The ceiling was pale.
Blurry at first, then clearer as my eyes slowly opened. The fluorescent light buzzed faintly above me, sterile and cold. It didn’t take long for the pain to return. A sharp ache in my arm. Dull, throbbing, but alive.
My arm was bandaged, tight and stiff. The bullet hadn’t gone too deep, they said. Just a graze. Lucky.
If only I felt lucky. I turned my head slowly. Yvette sat beside me, her eyes wide and glassy with guilt. Her hair was perfect, lips tinted pink, and yet her hands trembled slightly as she reached for me.
“Fatima… are you okay?” Her voice was soft, as if afraid I’d break if she spoke too loud. “I’m so sorry… I didn’t know how it started. They’re still investigating what happened at the bar. But you… you got hurt.”
I didn’t respond.
“Fatima,” she whispered, “please… I want to take care of you. Don’t ignore me. You’re my precious sister.”
I shifted my gaze away from her. My throat was dry, cracked from disuse, but the words came out steady. “Leave me.”
Her face fell. “But… I just want to help—”
The door creaked open, and our father stepped in. “Fatima,” he said with quiet frustration, “why are you being so difficult with your sister? She’s only trying to help.”
I looked at him—cold, tired. “If she really wants to help me,” I said, voice flat, “then she should leave. I don’t want to see her again.”
I shoved Yvette’s hand away. She gasped softly, visibly shaken, but I didn’t care anymore.
Then I saw him. Jerwin stood by the door.
His jaw clenched as if trying to speak but failing. I didn’t wait.
“I don’t want to see you either,” I said sharply. “You’re fired.”
His eyes widened. “No. Don’t—please, don’t fire me.”
He stepped forward, his voice rising. “Miss Simon… Fatima, I’m sorry. I know I failed. I—I wasn’t fast enough, I wasn’t there. But I’ll do anything. Just don’t fire me.”
I narrowed my eyes. “Why?” I asked bitterly.
“Of course, to protect you.”
I laughed but there was no humor in my eyes. Still, I said, “Fine. You can stay.”
His head lifted, eyes hopeful for a second.
“But,” I added, “you’ll be punished for failing me.”
When I was finally discharged from the hospital, I didn’t waste time.
Everything was prepared. The private room I chose was quiet, the curtains drawn tightly against the world. A cold, clean space without distractions—perfect for what needed to happen.
Jerwin entered exactly when I told him to. No emotion in his eyes, no excuses on his lips. He removed his jacket slowly and folded it with precision, then stood still in the center of the room, as if waiting for judgment.
But I didn’t lift a whip. Instead, I gave a small nod to the two men stationed at the side of the room—my father’s men, now mine.
“Begin.”
Jerwin didn’t flinch.
The first punch landed across his cheek, snapping his head to the side. The second followed to his gut. He grunted, breath escaping his lungs in one sharp exhale, but he didn’t speak. Didn’t raise a hand to defend himself. He took each hit, like he believed he deserved it.
And maybe he did.
He betrayed me in silence.
In secrets.
And worst of all—he made me believe I mattered.
The punches kept coming. His knees buckled under one sharp blow, and I left the room without another word.
I went to the pool terrace to clear my head. I sat by the edge, legs dangling over the side when Yvette came.
“I heard what you did,” she said, standing beside me. “That punishment… it wasn’t just cruel—it was my fault. He only got hurt because he was protecting me.”
I said nothing.
“I should be the one who gets punished,” she added dramatically, stepping closer to the edge. “If you're angry, then hurt me instead—”
I stood and turned away. “I have no interest in you. You’re not worth it.”
She reached out again. “Fatima, I just want us to be sisters—”
“I said no,” I snapped, walking past her.
But then—I heard the slip. Her foot caught on the wet edge. Her arms flailed.
And then—a splash.
“Help!” she screamed. “I can’t swim—please! Help me!”
I turned slowly. She was thrashing, her head barely staying above water, panic splashed across her face.
And before anyone else could react—
Jerwin ran. Bleeding. Limping. Bruised.
He didn’t even hesitate. He threw himself into the pool, arms slicing through the water. In seconds, he reached her, pulling her to him as she clung to him, coughing and crying.
“It’s okay,” he whispered. “I’ve got you. I’m here… no one will hurt you again.”
