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chapter 41 - perfect"i might never be the one you take home to mother

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chapter 41 - perfect
"i might never be the one you
take home to mother.'
ARYA
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TW : Panic Attacks

I wake up to the harsh chime of my phone's ringtone, my heart immediately jumping to an erratic beat. It's the early in the morning, and I'm not quite ready to face the day. Groaning, I blindly reach for my phone, squinting at the caller ID. Mother. Just her name on the screen sends a shiver down my spine.

Rubbing the sleep from my eyes, I answer the call. "Hello?"

"Choi Arya, do you have any idea of the mess you've caused?" My mother's voice carries a tone of annoyance and disapproval that's all too familiar.

I sit up in my bed, blinking and rubbing at my eyes confused.

What is she talking about?

"Did I do something?" My voice is groggy, raw with sleep.

She scoffs down the phone and it sounds angry and intimidating. "Did you do something? You did the only thing you're good at! Ruining this family's reputation!"

The words pierce me like a dagger through the chest. Throughout my life, I've been treated like a stranger among my own blood relatives, but no matter how many times they insult me, it never gets any easier. Still, her reaction feels unwarranted because truth be told, I have no idea what it is she's even talking about.

"Mum, I'm confused," I say sheepishly, "Could you tell me what you're talking about?"

"Of course, you don't know what you've done. You always act without thinking about your actions."

It's perplexing, but my mother has always possessed this uncanny talent for knocking down my defences. Her words seem to get caught in my throat when she attacks me, rendering me speechless and powerless. That's why, despite my better judgment, I mutter out an instinctive response.

"S-sorry."

Yet, she doesn't acknowledge my apology. "You always say that, Arya, but you never change," she retorts, her tone still dripping with irritation. "Check out some of those links I sent you."

My heart plummets like a heavy stone in my chest, my anxiety intensifying. This could only mean one thing. I put her on speakerphone, rushing to the text app and tapping on the first of many blue links in her message.

'Lee Haechan's New Flavor of the Month.'

I click on another.

'Who is Dream's Lee Haechan's New Girl?'

And another.

'Lee Haechan: Swapping Out Models for Nobodies.'

With every word I read, uneasiness creeps into my mind and courses through my veins, settling into the pit of my stomach, ready to erupt into full-blown panic. I close my eyes, bracing myself for what's coming.

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