CHAPTER SIXTEEN
I didn't go back to my room.
I didn't lock the door behind me or grab my phone charger or think about what I would need later. All I knew was that if I stayed one more second inside that house, I would break into pieces too small to put back together.
My feet moved on their own, carrying me toward the front door while my chest burned like it was on fire.
"Leah."
My mother's voice came sharp and commanding from behind me.
I didn't turn.
"Leah, come back here."
My hand closed around the door handle. It felt cold. Heavy.
"If you walk out of this house," she continued, her tone turning dangerous, "don't expect me to give you money again. Don't expect allowances. Don't expect anything from me."
Something in me hardened.
I pulled the door open and stepped outside.
"Leah!"
I slammed the door shut.
The sound echoed down the street, loud and final, like punctuation at the end of a sentence that had been building my whole life.
For a moment, I stood there breathing hard, my hands shaking, my eyes stinging. I half-expected her to open the door again. To chase after me. To say something cruel enough to justify everything I was feeling.
She didn't.
The silence that followed felt louder than shouting.
I started walking.
I didn't know where I was going at first. I just knew where I couldn't go back to. The streetlights blurred as tears filled my eyes, and I wiped them away angrily. I refused to cry where anyone could see me.
My mind betrayed me then.
Kian.
The thought of him came softly, dangerously. I remembered the last time I had been at his place—how close we had stood, how the air had shifted, how a kiss had almost happened. How I had left before something irreversible could occur.
I couldn't go there tonight.
Not like this.
So I clung to one name like a lifeline.
Mimi.
Mimi lived far. Too far. I had only taken the bus to her place once, and even then I had almost missed my stop. But I needed someone. I needed noise. I needed a place where my thoughts wouldn't suffocate me.
At the bus stop, I stood awkwardly, hugging myself, trying to look like a normal girl waiting to go somewhere ordinary. When the bus finally arrived, I hesitated before climbing in, checking the number three times.
I paid, sat down, and held my bag tightly on my lap like it could keep me grounded.
Every stop made my heart race. I kept checking my phone, terrified I would miss where I was meant to get down. By the time I finally stepped off, my legs felt weak.
When Mimi opened the door, I lost whatever strength I had left.
I dropped my bag and collapsed onto her couch, the tears coming fast and ugly.
"Leah?" she asked, startled. "What happened?"
I tried to speak. I really did. But the words tangled in my throat.
"I… I walked in on something," I finally whispered.
She frowned. "On what?"
"My parents," I said, my voice cracking. "Together. Coming out of the bathroom like it was normal."
Her eyes widened slightly.
"And when I reacted," I continued, swallowing hard, "my mom slapped me."
There was a brief pause.
Then Mimi clapped and laughed.
I stared at her in disbelief.
"Ah ahn," she said, shaking her head. "Is that what's making you cry like this? Leah, your mom is an adult. Your dad is an adult. People sleep together."
Something inside me snapped.
"That's it?" I shouted, standing up. "That's all you have to say?"
She blinked, surprised.
"I came here because I needed comfort," I said, my voice shaking. "Not jokes."
Her laughter died instantly.
She looked at me properly then—really looked. My swollen eyes. My trembling hands.
"Oh," she said softly. "You're actually hurt."
"Yes," I whispered. "I am."
She stood up and pulled me into a hug. "I'm sorry. I wasn't trying to be insensitive. I just joke when things get uncomfortable."
She handed me a glass of wine. "Sip. Just a little."
I did.
After a while, I sighed. "I don't even have anything to wear for tomorrow."
Her eyes lit up. "The prince's pre-birthday?"
I nodded.
"I can't ask my mom for money," I said quietly. "Not after today."
Mimi waved her hand. "Please. I've got you."
And just like that, we were out again.
The first boutique smelled wrong—cheap perfume, crowded racks, mirrors that made everything look smaller than it was.
Mimi frowned instantly. "This place is insulting."
I picked up a dress anyway. "It's fine."
She snatched it from me. "No."
We left.
The second boutique was different. Quiet. Spacious. Soft music. Dresses hanging like art.
I froze.
"Mimi, this place is expensive."
She smiled. "Exactly."
I tried on a simple dress first. Safe. Covered.
She shook her head. "You look like you're attending a meeting."
The second dress hugged my waist. The third showed too much leg.
Then she handed me the dress.
Backless. Deep neckline. Soft fabric clinging to my skin.
"Mimi," I whispered. "My nipples—"
"Will survive," she said. "Wear it."
In the mirror, I barely recognized myself.
We bought hair extensions. Makeup. Shoes.
By the time we left, my arms were full of bags.
That's when I saw him.
Kian.
He stood across the street, his eyes locking onto mine, then drifting to the shopping bags.
"Leah," he said slowly. "What are you shopping for?"
My heart stopped.
I opened my mouth—
And realized I had no idea what to tell him.