[Unknown : Hello, it’s your dad. I know we went our separate ways, and I regret it everyday. I miss you very much. I saw you on the TV, I didn’t know you sang so well, and you were so successful. I would love to see you again, could you call me when you are free ?]
Cyrielle read the message again and again. No excuse for what he had done to her. This man was just contacting his daughter now that she was famous and had money. The more she thought about it, the more a weight grew in her chest. It was like a ball that prevented her from breathing, slowly blocking her throat and bringing tears to her eyes. Having lived through this situation numerous times before, she knew exactly what was happening. She was starting to have a panic attack.
She tried to stand up to run to Julie’s room, but her legs were shaking and she fell miserably on the colorful carpet. Julie had already moved anyway, following Cyrielle’s order to take care of herself and live well.
Spasms started to shake her body, and she was gasping for air.
[Host ? Are you alright ? Refinement’s ‘coolheadedness’ got forcefully deactivated, I’m trying to resolve the issue. Hold on.]
Her vision was getting blurry, she felt like she was stabbed by a thousand knives, and the only thing she wanted was to faint, to escape the pain. She couldn’t think properly anymore, she just knew that she needed to do something.
-Brrr Brrr
Her phone vibrated again, and the sound made her cry. She tried to grab it to throw it away, but it fell from her shaky hand. She heard things, she might have pushed a button unknowingly, but she couldn’t make sense of the sound.
Cyrielle felt like at least an hour passed while she was wriggling desperately on the floor, but the panic attack didn’t show any sign of stopping. The spasms were so violent that she had blood in her mouth, having probably bit her lips or her tongue, and her nails were broken from clinging to the carpet in an effort to hold on to her sanity. Then, suddenly, she felt someone taking her in their arms. She tried to fight back for a while, but the embrace was so warm and comforting that she closed her eyes and let her consciousness fade away.
***
A feminine voice was resounding through the room.
“A panic attack ?! Are you sure ? It seemed very serious !”
This time, it was a man who spoke.
“It is serious. In that state, a person cannot control their body and thoughts. Thankfully, Mademoiselle Cyrielle seemed to be used to such a situation. She was on the floor, on a soft surface, so she had no chances of falling or hurting herself, and she was holding on to the carpet, as to not hurt herself, and to have an anchor point. She did bit her tongue, but it is less serious than it seems, it’s just an area that bleeds a lot. Do you know where she keeps her medication ?”
“I don’t even know if she has any ! I’m not that close to her, I just came as fast as I could because I heard her crying over the phone !”
“Well, in that case I will leave a prescription. I already gave her something to calm down, so make sure she isn’t alone for now.”
“Ok, I’ll do that… You must promise to not tell everyone what happened, right ?”
“Medical confidentiality, nobody will know anything. Rest assured.”
Cyrielle wanted to open her eyes to see who was talking, but she was just too tired. She fell asleep again.
***
She woke up the next morning, thanks to the smell of toasted bread. She was in her room, but she had no idea how she ended up here.
‘Did Julie come by ?’
[Host, you are finally awake ! I was getting worried.]
She felt the restlessness of the system, but for some reason she had trouble processing it. It was as if her brain had slowed down.
‘What happened ?’
[You had a panic attack and, unknowingly, you…]
Before she could read the rest of the system’s message, someone opened the door. Cyrielle jumped in surprise, almost falling off her bed. It wasn’t Julie, it was Coline.
The blonde model entered the room with a tray full of breakfast food and juices.
“Hum… Hello ?”
She seemed uneasy, scrutinizing Cyrielle’s face, who seemed still shocked.
“What… How… Why are you here ?”
Coline put the tray on the nightstand and sat on the edge of the bed, fiddling with her hair.
“I texted you st night, because I heard good news from madame Dupuit… Well, it’s not important. I don’t know what you did with your phone, but you called me. I heard you crying and I dropped everything to drive here. Once in front of the building, you didn’t answer the intercom, so I used an old trick with my credit card, and unlocked the entrance. I also used my hairpin for the apartment’s door and… Well, you were on the floor…”
She took a deep breath and turned to Cyrielle with teary eyes.
