Fate, A Silent Butcher

Arla-Rosa stepped into her new apartment, her heels clicking softly against the polished wooden floors. The sunlight streamed through wide windows, illuminating the delicate lace curtains and fresh flowers arranged neatly on the kitchen counter. It was modest but beautiful, a place she could call her own. And it was all thanks to Seth.

On the dining table, a small card waited beside a slim leather wallet. She picked it up, her heart beating faster as she read the short message inside: "For my darling girl. Just a little something for your daily necessities. You deserve the world, Arla."

Inside the wallet was a sleek platinum card. She swallowed hard when she checked the balance on her banking app, it was more money than she had seen in her account at once. Of course, she didn't know that for Seth, it was laughably little, not even close to what he dropped on Aretha’s whims each month.

But for Arla-Rosa, it felt like a declaration. A symbol that he cared. Maybe... maybe she had been wrong about him. Maybe Seth did love her. He was just burdened with the immense responsibilities of running a company, juggling boardrooms and shareholders.

And she, selfish and foolish, had doubted him. No more. Arla-Rosa pressed the card to her heart and made a solemn vow. She would stand by him, in this life and the next. She would become the woman he could lean on. The first thing she did was register at a local driving school. Seth had been so thoughtful, giving her the car, she didn’t want to waste his effort.

Within weeks, Arla-Rosa mastered every maneuver, every rule, every tricky parking technique. The instructors stared at her in amazement. She aced the written exam, the driving test, everything, breezing through faster than anyone they'd ever taught.

When she proudly held her new license in her hands, she smiled, picturing Seth’s proud smile when she told him. Her little car wasn’t anything fancy, just a low-key hatchback in gentle blue, but it served her perfectly. Freedom. Convenience. A small taste of the life she was stepping into.

Despite Seth’s gentle insistence that she quit her part-time jobs and "focus on being his fiancee," Arla-Rosa couldn't bring herself to leave Master Ye’s apothecary. She gave up the late-night diner shifts, but the apothecary was different. It wasn't just a job. It was a sanctuary.

Master Ye was a stern but fair mentor, his wrinkled face often unreadable, his deep eyes sharp with hidden wisdom. Under his guidance, Arla-Rosa's natural talents blossomed beyond imagination.

While others trudged through six years of medical school, she mastered her disciplines in half the time, not because she was arrogant, but because she absorbed knowledge like a parched earth drinking rain. She still thought herself average. She had no idea she was a genius.

One clear Saturday morning, she pulled up outside the apothecary in her little car, the engine humming softly. Carrying a small basket of fresh herbs she had gathered, she pushed the door open and inhaled the comforting scent of medicinal plants and old wood.

Master Ye looked up from behind the counter, his thin lips curving into a rare smile. "You’re early," he noted gruffly. Arla-Rosa laughed, the sound bright and cheerful. "I couldn’t wait to share some good news with you, Master Ye!" He set down the pestle and mortar he was working with and arched a brow.

"I got engaged!" she announced, holding up her hand so he could see the delicate ring glinting in the morning light. "And... Seth has changed so much," she continued, her eyes sparkling. "He's so good to me now, Master Ye. He even got me an apartment and a car. I want to help him grow his company when I graduate."

Master Ye said nothing for a long moment, simply studying her, as if he could see the fraying threads of her future tangled invisibly around her. Then, with a weary sigh, he shook his head and muttered under his breath, "Fate... cruel and not easily avoided."

The words hit Arla-Rosa like a splash of cold water. She blinked, startled. "Master Ye?" But he only turned away, returning to his grinding as if the conversation had never happened. A shadow of unease stirred in her chest. Had she been too naive? Was there something he could see that she couldn't?

She opened her mouth to ask, but her phone buzzed. Seth: Come home soon, my rose. I have dinner waiting. Just like that, the doubts melted away. Smiling, Arla-Rosa tucked her phone into her pocket and waved goodbye to Master Ye. "I’ll see you tomorrow, Master!" she chirped. He didn’t reply, only watched her leave with tired eyes.

When she returned to her apartment, the delicious scent of food hit her the moment she opened the door. Seth stood in the kitchen, sleeves rolled up, setting two plates onto the small dining table. There were candles flickering, soft music playing low in the background.

Her heart swelled. Seth had changed. He loved her. And she loved him more than ever. "Welcome home," Seth said, his voice deep and warm. She ran into his arms, burying her face in his chest, breathing in the scent of his cologne. "I missed you," she whispered. He chuckled, stroking her hair. "I missed you more, my darling."

As they sat down to eat, Arla-Rosa basked in the glow of his affection, completely unaware of the dark strings slowly tightening around her wrists and ankles, delicate, invisible, and unbreakable.

Far across the city, in the shadowed apothecary, Master Ye paused his grinding, his fingers tightening around the worn pestle. Outside, the sun bled into the horizon, its dying light swallowed by the creeping dusk.

"Fate is a silent butcher," he whispered, in rough voice, his heart filled with a sorrow only he could taste. "By the time the lamb realizes it was never loved... the knife is already at its throat." Master Ye bowed his head over his work, a silent prayer on his lips, not to save her, but to give her the strength to survive the storm that was already gathering.