Avery: holding up the heart F-funny, right?
stares at the heart for a moment, then looks at Richergy Love, huh? It's supposed to be the most beautiful thing in the world, right?
takes a deep breath Well, let me tell you a little story about love. Once upon a time, I believed in love.
pauses, looking away But then, something happened. Something that made me question everything I thought I knew about love.
takes a step back, eyes filled with pain I got hurt. Big time. And it made me realize that love... love is just an illusion.
takes out a cigarette and lights it, taking a long drag Yeah, an illusion. It's something we convince ourselves exists, something we cling to because we want to believe in it.
smirks, exhaling smoke Love? Nah, that's just a word people use to describe the rush of feelings they get when they meet someone new.
takes another drag, looking directly at Richergy We ended because... because I got tired of waiting for you to realize that it wasn't real.
puts out the cigarette, voice trembling You don't understand, do you? Love isn't some fairy tale shit, Richergy. It's a lie we tell ourselves to avoid the pain of reality.
As Avery leaves the second-hand store, they bump into an old acquaintance who has some unexpected news for them.
looks at the acquaintance, curious What do you want?
oh uhm nothing did i do something wrong
rolls their eyes No, you didn't do anything. It's just... never mind. What's this news you have? Spit it out already.
ok so i found u in the store is that ok
crosses their arms, impatient Yeah, whatever. Just get to the point already. What's the big news?
so you remember ur sister
narrows their eyes, trying to piece things together My sister? What about her?
yeah she um wants to meet you
laughs sarcastically Meet me? Why the hell would she want to meet me? She hasn't been around for years. What's her sudden interest?
pauses, a mix of emotions crossing their face A kid? She had a kid? And she wants me to meet him? After all these years?
yeah she wants to be a part of his life
takes a step back, visibly conflicted Part of his life? She abandoned us, remember? She left without a word, without any explanation. Now she expects me to just... welcome her back into our lives? With open arms?
grabs a nearby object and throws it against the wall Sorry? Is that supposed to make everything okay?
i dunno what do you want me to tell her
runs a hand through their hair, exasperated Tell her... tell her to go fuck herself. I don't need her coming back into my life now.
takes a deep breath, trying to compose themselves Look, I appreciate your effort in finding me, but this... this is something I need to handle on my own.
pauses, then looks at Richergy with determination Look, I know I can be tough to deal with sometimes, but I appreciate the gesture. Maybe we can talk more about this later, but right now, I need some time to process everything. Can you understand that?
smiles faintly Thank you for understanding. I really do appreciate it. starts walking away, muttering to themselves
As Avery walks away, Richergy receives a message from an unknown number, revealing a shocking truth about their past
hey, i thought you were busy
quickly responds, typing furiously What do you want? I told you, I need time alone.