***Reader trigger alert: Self-harm. This chapter contains disturbing contents. Please proceed with caution and remember that this should not serve as an example for you.

***

"Ren, why did you stop the wedding? Ah, it's because of that woman, right? Let's have another wedding ceremony, Ren," Miyu insisted.

"No, it's not because of her. It's because of you!" Ren shouted.

Ren shook her by the shoulders. "How dare you barge in my wedding?!"

"W-wait, Ren. That hurts!" Miyu said.

"You're just a dirty po*n actress now. Don't drag me into your problems," Ren said, his grasp on her shoulders tightening.

"Ouch! Ren, stop it!" Miyu cried.

"Don't show your face in front of me again. If I ever see you again, I'll destroy you," Ren said and shoved her.

"Ren, didn't you ever love me? Why are you being so cruel?" Miyu asked.

"Huh? Love? I just took an interest in you because you're cute. We would have dated longer if your image didn't get ruined," Ren said.

"But it's not true! I didn't sleep with several men! Someone took that image and posted a malicious article about me! You shouldn't believe that!" Miyu insisted.

"It doesn't matter if it's true or not. You're damaged goods now. I can't be seen with you when everyone has already seen your body," Ren said.

"What about Fumiyo-san? Do you love her?!" Miyu asked.

"She's pregnant and she said she'll ruin me if I don't marry her. That's all," Ren said.

Miyu glared at him. "You're trash."

Ren laughed. "What about you? You just turned psycho for me."

How could she have ever thought that he was her Prince Charming?

"You should call your manager now to pick you up. I'm going back to my wedding," Ren said.

"It's not fair. How could you just play with my feelings? It's so painful and you don't even feel it," Miyu said.

"It's your fault for being so naive. By the way, as my last gift to you, don't trust your manager too much," Ren said.

"Huh? Are you talking about Hanako?" Miyu asked.

"Who else? Shouldn't you have wondered who knows that you have the habit of sleeping naked?" Ren asked.

"You know that I sleep naked?" Miyu asked bewildered.

"Your manager told me a few days before your scandal," Ren said.

"You were talking with Hanako?" Miyu asked.

Ren sighed looking frustrated. "Your manager tried to break us up. She said that you don't deserve me and you aren't really as nice as you appear to be. Looks like she's right."

"But how did she tell you about my habit?" Miyu asked.

"When she failed to break us up, I think she wanted me to ruin you. She sent me pictures of you sleeping naked. She would say that you're waiting for me to come to your room but I'm not that dumb to believe her. I'll just end up destroying my career and get labeled as a rapist," Ren said with a shrug.

"Hanako wouldn't do that," Miyu said slowly.

Ren took out his phone and looked like he was searching something. "Ah found it. Here's my gift to you. Farewell, Miyu."

Ren left and Miyu felt that he left with a part of her too.

Miyu's phone vibrated. A message from Ren. She opened it. It was another picture of her sleeping naked. This time, it was at her bedroom. It was a screenshot. The sender was Hanako.

If one's world could truly crumble, Miyu felt it at that moment. Miyu's knees gave away and she collapsed on the ground.

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It was too bright. That was the first thing she noticed. Was she dead already? Was she going to meet her mother again? Those were the thoughts that raced inside her mind.

"Miyu, are you awake now?"

She knew that voice well. Hanako.

Miyu's eyes adjusted to the light as she fluttered her eyes. White sheets, white curtains, and white walls. She must be in a hospital. She was still wearing her wedding dress.

"Miyu, how do you feel?" Hanako asked in a worried tone.

"Hanako, is it true?" Miyu asked.

"What's true?" Hanako asked.

"You're the one who took that photograph of me. You're the one who wrote that article," Miyu said, her face expressionless.

"What?! Of course not! I would never do that to you!" Hanako said.

"Hanako, I saw the message you sent to Ren," Miyu said.

Hanako looked shocked then her expression changed to a twisted smirk.

