Star sat in the peaceful solitude of the bush, chanting her mantra to herself. "STARS NEVER DIM, I AM STRONG AND NEVER GIVE UP!" Her words were meant to strengthen her resolve, to hold her together despite everything in her life threatening to fall apart. She closed her eyes for a moment, letting the breeze wash over her. But then, her phone buzzed, disrupting the calm. It was a message from Steffy.
He wanted her to come over. He had movies, he said, and just wanted to have some fun. Distractions. That's exactly what Star needed.
A small part of her hesitated, but she could feel the need to escape from her own thoughts, from her family's constant bickering, from the weight of everything weighing on her. So, she decided to go.
Steffy had rented a room just across the street—the same place they had met before. When she arrived, Steffy greeted her with a smile, and as they entered the room, he locked the door behind them.
Star raised an eyebrow, confused. "Why are you locking the room?"
Steffy shrugged, taking off his shirt and dropping it onto the bed. "So no one comes in and finds us."
Star blinked. "So what if someone finds us? Or would it be your girlfriend?"
Steffy smirked, pulling Star toward him. "Ah, no. I don't have one. Can you sit on the bed, please? It's hot in here. Take off your jacket."
Star recoiled, her instincts flaring up. "Leave me. Open the door. If you think it's hot, why don't you just open the door? Besides, there won't be anything going on here that requires the door to be closed… or just let me go."
Steffy's demeanor shifted slightly, but he only smiled. "What's your problem? Relax."
"I said open the door!" Star's voice grew firmer. "Or I'll break it and leave. I don't even see a laptop or a TV—anything for the movies you promised in your message."
Steffy gave a reluctant sigh, pulling a laptop from his bag. "Fine, you want movies? Let's watch movies."
He reluctantly opened the door, his irritation palpable as Star put on a comedy she'd been meaning to watch. The film was funny, and for a moment, Star forgot her troubles, laughing at every hilarious scene. But she didn't notice that Steffy had locked the door again while she was distracted by the movie.
And that's when it happened.
Steffy started touching her, his actions growing more inappropriate. Star froze, unable to fully process what was happening, and before she could pull away, her body betrayed her—she became powerless, disoriented. In that moment, her mind and body failed her.
The next thing she knew, she was unconscious.
When Star woke up, she was dizzy and disoriented, her surroundings blurry. She tried to sit up but could barely focus. Her head was pounding as she called out, "Anyone here? Hello?"
A cup of water sat on the table next to her, and she drank some to clear her mind, splashing some on her face. It was then she realized where she was—Steffy's room.
Panicked, she bolted from the room, her legs unsteady. As she ran, her foot caught on a stone, sending her crashing to the ground. Pain shot through her ankle, and as she tried to stand, she noticed something else—there was pain in her body she couldn't explain, a deeper, sharper ache.
Limping, she made her way home, each step bringing more confusion and despair. She opened the door to find her parents in yet another screaming match.
Her mother was shouting, "Every time you brag about your work, what do you do in this house? We don't even know what you do! All you ever talk about is your job, my job this, my job that!"
Her father's voice was cold and dismissive. "Are you really raising your voice at me? Seems like someone else makes you happy when I'm gone. You're my maid, Louisa, nothing more. Now get up and go fetch me water. I want to go out."
Star walked past him, her throat tightening, her body aching with every step.
Her father sneered. "Hey, hey, young lady, where are you coming from? Where are your manners? Did Louisa teach you not to greet me? This is my house, and there are rules here, rules made specifically for you and your stupid mother!"
Star ignored him, walking straight to her room.
Her father's voice followed her, dripping with contempt. "See what you've raised, Louisa? You're proud of this? You even call yourself a mother?"
Her mother's voice softened as she followed Star to her room. "So, today's episode is about water, huh?"
Star limped toward her bed, the ache in her body intensifying. "Ah… don't mind us," she muttered, trying to brush off the pain.
Her mother noticed her limp and looked concerned. "What happened? You're limping."
Star, trying to mask her discomfort, said, "Yeah, I fell while running home."
"Why were you running? Who was chasing you? Are you hurt that much?" her mother asked, a hint of panic in her voice.
"I'm fine, Mom. It's just my ankle. It's not a big deal," Star said, trying to downplay it as she grabbed some oil to massage it.
"Sprained? Let me massage it," her mother offered, her concern deepening.
Star winced as her mother touched her ankle. "It's just the ankle," she said, forcing a smile.
But her mother wasn't convinced. She noticed Star wincing in pain, not just from her ankle. "Is it only the ankle that hurts?"
Star hesitated, unsure. "Yeah… just the ankle," she said quietly, though she could feel the truth lurking behind her words.
Her mother then noticed something else—a small, folded piece of paper in Star's pocket. She picked it up, inspecting it carefully before looking at Star with a knowing expression.
"You have an unread message… or did you read it?" she asked, handing the paper to Star.
Star froze, her heart sinking. "Pass me my phone," she murmured, trying to distract her mother.
Her mother handed over the paper and left the room, giving her privacy.
Star stared at the note for a long moment, her hands shaking. She read the words on the paper, then tore it up and threw it in the trash, unable to process the pain in her chest.
The weight of what had happened was too much to bear, but she couldn't bring herself to face it yet. Not today. Not right now.