Content Warning:
This chapter contains depictions of a severe medical emergency (anaphylaxis) and themes of past self-destructive behavior and self-harm. Please read with care.
Chapter 10: The Weight of a Life
The first thing Aika felt wasn't relief—it was the taste of copper and dust. Her throat felt like it had been scrubbed with sandpaper, and a dull, pulsing ache throbbed in her stomach, a reminder of the poison she'd so eagerly swallowed.
She forced her eyes open. The ceiling was a flat, clinical white that hurt to look at. Silence pressed down on her, broken only by the faint hum of the air conditioning. She looked at the empty, high-backed chairs against the wall.
Literally no one? A bitter laugh bubbled in her chest, but it came out as a painful wheeze. At least show some sympathy, you vipers. Even a villainess usually gets a flower or a card. She stared at the ceiling, feeling a sudden, sharp wave of homesickness. Come on, get up, Aika. No one is coming for 'Helena.' You're the only person in this world who actually cares if you breathe.
The thirst was the worst part. She spotted a water bottle on the side table. As she shifted, her body felt like leaden weights were tied to her limbs. As her bare feet hit the linoleum, the cold shot up her legs, and her knees simply... gave out.
THUD.
Her chin hit the floor. "Dammit," she hissed, the hard floor vibrating against her cheek. What is wrong with these legs? Am I a literal ragdoll now? She was still tangled in the expensive silk sheets on the floor when the door slid open with a soft, electronic sigh. Through the strands of her messy hair, she saw a pair of polished leather shoes.
"What exactly are you doing on the floor, Miss Helena?"
Vahn's voice was cool, like a glass of ice water. He didn't sound panicked; he sounded observant.
"I... I'm exploring the floor. It's very... stable," Aika blurted out. Even as she said it, she wanted to crawl under the bed and hide. Great, Aika. Real smooth.
Vahn didn't laugh. He stepped forward, his fingers warm and steady as they closed around her hand. He lifted her back onto the bed as if she weighed nothing at all. "The floor is cold," he said, his eyes lingering on her bare feet. "And you aren't even wearing your slippers. Stay put."
He handed her the water, watching her drink with an intensity that made her nervous.
"Am I a toddler to you?" she asked after a few gulps, her voice finally returning.
"You're acting like one," Vahn replied, leaning against the bedside table. "You have a severe seafood allergy. How could you eat that food so recklessly? Did you forget your own life?"
Aika looked down at the water bottle. I didn't forget Helena's life. I just lived my own for twenty years where prawns were safe.
"I forgot," she whispered. "Who brought me here? My father?"
Vahn's expression shifted—a flicker of something like pity, or perhaps disgust for the D'Arvens. "No. Noel and I. Your father stayed to finish the merger talk. Business doesn't stop for a hospital run."
He paused, checking his watch. "Actually, your fiancé, Airon, has been pacing the hallway. He was concerned enough to tell the doctor not to use an IV because of your needle phobia. He seemed to think you'd prefer the pain over the needle."
Aika looked at her arm, relieved to find no IV. He remembered that? For a second, a small, genuine smile touched her lips—a rare look for Helena that brought out a soft dimple. Vahn went quiet, staring at her as if he'd never seen her before.
"Send him in," she said with a shrug. "Let's see what he wants."
Vahn left, and seconds later, Airon practically stormed in. The air in the room changed instantly, becoming heavy and tense.
"Are you okay?" he asked, but it sounded more like an accusation. "Why did you do it again, Helena? Do you have no shame?"
Aika's brows knitted together. "Again?"
Airon's face was flushed with a mixture of fear and fury. "Don't lie! You did this in college. You ate prawns to force your father to cancel his trip. You used your own life to get attention. Is this another game?"
As the words "Why did you do it?" left his mouth, a sudden, blinding pain spiked behind Aika's eyes. The hospital room shattered into a jagged, fuzzy memory.
[The Memory]
She wasn't in a hospital. She was in a cold, dim college cafeteria. A younger Airon sat across from her, his phone pressed to his ear. He was talking about schedules, his eyes never meeting hers.
