My Life was a Game

Introduction

April Rainbow was an ordinary maid serving in a luxury mansion of a particular businessman. If only the salary was not that high, she wouldn't even look twice at the job application. She was desperate for a job. It had been more than a year since she was flooded with the study loan and the living expenses in the island much higher than the mainland. It wasn't enough for one to support two people even in such a small cramped rented apartment. She had been going around the island to find jobs and failed miserably. If only she was not that desperate, if only the salary working in a cafe or small store were much higher...

She regretted that now.

Her step-brother, June Rainbow who had been a sweetheart but too carefree sometimes had fallen from grace. April usually dragged him out of the situation and told him to keep distance from 'troubles' she called it. But this time June had enough of her being overprotective.

"That's enough, April! I'm not a little kid anymore. You can't tell me what to do. This is my life, not yours!"

June respected his sister but this was too much. She already had his childhood but now, she wanted to keep on controlling his life. June remembered his school life with her, he couldn't be too close to other kids because she couldn't trust them and she followed everywhere he went. Sure they were close but they only see each other as a family. June knew April had a trust issue and she projected that on him. April knew all of his affairs as well as he knew hers. It felt like a conjoined twin sometimes and now, they were getting older, it felt more suffocating.

He just told her, he dated this guy. April flipped and started to ask him all a bunch of questions. Then, he told her his name, and she froze. June never saw her face pale like that. Her eyes were bulging out and she looked very very concerned. She started to scream and told him to break up and to never meet that person again. She started to talk like there would be no tomorrow and said a bunch of random things he couldn't process.

"April, calm down! Breath! April breath! Why are you... s- slow down I can't hear you properly."

June shook her shoulders gently and stared at her. He had seen her like this. It was when she had a nightmare or the episode. He started to feel like he had been too ignorant to her problem now. Once, he liked how he had a new loving and caring sister after his parents were killed in an accident but now, June felt that he had indulged her too much and let her do whatever she wanted. Now, she was getting out of control.

"I know you had your trust issue but this has gone too far. I'm not your property. I think... I think you need to go for a new counseling, April."

"Fine! I don't mind going there again but you've to stay away from him. You don't want to be near that person. Please listen to me! I'm telling you this for your own good, for both of us. I'm begging you..."

She had tears on her face but June closed his eyes and slowly pushed her. If he let her have her way, she would get more uncontrollable.

"Why don't we start with this? I'll be going out to meet him and you just need to calm down while I'm out. Or should I bring him to meet you."

"NO!! I'm not meeting him at all! June! You better not go anywhere near him or I'll be leaving!"

June sighed and glared hard at her.

"April, I'm not taking any word from you. If you want to start your treatment, we've to start it now. I'll be back before 9pm, you better get yourself straight when I get back home."

April called him desperately as he walked out of the room with a slam. Her legs were giving up as she fell on the floor. She felt hopeless. She had been hiding away from that person's radar for years now. When she had to work at his manor, she could only hide from his eyes and hoped he would not know she was there. Luckily, they never stumbled upon each other so April thought she had been doing well for those years. But now, June was about to destroy her hard work. He knew her trauma but she never told him any name, she was afraid. If that guy saw her, he probably recognized her immediately.

No. It wasn't an option at any point in her life. If she had to leave June then, fine! She would leave the house and him. Far away from that person, away from her source of fear.

After packing a luggage and a backpack, she went out of the building and wandered around the streets. She didn't know where to go, now she left the house and had nowhere to go. Maybe a motel for a few nights would be fine. She still had a lot in her saving. It could support her until the end of this year at least but she needed a new job soon.

While looking at her phone to find the nearest motel, an old lady bumped into her. She staggered but the old lady fell on the ground with a thud. She tried to reach for her but flinched at a sudden pain on her right shoulder. It was a small wound but it bled. The old lady started to apologize frantically. She didn't know how she was wounded but she calmed the woman down since it wasn't a big issue. Besides, it was her fault she didn't pay attention while she walked and bumped into her.

The old lady seemed anxious and give her an ointment for the wound. April was unsure if she could accept such a thing from a stranger. The woman looked genuinely concerned and worried about her, so April decided to take her offer. Maybe June was right. She should have more trust in a stranger. Not all strangers were like those people. April was grateful and the old lady smiled back before they bid their farewell.

She looked back at the old lady. There was a tint of familiar feeling came from her but April couldn't pinpoint where exactly she had seen her. She ignored the thought as some weird deja vu and moved on with her feet.