Chapter 4: The Day She Chose Herself
Some days look ordinary on the calendar—
but inside a life,
they change everything.
That morning, Shijui woke up early.
No alarm.
No heaviness.
The light coming through the window
didn't hurt today—
as if the sun itself was gently saying,
"I'm still here."
For the first time in a long while,
she tied her hair with care,
chose her clothes without rushing,
and paused in front of the mirror
to really look at herself.
The girl standing there
was not just someone's daughter,
not just a responsibility,
not just someone waiting for another.
She was Shijui.
That day, she stepped outside.
Not for work.
Not out of obligation.
Just… to walk.
The streets were alive—
people laughing, talking, falling, rising.
Life was moving forward
without asking permission.
And in that moment,
Shijui realized—
maybe life had never stopped her.
Maybe she had stopped herself.
Her steps slowed in front of a small bookstore.
Inside, she picked up a diary.
Blank pages.
Just like her future.
At the counter,
the salesman smiled and said,
"You look like someone who writes stories."
Shijui smiled softly.
"Maybe… I am."
Back home,
she opened the diary.
Her hands trembled slightly.
Her heart beat faster.
And then—
she wrote her first line:
"Today, I chose myself."
That night,
Evan crossed her mind.
But not with pain—
with gratitude.
You came into my life,
and that's why I broke.
And I broke…
so I could find myself.
Her phone buzzed—
an unknown number.
"Hi, this is Aarav.
Your résumé has been shortlisted.
Can you come in for an interview tomorrow?"
Shijui stared at the screen.
Tears filled her eyes—
but this time,
they were not tears of weakness.
They were tears of hope.
She told her mother.
Her mother placed a hand on her head
and said only one thing,
"Go. Don't be afraid."
That night, Shijui slept peacefully.
She dreamed.
And for the first time,
Evan wasn't in those dreams.
She was.
Walking.
Falling.
Standing up again.
And somewhere far away,
life smiled and whispered—
"Now the story truly begins."
Because the girl
who once only endured,
had finally chosen to live.
And this—
was only the beginning. 🌱✨