I Smile: Life of a Side Character

Chapter 5

There was harmony between the couple, the kind seen in the old couples in Daphne's previous life. And something about the warmth in the man's eyes over-rode the fact that they were really an ugly shade of green. It was the green found in a swamp. Muddy green. Very ugly. 

Perhaps it was a good thing that he had a mono-eyelid. A form of double eyelid would definitely emphasize the ugly green. Even the tilt in his eyes that would've made him look sexy was wasted by the ugly color. Such a shame. His face was very three-dimensional, but everyone's face here seemed to be very three-dimensional. Everyone seemed to have that sharp jawline and sharp nose. 

His hair on the other hand, was very voluptuous, very black, which was exactly why the strands of white stood out quite a bit. But from the looks of the man, the white hair seemed to be a product of stress more than anything else. 

His wife was very feminine, a small face that was accented by her black hair that framed her face. Although here pretty purple eyes were accented by the double-eyelids, it wasn't big enough to cover half of her face. If it did, no one cared how pretty your eyes were, that would just be creepy. 

Daphne unconsciously touched her face. If they really were her parents, she hoped she looked more like her dad. She always wanted to look like a bishounen. Hopefully with her mother's eye-color. 

"What was your name in your previous life?" the woman asked. 

There it was again...previous life. Once again reminding her that she was on a different planet, perhaps different dimension even. Perhaps she'll never get back home. Yet her eyes felt dry, perhaps she cried so much that her tear ducts broke. 

"Daphne," Daphne mumbled, her tongue feeling unfamiliar. 

"Well hello Daphne, I'm Laurel Sullet, and this is Alder Sullet. In this world, we are your parents." There was mirth in the woman's eyes, as if she was looking at a child. 

But Daphne did feel like a child at this point in time. 

"It might seem rude of me, but we'll be calling you Myrica," Laurel said, as if she was just saying ah, those clothes don't fit, you should change it. 

Daphne felt a surge of anger. Her name was all she had, and this stranger  wanted to take it away? 

"Why," a simple word, but it contained her anger and unwillingness. 

"If we call you by Daphne, then you will never move on. Every time you hear that name, you'll feel like the victim, will always remember your previous life. A new world, a new life," she said it so lightly, so carelessly. Rather...

hatefully.

And perhaps Daphne's eyes spoke volumes as Adrel suddenly spoke up. 

"We're not asking you to forget your past life, only realize that this is your new life," he said. Daphne's eyes were attracted to Adrel's hand that was playing with his wife's hand, before her eyes drifted back to Adrel's muddy, warm, eyes. 

'It was a really ugly color.' Daphne didn't know why, but that train of thought brought her anger down. And once again, she felt nothing, empty. 

Daphne nodded, her eyes, once again, dull and lifeless, as if she had lost her will to live yet again. She let herself slide under the covers, closing her eyes in order to sulk once more. Daphne thought she heard a sigh before sleep dragged her under. 

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But not for long. Perhaps in an effort to make her feel better, the Sullet's packed her schedule to the brim. 

Daphne didn't know how her 'parents' did it, but they found tutors very quickly. First in the morning was physical therapy. 

Although Daphne agreed that the three years of not moving had really taken its toll. And though she had yet to look into a mirror, although she wasn't skin and bones, with the help of force-feeding. Daphne still disliked exercise. She was never one for P.E. and doubted that would change now. Especially when she didn't want to change herself. 

Something about self-pity and the refusal to change oneself was just...a very attractive offer. Especially for someone who wanted to stay sad and depressed for a few more years.