The moment Selira stepped into her house, she didn't even glance at the living room or speak to her mother. Her feet moved like a machine, heading straight to her bedroom and then locking herself inside the washroom. Her heart beat unevenly, and her hands trembled slightly as she removed her clothes, preparing for a bath. Her body felt heavy, as if it carried the weight of every pain she'd buried the night before.
But when she looked into the mirror, her breath hitched. Her bare skin reflected something she didn't expect bite marks. Soft red bruises painted her collarbone, her shoulder, her waist... some small, some deep. Each one a silent scream of what had happened.
Her fingertips gently touched one on her neck, and she winced. The stinging pain from her own skin made her reality sharper.
Her lips quivered. Her eyes filled with tears that fell silently, one after another.
"Why... why did this all happen to me?" she whispered to the silence, clutching her own arms.
"Why did Dad leave me alone in this cruel world? Why did I lose my first time to a stranger? Why did Braylon, the man I trusted the most, and Ira, my best friend, betray me so heartlessly?"
No one answered. Only the shower whispered over her skin, trying to wash away what the soul couldn't forget. Fragments of the night flashed in her mind his soft lips, the warmth of his chest, the touch that made her body burn and melt. But the face remained a blur.
She didn't remember his name. She didn't even know it.
Once the tears stopped, she stood there quietly for a while, letting the water cleanse her body. She finally came out, dried herself, and wrapped in a towel. Her mother waited in the bedroom with a cup of hot coffee, concern in her eyes.
"Selira, drink this and sit," her mother said gently.
Selira obeyed. She held the coffee cup with both hands and tried not to look at her mother. But her mom sat beside her, gently drying her damp hair with a towel.
"What happened to Ira? Braylon told me she met with an accident and was admitted to the hospital. He said you stayed with her the whole night. How is she now?"
Hearing those names felt like hot oil spilling into her heart.
Still, she put on a fake smile. "She's okay now, Mom. She already went home."
Her mother nodded in relief and kissed her forehead. "Good girl. You've always been strong."
Meanwhile, in another corner of the world, Braylon and Ira sat anxiously in the farmhouse. Not out of guilt or concern for Selira's safety but because their plan failed and the money slipped from their hands. The man they had tried to sell Selira to was furious. Now, they feared his anger more than anything else.
"What do you think happened? Where is she?" Ira asked, biting her nails.
"I don't know! But she must be home by now. I need to talk to her before she opens her mouth to anyone," Braylon replied and quickly dialed her number.
Selira saw the call but didn't want to answer. Her mother sat next to her, so she couldn't ignore it either.
"Mummy, I feel sleepy. Let me just talk to Braylon and sleep for a while," she said softly.
"Okay dear, take rest," her mother said and left the room.
Now alone, Selira picked up the call.
"Hey Seli! Where the hell were you? Ira and I searched the whole place! You just disappeared!"
She swallowed her pain and lied sweetly. "Braylon, I had this sudden stomach pain. I went to the washroom and after that... I must've entered one of the empty hotel rooms and fallen asleep. I woke up this morning and saw your missed calls. Then Mom told me Ira had an accident and I stayed with her? I just went along with that. Don't worry."
Braylon exhaled a breath of relief. "Oh, good. Listen, I met the financier. He agreed to give us the money, but you weren't there. He wants to meet again. We can still do it."
Her blood boiled, but she controlled it.
"No, Braylon. I don't want to try again. Let's leave it. I'll find another way."
"What? But we only have a few days!"
"I'm sleepy, we'll talk later," she said and cut the call.
Braylon sat frozen. Ira stared at him. "She refused? Why?"
"I don't know. This isn't like her... she always listens to me."
But they didn't know she had heard everything.
In the city, Zavian stood near the hospital room where his grandfather was recovering from a minor heart attack. His grandfather smiled, still weak but filled with emotion.
"Zavian... I won't leave this world until I see your children. You have to get married, son. Promise me."
Zavian, who had always refused such conversations, suddenly said something that surprised everyone.
"Okay. I will marry."
His father, stepmother, and even the doctors froze.
Later, as he walked with his best friend, his friend pulled him into one of the private rooms.
"Bro... what did you just say? You're going to marry? Are you serious? You... who can't even touch women?"
Zavian smiled slightly. "Maybe I found someone I could touch."
"What?"
