𝟏.𝟏: Lingering scars
𝐅or as long as she could remember, Cassie Arlette had always been the odd one out—a loner.
Years of having no one to relate to or confide in had made her accustomed to the feeling of isolation.
Oh, but it's not that she never tried being friendly, smiling brightly, or sharing her snacks and toys with her peers to gain their attention and favor.
All the effort she poured into making friends always ended in futility because no one wanted to be seen around the creepy girl with ghastly scars littering her skin.
"You're an eyesore. Why would I want to be friends with an ugly weirdo like you?" The new girl spat, smacking Cassie's offered hand away.
Cassie had simply nodded with a weak smile, having anticipated that reaction. But it didn't stop her chest from squeezing painfully.
"Yes, I understand. . . Sorry I asked."
Again.
"It's okay, it's my fault for looking so scary. . ."
And again.
"Sorry, I'll leave you alone."
Again, and again, and again. Like clockwork, the dreaded cycle of rejection haunted Cassie and ate away at her resilience, until all that was left of her was a bleeding heart with too many open wounds that never healed.
But it was fine. Those bleeding wounds were the reason she could look into a mirror and not break down in hysterics.
She was grateful for them because they kept her sane; they distracted her from the repulsive reflection that stared back at her every time she locked gazes with those tear-stained eyes.
To her, the rips in her heart made better company than the ones smeared along the skin of her arms, chest, back, and thighs.
No matter how skillfully she covered those up, they always stung, reminding her of the inhumane ways she got them.
....
STERLINGTON APARTMENTS, SUITE 12B
— Bathroom
From her place in front of the mirror, Cassie let out a shaky sigh, brushing aside the typical gloomy thoughts while she fiddled with the remaining undone buttons on her shirt.
As usual, she gave the thin scar that ran from beneath her left collarbone to her sternum a piteous glance.
The epidermal layer above the scar was still wrinkled and discolored. She always thought it looked out of place on her clear, porcelain skin—like a nasty stain on a milky white fabric.
"How repulsive. What person would want to be seen with a freak like you? You deserve this now, stay still."
Cassie's fingers began to tremble as the burning memory of her blood-curdling screams and sobs from that day flooded into her mind without warning, spiking her pulse.
She rapidly shook her head, her knuckles gripping tightly onto the bathroom sink for support.
She didn't want to go down the rabbit hole again. At least, not now. Today was an important day for her career.
It would be downright pathetic if she lost it here and ruined everything.
No, she wouldn't do that.
She took a deep breath before fixing the last button on her shirt, hiding the scar from her sight—much to her relief.
Smoothly, she took down her waist-length chestnut hair from its messy bun and ran a brush through the curly locks a few times until they glowed and bristled.
A few minutes later, she was out of the bathroom and slipping on her work shoes.
She was in the middle of shrugging on her blazer jacket when a call came in through the home stereo system, startling her for a second.
"Cassie, you have an incoming call from your personal manager, Ms. Winfred O'Bryant. Would you like to accept it?" The silence in the apartment was momentarily broken by the artificial voice's feedback.
"Put her through," Cassie shortly replied, now standing in front of her full-length mirror, patting down her outfit.
She heard the familiar beep go off before her senses were invaded by Winfred's voice.
"Miss Arlette." The woman's rich, silky voice passed a short greeting.
'A woman of few words, as always,' the brunette thought. "Good morning. I'm guessing you've called to tell me you're out front?"
"You're never wrong, Miss Arlette," came her simple rejoinder, and Cassie could tell that she was humoring her.
After all, it was classic for the personal manager to call at exactly 8AM every morning to inform her employer of her arrival.
Cassie picked up her work bag from the hanger and made her way towards the door.
"Thanks for the ego boost, Winfred. Luckily, I was just leaving the apartment. I'll see you in five."
The other end of the line was silent for a while until Winfred's suave voice finally resurfaced. "Always a pleasure. I'll be waiting."
The call disconnected.
—
True to her word, Cassie was out of the apartment complex within five minutes. She didn't have to look around much to spot Winfred.
The woman's tall frame stood by the side of the car, hands tucked in her pockets. Her pin-straight black hair was pulled back in a high ponytail, with sharp bangs partially obscuring her onyx eyes.
She hadn't seemed to notice Cassie yet, given her brisk glance down at her wristwatch.
Cassie walked up to her then, lips curling into a polite smile when Winfred's gaze snapped up to meet hers.
Nodding once in acknowledgment, the manager straightened her posture and moved aside to open the passenger door.
"Please step in. We're running short on time."
Cassie complied, adjusting her skirt when Winfred suddenly ducked into the car, their faces seperated only by a hairsbreadth.
"Excuse me," she muttered, leaning across from the now frozen brunette to strap on her seatbelt.
