In the cosy confines of Dr Ramirez's office, soft light filtered through the blinds, casting a tranquil glow on the room. The air carried a sense of stillness as Maya sat in the comfortable armchair, her gaze lost in the depths of their own thoughts. Dr Ramirez observed Maya's introspective demeanour and allowed a respectful silence to envelop the space.
Maya's mind danced with memories, pain, and grief that had become unwelcome companions throughout her life. Her eyes wandered to the family photograph on the bookshelf, capturing a moment frozen in time, a moment she never had the pleasure to witness with her family, she never could now.
As the seconds turned into minutes, Maya let out a heavy sigh, releasing some of the emotional burdens she carried. Her voice, barely above a whisper, filled the room. "I've tried to distract myself, losing myself in work, finding ways to lose the memories, but it only helps temporarily, they always find their way back to me."
"Coping mechanism can provide temporary relief, we need to find the root of these emotions," Dr Ramirez answered, her warm gaze never leaving Maya.
"What if I don't want to get to the root of these emotions?" Maya looked up, she has had enough of nightmares and panic attacks trying to bury these emotions, she didn't need to look for the root of them, it'll only make it worse.
"What's the reason?" Dr Ramirez asked.
Maya took a breath, "It's overwhelming, you know? The weight of all these memories, the heaviness of the loss I've endured. It's hard to imagine a life without this pain, a life where I can breathe freely."
"It's completely understandable, Maya. Grief and pain can be all-consuming, shaping our perception of the world. But it's important to acknowledge that pain does not define you. It is a part of your story, but it doesn't have to be the only chapter," Dr Ramirez agreed, she needed to help this child to the best of her abilities, the best she could.
Maya heaved a sigh, she knew what Dr Ramirez had said held truth in it, but it would be a long road, one she wasn't sure she would want to travel on, but she needed to.
"I'll help you through it, Maya," Dr Ramirez spoke, she leaned on her desk a glimmer of hope in her eyes, she offered it to Maya, even if she excepted a bit of her hope, Dr Ramirez was sure Maya would make an incredible recovery, Maya just needed to believe.
Maya only offered Dr Ramirez a smile, she didn't have anything else to say, not yet anyway.
____________________________
"How was therapy?"
Maya shrugged, her sole focus on her laptop, she still had a bit of her project so she was sat in the university library with Amara both of them completing their projects before the deadline.
Amara knew pieces about Maya's past, she knew how much of an asshole her father had been to her, she knew about Maya's mother and her passing, but there was significantly more things she wasn't aware of, she didnd't have the need to be either ways, Maya would tell her when the time comes.
"It was heavy as always," Maya replied, pushing away her laptop facing Amara, "It's getting harder as the weeks go by."
Amara nodded, understanding her point, "but it gets better if you really work with it."
Maya smiled softly at her, "You know that's the only thing I'm not good at?"
Amara rolled her eyes, "look at the narcissist," she playfully shook her head in disappointment.
Maya smiled smugly leaning back in her chair.
"Say," Amara leaned forward, "you wanna get something to eat?"
Maya looked at her watch, they'd been studying for two and a half hours now, and they needed a break, "I want shawarma."
Amara softly celebrated so as to not disturb the others still studying, "That's my girl!"
The two packed up their bags, leaving the books where they belonged, bidding goodbye to the librarian before heading out of the university to eat shawarma at their favourite place.
***
Sat in a booth near the window, the two friends enjoyed their shawarma, consumed by their own thoughts.
College work had kept the two friends busy for months, not having time to hang out, only at the premier did they fully have fun.
Amara sighed, her thoughts no longer entertained her, she looked around the cafe, college students, married couples, people in first dates, everybody was at this cafe, still it didn't feel packed or loud, it was relaxing and calm.
One of the many reasons why Amara knew Maya preferred this cafe, she's aware of her best friends past, not everything but enough to know she needs to show up with a hockey stick when Maya texts her 911, she'll become a murderer that night.
Amara turned to Maya, she had her eyes outside, looking at the passer by, her shawarma left unattended in her plate, a small smile visible on her face as she observed the people outside.
"What's got you smiling?" Amara got Maya's attention.
Maya turned to her friend also releasing her shawarma was getting cold, "nothing, just this," Maya motioned around her, "didn't really have much to enjoy when I was with him."
Amara smiled at her friend, there were a lot of things Maya was cut off from my when she was trapped with her excuse of a father, so it was an much more better view to see Maya enjoy things now.
"See, if you ever bump into him," Amara spoke, "I won't let that happen, but if it ever happens, you text me 911 and I'll become a murderer that day."
Maya giggled at her friends words, "who will I hand out with if you go to jail?"
"I'll evade arrest."
