My body locked up.

Then someone shoved my shoulder from behind, careless, laughing. I lost my balance and slammed into the low glass coffee table in the center of the suite.

Bang!

Glass shattered across the marble floor.

The tray slipped from my hands. Bottles crashed. Expensive wine bled into the carpet like something wasted on purpose. Pain shot through my palms as shards cut into my skin, and I hit the floor hard enough to knock the air out of me.

For a second, all I could hear was the ocean outside.

Then the room burst.

Laughter filled the suite instantly, sharp and loud, echoing against the glass walls overlooking the cliffs. Familiar in the worst way.

People stood up around me like I was part of the entertainment. Something unexpected that made their night better.

“Oh wow, it really is Dahlia! Trixie's older sister,” one of them said, dragging my name out like it tasted wrong. “You got out and your first job is here? At a resort like this?” He laughed. “Damn, life really humbles people, huh?”

I didn’t answer.

I pressed my hand harder against my bleeding palm and tried to breathe through the sting.

Another voice joined in, lighter but just as cruel. “Look at her. Still acting all quiet. You’d think ten years in prison would’ve fixed that attitude. Wait, how come this criminal even has a job here? She should just be sweeping the streets!”

They laughed again while I stayed on the floor.

Getting up felt pointless.

Then a colder voice cut through the noise. It's Arkin.

“What are you doing just lying there? You broke expensive liquor. Do you even know what those bottles cost?”

I swallowed, forcing my voice to work.

“I’m s-sorry,, Mr. Wattson,” I said quietly. “I didn’t mean to knock it over. I can’t afford it, but I’ll figure something out. Just… give me time.”

A scoff.

“Time?” Arkin's friend chime in, “You think this is a charity? Dahlia, you really haven’t changed. You still don’t understand your place.”

More laughter followed, louder now, feeding off each other.

“Alright,” he said slowly, a smile forming that didn’t reach his eyes. “Since you work here now, entertain us a little. Dance.”

The word hung in the air.

“Dance for us.”

“Yeah, come on.”

“You broke the drinks. Make up for it.”

“Don’t be shy, Dahlia. Show us what ten years taught you.”

My face burned.

Not just from humiliation. From something heavier. Deeper. Like my body was too tired to even hold onto anger anymore.

I could feel eyes on me from every direction. Weighing. Judging. Enjoying.

And then I felt it. A gaze that didn’t laugh.

Arkin.

I didn’t have money. Not even close. I could already see how this would end. The man in front of me wasn’t just angry about broken bottles. He was using me. Turning me into something small for everyone else to step on.

People like him never stopped. They just found new ways to make it worse.

Ten years in prison had already stripped away whatever dignity I once had. So when my vision blurred and I bit my lip hard enough to taste blood, I pushed myself up slowly. My knees shook. My hands were still bleeding.

The music shifted. Someone turned it up for fun.

And I moved.

Not gracefully. Not beautifully. Just enough to follow the command. My body stiff, hollow, like I wasn’t even inside it anymore.

Laughter rose again.

“Look at her! Fuck, she dance like a slugs.”

“This is just sad.”

“Guess prison didn’t fix anything. You know what Dahlia, ask your sister Trixie to teach you. She's a great danc—”

BANG!

The coffee table flipped violently.

Glass scraped across marble, sharp and sudden, and a voice cut through everything.

“ENOUGH.”

The room went silent.

Before I could react, a hand closed around my arm, strong and unyielding. I was dragged out of the suite, my feet barely keeping up as the noise behind me faded, replaced by the distant crash of waves.

The hallway was dim, quiet and colder.

Then I was shoved back against the marble wall.

The impact knocked the breath out of me again.

Arkin stood in front of me.

Close.

Too close.

Close enough that I could feel the weight of everything he never said.

“Dahlia,” he said, voice cold and controlled, “are you seriously degrading yourself like that in front of everyone?”

My back pressed into the wall. A shiver ran through me. Slowly, I turned my head to look at him.