"Last night... a girl came into my room. I don't know how, but it happened. She wasn't scared of me. I wasn't allergic to her. She was... different."
His friend stared at him. "Wait, are you telling me you lost your virginity?"
Zavian gave him a little shove. "Yes. It just... happened."
He looked out the window and continued, "She was innocent. She didn't even know what she was doing. I could see it in her eyes. Child-like face, soft pink lips... she tasted like strawberries. And when I realized she was a virgin, I... felt so many things. Guilt. Joy. Comfort. Confusion."
Zavian leaned forward, his elbows on his knees, eyes still clouded by memories of the girl who now lived rent-free in his mind. His friend watched him silently, then said, "So… what now? You seriously wanna find her?"
Zavian didn't hesitate. "Yes. I've never felt something like that before. I don't care how crazy this sounds, but I need to see her again. I need to know who she is."
His friend smirked and crossed his arms. "You don't even know her name, boss. She just entered your room like a storm… a sweet little storm."
Zavian gave a soft, breathy laugh. "A storm? No. She was a blessing in disguise… in the middle of that rain. In that huggy-buggy moment… she made me feel human again."
"But what's the plan?" his friend asked.
Zavian turned serious. "I have work. I still need to complete that village project. But you… I need you to help me."
"Help you how?"
"You'll come with me to the village tomorrow morning," Zavian said, voice steady. "While I handle the official meetings, you'll do a little quiet searching. Maybe someone saw her. Maybe the hotel staff knows something. She was there last night. There must be a clue."
His friend blinked. "You sure you want to do this?"
Zavian looked out the window, a soft smile curving on his lips. "For the first time in years… I'm not allergic. Not even a rash. Just warmth. Peace. And something I can't explain. She made me feel like I wasn't broken. Like I could be someone's… lovey-dovey idiot."
His friend rolled his eyes with a grin. "Alright, alright, mister smitten. We leave tomorrow morning. You handle your big-shot meetings, I'll do the tracking. If fate really brought her to you, it won't be that hard to find her again."
Zavian nodded, heart beating with quiet hope. Somewhere out there, she was probably trying to forget him… while he was already dreaming of that next smoochy-woochy moment they might share again.
Selira sat near the window, her heart still aching. Her fingers slowly traced the rim of the coffee cup as she watched the morning sun scatter golden rays across their garden. It should've felt peaceful… but inside, everything was topsy-turvy.
She closed her eyes for a second. Images flashed his touch, his lips, the way her body responded like it had a mind of its own. Her chest tightened. "I'm not even sure I chose that moment," she whispered to herself. But why did it still feel… right? Why was her mind rebelling and her heart secretly yearning for that huggy-buggy warmth she'd felt in his arms?
She shook the thoughts away. Her life wasn't a fairy tale. Her reality was shattered trust and betrayal. She had to fix her home, protect her mother, and pretend everything was okay.
Just then, her phone buzzed again it was her father's old friend calling. She quickly picked it up.
"Uncle?" she asked softly.
"Selira, dear. I wanted to tell you I spoke to that businessman's team. They're open to meeting you. If things go well, maybe he can help with your house. You and your mother meet me tomorrow at 10 a.m. near the temple road. I'll take you."
She paused for a second, uncertain. But then she remembered her father's photo, his kind smile, his dreams for her.
"Yes, Uncle. Thank you. I'll come."
After she cut the call, she looked up at the sky. "Dad, maybe you really are watching over me," she whispered. "Maybe... just maybe... things will change."
Meanwhile in the city, Zavian leaned back in the plush car seat, still staring at the passing trees, but his mind was far from the road. His fingers touched his lips again. He could still feel the echo of that smoochy-woochy kiss. The fire in her breath. The innocence in her whimpers. Her body, trembling yet trusting under him. That night had felt too real. Too deep. Too forbidden.
And now, after all those lovey-dovey dreams he'd locked away because of his cursed allergy suddenly, with her, nothing felt toxic. Only… warm. Real. Alive.
He didn't even know her name. But her memory had already carved itself into his heart like a secret tattoo.
His friend chuckled beside him. "Still thinking about your mystery girl?"
Zavian gave a small nod. "Yeah. It wasn't just passion. It felt... destined. I don't care if it was a mistake or fate. I'm going to find her."
And fate, smiling quietly, had already set that wheel in motion.