I sobbed harder as Mother rubbed my back. More tears streamed down my face as I hiccupped and gripped the book for dear life.
"Now they're mocking her on the blogs. Belittling her...like her life didn't fucking matter. She breathed like us. Had hopes and dreams like us. She thought...she was going to Dubai and would get funds to aid her sister's medication bills. Now...she's gone. No one knows jack shit about her struggles. Or what she hid behind her ‘Oops, sorry’ banter. Fuck...even if she was on the wrong side...it doesn't mean...doesn't mean she deserved what they did to her. It's not fair, Mom...it's just...not...fair."
I cried harder then, my emotions spilling out of me with no way of stopping them. I couldn't help but be haunted by the image of her hanging body. To think of how bright and sassy her smile and personality were, only to now see her sickly pale body filled with wounds hanging there like she was truly nothing but a doll.
She didn't deserve to be executed like a murderer. No one was given the judge's gavel to tell the world she was guilty of that final punishment. Yet, on social media platforms where everyone hid behind keyboards and electronic screens, anyone could say what they wished and thought. Anyone could go and talk shit and belittle someone they knew nothing about.
I bet none of these people knew who Leia was. They didn't know if that was even her true name. They had no clue that she was forced into a sex cult, or that she'd been a victim of whatever shit she’d dealt with prior to all of this. They knew nothing but acted like they knew everything.
That's what drove a blade into my damn heart.
It hurt the most because I knew, without a doubt, that such ridicule could happen to anyone. This wouldn't be the first or last instance where someone's death was nothing but a laughing moment of 'tough luck' and 'she deserved it' because of ABCD.
She's a slut. She had fake breasts. She was an immigrant. She was merely trying to get a paid position in the industry.
So many assumptions. So many lies. And no matter how hard I tried to ignore the bullying of Leia, I just couldn't let it go. Making fun of a dead girl seemed to be the most pathetic thing to do, but it was unfolding before my eyes to the point that multiple people out there wanted to bring my and Jax's name into the loop and frame us for the taunts and spreading lies.
What if I didn't have parents in law? What if my sister wasn't the top agent Witchling had ever seen? What if Jax's family wasn't at their level of success? Or better yet, what if Jax and I didn't have good reputations?
We would be minding our own business, and someone would be okay with ruining our lives without us realizing it. All by faking a few profiles and beginning a keyboard war of lies.
Life is so unfair.
I felt a larger hand begin to stroke my head, and I knew from the creak of the bed on my right side that Dad was here. He didn't ask questions as I continued to cry long and hard. He simply added to Mother's words of support and comfort as they hugged me for as long as I needed.
I'd only seen them do this once, and it was when the news of Starlight's fiancé and team's deaths finally made its impact on her. If I was feeling this way over the death of someone I barely knew, I couldn't imagine the feelings I'd experience if I lost someone I loved.
I cried until my tears ran dry, and when I quieted down, Dad knelt down and put a hand on my lap to get my attention.
"I want you to know that how you're feeling is perfectly allowed. It's not wrong to feel the way you do, nor is it wrong to be frustrated with what's happening online," he whispered. "What I can say is this: Leia will get justice. Just like we'll fight long and hard to ensure you get justice during the trial," he assured me.
Mother nodded and continued to rub my back. "The high court concluded that the trial will be delayed until New Year’s Eve. They wish to get it out of the way this year, but due to current circumstances, they're willing to postpone if they must."
I slowly nodded, feeling slightly relaxed at the idea of not doing the trial so soon. We may have an extra week added to our holiday break, but I knew I'd need every bit of time to recover from this.
"She didn't deserve what happened to her," Mother stated firmly. "Understand?"
I nodded. "Understood."
Dad sighed and got up. "Why don't you go take a calming bath? We'll be downstairs tonight working on a few tasks, but if you're hungry, say the word and we'll fix something for you to eat."
"Or if you feel like eating anything, we can go for a night ride and get something to eat at one of the twenty-four-hour joints," Mother offered.
The idea of going out was appetizing, especially since it had been a long while since I’d gotten the opportunity to spend time with them.
"I wouldn't mind going out later," I whispered. "I miss you guys."
"I know," Dad whispered and leaned over to press a kiss to my forehead. "We miss you, too, Brianne."
"And we're here for you," Mother reassured me.
I actually allowed myself to smile in gratefulness as I bobbed my head in understanding.
"Thanks, Mom. Thanks, Dad."
They gave me warm smiles before they each gave me a hug before heading downstairs.
I sat on my bed for a while, staring at the book before looking at the bandages along my arms and legs. A bath would definitely be a calming self-care moment, and with the hovering idea of going out to eat, I decided to gather my stuff and get the water ready.
I filled the bath with steaming hot water. I wasn't sure how I'd handle it with my wounds, but I didn't really care about the potential stinging pain I'd deal with. Maybe the pain would numb everything else.
The knock on the door caught my attention as I took a new set of summer pajamas - my pink Sailor Moon pajamas - in my grasp. I turned my head to see Kaito.
I stared at his image, almost thinking I was having a hallucination or something, but I lowered my eyes to the gorgeous bouquet of flowers in his grasp. It was an array of orange, pink, and yellow roses that were bundled together in a pink glass pot with yellow crescent moons.
Moving my gaze upward, my eyes locked with his as he seemed to take advantage of my observation to do the same. His eyes took me in while they softened in admiration.
"Knock, knock," he whispered.
"Who's there?" I quietly replied as I suddenly fought hard to not grow emotional from his sudden arrival.
"Your long-lost boyfriend," he answered and lifted the flowers further. "With a bouquet of flowers in a Sailor Moon themed pot."
That made me smile as I slowly walked over to the door. My parents had to have known he was coming for them to let him in at this hour and not let me know. I was sure after my breakdown that they would assume having company would help cheer me up, especially from one of my amazing boyfriends.
Adding the fact that I missed Kaito dearly, this seemed like one of those perfect moments where divine timing was here to save the day.
He wore a long-sleeve black turtle neck and black pants, while his hair was up in his usual ponytail. I was sure beneath the soft fabric were the white bandages covering his wounds that we couldn't heal easily with magic.
How intriguingly limited magic could be when it came to healing a witch’s minor cuts and bruises versus life-threatening situations, where they could easily be reversed. The nurse did explain it was the amount of darkness used during the fight that made the healing process far slower, but it sure was a pain in the butt.