Maya laughed throwing a used tissue paper at her, "you ain't so sleek, gurl."
Amara feigned offence, "how dare ye?"
"Eat, eat," Maya shook her head, her attention now back to her food.
"I can be sleek when I want to be," Amara muttered, munching on her shawarma.
_________time skip__________
Maya ran around the house, she was nervous and freaked out and about throw up.
She couldn't do it.
"You'll be fine, Maya," Baek-Hyun assured from the chair he was sat on, he watched his niece run around collecting stuff from all over the house.
"I will so not be!" Maya groaned, she ran into her room dumping her bag on the living room couch before running into her imo's room, "Imo! My coat!"
"Here," Eun-ji handed her the freshly ironed coat, helping her put it on.
Maya had a job interview today, for a big company, they'd approached 10 students from her university and only three would be selected from those ten based on how today goes.
Maya was one of them, she was trying to stay calm but her mind hated her, so she started overthinking which got her to panick, and now she was panicking.
"Breathe, darling, you'll be fine," Eun-ji tried calming her niece but nothing, she was still freaking out.
Baek-Hyun stood up, he walked over to Maya, "let's go visit Ji-yeon."
***
Maya walked over to her mother's grave, it had a beautiful headstone, her mother's favourite phrase engraved into it.
Maya knelt to the side of the headstone, she leaned her head on it, "Eomma, I have an interview today, for a really big company, my life will be set of I get in, please be with me for this, I miss you."
Baek-Hyun and Eun-ji stood to the side watching Maya talk to her mother, they'd instructed Amara to pick Maya up from the cemetery instead of their house.
Amara was driving her to the interview centre, she wasn't in the top 10 of the recruits because she's already got an placement in a company of her choice so she was very much happy to drive Maya to hers.
Maya stood up moving to the front of the headstone, she cleaned around it a bit before sitting in front of it, she checked her watch, 5 minutes till Amara arrived.
Sat with her mother, Maya sighed, this was something she would've preferred to do with her mother by her side, not visiting her grave.
But she couldn't.
So she made a promise to herself, she'll make her mother proud, in every way possible, no matter how hard it would be.
She owed her mother everything.
Maya looked up when she noticed movement behind her, Amara had arrived and was stood with her imo and samchon.
"We need to leave?" Maya asked.
Amara nodded, "If we want to beat traffic."
Maya nodded, with a heavy breath out, she stood up, touching the headstone one last time before turned to her family.
"I'm gonna ace it," Maya said, she watched as huge grins made their way onto their faces.
Eun-ji walked over to her, softly holding her cheek, "Don't be nervous, you'll do good, baby."
Maya nodded, she hugged her imo and samchon one last time before heading out of the cemetery.
"Bye, Eomma, I love you, I'll see you soon."
__________________
Maya sat outside of the interview room, holding the number 9 in her hand.
Upto three numbers went in at once, the others sat outside in anticipation, waiting to be called inside.
Maya took a deep breath in, she still had the nerves but not so much as the morning, it was a bit better after she visited her mother.
The other two sat with her were on call with their family, probably their mother, she envied them, they had mother's to call, this cruel world had taken hers away from her.
"Don't worry ma, I'll ace it." The one to her right spoke softly, "you just rest alright?"
Maya smiled and focused on her shoes. The few months she'd been with her mother, her mother had fussed over her for everything, making sure Maya was comfortable, her bruises were looked after, she had enough sleep, and she was fighting stage 4 cancer.
It was days like these when she missed her mother, her imo and samchon were amazing but she still longed for her eomma.
"Numbers 8,9,10?"
Maya looked up, the secretary stood in the doorway of the interview room.
The three people remaining stood up, Maya took a deep breath in walking towards the room.
______________________
Amara was sat in her car outside the company building, she'd refused to go back home, she wanted to the first to know if Maya got the job or not.
No matter the outcome she'll be taking her out to eat.
She was getting impatient now, who takes so long interviews? It wouldn't take them a few seconds to realise Maya's potential.
Bunch of turtles they were.
In the corner of her eye Amara saw a group of people walking out the building, she spotted Maya right away in the crowd, hurriedly she got out the car waiting for her.
Maya saw her and ran up to her, "you're gonna have to drive me here again in Monday," she grinned from ear to ear as she said that.
Amara stared at her shock, she couldn't believe her ears, "you got the job?"
Maya nodded proudly, "I got the job!"
Amara squealed happily pulling her friend in a hug, "I am so proud of you!" She screamed.
Both the girls started jumping around, happy that both of them had gotten a job they liked and preferred, they were going to be okay in life.
"We're going out," Amara panted as the duo calmed a bit, "we'll pick imo and samchon and I'll call my parents and we're going out!"