“I didn’t know what to do ! And there was blood ! I just called the only person linked to you I had the number of, and that was madame Dupuit. She told me what to do, to first call SOS Doctor so that someone could come, and to make them promise to stay silent. And while I was waiting, holding you in my arms and putting tissues in your mouth, she told me that you had lived through atrocious things, and that's why you stopped modeling before. Humans are such scum !”
She was getting upset, but Cyrielle, with her foggy mind, had trouble processing her passionate rant. First, there was a misunderstanding. It was her father who had caused the panic attack, not an imaginary past in the fashion industry. Second, Coline had helped her and called a doctor, but nobody knew about it, so it was okay. And st…
“There is a serious security issue if someone can break in with a credit card and a hairpin.”
Coline froze, with a shocked look on her face.
“That’s… All you have to say ?”
She stared at Cyrielle, but the elegant woman had unfocused eyes, and seemed really serious in her assessment of this apartment’s security. Finally, the blonde model ughed.
“You’re right, the security is bad !”
She continued giggling, releasing all the tension in her body. After a dozen minutes, she gradually calmed down and handed Cyrielle the tray.
“Eat a bit. The doctor said the medication is quite strong, you need to fill your stomach. You should call your agency too, I don’t have their number.”
Cyrielle put the tray on her knees and grabbed her phone. She vaguely felt apprehension about seeing the new messages, but maybe it was the medication, she was way too groggy to worry about that. She unlocked her phone and tried to find Julie’s number, but her fingers weren’t listening to her brain. After a few tries, she handed the phone to Coline.
“Just call ‘Julie the best ?’, it’s the CEO. She’s nice.”
The blonde model cackled while reading the contact’s name.
“Seriously, you put a heart after her name ? And why am I still ‘Coline Fntier’ ?”
She ughed again, but ended up calling Julie and expining the situation. Obviously, Cyrielle’s friend was in a frenzy, and hung up quickly after hearing what happened. Coline sighed and put the phone back on the bed.
“I told her not to worry, but she is still coming over. You two must be close.”
Cyrielle nodded enthusiastically. Julie was her best friend, and she liked when people knew that fact. Most of all, she was way too medicated to watch her tongue.
“I saved her from a decrepit life, and she saved me from an abusive situation. But she doesn’t know it, so don’t tell her.”
She clumsily put her finger in front of her mouth, and Coline nodded vigorously. It was the truth, Cyrielle had helped Julie get back on her feet after a bad breakup, and her courage had inspired Cyrielle to cut off her father. But somehow, the story took a different turn in Coline’s head.
‘It makes sense, considering madame Dupuit’s words. Julie must have been a nobody at the time, and Cyri was suffering in the industry. Their meeting must have been like fate, going over to Julie’s side helped Cyri cut off the bastards who were abusing her, and having Cyrielle by her side helped Julie create her company. They were both like salvation to each other. Well, if that person is Cyri’s savior, then she is my savior too ! Every friend of my friend is my friend !’
Oblivious to the big misunderstanding, Cyrielle was eating delicious toasts.
‘It’s strange how toasted bread tastes more like bread than normal bread.’
She was heavily medicated.
An hour ter, a ragged Julie opened the apartment’s door. She screamed when she saw the blood on the carpet.
“Baby ? Are you okay ? Oh my gosh, Cyrielle !”
She ran outside the living room, and found her friend in the atelier, with clothes everywhere, and Coline ughing maniacally on the ground, holding her sides. When she saw Julie, Cyrielle fshed a big elegant smile.
“Julie !”
The CEO stopped in her tracks, and looked at the two girls, confused.
“Are you… All right ?”
Cyrielle nodded.
“I had a panic attack because a bastard that I hate sent me a message, and that did PTSD or something. But more importantly, I feel really creative today !”
Coline started cackling again, watching Cyrielle throw clothes on the ground. Julie, still frozen mid-action, didn’t know whether to smile or to cry. The blonde model, still giggling, leaned towards her.
“The doctor gave her some medication. She feels fine, but it’s so funny !”
Julie finally rexed, breathing a sigh of relief.
“You scared me to death ! How is your tongue ?”
Answering her, Cyrielle pulled out her tongue. It was mainly fine, except for a big bite mark on the side, but nothing that wouldn’t be healed after a bit of time. Julie nodded. She had confirmed that Cyrielle was okay, she now needed to address the issue.
“Give me your phone.”