Shadows of Revenge

33. Silence Speaks

Becky’s days had blurred into an endless routine. The morning sun filtered through the windows of the café as she arrived, just like she had done every day for the past year. She moved mechanically, slipping into her apron, tying it tightly around her waist. She no longer had to think about what came next—her body knew the motions, as if on autopilot.

Gone were the days when she wore a badge, chasing after criminals, protecting those who needed justice. Now, she barely spoke, barely thought. The weight of that final conversation with Freen crushed every bit of life that had once existed within her. It replayed over and over in her mind, Freen’s cold words still cutting through her like a knife: "Go away. I can’t live with you. You’re a part of why Sarah died."

She had never loved anyone the way she had loved Freen. It had consumed her, ignited her soul in ways she never knew possible. But it had all shattered in a single moment, leaving her to pick up the broken pieces of herself, only to realize they no longer fit together. So she stopped trying.

Now, she existed in silence.

No one in the café knew her story. They didn’t know she used to be an officer, someone with purpose, with strength. Here, she was just the mute server, always quiet, always moving without a sound. People had started to believe she couldn’t speak at all. And maybe she couldn’t. Maybe, somewhere along the way, the ability to speak had truly left her, not just physically but emotionally. Her once bright, radiant smile had long since been replaced by a hollow, distant gaze that never quite met anyone’s eyes.

She hadn’t spoken to anyone—friends, family, anyone—in a year. Her parents were long gone, her phone tossed into the river the night she walked away from the life she once knew. She didn’t need it anymore. The world that had once been hers now felt like a distant, unreachable place, and she had no desire to return.

But that morning, something changed.

As Becky wiped down the counter, her head bent low, she felt the familiar emptiness around her. That is, until a shadow loomed over her. She didn’t look up at first—she hadn’t looked at anyone directly in months—but then something about the energy around her felt familiar. She hesitated, her cloth freezing mid-motion.

“Becky,” a soft but urgent voice said.

Her heart skipped a beat. No one had called her Becky in a long time. She felt a strange sense of déjà vu creeping into her bones. Slowly, hesitantly, she lifted her head and her breath caught in her throat.

It was Irin.

Becky’s mind screamed at her to run. She couldn’t face her. She couldn’t face anyone who reminded her of the person she used to be. Without thinking, she dropped the cloth and darted toward the back exit. Panic seized her, her chest tightening as she bolted, the world around her narrowing into a tunnel of escape. But Irin was faster, grabbing her arm and pulling her out of the café, away from the customers, away from prying eyes.

“Becky! Becbec, stop!” Irin’s voice was sharp, but laced with concern.

Becky froze, her heart pounding in her ears. She couldn’t run anymore. Irin had her now, in a secluded corner behind the café where the alleyway was quiet, the air thick with unspoken tension.

Irin didn’t let go of her arm. “What have you become, Becbec? I’ve been looking for you for months. We all have.” Her voice cracked slightly, the emotion too heavy to hide. “I can’t see you like this.”

Becky kept her gaze on the ground, her lips pressed tightly together. Her throat burned with the weight of words she couldn’t bring herself to say. What was the point in speaking? What could she possibly say to fix the wreckage of her life?

Irin stepped closer, desperation filling her voice. “Becky, please... please talk to me. I’m your best friend, remember? We’ve been through everything together. Don’t shut me out.”

But Becky stood still, her hands limp at her sides, her body numb to the world around her. Silence had become her only companion, and in that silence, she had built a fortress. A fortress she wasn’t willing to let anyone penetrate—not even Irin.

Irin’s eyes filled with frustration and helplessness as she searched Becky’s face for any sign of the woman she once knew. But all she saw was the shell of her best friend, someone who had once been so full of life, now reduced to a hollow existence. The light that had once shone so brightly in Becky’s eyes was gone, replaced by a cold, distant stare.

“Damn it, Becky!” Irin shouted, her voice trembling. “You can’t do this to yourself! You can’t just disappear like this, not after everything we’ve been through. Freen—” she stopped herself, biting her lip, unsure if she should even mention her.

Becky flinched at the name but still said nothing. Her chest tightened, the pain so deep it felt like she was suffocating. But she couldn’t cry. She hadn’t cried since that night, and she wouldn’t cry now. The tears were buried too deep, locked away with the words she would never say.

Irin, realizing she wasn’t going to get a response, sighed heavily. Her shoulders slumped in defeat. “I... I don’t know what to do anymore, Bec. You’re breaking my heart here.” Her voice was barely above a whisper now, thick with emotion.

For a long moment, the two stood there in the alley, the weight of everything unsaid hanging between them like a thick fog. Becky remained silent, her expression unreadable, her heart in pieces.

Finally, Irin let go of her arm, her voice filled with quiet resignation. “I’ll be back. And I won’t stop coming back until you talk to me. I can’t let you stay like this. Not after everything.”

With one last pleading look, Irin turned and walked away, her footsteps echoing in the alley, each one heavy with sorrow.

Becky stood there for a long time, her body rooted to the spot. She didn’t move, didn’t even blink, as she watched Irin disappear from view. A part of her wanted to call out, to scream for her to come back, to say something, anything. But the words wouldn’t come.

Instead, she turned back to the café, her face as emotionless as it had been before. She returned to work, moving silently through the café like a ghost, as though nothing had happened.

But inside, Becky knew that something had shifted. Irin had found her. And she wouldn’t be able to hide forever.

..........