“You shouldn’t have stepped in,” I said quietly. “How is your father supposed to rest after this?”

Something in his expression shifted.

He shoved me harder.

“You think I did that for you?” he snapped. “I pulled you out because I’m making a deal. Not because I care what happens to you.”

He stepped closer. His voice dropped, quieter but cutting deeper.

“You need money, right?”

The words hit exactly where they were meant to.

“Then listen carefully. You’ll stand outside my room tonight. You don’t leave. You don’t speak. I’ll pay you. More than whatever job you think you can survive on here.”

Before I could respond, he pulled out a stack of cash and threw it straight at my face, hard.

The bills hit my cheek and scattered to the floor.

My skin stung as I stood frozen, warmth rising where it struck.

Arkin didn’t wait. He turned away like I wasn’t worth another second.

....

That night, I stood outside his room without moving.

Inside, I heard them.

Trixie’s voice first, soft and amused. Then Arkin’s, lower, blending with hers until it filled the hallway like I didn’t exist at all.

I stayed there until morning.

When the door finally opened, Arkin stepped out, adjusting his sleeves like nothing had happened.

Trixie followed, smirking when she saw me still there.

“Clean the room,” Arkin said flatly.

I went in.

The place looked like a battlefield of luxury and carelessness. Sheets twisted. Glasses scattered. The air heavy with something I refused to name.

I knelt anyway. Hands shaking as I wiped the floor in silence.

Trixie leaned against the doorway, watching me.

“Wow, sister! You’re still alive,” she said lightly. “That’s kind of surprising.”

I didn’t answer.

She smiled faintly and glanced at Arkin.

“Are you really keeping her around?”

“She’s useful,” Arkin said without hesitation. “And she won’t be here long anyway.”

Trixie laughed softly. “Good. Before the wedding, make sure she disappears. I hate looking at her.”

…

For the next few days, wherever Arkin and Trixie went, I followed.

Dinner. Private gatherings. Cliffside parties filled with people who wouldn’t even look at someone like me twice. I was always there, standing behind them. Quiet. Invisible. Unless they needed something.

Or unless Arkin wanted something.

Every time someone raised a glass, he’d glance at me like it meant nothing.

“She’ll drink it.”

And I did.

Glass after glass. No pause. No refusal.

At first, people laughed it off.

Then it kept going.

“Arkin, that’s enough,” someone would say, “She’s already had a lot.”

He’d smile faintly, eyes cold. “What? You think she can’t handle it? Dahlia, tell them. You can, right?”

I’d nod. “Yeah. I can.”

Even when my stomach twisted. Even when my throat burned raw.

By the end of it, I’d be in the bathroom, gripping the sink, throwing up everything until there was nothing left. Just dry heaving. Shaking.

Then I’d go back out.

Because if I didn’t, it would only get worse.

At dinners, it wasn’t any better.

He’d sit beside Trixie, relaxed, untouchable, while I stood behind her chair like I belonged there.

“Dahlia,” he’d say casually, “peel the shrimp for her. She doesn’t like getting her hands dirty.”

I’d do it.

“And the fish,” Trixie would add, “take the bones out properly this time. Last time you missed one.”

“Okay,” I’d answer quietly.

Then Arkin again, almost bored, “Wipe her hands after. She’s not used to this kind of inconvenience.”

Trixie would laugh softly.

“Arkin baby, you’re spoiling me too much,” she’d say but she never stopped me.

Not once.

Sometimes she’d look at me, eyes sharp, satisfied.

“Careful, sister. Don’t mess up. You know how clumsy you can be.”

I didn’t respond. I just kept doing everything they asked.

Even following her to the restroom. Standing outside like something no one hired but everyone used. And in front of everyone, Arkin treated her like she was everything.

Holding her hand. Brushing her hair back. Leaning close when he spoke.

Things he used to do with me.

After every event, when it was all over, he’d walk to his car, pull out a thick stack of cash, and toss it at me without looking.

