door of her apartment, the quiet was deafening. She didn't bother turning on the lights as she made her way to the bathroom.

She needed to shower. To wash away the night, to scrub off the pain and confusion that clung to her like a second skin. She stepped into the hot spray of the water, her mind numb as it poured over her. She didn't cry—she couldn't. It was as if the tears had run dry, leaving behind only the hollow ache of betrayal.

As the steam filled the room, Orm leaned her forehead against the cool tile of the shower wall, her thoughts swirling in a chaotic mess. She wanted to disappear, to vanish into the water, to let it take her far away from the weight of her life. But no matter how much she tried to escape, the reality remained.

Ling had lied to her.

Kai had kept secrets from her.

And now, Orm was left to pick up the pieces of her shattered trust.

When she finally stepped out of the shower, Orm felt no relief, no sense of clarity. The only thing that remained was the deep, unshakable need to be alone, to retreat from the world and the people she once thought she could trust.

Dressed in nothing but a towel, she collapsed onto her bed, her body curling into itself as if she could shield herself from the pain. The silence of the apartment wrapped around her like a suffocating blanket, and for the first time in a long while, Orm let herself just be.

Alone.

Empty.

And uncertain of what tomorrow would bring.