Chapter 15: But She Didn't

"Ma'am."

The one working part time on her shop was definitely shock to see her early in the morning on her shop looking haggard at the same time having puffy eyes.

"Don't mind me, I am just here for some work and would be staying here for a while. But I still need your assistance so you can keep coming," she waved her hand and said.

She was having her morning coffee while leaning on the counter, looking at her shop.

"Mary," she called her shop assistant that was fixing up the books before it opens for the day.

"Yes ma'am?"

"Our shop is beautiful isn't it?" she asked.

Mary was stunned but still nodded her head, "Yes, it is beautiful."

"I am lucky to have it right?" Amethyst asked again.

Thinking about it being in the middle of the city center and how customers comes everyday, Mary once again nodded her head, "Yes, you are lucky with this shop."

Though she has no idea what was going on and why her boss was feeling so gloomy that even to her who was not that close to Amethyst could feel it. She can only answer her to her weird questions.

"I am lucky indeed. I don't need to ask for anything more."

Amethyst started muttering to herself before going to the back room.

Her shop is not that big but it has its own backroom with a sofa and some cabinets that one could rest there.

Mary tilted her head to the side before shrugging.

She had been Amethysts assistant for two years now and Amethyst was a kind boss.

She gives bonuses and treats her well.

She was called a part timer because when Amethyst wasn't truly doing anything, she tends to do the work herself.

Despite all this her salary was still that of a full timer.

So even if there are times where her boss would act gloomily and weirdly she didn't think it was bad enough as compared to her benefits.

Though admittedly she worries every time she could see that Amethyst was ill.

After leaving their unit yesterday, Amethyst took her bag and keys and drove back here. She could only cry at the betrayal she felt knowing that they actually didn't ask her in the past because they already knew who she was and asked her to do those things because of their knowledge.

The betrayal of being used without your knowledge, using you for their own gain.

It pains her a lot, the trauma that kept coming back became clearer again after finding out what happened.

She clutched ehr clothes in front of her chest as the memories of the past started coming back to her.

(Flashback)

She had a smile on her face as she looked at the books in the shelf, her books, her stories. They were now published and is being recognized by people.

The name Astral, which she had come up through her favorite view of the stars.

They were all in one place.

But she came here today for a very different reason, and not just to appreciate her work.

It is because of a news she received through the internet that they will be showing a picture of the author on the latest book.

She haven't done too many stories yet but was lucky enough that her sister, who was working in a publishing company gave her a chance to publish them.

And now here it was right in her hands.

But she had told her sister that she wanted to remain as a mystery so she was shock to hear that they will be revealing the author.

Then she couldn't contact her sister and not even her parents so she could only come out to check it out herself.

She, of course, looked around and upon seeing that no one recognizes her, she stepped into the book store.

She picked it up and saw from the table of contents that the author will be revealed at the end of the book.

So without much thought she flipped the pages towards the end and had her heart in her throat.

Despite wanting to remain as a mystery being known for your hardwork and being appreciated is still something that would give you more motivation to keep going on.

But what she found wasn't motivation at all after she had reached that certain page.

Instead it was of her world spinning around as she felt like her knees are about to give out.

She closed the book and left the store, she was walking fast, too fast that sometimes she would bump into some people but her mind and her heart were in a storm that she couldn't even apologize.

She didn't know how she was able to get home but she could only sit there staring in space until late at night where her family finally came home.

The three of them, her sister, her mother and father, were all dressed nicely.

"Emerald."

The moment she saw her she stood up from the sofa and walked towards her.

*SLAP*

"Amethyst what are you doing?!?" her mother instantly pulled her hand and pulled her away from Emerald, who could only hold her cheek in shock.

"I trusted you," but Amethyst didn't bother with the angry look from her parents.

"I trusted you so what have you done?" she asked again.

The shock from Emerald's face slowly fades away before she scoffed.

"So you have seen already? The face of Astral?"

That's right, what Amethyst saw on the picture of the author with a pen name Astral, was of Emerald's.

Emerald laughed, "You have the money what are you being angry right now? Astral needs a face but you just won't give her and so we did. And it wa she best plan. This gave the company more income because we can publish my face and we canter commercials as well."

Amethyst stared at her in disbelief and looked at her parents.

Her mother sighed, "We didn't know you were that famous, we should have done this sooner then we would be in front of the camera sooner as well."

"That is why, allowing your sister to have it since you really didn't want to, you do make us proud for the very first time. Your sister is the best visual for an author," her father added even putting his hand on top of her shoulder.

Her world shattered upon hearing their words.

"Why? Why are you doing this? This is my work, they are my children, they are mine. Why are you making people think that they are not."

Emerald laughed sarcastically, "Children? They are just stories. If you don't want fame then don't I can have it to myself. And I should really thank you for telling me how you were inspired with your stories. I can answer the reporters truthfully giving us more fame. Isn't that enough?"

"That's right, you have the money and since your sister is the better looking one, you can let her have the fame. Then we can be the proud parents of an author. We can proudly say that she is our daughter because her face is already out there unlike yours."

Her tears dropped like waterfall as she listened to their words and feel the knife in her heart slicing and peircing through it.

(End Of Flashback)

Amethyst tears came out once again after remembering that dark part of her life.

Two days after what had happened she left their home taking her laptop with her. And as she left the city, she bought each of her stories in paperback.

They tried calling her because once she left, the stories would stop as well.

At first the messages were all filled with anger then slowly they tried coaxing her but soon when she still didn't reply, they started getting angry again.

Telling her that they would disown her if she don't return.

But she didn't.

She had lost half of her life because of what they had done.

She wouldn't let them trample over her shattered life even more.