Chapter 9

Mia’s POV

I must admit, my heart broke into a thousand pieces when Serah tried to end her life. The shock, the fear, the pain—it all felt like a storm I couldn’t escape. I’ve always known that taking care of her wasn’t going to be easy. Being the older sister has meant putting on a strong face even when I was barely holding myself together on the inside. Serah might not know this, but I’ve cried myself to sleep many nights just worrying about her.

Still, despite everything, I chose to forgive her. The look in her eyes when she realized how deeply she had hurt me... it was genuine. She was filled with remorse, and I could see she had finally come to her senses.

After our heated exchange—full of shouting, tears, and pain—we cried in each other’s arms like two broken souls desperately clinging to what remained of our bond. Eventually, we pulled away, both emotionally drained.

I stood from the couch, brushing my tear-stained cheeks. “I’m going to my room now, Serah. It’s been such a long night… I just need to lie down and try to forget everything that’s happened today,” I told her softly, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on her forehead.

“Thanks, sister… for forgiving me,” she whispered, her voice heavy with emotion. I looked at her, her eyes glossy with tears, her face a mixture of guilt and gratitude.

“It’s okay, Serah. But I hope you meant everything you said. I don’t want to go through this again. I want both you and your baby to be safe. You’re all I have… and I still need you more than you know,” I replied, struggling to hold back the tears threatening to fall again.

“I meant every word. I’ll try to move on—for the sake of my baby… and for you,” she said earnestly.

“Thank you, Serah. Thank you for finally coming back to your senses. Come on, let me take you to your room,” I said gently, reaching out and helping her to her feet. I led her slowly to her room, supporting her like I always had—even when she didn’t know it.

Once there, she quietly changed into her pajamas while I waited. I helped tuck her into bed like a mother would to her child, brushing her hair away from her face before leaning down to kiss her cheek. “Everything will be all right, sister. With the right mindset and some hope, things will start to feel better again. I believe that,” I said before turning off the lights and walking quietly out of her room.

As I closed the door behind me, I let out a long breath. It felt like I had been holding it in all day. I was relieved—relieved that Serah had survived, that she seemed to have found her will to live again. But deep down, I was still worried. She could be stubborn, and I wasn’t sure how well she would cope, especially now that she was carrying a child. Would she keep her word? Would she really let go of Brian and focus on the future?

These questions haunted me as I made my way into my own bedroom. I stripped off my clothes and went straight into the shower. I needed to wash away the weight of the day. The hot water pounded against my skin, soothing my tense muscles and calming my racing thoughts. After I finished, I wrapped myself in a towel and stepped out.

All I wanted now was sleep. Just a few hours of peace—an escape from the chaos of the day. But before I could lie down, I reached for my phone, instinctively checking for any missed messages. And there it was: several missed calls from Brandon.

My heart skipped.

“Why is Brandon calling me?” I muttered to myself, confused and uneasy.

Brandon—my boyfriend… or at least he used to be. We had agreed to stay away from each other due to the complicated situation we were in. I loved him. God knows I did. But Brandon was married. He had a wife and a daughter. Things were rocky between them, and he had talked about filing for a divorce. But for me, it was too much. I needed to step back until everything was finalized.

Of course, Serah didn’t know about Brandon. I had kept it hidden from her. With everything she was going through, the last thing I wanted was for her to worry about my mess of a love life. But now, seeing his name on my screen brought a flood of emotions I wasn’t ready for.

I ignored the missed calls and placed the phone on the nightstand. I wasn’t going to respond. I couldn’t. Talking to him again would only bring back all the longing, all the feelings I had tried so hard to bury. I lay down on my bed and pulled the blanket over me, determined to get some sleep.

But before I could close my eyes, my phone rang once more.

Sighing, I sat up and reached for it.

It was Brandon.

Despite everything in me telling me to ignore it… I answered.

Brandon: “Mia, thank heavens you picked up. How’s Serah? I just heard what happened.”

Me: “Brandon? How did you hear about Serah? I thought no one outside the house knew.”

Brandon: “Don’t worry about that, baby. Just tell me—is she okay?”

Me: “Yes… she’s fine. Thankfully, nothing serious happened.”

Brandon: “I’m so glad to hear that. And how are you? I’ve been going crazy not hearing from you. I miss you, Mia.”

His voice was like a warm wind on a cold night. It tugged at something deep inside me.

Me: “Brandon… I thought we agreed not to do this anymore. We can’t be together… not until everything is resolved.”

Brandon: “I know what we said. But I just want to see you. Please, Mia. Just for a little while. Tomorrow? Just once.”

I paused. My heart said yes. My mind screamed no. But loneliness has a way of silencing reason.

Me: “…Okay. Just once. You’ll send me the time and place.”

Brandon: “Thank you, darling. I can’t wait to see you. I’ll text you everything.”

Me: “Alright. See you tomorrow.”

I hung up, staring at the ceiling in silence.

I didn’t know why I agreed to meet him again. I had made a promise to myself that I wouldn’t… but here I was, breaking that promise. The truth was, I missed him terribly. I knew it was wrong. I knew I shouldn’t be in love with a married man—but love doesn’t always follow the rules.

I sighed and placed the phone back on the nightstand. A small smile crept onto my face as I snuggled into my pillow.

I just hoped… somehow… that tomorrow would bring something beautiful.