years ago

After dinner that night, I watched Clara as she ambled into the park. I followed her footsteps as she sat down on the bench and hid her face in between her knees. Her body was shaking slightly and it didn't take me long to figure out that she was crying.

I walked towards her and gently patted her back. She jerked her head up and immediately scooted away.

"Clara!" I whispered.

"Hmm." she said, wiping her cheeks.

"You can cry sweetie, it's good for peace of mind." I said gently and sat down beside her.

"Leave me alone." her tone was that of begging.

"No. Friends don't leave each other alone." I said.

"Friend? You're not my friend. You.. You don't even know me. I... I'm not a good person. You will hate me if you knew what a horrible person I am." she said. Her face was flushed and there was a strange fear in her eyes.

"I know." I answered and her face started dripping with confusion. "You're Clara Avery, the only daughter of Richard Avery. You cheated on your husband with his brother and left him on your wedding night. I think I know enough about you."

Tears once again streamed down her cheeks. Moving forwards, I drew circles on her arm in an attempt of comforting her.

"So you're.. you're not disgusted by me?" she asked, her eyes filled with hope.

"No, why would I be? I mean show me a person who hasn't made a mistake once in their life." I said and her face contorted like she was listening to a ghost. Maybe she was so used to people hating her that my reaction was weird for her.

Moving forwards, I slowly wrapped my arms around her shoulder and pulled her in for a comforting hug. At first, she didn't respond but then her arms made their way to my back and I felt wetness on my shoulder. Her body trembled as she poured her heart out, the sound of her crying broke my heart.

...

Mark was coming to take me out for a lunch today. After dressing up, I noticed a bright yellow dress in my travel bag which I have never worn before. Honestly, I didn't have any curves and such dresses require the person to have bigger chest and butt.

An idea came to my mind on seeing that dress and I called Mark to ask if it was okay if I bring someone else on the lunch date.

He agreed easily and I excitedly jumped towards Clara's room. After that night, we have grown closer to each other because we were tied with her secret and her past.

"Hi." she smiled at me when she noticed me. She still doesn't talk much but there is some improvement.

"Here. Get dressed. We are going out for lunch." I passed her the dress. Her eyes shifted between me and the yellow material and she shook her head in no.

"Please Clara. Please please please. Pretty please." I pouted, using my puppy dog eyes which have magical effect on people.

"I can't go. Please Ava. I haven't gone out of this place for months now." she looked like she was about to cry, probably because of social anxiety.

"And we are changing that today. Please Clara. I'll leave for college in a week. Just consider it one last request." I begged her by kneeling in front of her.

"What are you doing? Please stand up." she panicked and stooped down to pick me up.

"No. Not unless you join us on our lunch date." I stubbornly said.

"Us?" her eyes widened more.

"Me and my boyfriend Mark." I said. She grew more anxious on hearing about Mark.

I begged for almost half an hour and at first, she kept refusing but when I used my acting skills to bring out some fake tears, she finally gave up.

"Thank you. You're the best." I hugged her and then pushed her to get dressed.

When she stepped out dressed with her hair neatly combed back, I couldn't help but squeal. She was too pretty to be caged in a place. Girls like her are destined to rule the world.

Mark picked us up in his car. I noticed one thing that she was acting too strange around Mark but I thought it was just social anxiety.

At first, she stayed as away from him as possible but then knowing Mark, he had a magical ability to relax people with his jokes. Even Clara was not immune to his charms and by the end of the lunch, I saw her laugh for the first time.

"Mi'lady." Mark kissed me on cheeks when he dropped us back.

"Li'l pumpkin." he teased Clara because she ordered Pumpkin pie during dinner but couldn't even eat one fourth of it.

After he left, Clara turned to me and said, "You're lucky to have such a nice boyfriend. Don't ever let him go." There was sadness in her eyes and a strange longing. I knew he wanted to be with the man in that picture, I coudk read it in her eyes.

"Thanks." I whispered and followed her to inside.

Once we were inside her room, I decided to address the elephant in the room. "Clara, I don't know if I have any right to ask but.." I took a long breath. "Did a man do something to you?"

She stilled for a moment and her soft features filled with plain horror. Something had definitely happened to her and I needed to know what.

She seated herself on the bed and asked me to sit beside. The old Clara won't have told me but this Clara considered me her friend and I was too damn grateful for that.

She told me everything that happened to her from the day Ryan left her. She told me about Ryan's fucking friend who tried to rape her, the girl who betrayed her by ratting her out, the boss who fired her on finding that she was spending the nights in her cafe, the night when she found out that her father died because of her and the moment when she lost her baby in an accident. She told me everything in detail and by the time she stopped, I was crying with her.

That moment, I knew one thing. No matter what happens, I was not leaving this girl behind.

_______________________