This damn dress…
Chapter 32
One moment, life felt like a well-oiled machine, filled with love, respect, and trust.And then, everything shifted.The air was filled with shouts that bounced off the walls of our home, leaving no trace of the affection and understanding that once prevailed.
I found myself standing in the narrow space between the living room and the kitchen, numb to the surrounding chaos.I absorbed the torrent of anger, disappointment, and disdain my parents directed at me, feeling the weight of their hurt.The onlycrimeI had committed was daring to fall in love.
I longed for it to be over; I couldn't endure the scene any longer.My mother was still storming around, spewing fury, while my father stood frozen, his silence heavy with the weight of his words.
I could sense he wished to comfort me, to shield me from the storm, but he held back.Instead, he said, “Julia, enough.Let her take off that dress and shower.”My mother, panting and visibly shaken, fell silent.She didn't protest; they let me leave.
I looked at my knees and elbows, marked with scratches, every part of me aching.I tried to scrub the grime from my feet and heels, and I washed my face again and again, yet that stubborn waterproof mascara clung on.
The water cascaded over me, and tears mingled with the soap, streaming down my cheeks.I couldn't help but wonder where Zane was at that moment.Was he okay?Did he feel regret?Then, a more chilling thought crept in: Would that guy press charges?What would that mean?
Sleep eluded me, and I spent the next day confined in my bed.My mother brought me soup, her gaze now laced with sorrow instead of fury.I couldn't bring myself to eat; the ache I felt wasn't physical but emotional, and I was at a loss for how to navigate it.
I attempted to reach out to Zane, but his phone remained off.Jessica and Emily texted, checking in on me.I was eager to go to school the next day; I needed to see him, needed to talk to him.My parents had laid down their rules, and Zane was distinctly not part of that plan anymore.
The following morning, I woke up early and left the house without encountering my parents.Once I was on my way to the bus stop, I heard someone call my name from behind—it was Marco.
“Hey, how's it going?”he asked when he caught up with me.
“I feel like I've been run over by a truck,” I attempted to joke, but my lips refused to curl into a smile.
“I'm sorry I didn't step in sooner; it was just—so overwhelming.I've never seen anyone so filled with rage,” Marco confessed.I didn't blame him; everything had happened so quickly.
“It's fine, really.Don't worry about it.Things will get better,” I replied softly.
“At least now you know how dangerous he can be,” Marco said, his tone serious.My eyes widened as I focused on him.
“What do you mean by that?”I asked, raising my voice slightly.
“Well, you're not planning to see him again, right?”he asked, as if it were a given.
“Excuse me?Yes, I intend to see him, and we'll work through this,” I snapped, my frustration boiling over.
“But he pushed you!He hurt you!He assaulted someone, and it's not the first time!”he countered, his voice rising.I scoffed, not wanting to escalate the conversation further as we approached the bus stop where Emily was watching us intently but remained silent.She already understood what was going on between us.We didn't sit together on the bus, nor did we speak.
At school, I searched for Zane before classes, but he was nowhere to be found.I hurried through the hallways and up the stairs to find V; I needed to make sure he was okay.The bell rang, and my search turned out to be fruitless.
I was oblivious to the curious glances from others—news of the incident had spread like wildfire.After the first period, I tried to locate V again, but to no avail.It was the same story after the second period.
Finally, during lunch, I spotted her in a corner with Clous and Jake, their expressions serious as they whispered to each other.I rushed over to them.
“Where's Zane?”I pressed, urgency lacing my voice.Clous shot me a look as if my words had just started a war.V refused to meet my gaze, acting as if I were invisible.Her jaw was tight, fingers balled into fists.“Where.Is.Zane?”I repeated, grabbing her forearm in desperation.It was a mistake.In an instant, she yanked her arm away and shoved me hard in the chest, nearly sending me stumbling backward.
“It's your fault.You did this.You… you bitch.”She advanced on me, forcing me to retreat.The other students around us stood frozen in stunned silence, like spectators in a play.Her eyes were dark with fury and brimming with unshed tears.
“I just want to talk to him,” I pleaded, hoping to reason with her.
“Talk?There's nothing left to say.You lost him, and so did I.You took him from me.”V’s voice rose, her anger spilling over, not caring if anyone suspected that Zane and she were related or if they thought we were simply fighting over him, both of us in love.Her expression revealed just how deeply she cared for him.
“Please, V, I genuinely care about him.I just want to talk,” I said, my voice heavy with sorrow.She halted.
“What part of this do you not understand?”she scoffed, her disdain palpable.“He's gone,” she added, and her words hit me like a punch to the gut, making my knees feel weak.
“What do you mean gone?Where did he go?”I pressed, desperate for answers.