“Your pay for today,” he’d say flatly. “Count it if you want. I don’t short people.”

The money would hit the ground more often than not. Dirty. Wrinkled. Sometimes stepped on.

I’d still bend down and pick it up. One by one. Carefully. Like it mattered more than anything.

Because it did.

I needed it.

Just a little more.

Once I had enough, I could pay off the sea burial. Then I could disappear completely. No body. No trace. No Dahlia.

Isn’t that better for everyone?

On Trixie’s birthday, Arkin went all out.

A massive banquet, the kind people talk about for years.

The entire venue was covered in roses, endless rows of them, soft and overwhelming, like something out of a dream I didn’t belong in.

I heard someone say it cost millions just for the flowers.

Of course it did.

This was Arkin.

He didn’t do anything halfway.

Trixie walked in beside him, holding his arm, smiling like she owned the world.

She wore a custom outfit, something elegant and expensive, and I heard whispers that it was designed by Arkin’s mother herself.

For her future daughter-in-law.

They looked perfect together.

Too perfect.

And I stood somewhere in the background, holding a tray, pretending I didn’t exist.

For a second, my mind slipped back to our engagement.

It had been just as grand. Just as beautiful.

Everyone smiling, everyone watching us like we were the ending of a perfect story.

Arkin had held my hand the same way and looked at me the same way.

Like I was everything.

He’d taken out a ring, something passed down in his family, and slipped it onto my finger.

“You’re mine now,” he said back then, voice softer than I had ever heard it. “And I’m yours. No matter what happens, we don’t walk away from each other. Okay?”

I had nodded like I believed it would last forever.

I really did.

The noise around me snapped me out of it.

People talking, not even bothering to lower their voices.

“Can you believe Dahlia had the nerve to show up here? She's a criminal!”

“Seriously, she and Arkin grew up together. He treated her like a princess, gave her everything, and she still destroyed his family.”

“I still don’t get it,” another one said, shaking their head. “He loved her so much. Everyone knew it. Why would she do something that stupid?”

“Because she’s heartless,” someone else cut in. “People like her don’t think. They just ruin everything.”

“If that never happened… they’d probably have a kid by now. Maybe even in school already.”

Another scoff.

“Don’t even try to make sense of her. She doesn’t deserve that kind of understanding.”

“Yeah,” someone added, harsher, “someone like her should just disappear.”

“Honestly? She should just die.”

I heard all of it. Every word. And I didn’t react and didn’t defend myself. Because what was the point? They weren’t wrong about one thing.

I was going to die soon anyway. And this time, I’d make sure when I left… there wouldn’t be anything left behind.

…

After the banquet, Arkin stayed behind to send off his guests, still smiling, still perfect in front of everyone.

Trixie and I waited by the lake near the entrance, the cold air settling into my bones while everything finally went quiet.

It was the first time we were alone since I got out.

For a while, she didn’t say anything, just stood there, staring at the water like she owned even the silence.

Then she spoke.

“Sister… do you know something?” her voice was soft, almost sweet, the kind that pretended to be kind while hiding something rotten. “I’ve always loved Arkin. Not recently, not after you disappeared. I mean before. Even before you got together with him. Funny, right? You just… got him anyway.”

I didn’t answer.

She let out a small laugh, tilting her head.

“Back then, you two looked so happy,” she continued, “and I told myself to let it go. I thought maybe if I stepped back, I could still be your sister, still be part of your life. I even told myself I’d bless you both. God, I was so stupid.”

She finally turned to look at me, and this time there was no softness left, only something sharp and ugly behind her eyes.

“But then you ruined everything!” her tone tightening. “You destroyed him! Do you even know what he went through after that? Or were you too busy playing the victim somewhere? Do you have any idea how broken he was?”

Her lips curled slightly.

“I was the one who stayed with him. Me. I was the one who helped him calm down, who stayed up with him when he couldn’t sleep, who picked up every piece you left behind.”

Her voice dropped lower, almost mocking.

