Classic Novel
Truth or Dare
Upon arriving at the Davis family residence, Damien carefully lifted his baby sister from the car, proceeding directly to her room.
As he gently placed her on the bed and prepared to depart, her quiet sobs abruptly escalated.
Yvonne’s eyes widened, transforming her soft sobs into heart-wrenching cries. She wept fervently, staring at Damien with newfound resentment. “You’re to blame for this!” she exclaimed venomously amid tears.
“It’s your fault! If only you hadn’t sent me to that wretched place… If only you allowed me to be with the one my heart truly desires, I’d be with him instead-” her voice broke, “of that girl!”
Tears continued to stream down her cheeks.
Damien remained fixed in place, silently observing as she wept.
Suddenly, she erupted into bitter laughter. After a pause, she declared, “If you had just let me be, I’d be with Shawn now, and that girl would be with you. But no, it backfired. And it’s all on you!” She raged.
Her words pierced Damien’s soul, twisting his heart like a knife.
“You just let all my efforts go to waste! If I had known the result would be the same, I wouldn’t have done that,” she whispered in a hoarse voice.
Suddenly, the room fell into silence.
After a while, Yvonne spoke in a low voice. “That day, when you came back home from work in the afternoon, it was all planned. Everything you heard… It wasn’t true.” Sniffling, she paused.
“We were not in a relationship.” She burst into fresh tears again, while Damien stood there, attempting to process the girl’s words.
What was she talking about? What did she mean by they weren’t in a relationship? All of a sudden, something flashed through his eyes.
“What are you talking about?” He inquired at once, only to be met with silence.
The girl’s tears had ceased completely, and he realized she had fallen into slumber.
Damien was stunned.
Furrowing his brows, he gazed at Yvonne for a while and then reluctantly tucked her in.
He left her room, walking to his own with a heavy heart. Upon entering, he undressed and proceeded to the bathroom for a cold shower.
After finishing, he lit a cigarette and moved to stand on the balcony.
Puffing on his cigarette, his mind wandered down memory lane, back to when it all began.
On that day, he had overheard Yvonne talking on the phone…
____
It was a weekday, and Damien should have been at work, but in the morning, as soon as he arrived at work, he realized he’d forgotten an important file at home, prompting a quick return.
Upon reaching the house, he noticed Yvonne’s room door slightly ajar. While passing by, what caught his attention were the words he heard:
“Shawn and I are together, but, of course, Damien doesn’t know. He mustn’t even find out… We’ve been seeing each other for a while now. Don’t tell anyone, okay?”
Damien Davis’ steps faltered instantly, and he was utterly dumbfounded.
What?!
His supposed best friend was in an unholy relationship with HIS SISTER?!!!
Was that the extent of their friendship?
Clouded by rage, he stormed out of the house immediately and drove straight to Beats Corporation.
Upon arrival, he barged into Shawn’s office and unleashed powerful blows on his handsomely carved face. “Is this what our friendship is all about?!”
Having beaten him thoroughly, Damien warned Shawn to stay away from his sister and everyone in the Davis household.
And just like that, he shattered over twenty years of friendship, over what now appeared to be false.
Upon returning home, he promptly arranged for his sister to fly to the States on the next available flight.
—
How foolish he must have appeared, throwing those punches-all for nothing. Shawn hadn’t even fought back; he probably considered him a fool.
Damien’s heart clenched in his chest as he ruminated on this painful past.
Throughout the night, he lingered on the balcony, heavy with the weight of his thoughts, smoking incessantly.
***
The next morning.
Yvonne’s head throbbed with pain as she opened her eyes. The morning sun pierced through the curtains’ slit, making her squint.
Taking in the surroundings, memories of the previous night at the bar flooded back. She managed a sad smile; Damien must have brought her home.
Turning on her side, she was startled by the presence of someone in the room.
Standing at the door, his silhouette framed against the door frame, was her elder brother, Damien.
After locking eyes in silence for a few moments, Damien finally broke it. “Why?”
Yvonne’s gaze remained steady on her brother; she understood precisely what he was inquiring about. There was no point in pretending…
Gulping, she sat up and lowered her head.
“Do you recall… seven years ago, on my twentieth birthday?” she started, “Do you remember the question I posed to you?”
____
Seven years ago, at the Davis Family’s Residence.
The night reverberated with joy as the Davis family’s youngest daughter marked her twentieth birthday with a lively celebration.
Downstairs, in the living room, adults engaged in lively conversations, while the younger ones gathered in the upstairs room, engrossed in games.
At that moment, they were engrossed in a game of Truth or Dare.
Despite Yvonne’s persistent pleas for Shawn to join, he flatly refused, choosing to sit on the side and observe the others playing.
His reserved nature had been a constant since childhood.
Now, it was the birthday celebrant’s turn to spin the bottle.
Yvonne was adamant about Shawn joining the game, driven by a hidden agenda.
If, by chance, she had the opportunity to spin the bottle and it landed on him, she planned to ask if he would date her given the chance. However, since he declined to join, that opportunity was lost.
Yvonne spun the bottle within the circle the kids had formed, and it ended up pointing at her elder brother.
In contrast to Shawn, Damien was playful and willingly participated in the game.
“Truth or dare?”
“Truth.”
Knowing his sister was never up to anything good with her dares, Damien recalled a time when she dared him to take off his pants in front of everyone-with his crush present. Ever since then…
Yvonne intended to pose a playful question about Damien’s girlfriend, but a different thought crossed her mind. She glanced at Shawn and then fixed her gaze on Damien.
“If Shawn and I were to end up together, how would you feel?”
The smile on Damien’s face vanished instantly. He glanced quickly at Shawn before responding, “Over my dead body will that happen. My best friend can’t be with my sister. Never. Unless he stops being my best friend.”Belonging © NôvelDram/a.Org.