Trapped

Ezra's POV 

"Why do I have to do this?" I couldn't help but mutter that to myself as my ears were filled with the loud sound of music coming not far from here. 

People are rushing everywhere, and their footsteps gradually get louder as they keep coming back and forth. "This is why I hate this place." The sounds make me irritable as I watched them panic over the missing clothes they should have prepared before the event even started. 

"Hey, Ezra! You're late!" I flinched upon hearing that voice. That same voice that's been haunting me even in my sleep. 

As I turn my gaze towards that person's direction, she raises her eyebrows as she kicked me in the butt. "What took you so long, you brat." 

She's my older sister, Ebony Harriet Villegas. She owns this fabric shop called Harriet and supplies fabric to the famous fashion agency, Diamond. 

I don't know why, but the fabric they were supposed to use is missing, so my inconsiderate sister called me to take all the material in her shop to this place. 

"You should have told your husband to bring them if you can't wait for—"I was cut off when my sister suddenly head locked me. 

"I-I'm sorry." I know that I'm lame because I'm still scared of my older sister. She used to be a gangster-like person when she was younger and would always tease and bully me. Thanks to that, I'm now regarded as the 'Scaredy-cat Virgin.' 

"Anyway, put these to that room there. The one that's not locked. After that, you can go home." 

'Tsk. Calling me like that on my off days just to bring these fabrics. I'm not even her worker.' 

"Are you dissing me inside your mind?" 

I flinched when she suddenly grabbed my collars. "I-I'm not! Don't hurt me, okay! You know that I just recovered from an injury, don't you?" I warned her because if I didn't, she'd probably smack me to the ground like how she did when we were children. 

She sighed. "Right. Because of your volleyball shits." 

"Hey! Don't call it—"Ebony glared at me as she cracked her knuckles "—shit… I'm going to bring this." I quickly picked up all the fabrics. "Where should I put this again?" 

She pointed into the band on her arm and made me confused. "If you see another person with this red band on their arm with VIP written on it, ask them for help." 

I raised an eyebrow as I was about to ask once again, but she hurriedly ran away. "Great. I'm alone again." I let out a sigh as I roam my vision. There are too many people in this place, and they have different things written on their bands. 

"Where's that VIP person?" I whispered to myself as I wandered at the whole place. Ebony made me wear an ID for authorization since she's been making me do all these errands for her anyway. 

"Why doesn't she just hire a lackey." As I was about to wander off into the straight path, I saw a woman with long and wavy honey blonde hair. 'Why does it have to be a woman!' I'm not good at interacting with women; they make me feel terrified. 

She's wearing the same armband, like the one on my sister's. Since everyone's too busy to pay attention to me, I followed that woman while holding onto the fabrics. She went inside a room, which made me took a deep breath. 

"I'll just leave it, then I'll quickly excuse myself." I kept reminding myself because I sometimes froze whenever I talk to girls. 

I knocked on the door as I grabbed the cold doorknob. The air-conditioning makes this place freezing. I think I'm going to get sick. 

As I opened the door, it created a creaking sound. I'm just glad that I'm buffed up to the point that I could hold all these fabrics with one arm. "Excuse me." I quickly placed the materials on the sofa. It'll be easy to notice it since she didn't respond to me. 

"Then I'll— excuse my…self." I froze. 

The woman in front of me blinked thousands of times before her eyes went down to her body, just to realize that she's not wearing any top. All the blood accumulated in my head, making me feel the heat. 

"Flat chest…" I unconsciously muttered that. 

Alexis's POV 

"You'll live as her for me, right?" 

Those words… the last word I heard from my mom, as myself. I thought that it was okay to leave my true self behind because no one will miss that. 

But her… everyone misses her. My mom, my dad, and all our siblings were gravely affected by her presence. "I wished you were the one here instead of me." 

"Great work again! It's nice working with you, Lia." People kept thanking me, smiling at me, and adoring me. 

The me that's hiding behind these beautiful clothing and make-up that could hide my true ugly self. The people's loud and happy voices make me feel empty, yet I couldn't push this life aside.

Whenever I look like her, people love me. The me who can't face the world without you by my side. Slowly drowning into my thoughts, fading into the background. 

I'm just a side character where you're the protagonist that takes all the light and attention. I am willing to stay in the shadows as long as you'll be the source of the light. 

You, who showed me that the world is still beautiful, but also the one who deprived me of the happiness that I should have felt. 

I walked into the cold hallway with ear pods on both of my ears. Listening to the music you loved dearly. Because if I didn't, people would flock over me, complimenting the me that looks like you. 

They're all complimenting how pretty and adorable you are. Your personality brightens the atmosphere and the sweet and melodic voice you have, making boys fall head over heels for you. 

Everything belongs to you. 

As I got inside my changing room. I looked at the reflection of myself in the mirror. I've been smiling for a long time, and it makes me feel tired. "Still pretty as ever." 

But this pretty face would vanish along with the curtains that closed. The secret beyond the act of being the perfect girl everyone would envy. Wearing such perfect and cute clothes, a honey blonde wig, and blue contact lenses. 

"This was supposed to be all yours." 

I removed the pink frilly top and was about to change into my regular clothes when…

"Then I'll— excuse my…self."

A man. Tall and firm body build, his fringe almost covers his hazelnut eyes. He froze as he saw my naked body and muttered, "Flat chest." 

I didn't realize that the light I've been chasing for a long time would perish and be replaced by something else. Something much brighter than the sun. 

The warmth I could feel from his gaze and gentle smile. As if pulling me from the deep sea where I continuously sink into, his warm hands gently hold mine, vanishing the coldness I've been feeling. 

He who was shining brightly.