A Heart in Shambles

As Akai was seeing the album, her eyes caught a white envelope beside the bed on the table. "What is this?" she wondered, her mind filled with a mix of curiosity and trepidation. She stretched her hands to take the envelope, her fingers closing around it with a sense of reluctance. Nothing was written on the top, no indication of its contents or origin, only an unsettling silence.

She looked around the room, her eyes searching for Ryder, but he was nowhere to be found. The chair where he had been sitting was empty, his absence feeling like a abandonment. With a sense of foreboding, she unfolded the paper inside, her heart racing with anticipation.

And then, she saw it. The words that made her heart skip a beat, her world spinning with a mix of shock and disbelief. Her eyes widened, her breath caught in her throat, as if time itself had paused, refusing to let her move forward. The room around her began to blur, the sounds of the outside world fading into the background, as she stared at the paper, her eyes fixed on the revelation that would change everything.

It was a ticket to Scotland, accompanied by a letter that made her heart sink. As she saw Ryder returning to the room, a mix of emotions swirling inside her, she confronted him. 'Ryder, what is this?' she asked, her voice laced with a hint of betrayal and confusion. 'A ticket to Scotland? A letter about future studies? What's going on?'"

Akai's eyes blazed with anger and betrayal as she confronted Ryder. "You're abandoning me again, just like you always do!" she accused, her voice trembling with emotion.

Ryder sighed, his eyes avoiding hers. "I'm not abandoning you, Akai. I just need to do this for my future."

"Your future?" Akai's voice rose in disbelief. "You're already studying at Harvard, what more do you need? You promised me you'd stay, and now you're breaking that promise!"

Ryder shrugged, his indifference fueling Akai's anger. "I don't want to answer your questions," he said, his voice cold.

Akai's tears flowed as she realized Ryder's determination to leave. She turned and ran downstairs, seeking comfort from Mrs. Thompson.

"Akai, what's wrong?" Mrs. Thompson asked, concern etched on her face.

"Aunty, is Ryder going to Scotland next week?" Akai asked, her voice trembling with anxiety.

"Yes, dear," Mrs. Thompson replied, her expression a mix of sadness and frustration. "He wants to go to Scotland for his future studies. I tried to stop him, but..." She sighed, shaking her head. "He is adamant about going there."

Akai nodded, her tears flowing uncontrollably. "He promised me he'd stay, but now he's breaking his promise. He's always putting his own needs before mine!"

Mrs. Thompson's face hardened. "That boy has always been selfish. I tried to stop him, but he won't listen."

Akai's anger and hurt boiled over. "I hate him! I hate him for leaving me!"

Mrs. Thompson embraced her tightly. "Oh, Akai, I'm so sorry. You deserve so much better than someone who doesn't appreciate you."

The words hit Akai like a ton of bricks, leaving her stunned and heartbroken. "Aunty, I am leaving now," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"Akai, have lunch before you go," Mrs. Thompson pleaded, her eyes filled with concern. "We all feel happy in your presence. Don't go yet, dear."

As they hugged, Ryder appeared at the bottom of the stairs.

"Mom, Grandma, let her be,I've made up my mind," he said, his voice firm but his eyes betraying his uncertainty.Ryder's voice came from upstairs, his tone indifferent.

As Akai looked in his direction, she saw him coming downstairs, his eyes avoiding hers. "Ryder, how can you do this to me?" she asked, her voice cracking with emotion.

"Leave me alone, Akai," Ryder replied, his voice cold. "I'm doing this for my future. You wouldn't understand."

Akai's tears flowed as she realized Ryder's determination to leave. "You're abandoning me, just like you always do," she said, her voice shaking with sadness.

Ryder shrugged, his eyes still avoiding hers. "I'm not abandoning you, Akai. I'm just following my dreams."

"Dreams that don't include me," Akai said, her voice barely above a whisper.

The words he spoke felt like a thorn to her heart, piercing deep and causing unbearable pain. Her heart was bleeding, shattered into a million pieces. Heartbroken, she went to the main door and left the house, the sound of her footsteps echoing through the silent hallway.

"Ryder, how can you speak to her so rudely?" Mrs. Thompson scolded, her voice laced with disappointment and anger. "She's only 16, for goodness' sake! It's totally acceptable for her to be angry with you, learning that you're leaving so suddenly."

Ryder's grandma sighed, her eyes filled with sadness. "Yes, Ryder, whatever you said was hurtful. She was quite excited for today, but you...you just crushed her spirit."

Mrs. Thompson's voice was firm. "Let me ask Mr. Jack to go after her and drop her at her home. Ryder, today you have totally disappointed me." She shook her head, her expression a mix of sadness and disapproval.

Ryder began to protest, "But mother—" but she cut him off.

"No, Ryder. Your behavior with her was unacceptable. You will apologize to her today." Ryder was taken aback, realizing his mistake. He was also disappointed in himself, wondering why he had behaved so harshly towards Akai. He knew he had hurt her deeply, and the weight of his actions was crushing him.

Akai's feet felt heavy as she walked along the road, her mind reeling with the shock of news of Ryder's departure. The sound of a car pulling over beside her broke the silence, and she turned to see Mr. Jack, his kind face a stark contrast to the pain she felt.

"Miss, please get inside the car. Madam asked me to drop you at your home," he said, his voice soft with concern.

Akai hesitated, her eyes welling up with tears. "Uncle Jack, thanks, but I'll go home by walking only. Have a safe drive," she replied, her voice barely above a whisper.

But Mr. Jack was insistent. "No, miss, madam has already asked me to drop you off at any cost. Please, get in," he said, his eyes filled with a deep understanding.

Akai thought for a moment, her mind racing with emotions. She finally nodded, and Mr. Jack opened the door for her. As she boarded the car, she felt a lump form in her throat. Throughout the journey, both of them kept quiet, the only sound being the hum of the engine. From time to time, Mr. Jack would glance at her through the rear mirror, his eyes filled with sympathy. Akai kept her gaze fixed outside the window, her eyes blurring with tears. No one could tell what she was thinking, but her heart was screaming with pain and sadness.

Her parents had left her, and now Ryder, the one person she thought she could count on, was soon going to abandon her too. The thought was too much to bear. She felt like she was drowning in a sea of rejection and betrayal. Her heart was shattering into a million pieces, and she couldn't catch her breath.

Tears streamed down her face, hot and relentless, as she mourned the loss of yet another loved one. She felt like she was losing everything, everyone, and it was too much to handle. Her body shook with sobs, and her mind raced with painful thoughts.

Why was this happening to her? What had she done to deserve such pain? She felt like she was being ripped apart, her soul torn from her body. The pain was excruciating, and she didn't know how much more she could take.

Ryder's behavior was the final blow, the last straw that broke the camel's back. His harsh words and cold demeanor had cut her deeper than she thought possible. She felt like she was nothing to him, just a disposable piece of trash. The thought was too much to bear, and she let out a heart-wrenching cry, her tears falling like rain.