Fragile Desires (18+)

Twelve | Stiff Conversations

The weight of privilege settled heavier than one could imagine.

It's never been the burden of bills, but instead, a deeper toll.

For the wealthy, the currency of life is different.

We pay in disloyal companions, nights echoing with emptiness, and a persistent ache of being unseen, truly unseen.

Money, a glittering illusion, holds no leverage over the true battles.

Surprisingly to most, neither does fame.

These grand, material things are a cruel exchange, robbing you of something precious in return.

And with New York at my fingertips, a city buzzing with possibility—a shadow falls with the revelation of Renata's past.

Another trade-off looms, a forced departure from this liberating city would occur in the coming weeks.

And with it, the woman who I naively lowered my guard down for.

Strangely, I feel no anger, no bitterness.

Perhaps a reluctant acceptance.

Marriage was sadly a destination on this map I was forced to draw.

A reflection of not my own feelings, but the crowns.

And I never expected her to be open to marriage because even I hadn't thought that far ahead when it came to her.

Why would I?

However, I at least assumed we were on the same page.

But perhaps for her, it's all the same.

Perhaps I'm a face in the crowd, another fleeting connection until she's off to the next.

Even for me, It's hard to deny all of the media's previous narratives and fabricated truths about Renata.

The photographs and interviews holding a burdening amount of weight couldn't be denied.

So, where do I stand now?

Where do our whispered secrets and stolen moments find their place?

Or did they ever have a place at all?

- Azzy

♛Chapter Twelve: Stiff Conversations♛

The black strapless dress clung to my upper body, and perfectly displayed my cleavage as the dark material spilled away from my waist and down my legs.

My pink hair was practically pin-straight in a middle part and tucked precisely behind my ears.

The dark winged liner lining my brown eyes seemed to make them pop perfectly while a nude gloss shined on my lips.

I had never worn black because it seemed too dark for me.

Because it seemed like it wasn't my color.