In the end, after some heartfelt conversations with her therapist, Victoria abandoned the dark thoughts that had been circling her mind. After all, she had her sister to look after, didnât she? Even though Mara had been distant, it was all because of her own mistakes, wasnât it?
Was Mara actually starting to warm up to her again?
Mara flashed a cryptic smile and said, âYeah, as long as youâre eating, thatâs good. Dadâs alreadyâ¦
well, you know. I donât want to see you getting sick again.â
Victoriaâs face lit up with gratitude as she stepped forward and clasped Maraâs fingers. âMara, Iâm so sorry for everything that happened. I know youâve been holding a grudge against me. I promise, from now on, Iâll take good care of Dad. Please, can we stop this silence between us?â
Mara, who was inwardly reeling, didnât let it show. Instead, she broke character and pulled Victoria into an embrace, patting her on the shoulder. âVictoria, Iâm the one who messed up before. Weâre blood, how could I ever stay mad at you? But you need to keep up with your meds, or you wonât get better.â
Victoria nodded earnestly. âIâll beat this illness, Iâll get healthy, and then weâll make the most of our lives together.â
âThatâs the spirit.â
Out of Victoriaâs sight, Maraâs smile twisted into something malevolent. She knew Victoria was now one step closer to the edge.
It took over a month before Victoria returned to the campus. With such a tragedy at home, her classmates were naturally concerned. She always responded with a faint smile, unwilling to delve into the details, a stark contrast to her once bubbly enthusiasm.
But they understood, all except when she was with Balfour, to whom she spoke more freely.
âBalfour, thanks for caring. Now that Dadâs gone, itâs just Mara and me against the world. Honestly, I never thought Mara could forgive me, after everything⦠Anyway, letâs leave the past in the past. Oh, and Mara asked about you. She wanted me to tell you that weâre all victims here, and she doesnât hold anything against you.â
Balfour raised an eyebrow and asked, âShe really forgave you?â
Victoria nodded. âOf course, she did. Why else would she send such a message through me?â
Balfourâs expression remained noncommittal.
âAlright, enough chit-chat. I need to get home. Maraâs learning to share the household chores now. You know, I used to handle all the weekend meals by myself, and now itâs just heartwarming to see her stepping up. I donât know if this is good or bad, but thatâs life, right? Day by day. Next time we visit Dad, weâll tell him with smiles how well weâve been doing.â
Balfour watched her walk away with a light heart.
However, the Victoria who seemed to be reclaiming her life shockingly took her own life!
When Balfour heard the news, disbelief was his first reaction. She had been getting better; how could she commit suicide?
But then he got the call from Mara, desperate for help. Balfour tried to comfort Mara over the phone, still in shock. He wanted to see for himself, but Mara insisted he stay away.