She frantically scrubbed her arms, legs, and stomach until her skin was scratched raw. No amount of soap could wash away the stench that clung to her body, a haunting reminder of betrayal and violation. She felt used, shameless, and utterly vulnerable, all because of someone she had once trusted with her life. Overwhelmed by despair, she covered her ears and screamed, tears streaming down her face. Crawling to the sink, she reached out with trembling hands for the bottle of pills, desperate to numb her unbearable pain. As she managed to swallow just a few, her body, overwhelmed by shock, gave way, and her head fell backward as she collapsed onto the cold, unforgiving floor, enveloped in a suffocating darkness.
She opened her eyes in agony, the relentless clatter of machines surrounding her like an unyielding symphony of despair. The heavy presence of a tube lodged in her throat made every breath a painful struggle. A profound disappointment washed over her as she realized she had awakened from the dark embrace of unconsciousness, longing for the darkness to reclaim her completely. The overwhelming weight of both physical and emotional pain crushed her spirit, tears cascading down her cheeks like silver streams.
Around her, doctors hovered, their expressions a blur of concern and urgency, while her mother stood by, a whirlwind of anxiety and heartbreak. Desperate to escape the chaos, Rue turned her head away, yearning for the sanctuary of silence but finding herself ensnared in the harsh reality of her surroundings.
"Your father found you on the ground. How could you do this to him? You are his most precious treasure, his little princess. Why would you act so recklessly knowing he was at home? How could you inflict this pain on us, Rue? Please, just answer me," her mother implored, her voice trembling as she grappled with the incomprehensible actions of her daughter.
"We will consult with psych for an evaluation to better understand her and provide the necessary answers," the doctor stated calmly, yet the weight of those words hung heavily in the air.
"My daughter is not crazy. You don't understand what you're talking about, doctor! Ruelle is bright and cheerful, excelling in all her classes, serving as the treasurer for the student council, and planning activities with passion and pride. My Ruelle is everything; she is our light," her mother cried, tears shimmering in her eyes as the reality of the situation crashed down around her.
"Ruelle needs all the support she can get since she suffered a miscarriage," the doctor added gently, his words a quiet whisper amidst the turmoil.
At the sound of those devastating words, her mother's expression twisted into one of heartbreaking disgust and disbelief as she looked at her daughter, the gulf between them widening even further in that moment of harsh revelation.