Chapter 10 A Successful Day Out
+8 Pearls
On the other end of the line, Liana’s voice was filled with pleading sincerity, and Lilith found herself unable to say no.
After a brief pause, she added, “If I’m late getting to the meeting spot, don’t wait for me. You can either go without me or find someone else to join you. I’ll pay for everything–just enjoy yourself.”
Liana seemed puzzled and quickly sent a question mark, asking why.
Lilith couldn’t explain her reasons clearly, only telling her that she was worried about things going wrong unexpectedly.
“Oh, don’t worry about it! Don’t worry about things that haven’t happened yet,” Liana responded cheerfully. “We’ll have so much fun tomorrow, I promise!”
She even added a bright, excited emoji.
From Liana’s words, Lilith could feel the excitement bubbling through the screen. The greater the hope, the bigger the chance for disappointment, but Lilith could only hope that everything would go smoothly.
She set several alarms, just in case one failed for some strange reason, and even asked Winifred to make sure she woke her up on time. With everything in place, Lilith went to bed, her thoughts a mix of anticipation and anxiety.
The next morning, the alarm rang, and Winifred knocked on her door, reminding her that breakfast was ready and encouraging her to eat once she was done getting ready. Lilith drew back the curtains. Her body felt perfectly fine, and everything seemed to be going according to plan.
The sky was bright and clear blue, and the world seemed to sparkle with life. A soft breeze rustled the curtains, almost like it was inviting her to step outside.
A feeling of joy bubbled up inside her as she hurried through her morning routine. She drank some milk, grabbed a slice of toast, and headed out. Walking through the large villa complex, she made her way to the street to catch a cab. She opened the ride–sharing app on her phone, but it didn’t work. She tried again, tapping the screen repeatedly. The display flickered and
went blank.
Realizing she couldn’t hail a cab through the app, Lilith was relieved she had kept cash on hand. But as a feeling of unease crept over her, she reached into her pocket–and found only a pack of tissues, nothing else.
It was still early, and while the destination was a bit far, she figured she could walk there in about ten minutes, even if she were a little late.
Just as she was thankful that her body wasn’t causing her any problems that day, Lilith soon realized she had underestimated how much fate liked to mess with her. After walking for over 20 minutes, a sharp pain began in her stomach. But Lilith had grown used to such discomfort, so she kept walking, her face betraying no sign of it.
A few minutes later, a sudden chill seemed to seep into her bones. Lilith exhaled deeply, clutching her stomach and squatting by the side of the road, feeling an unusual wave of exhaustion and fatigue.
She wasn’t sure how long she sat there, but eventually, the discomfort faded a little. It became clear, though, that even if she rushed, she would still be too late. Her legs felt weak, and the thought of having to apologize to Líana after school weighed heavily on her heart.
Then, a gust of wind blew past her, followed by the sound of bicycle tires skidding to a stop.
“Hop on, Lilith! Let’s go have some fun!” Liana called out.
Lilith turned around, stunned to see her friend’s bright smile.
Still in disbelief, Lilith asked, “Liana, how did you even know I was here?”
“I’ve been here for a while!” Liana replied, grinning proudly. “I saw you weren’t at the meeting spot and you weren’t answering your phone, so I figured something might have happened, just like you said. So I hurried over to find you.” Liana looked pleased with herself for figuring it out. “Good thing I remembered where you lived, or I never would have found you. This place is huge!”
9:26 PM
Chapter 10 A Successful Day Out
+8 Pearls
From what Liana had said, it was clear she had been wandering around the villa complex for some time, taking a few detours along the way. Lilith noticed a faint redness on the back of Liana’s neck, likely from the harsh sun earlier in the day. She had also worked up quite a sweat. A wave of guilt washed over Lilith, and she opened her mouth to apologize.
But before she could speak, Liana’s voice rang out in excitement. “Hold on tight, Lilith! We’re going downhill now!”
The wind roared through the hills, rushing into Liana’s white T–shirt, making the fabric puff out like a bird’s wings. A moment later, the bike picked up speed as it descended a steep hill, and Lilith instinctively wrapped her arms tighter around Liana’s waist, taking in the fresh scent of grass carried on the breeze.
They’d already lost plenty of time due to Lilith, so there wasn’t much of the day left to enjoy.
However, Liana seemed unfazed. To her, Lilith’s delay was nothing more than a small bump in their adventure, something that couldn’t possibly lessen her excitement. When it was time to say goodbye in the evening, she held Lilith’s hand, promising they’d meet hang out again soon. With a bright smile, she waved enthusiastically and insisted on driving her home.
Her endless energy was something Lilith couldn’t help but envy.
But as the evening grew late, Lilith politely declined Liana’s offer to give her a ride. While waiting for a taxi, she turned and gave Liana a soft, heartfelt hug. Around them, the neon lights flickered, and the shadows moved quickly. For the first time in a long while, Lilith felt a rare sense of peace and happiness, knowing that no one had ever waited for her like this before.
Resting her chin on Liana’s shoulder, she felt a weight lift from her chest, a lightness and joy she hadn’t known in years.
Once she got out of the taxi, the bright glare of headlights hit her before she even reached the villa gate. Reflexively, she squinted as the car’s lights stayed on, momentarily blinding her. After a few seconds, she adjusted her eyes, trying to make sense of the bright light.
She saw her second brother, Garrick, stepping out of the car. He was dressed in black, standing tall and poised, with a commanding presence.
The headlights only lit up half of his sharp profile, the long lashes casting a soft shadow. As he walked toward the gate, he had a cigarette in hand.
It seemed like he sensed her watching because he glanced over at her briefly before quickly looking away. Lilith shrugged, resigned, and entered the villa. She spotted Alexis walking toward them, likely coming to welcome Garrick home.
Alexis didn’t seem to expect Lilith to be there. She furrowed her brow slightly, and under the bright lights, it was clear she wasn’t thrilled to see her. Her expression was one of discomfort, like she was trying to avoid her.
Garrick walked up to Alexis and casually draped his arm over his shoulder. They muttered something to each other, but they were far enough apart that Lilith couldn’t hear the words, nor did she care.
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The look they gave her was one of disdain, like she was some sort of unwanted pest.
Over the years, Lilith had seen that same look far too often, sometimes even worse. It no longer bothered her.
Besides, today had been one of the happiest days she’d had in a long time.
It had been a long day, packed with activities. Liana’s boundless energy had filled the day, and by the time they were nearing the end, Liana had taken her to a sculpture class where they both tried to carve plaster figures. Neither of them had any artistic talent, and their attempts with the colors were a disaster. The final result was so laughable that they both couldn’t stop giggling.
Despite everything, Lilith would always remember it. She pulled out the small plaster angel with oversized wings from her bag and placed it in a prominent spot on her pearwood desk. Every time she looked up, it would be there, reminding her of the day’s fun.
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