Stray Scars (Book 2)

Chapter 13

Pov: Isabelle Snow

"And that is why I'm here, tricking everybody and taking advantage of them," I sniffed, accepting the fourteenth tissue from him. I had told him everything starting from the time when my happy orphanage days had come to an end.

He knew all of it now.

He knew about me losing my savior, miss Jade. He knew about my brother being kidnapped and me becoming a thoughtless puppet in unit 2's arms. I even told him about my warped relationship with Calvin and why we always fought.

I'd never had anyone to confide in without having to calculate my every expression. Even my most trusted friend who was my brother knew nothing about how I felt. He was the one person I never wanted to show any weaknesses to. I couldn't let him know that I was suffering. He'd hate himself if he found out what I'd been through to protect him.

Someone sitting down and lending me their ear was like therapy. I hadn't done anything of this sort ever since I'd lost miss Jade.

My life constantly felt like I was an insignificant side character who would eventually get killed off. In the snap of a finger, I would become fine dust. No one would see things through my point of view, and no one would care about me or what I had to say. No one would know that I'd actually tried to be a good person.

It was a petrifying thought; to die misunderstood.

The author could dispose of me whenever. It was quite funny. People found it hard to believe that I kept mentioning an author, but then.. Who's writing this script that I keep reciting? Who's creating all these lies and false stories I'm forced to spew to keep my brother safe? Everything I utter is scripted.

Having Changbin listen to me so carefully and reassure me felt selfish, but also consoling. I even had my mask off. It felt.. It felt as though I was finally having my own chapter to let out all of my pent up feelings.

The only part of my life I purposefully left out was before I had become six years old and the reason I had ended up at the orphanage.

That was a dark part of me nobody needed to know about- not even Changbin- not even my brother. Even I wish I could erase it from my memories.

"Isabelle," he whispered, shaking my arm when I refused to look at him. His teeth were clenched and his muscles tense. I didn't understand why he had grown so angry.

"I can't believe I'm- I'm crying so often these days," I sniffled while blowing my nose. Staying with these people was gradually making me softer. "I didn't.. I- I didn't use to cry at all, but.. once you start, it just- Talking about it.. makes it all feel so.. real."

The pain is so raw now that I recall every single appalling detail.

He didn't say a word, walking to his bed to bring me a box of tissues. When he returned, his eyes softened and he sighed, delicately handing the box to me.

"You're not like them, right? Please tell me you're not like unit 2!" I implored, my eyes burning like never before. My fingers were pulling at my sleeves while he ground his teeth together, squinting his eyes as he watched my tears slide down my face. "Why are you.. so angry?"

"Isabelle, do you happen to think that what you've gone through is normal?" he asked, his voice lower than his usual tone.

"Huh?" I managed to croak, too disoriented to register his words.

"Even the 'slaves' at my unit had it easier than you," he urged, looking into my eyes and letting genuine worry cloud his features, "Do you realize how- Do you even.."