My phone stayed hidden.
Even my best friend's name became forbidden in the house.
But what Amma didn't know was this—love always finds a way.
Every week, I had tuition with my cousin. A Grab sister, who had cared for me since I was small, would pick us up. She knew everything—I had already poured my heart out to her. She wasn't shocked, she wasn't angry. Instead, she became my shield.
"Here," she whispered one evening, sliding her phone into my hand. "Five minutes only."
My fingers shook as I dialed his number. When his voice came through, my heart leapt.
"Hello?" he whispered.
"It's me," I breathed, tears blurring my sight.
There was silence—then his laugh, full of relief.
"I thought I lost you."
Beside me, my cousin sister listened too. She knew everything, followed along with us. For three days straight, this secret path became my lifeline. Just five minutes, just his voice—that was enough to keep me breathing.
But the fourth day, everything shattered.
The Grab sister pulled me aside, her face serious.
"Don't trust your cousin again," she warned. "She told your Amma. She said you were using my phone to call him."
The words stabbed deeper than any cane strike. My chest tightened as betrayal burned inside me. I had trusted her with everything. I thought she was my safe place. And she gave me away.
That day, I made a decision. No matter how desperate I became, I would never again trust anyone except two people—my guy friend, and this Grab sister who risked herself to protect me.
Everyone else was just another storm waiting to break me.