Take The Show Inside 

I left the shop without knowing where to go. My feet moved on their own as if they were trying to carry me away from everything I had ever known. I thought of going home, but the moment the thought crossed my mind, something inside me broke again. What home? The people in that house had spent years reminding me that I did not belong. My throat tightened as a small whisper slipped out of me.

“Papa.”

The word felt fragile. Maybe I could go back just for him. If I stayed away, it would crush him, and hurting him was the last thing I wanted.

I kept walking down the road as the tears rolled freely. My cut had dried into a dark stain on my skin, but the sting was still there. I lifted my arm and wiped my face with the back of my hand, but it did nothing to stop the pain in my chest.

Soon I noticed people turning their heads toward me. Their eyes stayed on me longer than usual. Some slowed down. Some whispered behind their palms. The murmurs grew louder with every step I took. A few passersby stopped walking just to stare. Even shop owners left their counters and came outside to look at me.

I felt the weight of their gaze pressing against my skin. My heart raced as I wondered what they saw. Did they hear what happened in the shop? Did someone spread it already? Did they know something I did not?

I tried to walk faster. The whispering followed me like an echo I could not escape. It grew so overwhelming that I felt my chest tightening. Before I knew it, my legs broke into a run. I ran with the tears pouring and my breath shaking, trying to leave the eyes behind. A small part of me wished I would bump into Veylor. I needed a hug more than anything. I needed someone to hold me, someone who would not look at me like I was wrong.

I kept running. I bumped into some people. They stepped aside quickly, staring as if I had done something terrible. My heart squeezed. I wished they would stop looking. I wished the world would stop.

When I reached home, I dropped to my knees in front of the house. I broke down completely. The tears hit the ground. My shoulders shook as I cried until my voice cracked. I lifted my head slightly and blinked through the blur. Three figures walked out of the house. I wiped my face and looked again.

My sisters.

Their faces were hard, filled with irritation and something close to disgust. The tears dried on my cheeks immediately. I forced my breathing to slow. Breaking down in front of them would only give them more reasons to laugh at me. I swallowed and pushed myself up. I took a deep breath before walking toward them.

All I wanted was to reach my room. I needed a place where I could cry without holding back. But the closer I got to the house, the more they moved to block the doorway. I stopped in front of them, confused and tired. My head hurts. My arm throbbed.

I tried to get through, but Uri stepped in front of me. I looked at her with the last bit of calm I had.

“Please, Uri. I just want to go in and clean my cut. I had a bad day today.”

My voice was low and shaking. I prayed she would show a tiny bit of mercy.

I should have known better. Mercy was not something they understood.

I turned to Iris. I lifted a hand to touch her shoulder gently, but she slapped it away before my fingers even reached her.

“Get that bloody hand off my skin, you shameless slut.”

I froze.

“Slut?”

The word pierced me so deeply that I felt numb for a moment. I shook my head slowly, unable to process how far they were willing to go.

I looked at Ina next. I did not even have the strength to argue.

“Please, Ina. Please. I need to rest my head.”

She stared at me without a single word. Her eyes were empty. There was nothing there for me.

Tears gathered again, slowly falling as I turned away from all three of them. My feet carried me toward the direction of the backyard, the only place left for me to breathe.

Just when I thought I would finally get a moment alone at the back of the house, I heard quick footsteps behind me. I turned slightly, confused, but before I could fully look back, a hand grabbed my hair and yanked it so tight I froze on the spot. The pain shot straight through my scalp. One wrong move and it felt like my hair would rip out.

“Please let go of—”

The words barely left my mouth before I was thrown to the ground by that same grip. My body hit the earth hard. My lips smashed against a stone, and the taste of blood filled my mouth instantly. I gasped and pushed myself up, trembling, trying to crawl backward even though I could barely see through the tears.

“Why won’t everyone just leave me alone? What have I done to deserve this?”

The questions spilled out of me as I cried. My voice cracked, my breath shook, and the blood dripped down my chin.

Iris walked toward me first.

Her steps were slow, purposeful, unforgiving. The other two followed behind her like shadows. When they reached me, Iris lifted her hand, ready to slap me. I shut my eyes quickly and lifted both arms to shield my face. My whole body braced for the impact.

But the slap never came.

“Stop,” Uri’s voice cut through sharply.

I opened my eyes and saw her pulling Iris back by the arm. Iris glared at her in confusion, but Uri leaned in and whispered something harsh. Then she said it out loud so I could hear.

“Not here.”

Uri clicked her tongue. “The neighbors will soon come back. Someone might try to rescue her.”

Iris stopped, her hand still half‑raised. “So what do you want us to do?”

“Take the show inside,” Uri replied coldly.

Iris nodded slowly, then turned to me with that familiar disgust on her face.

“Get up!” she screamed.

My legs felt weak. I tried to push myself up, but my body shook too much. Before I could fully stand, Uri and Iris grabbed me by both arms and yanked me up aggressively. I winced as their nails dug into my skin. They dragged me inside like I was nothing more than a sack of cloth, my feet barely touching the ground.