"He didn't reply, Airon," the girl—Helena—whispered. Her voice was thin and broken. "Why didn't he come? Why does he hate me that much?"
Airon didn't look up from his call. He just gave a sharp, impatient nod, his focus entirely on his phone.
"Answer me!" Helena choked out. Tears were streaming down her face. In a frantic movement, she grabbed a container of food. "Look at me! If I do this, he'll have to come, right? He won't let me die in a place like this!"
She began stuffing her mouth with the poison, her eyes wide and pleading, begging Airon to stop her—to just put down the phone. But in the memory, Airon just kept talking, cold and professional, until she collapsed onto the floor.
"Stop it!" Aika gasped, snapping back to the present.
She shoved Airon's chest with all her might, her eyes wide with horror and disgust. Her brain was in total shock. That wasn't a dream. He watched her do it. He watched her break.
But Airon didn't see her shock. He lunged forward again, his hands slamming onto her shoulders. He shook her, his eyes wild. "Do you have any idea how worried I was?!"
"Airon, let go!"
A new hand entered the frame, yanking Airon back with a violent snap. Noel stood there, his face a mask of cold fury. He stepped in front of Aika, a wall of protection. "What is this way of talking to her? She's a patient."
Airon straightened his coat, a cruel smirk appearing. He leaned in, whispering so only Noel could hear: "Oh, really? Now she's your sister? The one you treated like a ghost until today? Watch your words, Noel. You aren't her savior."
The two men glared at each other before finally retreating out of the room, leaving Aika in the sudden, ringing silence.
Aika sat there, staring at the faint red marks on her shoulders. "What an absolute idiot," she muttered, her hands trembling. "Helena was a fool. She tried to die for a man who didn't even show up... and for a fiancé who was too busy with a phone call."
She looked at the dark window. Everything is changing. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from this family... before I become the next ghost in this house.
Airon and Noel stood chest-to-chest, the air between them thick with a decade of resentment.
"Get out," Aika's voice cracked through the tension. It wasn't a scream; it was a cold, exhausted command.
Both men froze, looking at her as if they'd forgotten she was a human being and not just a prize to fight over.
"Both of you," she snapped, pointing toward the door. "Airon, your behavior is bordering on harassment. And Noel... I can't do this right now. Leave."
Airon straightened his coat, his face a mask of wounded pride. He shot one last, lethal look at Noel. "This isn't over," he hissed. He turned on his heel and stormed out, the door slamming with a bang that made the windows rattle.
Noel stayed for a second longer, his jaw tight. He looked like he wanted to argue, but seeing the genuine exhaustion in Aika's eyes, he bit his tongue and followed Airon out.
The door hissed shut. Silence rushed back into the room As they left
Aika sat there for a long moment, staring at the faint red marks on her shoulders. She let out a long, shaky breath and leaned her head back against the pillow, closing her eyes.
Who was that Helena? Seriously? Aika thought, her inner voice dripping with disbelief. Girl, are you actually dumb? You almost died for a "reply" and a "glance" from a man who treats a phone call like it's the Holy Grail? Oh my god...
She rubbed her temples, feeling a massive headache coming on.
I can't even imagine how the "old" Helena would have reacted to the engagement being broken. She probably would have set the manor on fire or something equally dramatic. And now I'm the one stuck in this mess. Aika looked at her pale, thin hands. Why did I have to reincarnate into a psychological thriller character? It would have been way better if I were just a regular FL who had to go to balls and wear pretty dresses. But no, I'm stuck in a psycho-drama with a family of vipers and a fiancé who needs a restraining order.
A bitter, dry chuckle escaped her lips. At least I'm better than her. I might be a "blank book" with no business skills, but at least I'm not a psycho-idiot who eats prawns for fun. Note to self: Aika is the smart one. Helena was... a lot.
She looked at the dark window, her reflection staring back with hollow eyes.
The plot is a wreck, and the male leads are all losing their minds. I need to get out of here. I need to get away from this family... before I become the next ghost in this house.