"Let's go!" Maya ran towards the passenger seat, Amara got in the drivers seat, putting on their playlist on full volume as they pulled out.
This was the best day ever!
_______________________
Maya ran inside her building, Amara sat in the car waiting giving her parents the news.
Maya took the elevator up, hurriedly running towards her apartment, she used the key to open the door, not taking any notice to the extra shoes.
"Imo! Samchon!" She yelled running in the house, she ran straight into the kitchen where they were.
"Samchon!" She exclaimed happily jumping on him, Baek-Hyun groaned at the force, "I got it! I got the job!"
Baek-Hyun stilled, "what?"
Maya grinned at him, "I got the job!"
Baek-Hyun exclaimed happily pulling his niece in a hug lifting her off the ground spinning her around.
"That's my girl!" He exclaimed, "I knew you'd ace it."
Maya spotted her imo beside her, she let go of her samchon leaping at her, "Imo!"
Eun-ji smiled as she hugged her niece tight, "I'm so proud of you," she whispered swaying the girl from side to side.
Maya pulled out of the hug, she looked at both her guardians, "get ready we're going out, Aamara's downstairs with the car ready-"
"Maya," Baek-Hyun interrupted, now realising how bad it was going to be.
Maya payed no mind to that,"she's calling her parents too! We're eating out-"
"Maya," Baek-Hyun said a little louder.
"What?"
He looked over her shoulder at her someone, Maya frowned, she hadn't noticed anyone when she ran inside.
Maya turned around to see who was here.
Her breath for got in her throat.
"No," she whispered.
There sat on a chair, with a wicked grin sat her father, Victor , dressed in the same old wrecked clothing but he still had that superior look, trying to control everyone.
Maya couldn't believe her eyes, she looked at her imo and samchon, "Why-Why is he here? Why did you allow him inside?" She asked.
That's when she noticed the other occupants in the room.
"What?" She whispered in disbelief.
Hailee Steinfeld was sat on the couch with her family, her father sat on a chair close Hailee's, while her mother and brother were sat with Hailee.
Why was Hailee Steinfeld in her home? With her family?
Why couldn't Hailee's father look up at anyone? Why was he fidgeting?
Why was her father sat smug in the chair? Wearing that punchable grin?
"Why are you-" Maya couldn't form words, she walked out of the kitchen towards the living room, her eyes focused on Hailee and her family instead of her father.
"It's my fault," Hailee's father,Peter, spoke, "I-"
"You can do that later," Maya's father interrupted, he stood up, "you're gonna help me," he started walking towards Maya.
Maya stepped back instinctively bumping into her samchon, she got behind him, she didn't want to be close to him.
Baek-Hyun held Maya to his back, his expression hard as he glared at the excuse his sister had married, "You don't step any closer to her," he warned, glaring at him.
Victor just grinned, "it's not my fault she's so soft."
"Hey back off."
It was Hailee who spoke up, she glared at Victor, "Mind your business," Victor warned.
"You've successfully woven our business together with your manipulation, so this is my business, leave her alone," Hailee warned him.
Victor grinned at Hailee's father, "you've got a feisty one, only if my daughter was like that."
Peter clenched his jaw, "You leave both of them alone, got it?"
Maya took her phone out, sending a quick text to Amara before stepping out from behind her samchon.
"What do you want?" She asked.
"What I want is for you to obey me for once and do as I say," her father whined sitting down on the chair.
Maya clenched her jaw, she could not believe this guy right now, after putting her to years of trauma he had the guts to talk to her like that.
"What did he do?" She turned to the Steinfled family.
"Screwed over a powerful business man, the one known to be ruthless," Peter replied.
"Ivan Darkwood?" That name was famous among the business majors, she's heard everybody was scared of him, even Jeff Bezos who had way more money and influence than him.
"Yeah," he nodded, "how was that your fault?"
"I trusted him, that was the mistake I made, both our names is in red with Darkwood."
Maya groaned softly, leave it to her father to ruin everybody's life.
"Don't worry, she's an awesome problem solver, she'll figure it out."
Maya turned to glare at him, "You have no shame do you?"
Victor's face hardened, "how dare you talk to me like that?" He stood up ready to charge at her.
Baek-Hyun stepped in between the two, "take one more step, I dare you."
Maya leaned her head against his back, her hands were shaking uncontrollably, she tried to get her breathing to normal.
"It's okay, Maya," she felt her imo rub her back, "deep breaths."
Maya listened to her voice, focusing on her voice, her samchon had turned around pulling the panicked girl against him, blocking the others to see her.
She hated time.
Time never showed her mercy.
It brought pain and memories.
Memories she wanted forgotten.
Pain she wanted buried.
She hated time.
Hi!
New chapter!
A lot happened.
Editing and formatting will be done momentarily.
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