The MC forgot the plot

一 TWO 一

二 The line that ended her

She looks at the screen with unblinking eyes, just a day has passed and she felt like thousands of years old, no, maybe a million years. Her stomach rumbles — it sticks to her back— she stood up but failed.

Hiss. Her elbow struck her table, it was now red and swollen like a pig's hoof. Her unhealthy pale complexion resulted in a gruesome bruise, one that she does not pay attention to.

All she could think of was why.

Why did they give her some hope? That she could finally stretch her back straight and fill her stomach with delicacy. Why?

She was supposed to leave this muddy broken place and earn herself a wage that could have bought her a nice dress. Then she would take a vacation and let herself take a breath; make some time for herself.

There was white noise all around her; a noise only accessible to her. Fingers trembled, her blood draining away slowly from her face as she looks once more to the screen.

Plagiarism. Contract broken. Fired.

There were no tears. No helpless expression and dramatic sobs. Only an exhausted look from a person hollowed out of life.

It seems that the only missing thing is a piece of long white cloth for everything to be done. 

The author she signed up with was accused of plagiarism, their company was thrown dirty water for a crime that they did not do and she was fired due to public outrage.

Bzzt. Bzzt.

A call. A familiar number. She touched the screen and answered.

"What happened? What plagiarizing? The novel you signed to me has no similar themes to other online novels, I made sure of it. What happened?"

There was only a chuckle. Then a laugh. Then full-blown laughter.

She grips her phone tighter, the laughter was eerie as she closed her window tightly then looked outside. She made sure that her home has no recorder, that it was still the same messy place she left before.

"So how was it? How does it feel like to have that opportunity taken away from you? To get your hopes up high only to get a stab then fall? Answer me, Meng Jia Yi!"

His thunderous words struck terror to her heart, one that she has never felt before. Her anger was greater than the fear that was present in the mirror's reflection. The quivering of her lashes continued as she tried to stop herself from breathing out loud. She doesn't know why she was terrified of this man - a stranger nonetheless.

But he was the person she signed, the bridge that leads her to a better future. Once her hope that has now turned to her fear.

Laughter echoes on the line once again. Her fear suddenly sprouted into another stem; anger. She lashed out — she cried for her injustice — she fought her fears.

"Why are you doing this? I didn't do any plagiarizing. Your work was not based on another novel that you took a copy from! I was fired because of someone's accusation! What happened?!"

Her blood boil, the thunderous beating of her heart was like a thunderstorm, she couldn't help but bite her lower lip till it bleeds.

"It was so easy to fool you. It was my plan originally, to lure you with my work and you foolishly entered the lion's den. There was already a writer, a pseudonym of mine, a story that was greatly similar to the one I gave you"

She pieced the whole thing together, she was smart but was still foolish by the idea of a better future. Her legs slumped down to the floor — bang — it resounded to her noiseless dingy room.

Her eyes looked into the wall with concentration, her palm covered with half-moon shapes; she was bloodied and lost.

"Why?"

He didn't answer.

"Why?"

Her voice rose an octave and the line began to send another fit of joyous laughter.

"Why?!"

She thrashed her desk, the papers fell all of once and her laptop suffered. She caught sight of herself and there a figure of a ghost, dead but not buried. There was no peace in her eyes but a storm that made her mind crumble into dust.

Eyes suddenly sparkled from the blunt of a knife, her throat was parched as she took a swig of water. The call was still ongoing — it was as if he was waiting for the next scene. He was a director, he leads her to another chapter of the book and she was an actor that was moving with his orders.

The knife was what she bought from her second paycheck; her food was cur from that knife she treasured. It was the knife that fills her stomach, a thing that helps her lose herself for a moment of peace. Then she cooks the remaining ingredient her meager wage she could earn.

Her hands were chapped from the winter that month and as the days grew colder her whole body was locked into place. The floor was cold as an ice cave; the sheets were like thin papers that could be blown by the wind, and she felt that she was slowly dying from the cold then breathing again after the night passes.

The phone in her hand was placed on the sink, her hand held the knife as her eyes were lost into the beauty of her knife. One that has been cut through many things; never hers.

"You can now leave, you're no longer needed after all"

The line ended her life.

Notes:

• White long cloth signifies suicide
Usually, it is towards an abandoned concubine who committed crimes in the cold palace that was given a long piece of white cloth or a cup of poison.

***
Second chapter! Hope you like this chapter!

Suicide is a very serious matter and because of my religion, I thought that one would go to hell if you kill yourself. I know you should cherish your life; it was given to you and a lot of people who are dying wanted to live for a few years and here you are wasting your time. But one does not understand the mind of a suicidal person, they are not in their right mind to think of that. There is no feeling— they are bare of the thoughts of guilt and sorrow. I may not be an expert but what I can only say is that life is hard so don't make it harder for some people. Treat each other with kindness.

Have a great day and stay safe!

Please do VOTE. COMMENT. SHARE.

Thank you!