"Where are you taking me?" I demanded, getting pulled by Peter.

He didn't answer, instead he kept grabbing my wrist and pulling me to the grass field. But, the trees had shed their leaves and they all piled up on the ground. He pulled me to a tree until I yanked his hand away, making him stop his footsteps.

"What do you want?!" I exclaimed in exasperation, breathing heavily.

"You know all along, am I right?" He finally said, making me quiet down. I nodded my head, despite of the fact that it might be wrong. Maybe Asher wasn't the one, but I didn't know.

He sighed in utter exhaustion and said, "Tell me how much you know."

"What?" I murmured in confusion. After keeping all these secrets, he still dared to ask how much I knew? "After keeping all that secrets from me, does it make sense that you still ask me how much I know?"

He gaped open his mouth slightly, but he closed it afterwards. He was probably dumbstruck, despite of his smart-oriented personality. He said, "I'm sorry."

I sighed in exasperation and said, "It's him, isn't it?"

"What?" He responded, raising one of his eyebrows.

"He's the man in the mask, the man in the phantom costume, Asher." I said, looking at the pile of dried leaves below.

He eyed me pitifully and nodded his head yes. He said, "Yes, he's the one."

"Did he know all along? Did he know that I was her?" I asked him, demandingly.

He nodded his head again, staring back at me pitifully. I asked him again, "Does he know who his Cinderella is?"

He lifted an eyebrow and said, "What's the connection here?"

I merely stared at him back, without words nor provocation. He widened his eyes and gaped open his mouth, he said, "Y-You're Cinderella?"

With a blank stare, I said, "Yes, I'm Cinderella."

"The coincidences...don't look like a coincidence. He's the phantom, the one who disappeared. You're Cinderella, the one who also disappeared." He spoke up his mind, stunned by all of his thoughts.

"Now, what's the meaning of him getting married to that witch?" I asked him, because he did knew something about it.

"Pick," He said firmly. "The truth or the lie."

He was playing a game with me. The truth meant that I would get the answer right away, but it's a horrible truth—something I wouldn't want to accept. The lie wouldn't get me the answer, but it's something I would accept and it's hurtful to know that it was a lie.

"The truth." I answered him.

"It all began that day, I asked him to go with me to the prom because I wanted to go. But, I was shy. Then, he met you. He said that it was love at first sight, but he had to leave unfortunately," He explained, sighing. "His father ordered him to go home and he was very horrifying man. Therefore, he had to leave."

"But, why did he have to keep his identity a secret?" I questioned him, the question that got me emotionally.

He looked at me pitifully and explained, "He wants to see, if you really do like him back—even if he's not him. He wants to know you first, so he observe your behaviour. Moreover, I think he's just watching out."

"For what?" I said.

"Are you hurt that he just left without saying anything, causing you to wander around to look for him?" He asked me back, causing me to pause for a moment.

Was I hurt by his actions? I had been wandering around to look for him, look for my love. But, he had never appeared. I told him, "Yes, I was hurt. But, it would be better if he just appeared and told me who he is. I've never wanted to yell at him for disappearing, I just wanted him to appear, be there for me."

He stayed silent and said, "He wasn't sure, Taylor. He cared about your feelings, ignoring his smug personality. If you had forgotten him, he would've just continued to be by your side, not as the man in the mask but Asher."

"So, why would he marry Serena?" I questioned him, a tear escaping my eye. It strolled down my right cheek, falling onto the leaves.

I was devastated, the fact that he decided to marry Serena. Did she know all of this? She did cry out something about Asher not being able to forgot about someone.

"Hold on, did she know all of this?" I asked him.

"I-I don't know how she knew, but I know she has liked him for a long time." Peter replied, scratching the back of his head.

"Is it related to his father? The marriage?" I questioned him, too much.

"As far as I know, yes," Peter answered me. "Look, if you want to know the details, you have to ask him yourself."

"What about you then? Why did you keep it as a secret?" I asked him questions again.

He stayed silent, not answering my question. He said, "He asked me to keep it as a secret."