After making sure the strap was secured, she backed out of the car and let the door shut with a soft click.
At that moment, Cassie gave a quick prayer of thanks to the heavens for making her manager a work-zombie who paid no mind to anything else when she was on the clock.
Otherwise, she might have caught a glimpse of her flustered reaction to their close proximity.
Despite her efforts, Cassie still struggled with people invading her personal space. She couldn't shake off the feeling of being cornered.
Once the taller woman was strapped in the driver's seat, the pair were on their way.
"I wasn't sure if you would have gotten yourself something to eat before I arrived, so I stopped by that coffee shop you like and got you some breakfast," Winfred started, gesturing for Cassie to look toward the center console.
Cassie's heart swelled with gratitude at her thoughtfulness.
Winfred was always like this.
She was one of the few people who treated her like a human and not some unapproachable success story—or scarred freak with too many secrets to spill.
Oh, big whoop, that's what she's being paid for. Anyone would argue.
But that's what made Winfred so different. Paycheck or not, her character was a constant.
Cassie couldn't help but depend on her, even though it was hard for her to let down her guard around anyone else.
"Winfred, really, thank you. To be honest, I had planned on skipping breakfast. I couldn't muster up an appetite, you see…" Cassie almost felt guilty when she noticed the concern etched on Winfred's side profile.
"Hey... if—for any reason—you don't think you can handle the interview, request for it to be rescheduled. You don't have to push yourself to do something you don't want to."
As much as she appreciated the woman's consideration, Cassie couldn't help but wince; she felt like she was being backed into a wall.
Not immediately responding, her eyes fell to her clasped hands on her thighs.
'Yeah I could skip it... But I'm sure the consequences will follow shortly. I don't have the liberty of choosing. Unlike other people.'
Sighing, she finally said, "No, I'm fine. I just… had a minor episode this morning. Thankfully, I was able to get a hold of myself before I got swept away. Really. I've been looking forward to this interview for weeks now. I'm prepared for it."
She lied through her teeth.
Trying to be more convincing, she flashed her manager a trademark smile that didn't reach her eyes but was no less pleasant.
At the same time, the car slowed to a stop as they turned onto a crossroad.
The countdown on the traffic light told them that their lane wouldn't be free to move again until two minutes were up.
Winfred killed the car's engine and turned to face Cassie then, her black eyes boring into her hazel ones.
"Listen, I know it isn't my place to speak, as I'm no mental health expert, but if you would let me be honest with you for once…"
The sudden seriousness in her tone made Cassie tense up.
She wondered what exactly Winfred had to say to her with such a grave expression.
"There's this uncanny feeling I get whenever I'm watching you. I've never seen you frown—or cry, and I've been glued to your side for over three years now."
"You always say you're fine every time I ask you to consider your well-being. It's almost as if you see not 'being fine' as a taboo, like you're going to be ruined if you let yourself show any sign of weakness."
Cassie blinked in surprise, her clasped hands forming loose fists on her thighs.
'She… I didn't expect… that she'd pay that much attention to me. I know she's different from everyone else but still…'
The brunette wasn't given enough time to come to terms with this development because her manager continued, "I just... think it's unhealthy that you're doing this to yourself."
"You know how the human mind works and all, which means you also know that shit happens to everyone and screws with our heads. But we get over it because we have to."
"I really don't know what you've been through in the past but please... allow your wounds to bleed first, so they can heal." Winfred finished, making sure to emphasize those final words.
Cassie was dumbfounded. No one, absolutely no one, had ever said these words to her before.
Normally, she was the one saying things like this, not hearing or receiving them. She felt like a fish out of water.
She didn't know how to react. Not even her decades' worth of scientific knowledge could stop her mind from freezing up at that moment.
"I-I…"
Winfred turned to read the traffic light then. There were only ten seconds left on the timer.
She relaxed into her seat and revved up the engine. As soon as the green light came on, she put the car in gear and pressed on the accelerator.
They were off again.
"I never asked you for a response, so don't feel pressured to say anything back. All I ask is that you consider everything I just said… For your sake and mine—"
"HEY! WATCH OUT!!!"
A panicked shriek suddenly pierced the air, instantly electrifying Cassie's nerves.
She turned to assess the situation but before she could even blink—Bang!
A tremendous force smashed into the side of their vehicle, sending it tumbling several meters away into an adjacent building.
The last thing Cassie remembered was the raucous screeching of tires, the violent collision of metal, and the piercing rain of glass shards.
Then came the unbearable pain, ripping through her senses before everything went dark.
—
A/N: Hehe our beloved truck-kun strikes again. Anyway, so here's the thing. The first seven chapters are purely for setting the scene. The main story begins afterwards so stick around till then before you decide to drop this novel :( or leave a review! :)