"It's me. You made it so easy. You always gave me access to your bedroom and you just had to have the habit of sleeping naked. All I had to do was put some cond*ms beside you and fake sem*n while you slept like a baby. So? Are you firing me?" Hanako asked with eyes full of hate.

"Naturally. I just want to know why you did that," Miyu said.

Hanako laughed. Her laugh sounded insane. Miyu just stared at her expressionless.

"Isn't it obvious? You don't deserve Ren! You're not even showing your true self to him! All he knows is your sickening cute version and it drove me crazy! I did the world a favor! Now, no one will believe you're as innocent as you look! All they'll see is your slu*ty self!" Hanako screamed shrilly.

"Get out," Miyu said steely.

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***Reader trigger warning: Suicide***

A few minutes later, the showbiz world was buzzing once again with news about Hikari Miyu. Hikari Miyu had committed suicide. She had leaped from the hospital balcony still wearing her wedding dress. A hospital nurse had heard about Miyu's conversation with her manager and was able to record it. The nurse said she wasn't able to release the recording instantly because she became busy with her shift. The recording was released late in the evening, a few minutes after Miyu had already taken her life.

Miyu never knew that her name would be cleared. She could not stand to live in the same world the people who betrayed her were living in.

Hanako was imprisoned for defamation. Ren was put under criticism too for denying his relationship with Miyu. His career was ruined for sure.

Miyu was lamented by the masses. She was the angel that became a victim to the people she trusted the most.

Her funeral was like a national event. Her fans cried for her. Actors and actresses spoke highly of her despite never talking to her.

The wedding shop owner who first discovered Miyu was even interviewed.

"The first time I saw her, I thought she looked like an angel. She was so cute and innocent-looking. Miyu was really nice so I never thought that the scandal was real. Miyu, wherever you are, I hope you find peace."

Did it really matter if her name got cleared? Would Miyu have been happy if she knew of it? Would she have not taken her life if the recording was released before she took the leap that would end her life?

No one knows and the person herself did not know too.

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When Miyu was still a little girl, and her mother was too sick to get up from bed, Miyu tried to bake. She saw a cookbook inside her Mom's drawer and decided to bake some cookies for her sick Mom.

She didn't have all of the ingredients. She didn't have baking powder or baking soda. There were no chocolate chips. The butter that they had was no bigger than a thumb but Miyu decided she would do her best and it would turn out all right.

Miyu watched as the cookies turned to a darker shade. She didn't get them out of the oven even when they turned black already. She only opened the oven when its timer chimed. She was obedient to the instructions of the cookbook but it still turned out burnt.

Right now, Miyu felt like those burning cookies.

"Is this hell?" Miyu whispered to herself.

She was in a very dark expanse and the only light source that she had were the blue flames at the ground. The blue flames seemed to float a few inches off the ground but she wasn't entirely sure because the ground itself was black too.

"Hello? Is there no person here with me?" Miyu called out to the dark.

Was hell actually a self-isolation prison designed to make you mad? Miyu thought.

The blue flames seemed to shake. As if a large invisible thing had arrived.

Then the dark answered. Its voice low and hiss-like. Like a whisper made for forbidden secrets. Like the sounds in the darkest corner of the woods that do not belong to any beast known to man.

"No person . . . person . . . no person here . . . here . . ."

Miyu turned to see who spoke but she was only met with darkness. The blue flames only showing her fear and none of its source.

"Hello? Who are you? Tell me, is this not Hell?" Miyu asked.

The flames surrounding her were hot but not as much as before. They almost seemed a comfort in the vast dark place. Hell was supposed to be a torture area, right? Perhaps she was in Purgatory, she thought.

"Not Hell . . . Hell . . . ," the voice echoed.

Miyu squinted into the darkness but she still could not find any shape or form. There was only the voice, whispering to her so clearly as if it was just near her ear.

She turned again. Finding nothing but the blue flames and the vast darkness.

"Show yourself!" Miyu shouted, feeling like she was being played at.

She was dead anyway so what was left to fear?