Somehow, his answer seemed to have a hidden meaning behind it. My guts told me so, he was hiding something. I asked him, "Are you sure that's the only answer?"

He gulped his throat, looking at me uneasily. He said firmly, "Yes."

"You're hiding something, aren't you?"

"No, I'm not."

"It's clearly written on your face."

"Please Taylor, don't push me," He begged me, looking at me pitifully. "Or else I won't be able to hold back an urge."

"What urge?" I asked him, curious.

He eyed me shyly and said, "It's not something that you should know, it's not connected to his secrets."

"So...it's connected to your secrets?"

"Why would I have secrets?" He whined all of a sudden, throwing a tantrum for the first time.

"What's with you? I'm just asking." I told him, calming him down.

"Jeez, just go find him already!" He exclaimed out of exasperation, breathing heavily.

"Psh, why is he so emotional?" I muttered under my breath, leaving the grass field.

***

"Asher." I said firmly, receiving his attention. He whirled around, eyeing me like a crazy person.

His brunette hair was disheveled, as if he just got out of bed. There were dark circles under his jade orbs, making him look like a panda. His skin was slightly paler than usual, making me worried. Was the wedding a bad news for him?

"You heard the news?" He mumbled out randomly, running his fingers through his dark strands of hair.

Hesitantly, I nodded my head yes and gained a sigh from him. Before he could speak another word, I said, "I need to talk to you."

Probably still struck by confusion, he led me towards the library with his grip on my wrist. I obediently followed him, because the library was quiet. We both arrived at a table and sat in the seats, making an awkward atmosphere. He clasped his hands together and intertwined his fingers. He said, "What do you want to talk about?"

Biting my lower lip, I said, "You're him, aren't you?"

"Who's him?" He said, pretending to not know.

I sighed in response and said, "The phantom in the prom."

He stiffened in response to my words, silencing himself. He said, "So, you already found out. I'm sorry."

In response, I sighed in utter disappointment. I said, "I don't blame you for keeping your identity as a secret."

He widened his eyes in response and said, "What do you mean?"

"I guess I have a secret as well, which concerns you." I told him, ready to tell him that I'm...

"What?" He responded.

"I'm...Cinderella." I told him honestly. He remained silent in his seat, stiffening second by second. His jade orbs turned empty and sad.

"So, it's not her, huh." He muttered under his breath, loud enough for me to hear it.

Was he not glad that I was the one? I thought he had liked me.

I sighed deeply and said, "Why do you have to marry her?"

"I-I can't tell y-you that," He murmured. "But, why would you keep it as a secret?"

Why couldn't he tell me? Was Serena a safer girl to be with? There must be a reason behind all of these. But, I couldn't accept it. Was our love merely a fling?

"The exact same reason you have." I answered him.

"Taylor..." He mumbled.

"If you can't tell me, I'll assume that you really love Serena. Even though she lied, it's a safer bet-" I told him. "-I may have a lot of imperfections, but I'm all about being truthful. I understand that you want to be safe and happy and I can't give you that."

"Taylor, you don't understand my situation here." He told me, but I didn't care.

"Then, tell me what the situations is! How can you expect me to understand a situation that I don't even know about?" I exclaimed out of exasperation.

He winced in response and furrowed his eyebrows. He said, "I can't, just trust me."

"Be happy, Asher," I said. "Goodbye."

***

"Get lost, Taylor." Serena hissed, facing her back on me.

Somehow, she brought me into a secluded room right here in the university. It was dusty, worth a cough. Old, rusty things were placed in there, as if the room were a graveyard.

"Have you not had enough, Serena?" I questioned her, making her whirl around and glare at me.

"Have you not had enough, Taylor?" She repeated my words with a slight change.

I sighed in response and told her, "Just get lost, Serena!"

She snorted in response and eyed me in disbelief, she said, "All of my chances have been taken because of you, I have nothing."

This time, I stared back at her in disbelief. Who was she to say that she had nothing? Ever since I was young, she had always taken everything from me. I had no friends and no life with her around. She really was a spoiled brat.

