Part 1The Stolen Comfort

Trapped at home by a raging storm, a familiar cramp seized my stomach – my period had arrived unexpectedly early.

I pushed through the discomfort, heading to the utility closet. My plan was to grab the pads and pain relief tea I’d stashed away, but when I pulled open the door, I froze. The shelves were bare, completely empty.

A million questions flooded my mind, wondering where everything had vanished to, when my phone buzzed with a notification. It was a social media post from Lily, Liam's childhood friend.

The photo showed her beaming, clutching an entire unopened box of sanitary pads and a pack of pain relief tea.

The caption read: "So grateful to my amazing 'big brother' for bringing warmth and comfort just when I needed it most! Seriously a lifesaver!"

Below that, she'd added: "Ladies, if anyone needs supplies, just message me! These are free to a good home!"

* * *

I stared at that post for what felt like an eternity.

I couldn't wrap my head around it.

Why was it that every single time she and I needed help,

he always, without fail, prioritized her?

It wasn't until two hours later, when he returned with the empty cardboard box, that I finally snapped out of my daze.

He saw me sitting motionless on the sofa and frowned, a hint of annoyance in his expression. "It's already dinner time. Why haven't you cooked anything?"

I ignored his question, meeting his gaze directly. "Did you see the message I sent you?"

After realizing my period had started,

and all my supplies were gone,

I'd messaged him,

asking if he'd moved them somewhere else.

He'd never replied.

I waited a long time, assuming he was busy.

It was only when I accidentally clicked on my social media feed

that I discovered, in this critical moment, he’d given all my pads to Lily.

And together, they had "selflessly" given away my belongings to people in need.

"Yeah, I saw it. So what? You had so much stashed away, you wouldn't use it all at once. This is an emergency, everyone's stuck inside. What's wrong with giving things you don't immediately need to people who do?"

His face was etched with impatience, and I suddenly felt utterly exhausted.

The dull ache in my lower abdomen sharpened into an agonizing cramp.

If it weren’t for the leftover pads from last month in the bathroom,

I truly wouldn’t know what to do.

Clutching my throbbing belly, my face pale, I told him, "My period started. You need to figure something out and get me some back."

A peculiar expression flickered across Liam's face.

"Grace, you're unbelievable. Everyone else has their period, and now you do too? Can't you be more understanding, like Lily? She knows how to help people in need, why are you so selfish?"

Selfish? Me?

Last month, when I stocked up during the big sale,

Lily had seen me carrying a large box of pads.

Shamelessly, she'd looped her arm through his and scoffed, "Big brother, your girlfriend's demand is huge! Only you could handle someone like that."

She'd yelled it out in public, without a shred of decency.

I'd gotten angry and told her to shut up.

But she just kept on, "Oh, look, your girlfriend's all flustered!"

Liam looked helpless, but instead of stopping her, he'd adopted a magnanimous air and told me, "Lily's just boisterous, her heart's in the right place. Don't take it to heart."

I looked at Liam, whose eyes were now tinged with a faint anger, and said flatly, "Liam, let's break up."

"What did you say?" Liam's eyes widened in disbelief, a ridiculous expression on his face. "Grace, you're breaking up with me just because I gave Lily some pads?"

"Yes, I…"

Before I could finish, there was a knock at the door.

Lily's cheerful, bright voice drifted in from the hallway.

"Big brother, what good food are you making in there? Hurry up and invite your old man in for a taste!"

Before we could even open the door,

she'd casually entered the security code and walked right in.

Seeing the tense atmosphere,

the smile on her face quickly faded.

"Big brother, did you upset Gracie? I told you before, women get angry easily! Whether it's your fault or not, you have to apologize right away!"