“And now you’re back. Why?” she asked. “Why show up again when things finally started to settle? Why can’t you just stay gone for once? Or is ruining things the only thing you’re actually good at?”

I looked at her, really looked at her, and it felt strange.

All those years, she was beside me, smiling, calling me sister, and I never knew she had been looking at him like that the whole time.

Or maybe I just didn’t want to know.

What was the point now anyway?

I wasn’t here to take anything back. I wasn’t here to fight for anything. I was already leaving.

“Trixie,” I said quietly, “I’m leaving soon.”

She scoffed, rolling her eyes like I’d just said something embarrassing.

“Leaving?” she repeated. “You expect me to believe that? Please. You always say things like that, Dahlia. Always acting like you’re some tragic heroine about to disappear. But you never actually do, do you? You always come back and make everything worse.”

Before I could respond, she suddenly slipped the ring off her finger.

The ring.

The one Arkin gave her.

Then she threw it straight into the lake.

The sound was small, barely anything, but it echoed loudly in my head.

“Opps! You dropped my ring, sister. Shouldn’t you go get it? Or is that too much effort for you now?”

I frowned slightly.

“I didn’t throw it,” I said.

But she just smiled wider, “Does it matter? You’re the one standing here with me, aren’t you? And we both know how this looks.” Her eyes flicked toward the path. “If Arkin sees it’s gone, who do you think he’ll believe? Me… or you?”

Before I could say anything else, footsteps approached.

“Arkin! My sister pulled off my fing and threw it on the lake.”

Arkin came into view fast, eyes already dark with anger. The moment he saw me, he grabbed my wrist hard.

“Dahlia, are you fucking crazy! What does Trixie’s ring have to do with you? Why would you throw it away? Are you that desperate to cause trouble?”

I looked straight at him.

His anger burned, but beneath it, there was something else, something I didn’t want to understand. Was he expecting something from me? Jealousy? Regret?

Did he really think I still had the right to feel those things?

A bitter feeling rose in my chest, but I forced a small smile.

“Why would I care about a ring like that?” I said quietly. “To me, it’s not even worth as much as the cash you throw at me.”

Something in his eyes went cold instantly and before I could react, he shoved me hard.

SPLASH!

The water swallowed me in seconds. I gasped, but my breath got stuck as the freezing water closed around me. By the time I surfaced, Arkin had already turned away.

“I don’t care how you do it,” he said without looking back. “Get the ring.”

Then he grabbed Trixie’s hand and walked off.

Just like that.

No hesitation and no second glance.

The wind cut through the wet fabric clinging to my body, and the lake was half frozen, thin sheets of ice floating around me.

Even looking at it from above would’ve made anyone step back but I was already in it.

The mud at the bottom was sharp, broken pieces hidden under the surface, cutting into my feet every time I moved. I bit my lip and dove down.

Again.

And again.

And again.

The water blurred everything, and my body started to go numb, but I kept searching, hands moving through the dark, through the cold, through the pain that didn’t even feel sharp anymore.

Just empty.

Time passed, but I couldn’t tell how much.

Hours, maybe.

The sky shifted slowly toward morning at some point, my blood had spread into the water, faint red swirling around me every time I moved.

But I kept going, because I knew if I didn’t find it, it wouldn’t end here.

Finally, my fingers brushed against something small.

Cold metal.

The ring.

I held onto it like it was the only thing keeping me from sinking completely.

When I got out of the lake, I could barely feel my body anymore.

Everything hurt, but also didn’t.

I walked back, dripping, shaking, and found Arkin again.

I held the ring out to him. He glanced at me, frowning slightly, like my state was inconvenient.

Then he reached into his pocket, pulled out cash, and threw it at me.

Same as always.

No words that mattered.

No questions.

Just money. I picked it up quietly, one bill at a time, my hands still trembling.

Then I left.

Because that was all I was supposed to do.

