Selena eyed the clock nervously. Bedtime was approaching and she had never been more anxious before. She realized what a coward she was as she furiously applied paint on her canvas. She glanced at Cassandra who was doing the dishes and when the doctor met her eyes, she instantly gulped, looking away.Curiosity picked on her as Cassandra wondered why she was behaving so oddly, “Is everything alright?” “Yes, haha! All is perfecto! You can go to bed now!” She arched an eyebrow, “Go to bed? You don’t want to…” She nervously interrupted, “Of course I want to sleep with you!” Cassandra eyed her in puzzlement as she wiped her wet hands in her vest, “I was going to say watch Frozen since you were insisting so much but… sure, we can go to—” “Yes, yes you can go! I just…uh, need to work on this for a bit. I'm a bit, haha...behind my schedule.” She raised her brush as if to reinforce her point and Cassandra nodded, “Ah… alright. I'm surprise that you do have a schedule. Mmh, goodnight then.” “Y

For three hours, she has been sitting before a new canvas, avidly crafting a new painting. She had opened her Outlook while having breakfast and she was surprised at the number of emails that had flooded her inbox. All from various collectors around the world, most of them acknowledging the work she did on the Icarus painting. Rodriguo Gonzalez sure did a fine publicity for her. She had to call him and thank him for that. Eight new commissioned paintings. Damn. It would take her months to complete all of them. She would even gain more recognition. She felt hopeful again. She worked out the colors carefully, mixing them, finding the right combinations. She began applying them, putting pressure where she should. Her hand was steady as she traced the forms that she conjured in her mind, translating the images on the canvas. Cassandra’s work seemed so…stressful as compared to hers…but she was certain that they both feared failure. She feared that the end product didn’t meet her clients

She stared at the video, “That’s… the exam room? But— Move.” He instantly stood, letting her sit and she went pale, realizing it was a recording of her appointment with Selena. She skipped through it, sweating when she saw that it showed all the things that she did to her at that time. Her fingers trembled as she asked, pausing the video, “Who sent this?” He stammered, “I… I don’t know. And scroll up the mail.”Cassandra did, reading what was written: They say you’re a respectable doctor but would a real Ob-Gyn do something as disgusting as sexually abuse a young woman? You took everything from me and I intend to do the same to you. You have to pay for your sins. The world will soon know what kind of a sick person you really are. This is my promise to you. She closed the mail, her lips shaking, ordering, “Don’t speak about this to anyone, Charles.” He chewed on his bottom lips, “But this person is threatening you. You… you could lose your license if he or she posts it.” “I know…—

“If you’re talking about the stabbing incident, I perfectly know.” Veronica widened her eyes, realization dawning on her. This could be bad. She furiously gazed at Selena, walking to her, grabbing her shoulders, “You told her?! What is wrong with you?” She trembled, feeling confused and lost, “No, I… I didn’t.” She felt suffocated in this room. She nervously looked at the doctor, fearing what she had in mind. Those eyes… it was clear that she was disappointed in her. She opened her mouth to speak but she couldn’t utter a single word in her defense. Veronica clenched her glass, slamming it on the counter, feeling cornered, “How do you know that? My father made sure no one got word of this.”Cassandra shrugged, “Mayer has very reliable sources and I’ve got contacts in the NYPD.” She taunted the lawyer, “What would the world say if this comes to light, mmh?” The lawyer indignantly looked away, frustration flaring over her face. She couldn’t beat that. Or maybe she could. She just had

Selena ignored her, barging out of the house into the curtain of rain, crossing the small path till she stepped onto the road. She ignored her call, running hard along the pavement, wanting to get away from her, get away from it all. She could barely see where she was going as the tears and raindrops hindered her view, the wind blowing harshly against her face. She didn’t want to face her anymore, didn’t want her help or her pity. She felt humiliated and enough was enough. The fog was so thick, her visibility was almost nil but she kept running, until she slipped and fell down, scraping her knee. She didn’t have the strength to go on as she sat right there and cried amidst her breathlessness. It hurt so much. Why couldn’t she ever receive the unconditional love of someone? Her parents. Her siblings. Jason and now Cassandra. They were all the same. Maybe the problem was with herself. Not with them.Siegfried hassled in the living room as he heard the ruckus. He saw Cassandra crossin