Vengeful Desires

❤️

The sky stretched endlessly above Diaz as she lay on the ground outside, her eyes tracing the wisps of clouds drifting lazily by.

The warm breeze caressed her face, a contrast to the icy tendrils of grief that had taken root deep within her soul.

The sound of the front door opening drew her gaze, and she watched as Sola stepped out, squinting against the bright sunlight. "Mi-ok is staying with Dami," the blonde woman said, tilting her head. "Should we go visit?"

Diaz considered the offer for a moment before shaking her head slightly. "You go ahead," she replied, her voice carrying a wistful edge. "I'll be there in a moment."

Sola arched an eyebrow, her expression a mixture of curiosity and concern. "Why?" she asked, planting her hands on her hips. "What's keeping you?"

Diaz's gaze remained drifted back towards the endless expanse of sky above her. When she finally spoke, her words were measured with a sadness that seemed to weigh her down like an invisible anchor.

"Because I don't want to be jealous of an innocent boy," she murmured, her eyes glistening with unshed tears. "While he's coming back to life, even though we are all victims of the same people, my Hwan will never wake up again."

Sola's bravado faltered, her shoulders sagging as the weight of Diaz's admission settled over her. She opened her mouth, perhaps to offer some word of comfort or reassurance, but Diaz pressed on, her voice gaining strength as if propelled by a wellspring of raw emotion.

"You know what Yura told me?" she asked, her gaze fixing on Sola with an intensity that stole the other woman's breath away. "He didn't kill himself. Hwan..." She swallowed hard, her jaw clenching. "She said he had been drugged. By Dr. Yi."

A heavy silence fell between them, punctuated only by the gentle rustling of leaves in the breeze. Sola's eyes widened, her mouth working soundlessly as she struggled to process the implications of Diaz's words.

Finally, Diaz exhaled a shuddering sigh, her shoulders slumping as if the weight of her grief had become too much to bear. "Unlike Amirah," she whispered, her voice thick with anguish, "my husband and child aren't ever coming back."

The vulnerability in Diaz's admission seeded in the air, that seemed to sap the warmth from their surroundings.

Sola shifted her weight from one foot to the other, an uncomfortable silence hanging between them. She opened her mouth, grasping for the right words to offer comfort, but her mind remained frustratingly blank. What could she possibly say to ease the anguish etched into Diaz's features?

"Anyways," Diaz spoke up, her voice carrying a forced lightness that rang hollow. "What was it that Seul-hee asked us to pick up after the hospital? Strawberry-flavored popsicles?" A derisive scoff escaped her lips as she fanned away invisible dust from her dress, the motion seeming more like a nervous tic than a genuine attempt at tidiness.

Stretching her arms skyward, Diaz tilted her face towards the heavens, her eyes squinting against the bright sunlight. "Any matter. Life must go on." The words left her in a weary sigh, as if she were trying to convince herself of their truth.

The drive to the hospital passed in strained silence, each woman lost in her own whirlwind of thoughts and emotions. As they approached the entrance, they spotted Mi-ok, Yun, and Seul-hee hovering near the entrance, their gazes fixed on something within.

Stepping through the doors, Sola and Diaz followed their line of sight to where Hyun-woo and Amirah sat beside Dami's bedside, radiant smiles illuminating their faces as they held the young boy's hand. A tender scene of relief and joy unfolded before them, one that seemed to simultaneously warm and ache Diaz's heart.