Bright Moon Clouded by Storms

Ten years ago, I found Barrett Sloan on the Laningarde waterfront. I limped from door to door, begging for scraps, and managed to nurse him back from the brink. Later, he grew ambitious and began venturing into the rough harbor districts behind my back. During the day, he hauled cargo on the docks; at night, he bounced at underground casinos—all to scrape together money for my leg surgery. When I found out, I pounded his shoulder in fury. "Are you out of your mind? We can barely pay rent, and you're talking about fixing my leg?" He just gave a goofy grin. "You deserve to shine on the dance floor, not stay trapped in a wheelchair." He took beatings as a sparring dummy, fought in illegal bouts, and even took a bullet for a mob boss. That cold-blooded ruthlessness eventually earned him a spot as the rising star of the powerful Veragard gang. Then, two pieces of news hit the docks at once: he finally had the money to fix my leg, and he was marrying the gang boss's daughter. Chapter 1 Down at the docks, Barrett Sloan's men whispered among themselves. "Barrett is marrying Miss Harrington. The wedding's in three days." "I knew he wouldn't end up with Octavia. She's a... well, you know. She doesn't deserve Barrett." The word "cripple" never left the man's mouth because of the rules set by Barrett, but everyone understood. Years ago, a thug had used that word. Barrett had punished him severely before exiling him. "Now you're the cripple," Barrett had sneered, before turning to me with sudden tenderness. "As long as I'm around, no one gets to humiliate you." That was when the Veragard boss saw his ruthlessness and started grooming him. Soon, Barrett became a legend, and I became his untouchable weakness. No one dared call me "cripple" anymore; they all addressed me respectfully. Yet now, he was marrying someone else. The hard truth hit my chest like a sledgehammer. Lost in the pain, I didn't notice my wheelchair slipping backward on the slick wood of the pier until the wheels teetered over the edge. I snapped back to reality and squeezed my eyes shut. For one second, I thought maybe dying like this wouldn't be so bad. At least, I wouldn't be a burden to Barrett anymore. But the icy plunge never came. Strong, familiar arms caught me, lifting me effortlessly from the seat. I opened my eyes to find Barrett staring down at me, his gaze as gentle as ever. "Don't be scared. I've got you," he murmured. "My goodness, Octavia! Are you alright?" Astrid Harrington yelped as she came rushing down the pier. A shadow of something unreadable flickered across her eyes before it was replaced by elegant concern. I gave a small nod. "I'm fine." Astrid let out a sigh of relief. "Thank heavens. Barrett and I were just coming back from fitting our wedding gowns. If he hadn't reacted so quickly, it would have been a disaster." She kept chattering, but my mind completely shut down at the words "wedding gowns". So, the rumors were true: Barrett really was marrying her. I stared blankly up at Barrett. He didn't say a word, but the corners of his lips curved into an inscrutable smile. Realizing how inappropriate it was for him to be cradling me like that, I struggled weakly to slide onto a nearby bench. "Barrett, put me down." My bracelet slipped off in the process and fell to the ground. Astrid spotted it and exclaimed, "Wow! What a gorgeous bracelet!" Chapter 2 I froze for a heartbeat, then quickly bent down to retrieve the chain. Astrid eyed it hungrily. "Oh, Octavia, I've never fallen in love with a piece of jewelry so quickly. Why don't you let me have it as a wedding gift for Barrett and me? Don't worry, I won't take it for nothing. I'll give you ten luxury bracelets in return." I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Miss Harrington, but this bracelet is irreplaceable to me." Barrett had bought it for me on his first trip abroad, saying, "Octavia, you deserve the best things in the world." I treasured it and wore it every day. Astrid sighed, turning to Barrett. "Barrett, I really love it." Barrett looked at me with a blank expression. "Let Astrid have it. I'll give you a check later so you can buy whatever you want." I stared at him in disbelief. He knew exactly how much that bracelet meant to me. Yet, without a second of hesitation, he was forcing me to surrender it just to appease Astrid. When I stayed silent, a flash