Requiem of a Broken Heart

Chapter 8

Chapter 8:

In the blink of an eye, Brian’s long strides brought him closer, his face etched with concern.

Tracy, sensing his concern, quickly reassured him. “Brian, please don’t worry. It was all my fault earlier. I wasn’t holding the cup properly. Rachel had no part in this.”

Rachel’s lips curled into a sarcastic smile, her eyes cold with disdain. For a brief moment, when Brian had approached, she had allowed herself to believe that he might actually care, that his concern was for her.

Her heart had softened, only to be shattered by the realization that she was wrong.

He wasn’t here for her, only rushing to protect Tracy.

Rachel’s expression hardened, her voice devoid of emotion as she finally spoke. “This has nothing to do with me,” she said, her tone calm but cutting. “If I had wanted to hurt her, the whole cup of coffee would have been thrown at her, not just a few splashes.”

Brian’s expression darkened, an unreadable intensity settling in his eyes. Before he could stop himself, his hand reached out, fingers curling firmly around Rachel’s wrist. “Rachel…” he murmured, his voice husky, laced with an unfamiliar hesitation.

The sound of his voice, once a balm to Rachel’s soul, now sent a jagged ache through her chest. She steeled herself, masking the storm beneath her calm exterior. “Release me,” she said quietly, though the faint tremor in her words betrayed her.

Brian, however, didn’t release her. Instead, his grip only tightened.

Rachel inhaled deeply, forcing herself to meet his gaze. “Alright then,” she said quietly, her voice carrying the weight of something unspoken. “Tell me, do you even know what I’m afraid of?”

“You…” Brian faltered, taken aback by her question. He was momentarily lost for words, realizing how little he understood her.

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“Forget it,” she said quietly, her hand slipping from his as she pushed him gently away. “I must have been asking for too much.”

Rachel turned away, her footsteps steady, yet each step carried the weight of an unbearable truth. She didn’t glance back, unwilling to reveal the turmoil within. Though her exterior remained composed, the pain had already carved deep wounds in her heart.

Brian had always remembered everything about Tracy; her fears, her anxieties, the little details that made her who she was. He knew she was afraid of darkness and confined spaces. But he…

noticed Rachel’s fears, never realized that she, too, was terrified of the dark, that the sensation of sudden drops and falling

their lives had been shaped by loss. Their mother had died during childbirth, leaving them

less with him by her side. At least she wasn’t completely alone. But everything changed the day he was diagnosed

and survival meant enduring, adapting, and expecting nothing from anyone. Everything worsened when Moira Haynes became their stepmother. Eager to keep his new wife content, their father

away like secrets, too shameful to acknowledge, they spent their days locked in attics, cellars, and windowless rooms where darkness

discovery, and discovery meant punishment. If Moira ever found out about them, the consequences would be severe. A beating would be the least of their worries. Surviving didn’t guarantee living; it only

into her bones, a fear

around herself, Rachel kept walking, forcing herself forward as she always had, one painful step at

expression was one of surprise. “Ms. Marsh, why are

ointment in his hand. She said nothing, the silence heavy between them. It was obvious Brian had sent him to buy the ointment for Tracy. Yet, the sting of that realization

noticed the subtle limp in Rachel’s stride, her unsteady and

his gaze, her voice tight as she answered,

to the office, he quickly

his tone

her tone playful yet insistent. “Brian, I

quiet sigh, he

trouble, I can have Ronald take you to the

her pride taking over.

she lingered, silently hoping for a moment of attention, perhaps a sign of connection. But as she watched Brian immersed in his

in quiet annoyance, and with a deep sigh, she

at the modest office, their eyes quickly scanning the

had just stepped out of school. Her appearance struck a chord with Rachel, evoking memories of

calm and commanding. The woman across from them looked up in confusion. “I’m sorry, but do I know you?” she asked, her voice laced

the table, her gaze unwavering as she locked eyes with the woman. “I think you recognize this,”

examined the draft.

voice remained even but firm. “Because I’m the one who created this design, I spent a week working on it. The submission you made to Titan Innovations is nearly identical, with only slight alterations. What you’ve done is not only plagiarism, it’s also an infringement of my intellectual property.” She paused, giving the woman time to absorb her words. “I expect you to retract your submission and acknowledge your error. If you refuse,

sat in stunned silence, her expression a mix of confusion and realization. She struggled

Rachel, her curiosity piqued. “What’s happening? She seems lost. Do you think

her eyes never leaving the woman. “Let’s wait and see.

“Alright,” Samira replied.