"You're such a spoiled brat, Serena." I scoffed back, glaring at her.

Once again, she eyed me in disbelief and flipped her hair back. She said, "Who's the spoiled brat here?"

"You." I told her firmly, causing her to shoot her daggers.

"You practically have everything, Taylor! You have friends, love, and life." She exclaimed out of anger, popping out her veins.

"Hah! Who says so? Who made me an outcast? Who took over my dad's inheritance? Who took away my love?" I yelled out of fury and disbelief. I breathed heavily and widened my eyes.

"Who made me into a girl who have never experienced love?" She asked me, making me stop. "My stepdad loves your more, my mom can't bear to leave you in the streets, and my crush only sees you, no one else."

I stayed silent, looking from her point of view. She may had gotten friends and fame, but she had never experienced receiving love from others. I knew that.

"You don't know what suffering you made me undergo, Serena." I hissed in response.

"Just let me have this chance once," She pleaded me, tearing up even more. "I'll treat you as a stepsister would, for real."

"You really are relentless..." I muttered under my sigh. "Would you give up your true love for someone else?"

"Taylor! I'm being sincere here," She whined in response, more like weeping. "Just let your love off this time, I'm begging you."

I said, "This time, Serena. As your stepsister, go and be happy with Asher."

She stared at me wide-eyed, tears slowly strolling down her cheeks. She didn't say anything, but she just let her tears flow down like a waterfall. She said, "Get lost."

I eyed her in disbelief and snorted in response. But, I left anyway.

***

This might be the moodiest day ever. I felt like trash, a lifeless old doll, with no charms nor beauty. I stared at a plate of brownies mindlessly, despite of the intimidating smell of chocolate. I didn't know why I had ordered this, because my appetite was never here.

Today was full of emotional and shocking events. Asher kept a big secret from me in which he was the man in the mask, Serena was getting all emotional and I had to give in, and Peter was acting strange.

"Oh, looks yummy." A voice said behind me, making me blink back into the reality. My head whirled around, looking at the standing figure behind me.

"Damien..." I murmured with a monotoned pitch, staring at him in disbelief. He was eyeing the brownies desirably, his eyes hinting desire and glimmer. His mops of blonde hair were neater then the recent blue period, his eyes looked brighter, and his lips curved into a goofy smile.

"You aren't going to eat that, right?" He said, still eyeing the brownies. He licked his lips, he couldn't take off his eyes from the brownies.

Surrendering, I told him, "You eat it."

He hurried and took a seat next to me, starting to gulf down the chocolate delicacy. Still chewing, he told me, "Thanks!"

I eyed in him in disbelief, rolling my eyes in response. I muttered under my breath, "Food is always your forte, no matter what you're going through."

"True that." He said, still chewing. He gave me a goofy grin, smeared with chocolate.

I sighed deeply in depression and bit my lower lip in distress. I didn't feel fine, I felt horrible. I felt my eyes getting wet and teary, but I kept holding my tears back. I wouldn't weep, I wouldn't do that after agreeing to an abominable decision. But, I couldn't help it.

"What happened, Taylor?" Damien said, after stopping his bitter-sweet meal.

I bled the salt of my soul, my tears flowed down on a stinging path. It felt salty, I had never felt this depressed before. Clenching my fists tightly to hold back my cries, I sank into a sea of realisation. Regret filled up my mind, I regretted it. I had given up something worth loving for, but no actions could mend it back to life.

Depressing chapter, isn't it? I pitied everyone, including Serena. She may have lived with a lot of fake friends and the nurture of her mother, but she had never experienced the love of her true friends and a guy. She was jealous of Taylor, despite of the fact that she thought of Taylor as a loser.

Therefore, what do you guys think of this chapter? Do you think they must they go this way? Meh, I'm the author so I have the authority, buahahahaha. Lesson of the day : Antagonists don't always have to be evil, because they experienced unpleasant things just like protagonists do.

Anyway...I'll see you in the next chapter guys! Goodbye!