This scar—my original sin, and my ten years of loving you.
They all praise genius photographer Liam for capturing the beauty of souls, never knowing his inspiration comes from a scarred girl hiding behind masks—me.
He once said my wounds were angel wings, so I clung to that delusion, painting faces on cheap film sets day and night while he stood in spotlights, photographing supermodels I could never reach.
Until he appeared again, turning his lens on my broken face.
"Don't hide," his voice was hoarse, "I've been looking for you for so long."
But when shadows from the past closed in again, I finally understood: some love is written with destruction from the very beginning.
Either hide in darkness forever, or risk everything to let him see my ugliest truth—
Beneath it all, lies ten years of unspoken love.

My Scarred, Secret Love

The three days following my public revelation had completely transformed my life.
The wave of online support continued to grow, completely suppressing Blake's malicious attacks. More importantly, I was no longer afraid to face myself in the mirror.
Just as I'd told myself—one step at a time. And t...

Chapter 8