My Courage

Kayla Turi POV

I stared at my reflection in the mirror.

I didn't see my real face there. Its only Helena’s face, the same one I’d seen on the book cover. Nothing had really changed—except now it looked duller, more lifeless. My wavy hair was tied up with a rubber band, and my body looked thinner than I remembered.

'Is this what Helena looks like after marrying that coward Oscar?'

Pathetic.

“Done admiring your face?!” an old woman snapped me.

I turned around, trying to recall the names of Oscar’s mother and his sister.

“You must be Deca,” I pointed at the older woman.

“And you must be Magda Padip.”

The hatred in their eyes sharpened.

But instead of shrinking back, I let out a laugh and sat gracefully on the couch, crossing my legs like I owned the place. My chin lifted, my eyes steady as if daring them to challenge me.

“Don’t you remember I’m the daughter of the Turi family?” I asked with pride.

“You should think twice before treating me harshly. My father’s a wealthy man.”

At least… that’s what I thought I knew.

The two women only laughed harder and shoved me off the soft couch. Deca dropped herself onto it with satisfaction.

"You’re too stupid for giving up your place in the Turi family. Until now, they’ve never come for you. They’ve already abandoned you!”

'Could that really be true?'

I stepped back in disbelief.

“It’s the truth,” the system’s voice cut in again.

My chest beating fast. 'Damn it. This is what I get for not reading that awful story all the way through.'

I didn’t even know Helena had truly cut ties with her family.

'Then what am I supposed to do?' I begged silently for the system to show up with some kind of solution.

But there was no hint of help.

“You’re part of the Padip family now. Don’t even dream of escaping or talking back. I won’t hesitate to kill you!” Deca threatened.

I clenched my fists. This was already way messier than I’d expected.

“Beg them for mercy!” the system ordered again.

I know this step will lower my self-esteem , but I forced a wide, shameless grin and knelt to massage the old woman’s feet. “Mother-in-law… I’m just emotional because I’m pregnant. My hormones are all over the place,” I blurted out.

“What? Pregnant?!” everyone gasped.

Hold up. 'Wait, Helena is pregnant in this story, right? I vaguely remembered a pregnancy scene.

Or… not yet?

Magda quickly leaned in toward Deca, whispering something.

“Helena, is that really true, sweetheart?”

Then Oscar’s voice turned soft. He actually smiled and reached out his hand toward me.

I froze, touching my stomach first. People say a pregnant belly should feel hard. Mine wasn’t.

'Crap, Ety! I messed up!'

From what I remember, Deca and Magda were crazy enough to kill anyone who ruined their lives. Helena’s book-ending was literally her death during childbirth, she's murdered by her own mother-in-law and sister-in-law.

'Will I end up with the same tragic ending?'

“Didn’t you hear your husband’s voice?!” Deca suddenly kicked me in the stomach.

Sharp pain shot through me. “Aahhh…” I screamed.

“Helena? Are you okay?!” Oscar’s panic filled the room.

***

“The punishment for a liar! no food or water for two days!” Deca snarled, shoving me into a storage room.

We had just come back from the hospital. My cheek was burning red from their slaps after the doctor declared I wasn’t pregnant.

“She’s still a virgin. How could she possibly be pregnant?” the ob-gyn had even laughed.

Honestly, I feel so embarrassed.

'This is Helena’s body. I don’t even know if she’s ever slept with Oscar or any guy out there, besides, the story never reveals it.'

Right then, Deca dragged me out of the doctor's examination room, she yelling in front of me. “Stupid girl! Watch your mouth next time!”

“Your son never slept with me, why am I the one being scolded?” I shot back. “At least I’ve kept myself a virgin!” I'm proud of Helena for maintaining her virginity. But if this body were still owned by Helena, I'm sure she doesn't have the courage to fight back. She's too weak.

“Don't you have any sympathy for your poor husband? He's already suffering with his blindness and paralysis! Do whatever you can, you should work hard to seduce him. Having children is part of your duty as a wife!” Deca suddenly faked tears, and Magda immediately slapped me.

“That’s for making my mom cry!”

I raised my hand, ready to hit back, but the system’s cold voice warned, 'Don’t retaliate.'

'Are you kidding me?!' I snapped, in my heart.

Ignoring the command, I punched Magda anyway.

Which is how I ended up locked in this dark storage room.

“Mom, Dad… Kayla wants to go home…” I cried until I sobbed.

In the book, the storage room is where Helena often stays instead of her husband's room. I don't remember which chapter I was in.But one thing is for sure, Helena is afraid of the dark. I started to feel shake and my head thought of the ghost figure hiding in the darkness. "I'm not a coward. I'm not a coward," I reassured myself.

'Ety… can you hear me?' I looked around desperately for the voice. It seems like the system is just carrying out orders, it is not helping at all.

'Your challenge is to make Helena happy,' the system had said.

I smiled knowing the system speaks to me.

"But Helena was a rich girl—shouldn’t everyone fear her?"

Yet her own family, the Turi, had already abandoned her.

I collapsed onto the broken sofa, feel exhausted.

So this is how painful it feels to be the fool Helena.

“Why the hell did you marry a blind, and crippled guy with zero empathy? Helena, I don’t get what you ever saw in him.”

I'm frustrated knowing things are so difficult now.

“Kayla, you should focus on making Helena's life happy. If Helena dies, you’ll never return to the real world,” the system’s voice rang out again.

“Damn it!” I slammed the sofa, growling in anger.

“Ety! I want to go home! My real life is already a mess—I don’t want to deal with Helena’s nightmare too!” I screamed.

“Forbidden word. Forbidden word,” the system replied, followed by ambulance sirens.

Electric shocks ripped through me. “Aaaghhh!!!”

God, it hurt so bad.

“I give up, I give up,” I whimpered weakly.

Dragging myself to the vanity, I grabbed a pen and paper. The makeup drawers were empty. I tried to recall every character in Helena’s story.

“There’s Oscar, who’s always siding with his family. Deca and Magda, both insane… Which means Helena has no allies in the Padip household.”

I tapped the desk and noticed a thick green book with a password lock.

“I’m in Helena’s body. I should know the password.”

But instead of memories, an image of a tall, handsome man—definitely not blind, and not crippled—flashed in my mind.

When I opened them, one name stood clear:

Julian Joja.

I seem to remember something about him in the book.

I closed my eyes while writing something with my hand trying to dig into Helena's memory.

“Could Julian Joja be the one to save me?”