🦋 MIRA 🦋
I couldn't do anything more than roam about the house and stare at my email. It's hard to start fresh from the level you already passed, especially when it was to do with a ruined reputation.
The news of me playing drunk had gone a very long way, and with every attempt I made, every application I made to join a team was turned down.
An email beeped through my phone, and I immediately rushed towards it. With trembling hands, I clicked on Email and opened the notification.
"Dear Mira Bellwood, we hope this email finds you well. We are sorry to inform you that your application to join our team has not been approved. Thank you for your interest, and we wish you all the best in your future endeavours."
I covered my face in frustration; that was the last hope I had.
But just then, another notification popped in with a title, "The Defenders."
As I read the message, my heart stumbled, and for a fleeting moment, everything else faded into silence. My skin went clammy and pale, as if the blood had drained from my face. The words hung in the air, echoing in my mind like a haunting whisper. Time compressed into a single, suspended moment, and all that existed was the thud of my pulse in my temples.
"Hi, I'm Mrs Stella. I have been doing a follow-up with your progress for a while now, after the last situation you had, I thought you might be interested in joining us instead, so I decided to reach out to you. There would be a contest coming up soon, and the winner of this contest would join our team. I know this decision is hard for you, as you might not want to leave your current team. We are offering a mouthwatering, stable income and a whole bunch of other benefits. If you decide to join us, please respond to this email with 'I do', and we will enrol you in the contest. Kind regards, the defenders."
My heart skipped a beat as I stared at the message on my screen. A sudden jolt ran through my body, and my skin turned pale as the words sank in. Time seemed to freeze for a moment, and all I could feel was my racing pulse pounding in my ears.
The message's impact hit me like a wave, leaving me breathless and momentarily stunned.
The Defenders were not just a Russia-based team, but was High Flyers' biggest enemy and competitor, a team I was once in with Leo.
Joining this team was more like proposing to become Leo's enemy.
The Defenders fight to win, regardless of who their competitor is, and I could only hope Leo and I wouldn't cross paths, which, by the way, is barely possible.
Lost in thought, my mother walked into the room and sneaked in on me, staring at the message on the phone I held so tightly.
When I noticed she was behind me, it was already too late to hide the message.
"You got an offer," she blurted out.
I shook my head, "Mom, it's not…" I paused.
A smile spread across her face. "You are finally listening to me. If high-flyers kicked you out, you just have to get into another team. As long as you are in the game, everything will be fine."
"But, mother, you don't understand," I argued, "The Defenders are not just any team… they are high-flyers' biggest enemy."
"What does that matter, Mira?" She snapped at me.
I froze, "It's just not an offer to join a new team, it's an offer to become Leo's enemy," I murmured in frustration.
"You are not going to turn down the offer, Mira," my mother retorted with a threatening glance, "You are our family's only hope, your sisters are looking up to you for a life, this is our only chance."
With that, she stormed out of my room, slamming the door as a sign that she wasn't joking.
I looked at the message again, and after making up my mind, I trailed behind my mother, "I won't accept the offer."
She turned towards me with an irritated look on her face, "You didn't mean that."
"Any other team mom," I pleaded, "But not the defenders. I'm a citizen of Korea, don't you think I should fight for my country? Why Russia?"
"Are you sure that's the only problem?" She stated coldly, "And not because of that boy you can never be with?"
I stood there quietly and just stared at her with pleading eyes.
"You only think about yourself, don't you?" My mother spat. "It's either you accept their offer or you abandon us all, watch your family suffer because of a boy, the parents who watched you grow up and the sisters who love you so dearly."
"Stop gaslighting me," I murmured, tears finding their way to my eyes, and I stormed away.
A gasp escaped my lips as I thought about a million terrible ways my relationship with Leo was going to end.
From strangers, to friends, to a childhood sweetheart, then graduated to lovers, and soon to be enemies.
Love was something I only felt with Leo, for the other people in my life and in my world… I felt like I was being used. I've never in my life felt loved like Leo makes me feel. And now, it seems my fate has nothing more, other than being used.
Tears welled up in my eyes as I thought about the decision I had to make. It felt like a part of me was torn away, leaving a hollow ache in my chest. I knew it was what my family needed, what they expected, but that didn't make it any easier. The weight of their hopes rested on my shoulders, and I couldn't bear the thought of disappointing them.
As I imagined the path I was about to choose, a pang of sadness hit me. I had to put aside my own dreams, my own desires, for the sake of those I loved. It wasn't a decision I would have made for myself, but for them, I'd do anything.
The hardest part was accepting that this choice would shape my future, defining the life I'd lead. Though it felt like I was losing a piece of myself, I knew I'd made the right call. My family's happiness and well-being meant everything to me.
With a heavy heart, I took a deep breath and let the tears fall. I knew time would help heal the wound, but even that… wasn't certain.
I picked up my phone and responded to the email, "I do."