of cold impatience crossed his face. "It's just a bracelet. Don't be so petty. You really need to learn from Astrid how to be graceful and understanding." Before I could react, he snatched the bracelet from my hand and fastened it on Astrid's wrist. An icy chill flooded my veins. He used to say that the bracelet suited me perfectly. Now, he was putting it on another woman. I swallowed the bitter ache and sat frozen in place. Astrid smiled triumphantly, looping her arm tightly through his. "Let's pick out a gift for Octavia in return. What should we get her? Since she's a cripple, how about a top-of-the-line electric wheelchair? That way, she can get around more easily." "Cripple." The word hung heavily in the air. For ten years, it had been a taboo around Barrett. I foolishly, naively waited for him to defend me and punish Astrid the same way he had punished the thugs on the docks. Instead, his voice was smooth and indifferent, cutting like a knife straight into my chest. "That sounds like a great idea. Octavia, thank Astrid already. She's really looking out for you." I bit my lower lip, desperately fighting back the tears. Barrett caught my expression and frowned in disapproval. "Octavia, you seriously need to grow up." Astrid patted his chest with a sympathetic sigh. "You men never understand a girl's heart. Why don't you leave us alone for a bit so we can chat?" Because of the severe, prolonged bullying I had suffered in the past, I had a crippling fear of strangers. Barrett knew this better than anyone; he was the only person I trusted. I looked up at him, silently begging him not to leave me. But he merely glanced at my desperation, then shook his head. "Alright. But don't push yourself," he told Astrid. "Octavia has always been withdrawn and stubborn. If she refuses to talk, just leave her be." The moment Barrett's footsteps faded down the pier, Astrid's sweet, elegant expression twisted into a sharp sneer. "How much longer do you plan on dragging Barrett down?" I gasped, staring at the abrupt, terrifying transformation. "You're nothing but dead weight to a man on the rise," Astrid smirked, stepping closer. "What could a broken thing like you offer him?" The words "dead weight" hit their mark. It was the brutal, bleeding truth. I was indeed a burden to Barrett. Before I could reply, Astrid stepped behind my seat and tightly gripped the handles of my wheelchair. Chapter 3 A cruel smile flashed across Astrid's face. "Who do you think Barrett cares about? A useless, broken burden like you... or me?" Before the words fully left her lips, she shoved the back of my wheelchair. The seat tipped, throwing me violently onto the rough, splintered wood of the pier. In the same breath, she let out a dramatic shriek and threw herself onto the ground right beside me. "Octavia, please!" Astrid sobbed hysterically. "I'll call off the wedding! I won't marry Barrett if it makes you this angry. Just please, don't hurt me." Barrett sprinted back at the noise, terrifying rage flashing in his eyes. "Octavia! What is wrong with you?" he roared, ignoring me on the ground as he swept Astrid up into his arms. "She was only trying to help you! How could you be this malicious?" Astrid buried her face in his chest, trembling on cue. "Barrett, please don't be angry with her. She just cares about you so much. She got carried away and tried to break my legs." Barrett's face contorted with disgust. "How did you become so utterly vile, Octavia? Just because you're a cripple, you want to drag Astrid down with you?" He slammed his foot into my overturned wheelchair. The metal frame collapsed onto my legs with a sickening crack. A wave of agonizing pain shot through my lower body. I gasped, unable to speak, but the physical pain was nothing compared to the ice that flooded my veins. "Cripple." The word had finally come from his mouth, freezing me to the core. Ten years of shared history had been erased by a few tears from a stranger. Barrett turned his back on me and carried Astrid toward the hospital. "Don't worry. No one will hurt you while I'm around." My legs were still pinned under the wheelchair; my palms were scraped raw and bleeding. I closed my eyes in despair. Barrett had once promised that as long as he was around, no one could humiliate me. Now I was the one hurt, and he didn't care. Everything between us had changed. ... I didn't remember how I got