…

For the next few days, Arkin didn’t make things harder for me. No orders, no humiliation, nothing, and it felt strange, too quiet, like something was waiting. I almost thought maybe he was done with me, maybe I could just save enough, finish the sea burial, and disappear. Was it really going to be that easy? I should’ve known better.

That day, when I got back and stepped out of the car, I saw it immediately. Thick smoke wrapping around the villa. My heart dropped. Arkin. The thought hit before anything else and I ran without thinking. He hated noise, hated people, so the staff only came when he wasn’t home, and these past few days he stayed inside. Which meant he was alone.

“Arkin!” I shouted, rushing in as the heat hit me. The fire had spread fast, but I knew the place well and pushed forward, coughing, until I reached his bedroom. He was there, collapsed on the bed, completely unconscious. The air was heavy with smoke, and the pills on the table told me enough.

“Arkin, wake up,” I said, shaking him, but he didn’t move. “Don’t do this… you can hate me all you want, just don’t die like this, okay?”

I dragged him up, forced him onto my back, and moved toward the door. Every step got heavier, the fire growing, the way out almost blocked. Heat pressed in, my breathing uneven, and then something cracked above me. A burning beam fell. I didn’t think, I just turned and covered him. Pain exploded through my back, my vision went white, and I almost collapsed.

But I didn’t.

I looked at him, still breathing, still alive, and something in me refused to give up.

“Just hold on,” I whispered. “You don’t get to leave like this. Not before me.”

I forced myself forward, step by step, through heat and smoke and pain, until somehow we made it out. We collapsed onto the lawn, cold air hitting my lungs as I coughed, my body shaking, everything hurting at once. I barely had strength, but I still pushed him away from me.

Trixie ran toward us. Of course she did. Always there when it mattered. I used the last of my strength and shoved Arkin toward her.

“Take him,” I said weakly. “When he wakes up… tell him you saved him. Just say it was you. Don’t tell him I was there.”

She froze, staring at me.

“What are you doing?” she asked, confused. “Why would you say that? Dahlia, what are you trying to prove now?”

I shook my head.

“Nothing,” I said. “I’m not trying to prove anything. I just… don’t need him to know.”

She grabbed my arm, her eyes narrowing.

“Then answer me,” she said. “Did you kill his father on purpose? Was it really you, just like everyone says?”

My body went still. For a second, everything came back, the truth, the lie, everything I carried. Would it even matter now? Would he believe me? Or just hate me more? What’s the point?

After a long pause, I gave the only answer that kept things simple.

“Yes.”

Her grip loosened. I walked away without looking back.

In the days after that, Trixie stayed by his side, taking care of him, never leaving. When he learned she “saved” him, everything shifted. He treated her better, softer, closer, like she mattered more than anyone. Maybe she always did.

At night, standing outside his door, I could hear them. Her laughter. His voice, low and gentle, the way it used to be with me. Words that weren’t mine anymore. I leaned against the wall, eyes closed, pretending I couldn’t hear it, pretending it didn’t matter.

Maybe he really did fall for her. Maybe this was how it was supposed to be.

Good. He should’ve had this life from the start.

I looked at my hands and let out a quiet breath. So this is it, huh? You really don’t belong anywhere anymore.

The wound on my back still burned from the fire, sharp with every movement, but I didn’t tell anyone. When no one was around, I’d quietly put medicine on it, teeth clenched, trying not to make a sound.

Because it didn’t matter.

I was already halfway gone anyway.

…

That day, as always, I stayed in the small room they gave me. It wasn’t really a room, just a space I didn’t belong in. I took off my coat, sat down, and was about to apply medicine on my back when the door suddenly slammed open.

Arkin’s mother.

Of course it was her.

Her eyes dropped straight to my back, to the burns I’d been hiding, and her expression shifted instantly, anger and fear colliding at once.

“What happened to your back? Those burns… Dahlia, what did you do?”

She stepped closer, unable to accept what she was seeing, then stopped right in front of me.

“Was it you?” she asked. “Did you save Arkin that day?”

I froze.