Old Days Break Free [ON HOLD]

35

The Venom

Lorraine's POV

Everything unfolded so quickly, like a whirlwind pulling me along, leaving me unable to catch my breath, let alone keep up with the flow of time.

It feels as though just yesterday I was offering comfort to Athena as she mourned Jezreel's untimely death. And now? She's seething with anger, her fury directed squarely at me.

Why? Because she discovered the truth about Chandria's accident-something I had kept from her, unintentionally or not.

"You dare not tell me about it? The audacity to hide that truth from me... Why?" Her voice trembled, the tears in her eyes barely held back, but the fire in her gaze was unmistakable. She was livid.

"I'm sorry... I was going to tell you, I just couldn't find the right moment-"

"To hell with timing! Get out of my sight!" she spat, voice low but filled with venom.

"I don't want to scream at you or hurt you, so leave before I lose control of myself in anger." Her words pierced through me like daggers, leaving me frozen in place.

With that, Athena turned on her heel and disappeared into Chandria's room, her movements sharp, each step heavy with the weight of her fury.

The door slammed behind her, cutting me off from any attempt to follow. I was left standing outside, alone with my thoughts-except I wasn't truly alone.

My cousin Veronica stood nearby, her daughter Irish clinging to her side.

Neither of them spoke.

Veronica stood like a statue, staring at the door as if waiting for it to open and reveal something other than the painful reality.

Her face was pale, lips trembling, but she didn't move an inch. Irish, the poor girl, couldn't stop crying, her sobs a heart-wrenching soundtrack to the grief that seemed to envelop us all.

The day had been relentless-tragedy after tragedy-until the sun finally set, and yet the darkness brought no peace. Instead, it weighed down on us like a suffocating blanket, pressing on our hearts and minds.

I knew Athena wouldn't speak to me, not now, not in her anger.

So I turned away, forcing my feet to carry me down the hallway.

I needed to get away, to buy dinner for the Ybañez family, to do something, anything, that might ground me amidst the chaos.

But before I could disappear entirely, I heard Veronica call out my name.

"Lorraine."

Her voice was soft, yet it held a weight that made my stomach twist. I didn't want to turn back, didn't want to see the reflection of my own despair in her eyes-but I did.

"Yes?"

"Don't act tough... There's no point in pretending you're strong." Her words hit me like a punch to the gut.

My hands tightened around the pouch I was carrying, the pressure grounding me, holding back the tears that threatened to spill.

She was right. I'd been putting on a mask, keeping my emotions in check since I first heard the news about Chandria's disappearance.

I couldn't afford to break down, not now, not when the Ybañez family needed someone to hold them together.

I had grown too attached to them, and in some strange way, they had become my family, too.

But weakness? I couldn't allow myself that luxury. Not now.

If I fell apart, who would be there to keep them all afloat?