The Scorned Bride: His Cruel Vows

Chapter 15- Pathetic

Thalia's Pov

“Yes,” Dory whimpered. “The one you gave to Aria when you first started dating. Aria cherished it so much... and Thalia smashed it right on the floor.”

Adrian’s head snapped down. His sharp gaze locked onto the shattered glass and broken plastic figures sitting directly beneath my blood-soaked hands. In an instant, the cold stillness on his face shattered.

“No!” Adrian roared. He rushed forward, pushing Matthew out of the way, and grabbed my arm. He shoved me aside with so much force that I stumbled back a few steps, my back hitting the edge of Aria's headboard.

Pain shot through my back and shoulder, the glass shards still embedded in my palms pressed deeper into my flesh as I landed, tearing the skin further open. Fresh blood pooled out instantly, staining the light-colored floor.

Yet, I didn't let out a single cry. I bit my lower lip so hard that the skin of my lips tore, the metallic taste of my own blood filled my mouth. Adrian didn't even look at where I had landed. He just dropped down on one knee near the shattered snow globe, his hands hovering over the broken pieces as if he were afraid to touch them. His fingers trembled violently.

Slowly, Adrian turned his head to look at me and the moment I saw his face, I froze. There were tears gathered around the corners of Adrian's glassy eyes. He was biting his lips to keep them from falling but it didn't work. Two drops slid down his left cheek, dropping on the back of his palm.

“A… Adrian…” I stammered, my eyes widening as well. I had lived in the same house as Adrian for years. I had seen him angry, cold, ruthless, and strict. But I had never, not once in my entire life, seen Adrian cry.

He stared at me through his tears, and a shaky laugh escaped his lips. “You really are incredible, Thalia,” Adrian laughed bitterly, shaking his head. “There I was... sitting in my office during my business trip, thinking about you. Despite everything you did, despite how much you hurt me and Aria, my mind kept drifting back to you. I was worrying about you... wondering if you were okay.”

He squeezed his eyes shut for a second, letting out another hollow laugh that sounded more like a sob.

“And while I was out there thinking about you... this was what you were doing?” Adrian opened his eyes, glaring at me with a raw, agonizing heartbreak that felt heavier than his anger. “The only thing you could do while I was gone was come into her room and destroy her things?! Hasn't she suffered enough?! Why do you have to do this to Aria and I?! She's dead, Thalia! Why aren't you satisfied? Why do you have to destroy my last memories of her?!”

I just sat there against the bed frame, my hands bleeding onto my lap, staring at him blankly. Seeing him cry made me feel like it was all over. I didn't even have the strength to talk anymore.

“How are you going to punish me then, Adrian?” I asked softly, my voice completely devoid of any emotion. I stared straight into his eyes, numb to the physical pain in my hands. “Tell me. How are you going to make me pay this time?”

Matthew stepped up beside Adrian, his jaw clenched as he looked down at me with cold disgust. “Look at her, Adrian,” Matthew spat out, his voice filled with venom. “Look at her face. She doesn't feel a single bit of remorse for what she’s done.”

“Remorse?” I repeated, sighing as I looked up at the ceiling. “To be honest, I don't even want to do anything anymore. Why don't you kill me?”

“What?” Adrian muttered.

I lowered my head back down to stare at him, “Since you're so sure that I'm the evil, wicked woman that you all think I am, why don't you kill me? Why won't you stop all this?”

“You want to die? You really want to die?” Matthew questioned in disbelief, “You know that Adrian can't kill you, that's why you're saying this, right?”

“Yeah… He can't kill me. It would be against the law to do that.” I said under my breath, “So why don't I do it myself?”

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I stood up straight, flinching at the pain that shot through my spine, but I didn't stop. I walked all the way to her desk, and bent down to pick up the big shard of glass that was at the side. I grabbed it and placed it on my wrist.

Dory let out a sharp, piercing scream, backing away until her heels slammed against the wall. “Adrian! Look at her! What is she trying to do?!”

I let out a long, heavy sigh. The sound felt hollow, like air leaving an empty room. I was so tired. I was tired of talking, tired of begging, tired of trying to defend a truth that nobody in this house ever wanted to hear. I had spent days keeping every ounce of pain locked inside my chest, pretending that if I just endured a little more, maybe the light would somehow find me again. But standing here, watching the three of them look at me with nothing but disgust, I realized there was no light left. There was nothing waiting for me.

I turned my eyes toward Adrian. He looked back at me, his eyes still red and glistening with tears, but his expression had hardened into something cold.

“You just want me to atone for killing Aria, don't you?” I whispered, my voice flat and steady. “All of you... you won't be satisfied until I pay for it. So I'll do it now.”

A cold, mocking laugh cut through the quiet. It was Matthew. He shook his head, staring at me with contempt.

“Stop acting, Thalia,” Matthew sneered, taking a half-step back as if my whole presence disgusted him. “You’re terrified of pain. Everyone knows how you cry when you get a tiny scratch. You’re not going to do anything. You’re just looking for attention because you got caught.”

A small, lifeless smile touched the corners of my lips. It was almost funny. They knew. They knew better than anyone how terrified I was of pain, how I used to cry over the smallest cuts when we were younger. And yet, knowing that, they had stood by and hurt me for days without a second thought. They had crushed my heart, dragged my name through the dirt, and left me with nothing, all while knowing exactly how much it hurt.

“She’s just joking around to get out of this, Adrian,” Matthew said, turning his back on me and gesturing toward the door. “Come on, let’s go. We still have to make the preparations to bury Aria’s body. We don't have time for her little drama.”

Adrian stared at me for a long, silent moment. His eyes traveled from my face down to the sharp piece of glass resting against the delicate skin of my wrist, and then back up to my eyes. There was no warmth in his gaze. No hesitation.

He slowly turned his back on me. “You’re pathetic."