Chapter 10 - The Scar
The first time I really looked at my body after the surgery, I was standing in the master bathroom of the new apartment. The surgical tape had been removed, leaving the long, jagged red line fully exposed on my abdomen.
It was angry, raised, and vivid against my pale skin.
I ran my fingertips lightly over the healing tissue.
In a society obsessed with perfection, a scar like this was supposed to be a flaw. It was supposed to be something you hid behind high-waisted jeans and one-piece swimsuits.
But as I looked at my reflection in the mirror, I didn't see a flaw.
I saw a battle wound. I saw the physical evidence that I had fought a war for my own existence, and I had won. The scar was a map of my survival, a permanent reminder that I was stronger than the people who tried to bury me.
My phone buzzed on the bathroom counter.
It was Arthur.
"Good morning, Maya. I hope the new apartment is treating you well," his crisp voice echoed through the speaker.
"It's perfect, Arthur. Thank you. What's going on?" I asked, putting the phone on speaker as I carefully pulled a soft cotton shirt over my head.
"I thought you would enjoy a bit of morning entertainment," Arthur said, a hint of amusement in his tone. "Your brother, Connor, attempted to breach the security at your new building about an hour ago."
My hands froze. "How did he find out where I live?"
"He didn't," Arthur corrected. "He assumed you were staying with Chloe, and he tried to break into her old apartment building. When the doorman refused to let him up, Connor threw a highly publicized temper tantrum in the lobby. He screamed that you were holding his family hostage and stealing his money."
I rolled my eyes. "Of course he did. What happened?"
"The doorman called the police," Arthur chuckled. "Connor was arrested for trespassing, disturbing the peace, and violating the restraining order we put in place last week. He spent the morning in a holding cell, crying to the booking officer about how unfair his life is."
I let out a harsh, sharp laugh. Connor, the golden child who had never faced a consequence in his entire life, was finally discovering how the real world operated.
"Is he still in jail?" I asked.
"He was released on his own recognizance, but he now has pending criminal charges to add to his rapidly deteriorating public image," Arthur explained. "His former sponsors are preparing to sue him for breach of contract due to the morality clauses in his endorsement deals. He is entirely ruined, Maya."
May you like
I looked back at the scar in the mirror.
"Good," I said smoothly. "Let him burn."