home. In a daze, I felt a warm touch on my forehead. Barrett had softened after all. He looked at me with a trace of regret. "I'm sorry. I was too rough earlier, but you never should have hurt Astrid." Tears welled up in my eyes, hot and bitter. "What if I told you I didn't touch her? Would you believe me?" He met my gaze. "The evidence was right in front of us. Why would Astrid lie? She's the Harrington heiress; she has everything. Why would she ever bother framing you? Just apologize to her later, and we can pretend none of this ever happened." A mirthless laugh cut through my chest. Why would the wealthy heiress frame a nobody like me? I wanted to know the answer, too. "I didn't do anything wrong," I insisted. A sharp slap echoed through the room. The force of his hand snapped my head to the side, blood trickling from the corner of my mouth. The air became heavy and suffocating. In the past, if anyone laid a hand on me, he would have destroyed them. Today, he had hurt me twice, but I refused to take the fall. His eyes flickered under my stare, but rage eventually won out. "You weren't like this before. When did you become so unreasonable?" I wanted to scream. "Who is the one who has really changed?" Barrett had me put under house arrest. No one could visit me without his permission until after the wedding. Then one day, he stormed in like a furious lion. Chapter 4 "Octavia, you've gone too far!" Barrett roared, bursting into the room. "Why did you ruin Astrid's wedding dress? Did you think destroying it would stop this wedding?" I scrambled to explain. "I didn't..." But he wasn't listening. "The servants saw you sneak out and destroy it. We have witnesses and evidence. Stop lying, Octavia! You've really let me down." He pulled a dagger from behind his back. "I didn't teach you properly before. It's time to learn how to behave now." He grabbed my right wrist, pinning it down. "This is the hand that did it, right? This cut will help you remember." The blade plunged into the back of my hand. Searing pain immediately followed the freezing sting of steel. Blood poured out, soaking my sleeve and staining his eyes red. His hand holding the dagger trembled slightly. He seemed shocked that he had actually done it. "Does it hurt?" His voice was hoarse, a flicker of regret quickly masked by coldness. "Good. Pain helps you remember what you can and cannot touch." He turned to his men. "Take her to the island to reflect." Two guards dragged me roughly onto a boat headed for a remote island. The saltwater spray stung my open wound, but it was nothing compared to the numbness in my heart. Outside the cabin, the guards' voices drifted over the wind. One said, "Barrett is really pissed this time. For Miss Harrington, he's even willing to hurt Octavia." The other guy clicked his tongue. "You don't get it. Barrett has wanted her gone for a while. Miss Harrington's been pressuring him, thinking Octavia's in the way. Plus, with his status now, keeping a cripple around would make him a laughingstock." The first guy shook his head. "But Octavia's been with him for ten years. She saved his life." The second guy sighed. "So what? Barrett said privately that he had paid back the debt long ago. He can't let her drag him down forever. The dress was just an excuse to get rid of her. You think he cares if she did it?" Every word was a poisoned icicle, shattering my last shred of hope. The ten years I treasured were nothing but an embarrassing liability Barrett was desperate to shed. The barren island loomed closer, as empty as my heart. They dumped me on the cold beach and sped away without looking back. I stared at the vast ocean that had swallowed my past. My injured hand lay limp in the sand as blood mixed with grit into a dark scab. "Fine, Barrett. As you wish," I muttered blankly. Not long after the boat vanished over the horizon, dark clouds rolled in, and massive waves surged like a raging beast, swallowing the shore. I was swept into the dark current, seawater flooding my lungs. As my consciousness faded, I felt a strange sense of relief. Meanwhile, at the grand cathedral in Laningarde, wedding bells rang out. Barrett, dressed in a white suit, was about to slip the diamond ring onto Astrid's finger when a disheveled guard burst in, his panicked scream cutting through the music. "Boss, bad news! A tsunami just hit the island. Miss Brooks didn't make it!"