Worst Nightmare

Chapter 15

AUTHORS POV

Later that day, Faye met with Marissa and Ize at a nearby café. The atmosphere buzzed with laughter and chatter, but a jolt of surprise coursed through Faye when Ize introduced Marissa as her girlfriend.

"So, Faye, I wanted to introduce you to my girlfriend, Marissa," Ize announced, her voice warm and bright.

"Girlfriend?" Faye echoed, her mind racing to process this new information.

"Yes," Marissa said, her smile radiant. "Ize and I have been dating for a few months now."

Faye managed a nod, the words sinking in. "That's great! I'm happy for you both." But even as she spoke, a sense of unease began to creep in, lingering like a shadow over her thoughts.

As the three of them chatted, Faye found herself glancing at Marissa, unable to shake the feeling that there was more to this woman than met the eye. Just then, a notification chimed from her phone, pulling her from her thoughts. Faye's heart raced as she checked the screen, her expression shifting from curiosity to shock.

"I-I have to go," she stammered, abruptly standing up. "Something's come up."

"Is everything okay?" Ize asked concern etched on her face.

"I'll explain later. I'm sorry!" Faye called over her shoulder as she hurried out of the café, leaving her friends behind.

...

.....

In the quiet solitude of her private room, a place that had once been her refuge, Faye sank onto the couch, her emotions swirling into an uncontrollable storm. The usual calm she found here felt foreign, swallowed by the weight of guilt pressing down on her chest.

Freen, ever observant and loyal, took a seat beside her. Her gaze was steady, filled with concern. She had known Faye long enough to recognize when something deeper was troubling her.

"Faye, are you okay?" Freen asked gently, searching her face, though already knowing the turmoil she was in.

Faye exhaled a shaky breath, her fingers trembling in her lap. "No, Freen... I'm not." She rubbed her hands over her face, the weight of regret making her voice heavy. "I can't stop thinking about Enghfa. About what I did. That article I saw earlier... if any of it is true, I could have hurt her in a way I never wanted to."

Freen's expression softened, but there was a quiet firmness in her voice. "Faye, we know what happened. You and your friends made a mistake, but it was never your intention to take things that far. You were angry, and you were grieving."

"But what if Yoko finds out? What if she can't forgive me for kidnapping her sister?" Faye's voice cracked, her fear surfacing. She hadn't just hurt someone important to Yoko-she'd crossed a line she wasn't sure could ever be mended.

Freen reassured, her tone both gentle and unwavering. "She'll understand why it happened. She knows how much your mother's death affected you and how the Royal Family was involved. She won't think you did it out of cruelty."

Tears began to well up in Faye's eyes, her hands clenched tightly in her lap. "But what if she thinks I'm just lying to protect myself? I showed my pain and anger in the worst way possible. I don't even know how I let it get that far."

Freen leaned forward, her grip on Faye's shoulder firm but compassionate. "Faye, you need to trust her. Trust that Yoko, Enghfa, and everyone who cares about you will understand where it came from. You were grieving your mother's death, and when you realized the Royal Family was involved, you were consumed by that anger. You know that wasn't you. You've already shown remorse for what happened."