“Oh my god, T, look over there,” Tracker, one of her loyal minions, gasped in disbelief.
“Kabir literally walked right past you to go talk to that little lizard…”
“Oh, shut up, Tracker!” T snapped, her face flushing with pure anger.
“But Tracker is right, T,” her other friend chimed in nervously.
Furious, T stamped her high heel hard against the floor.
With a dramatic hair flip, she turned on her heel and stormed off in the opposite direction, her ego bruised but her mind already racing with plans for revenge.
Meanwhile, back at the bar, Misha marched right up to Kabir, holding a glass of wine.
She shot him a glare that could melt steel.
“Oh, look who it is.
I thought you said you weren’t coming tonight, “loser”,” Misha said sharply, stepping between him and Piya.
“And do me a favor. Stay away from Piya.”
Before Kabir could throw a sarcastic reply, Panchi hurried over, dragging a tall, friendly-looking guy by the hand.
“Piya!” Panchi called out excitedly.
“Meet Danny, my boyfriend. Danny, this is Piya!”
“Hello, nice to meet you,” Danny smiled warmly, offering a quick wave.
“Hello,” Piya replied with a kind smile, grateful for the interruption.
Suddenly, a noisy group of boys crashed into their circle.
They loudly greeted Kabir and Misha, completely hijacking the conversation and dragging them both away toward the pool table before Misha could even protest.
“We’ll be right back!” Panchi told Piya as Danny guided her away to greet some newly arrived guests on the other side of the room.
Once again, Piya found herself standing all alone by the bar.
Before she could even take a sip of her juice, the strong scent of heavy perfume hit her.
T walked up, a sickly sweet, entirely fake smile plastered across her face.
“Hiii, Piya!” T purred, leaning against the counter and looking her up and down. Read this novel at g.com for the best experience.
“Hi,” Piya answered politely with a sweet, genuine gesture.
“How are you?” T asked, her voice dripping with mock concern, before her smile sharpened into a nasty sneer.
“Well, of course you’re doing “just fine”…”
“After all, it’s always so much fun enjoying a lavish life on other people’s money, isn’t it?”
T remarked casually, pretending to examine her manicured nails.
Piya’s warm expression instantly dropped.
“What?” she asked, confusion and hurt flashing across her face.
“I mean, everyone knows Panchi has this massive obsession with doing charity work,” T sneered, stepping closer, her voice dripping with venom.
“Just like she picks up stray dogs from the street and brings them home… she took “you” in. She gave you this expensive dress, the fancy sandals, the makeup, the earrings. And why wouldn’t she? You’re an orphan, after all.”
“What do you mean?” Piya said, abruptly standing up from her stool, her heart pounding against her ribs.
“Oh, don’t get so heated,” T laughed, a cruel, mocking sound.
“I was just wondering… do you even know your parents’ names? I mean, I can’t help but think… do you actually have parents, or are you just someone’s illegitimate child?”
Piya froze.
The cruel words felt like a physical slap across the face.
Her lower lip trembled, and her eyes instantly welled up with thick, heavy tears.
Her vision blurred as the crushing weight of T’s vicious insult shattered her heart in the middle of the crowded room.
“Yes, Piya. Just look around,” T continued, leaning in closer as a wicked, triumphant smile spread across her face.
“Neither Panchi nor Misha are standing with you right now. They’re all busy with their own lives, enjoying themselves, because the harsh truth is, nobody actually cares about you.”
T pointed a manicured finger toward the patio doors.
“Look at that little puppy tied up all alone out there. You are exactly like him. The only difference is that nobody has put a physical leash around your neck. You think you’re free, but you’re just a stray pet they brought along out of pity.” Find the original chapter at novelping dot com.
T took a step back, looking Piya up and down with utter disgust.
“But seriously, Piya, do you have absolutely no shame? I mean, a person should have at least a little bit of self-respect! Dust only belongs on the bottom of a shoe or out on the dirty street—not worn as a crown on someone’s forehead. And that’s exactly what you are, Piya. You are just dirt.”
A single, heavy tear slipped down Piya’s pale cheek.
Her chest heaved as T’s vicious, calculated words pierced right through her soul, completely shattering her confidence and leaving her deeply humiliated in the middle of the glittering party.
T stood tall, soaking in her cruel victory.
Running blindly, her steps eventually began to slow as heavy exhaustion washed over her.
Without realizing it, she had wandered deep into the surrounding woods.
Gasping for breath, she finally stopped near a massive, towering tree.
She sank to the cold ground, pulling her knees to her chest, and just wept.
She sat there for a long time, crying her heart out under the heavy, oppressive shadows.
When her sobs finally subsided and her senses slowly returned to her, a sudden, sharp chill ran down her spine.
She looked around and realized a terrifying truth—she had strayed dangerously far from the safety of the road and was now lost deep inside the heart of the dense forest.
There was absolutely no one around.
Panic began to set in.
The forest was suffocatingly dark, wrapped in a pitch-black blanket where even the moonlight struggled to reach.
Strange, unsettling animal cries echoed through the trees, yet they were swallowed by a bizarre, dead silence that felt completely unnatural.
Her heart began to pound wildly in her chest as pure fear took over.
Trembling, Piya frantically scanned her dark surroundings, desperately looking for a way out.
And then, cutting sharply through the eerie silence… she heard a voice.
‘”A girl’s voice.”‘