Chapter 10
1195 Words
LYRA
As I sat in my father's office, I wondered about what he was going to say to me. In front of me was a huge expensive looking desk with files on it.
My father sat on his leather chair, his gaze burrowing a hole through my skull.
There was an awkward air around us but I didn't care. It was expected because we hadn't seen each other in ages.
He cleared his throat, finally breaking the decades of silence.
"There will be a dinner party here for your sister's engagement in two days time and it's important that you attend as you will be meeting your fiance there." He said without a hint of warmth.
My brows furrowed into a frown, my 'fiance?'
I chuckled, amusement dancing in my eyes. "My fiance?" I asked to be sure I heard right.
"Yes." He replied, then he continued after a small pause, "Your engagement will take place next month."
I scoffed, my grip tightening around the hem of my dress. "So this was why you asked me to come." I said calmly, my chest clenching in whatever emotions I was feeling at that moment.
He stayed quiet, flipping through files like I was suddenly invincible to him.
I laughed to myself, I expected too much from a family that abandoned me to fend for myself after my grandmother passed away.
"You know..." I paused, slowly getting up from my chair. "Grandma was right about you being a heartless demon and if you think I'm going to get married to whoever you chose for me, then you need to think twice."
I turned around immediately and walked out of his office, my chest rising and falling in pure anger.
He thinks he can order me around just because he carries the title of “father.”
I muttered to myself as I walked down the long hallway and turned to the right, only to realize I had no idea where I was. This was exactly why I hated big houses.
I decided to just continue moving forward, because going back would lead me back to his office.
I walked for a few minutes looking around as I tried to find my way to the gate. Standing in the middle of a garden, I sighed, I should have asked for help from the maids I saw on my way here.
At this rate, it'll take me the whole day to find the way to the gate.
I heard rustling behind the nearby flower bushes.
I turned slowly, my heart still pounding from the argument.
The garden was beautiful.
Too beautiful for the kind of anger sitting inside my chest.
There were different flowers everywhere.
Red roses, white lilies, purple ones I didn’t even know the name of.
The air smelled fresh and sweet, like morning rain.
A small stone path ran through the middle, leading to a white bench under a tree.
And that was when I saw her.
My sister.
She was standing a few steps away from me, wearing a simple light dress. Her long hair moved gently with the wind.
For a second, I just stood there staring at her.
She looked like me, but softer and quieter.
“Hi,” I said, my voice coming out smaller than I expected.
She didn’t answer. She didn’t even look surprised to see me.
She just kept staring at the flowers like I wasn’t there.
I swallowed.
“Are you just going to ignore me?” I asked but she still didn't answer.
The silence started to irritate me.
“I didn’t know you liked flowers this much,” I added, trying to sound casual.
She finally turned to look at me.
And the look in her eyes wasn’t warm, it wasn’t happy either.
It was hurt.
“You remember I exist?” she asked quietly.
Her voice didn’t sound angry, it sounded tired.
I frowned. “Of course I do.”
She let out a dry laugh.
“Really? Because you never called. Not once.”
My chest tightened.
“I was busy,” I said, even though the excuse sounded weak the moment it left my mouth.
“Busy?” she repeated. “Busy for years?”
The words hit harder than I expected.
“You think it was easy for me?” I shot back. “I was thrown out to live on my own after Grandma died.”
“And you think I wasn’t alone too?” she snapped.
Her voice rose for the first time.
“I was stuck in this huge house with a father who barely talks to me. I knew I had a sister somewhere out there. But you never reached out.”
I stared at her.
I had never thought about it that way.
In my head, I was the only one who suffered.
“I didn’t know what to say,” I admitted quietly.
“You could have said anything,” she replied. “Even a simple ‘hi."
The same word I had just said to her.
The irony stung.
She looked away from me and hugged herself.
“I felt so lonely, Lyra. Every single day.”
Guilt started creeping into me as my throat tightened.
I opened my mouth to apologize, but then something else clicked in my mind.
“The dinner,” I said suddenly. “You're getting engaged.”
Her shoulders stiffened.
“I don’t want it,” she said quickly.
I blinked. “What?”
“I don’t want to get married,” she said, turning to face me fully now. “I already like someone.”
That caught me off guard.
“You do?”
She nodded slowly.
“Yes. But father would never agree. He already chose someone for me. Just like he’s trying to do with you.”
So it wasn’t just me, of course it wasn’t.
This wasn’t about love, it was about business and getting more money without thinking about how his children felt.
“I’m not marrying anyone he chooses,” I said firmly.
She looked at me carefully, like she was trying to see if I meant it.
“He won’t let you refuse,” she said.
I let out a small scoff.
“He doesn’t control my life.”
But even as I said it, I knew it wouldn’t be that simple.
The wind blew softly around us, moving the flowers like they were whispering secrets.
For the first time since I arrived at this house, I didn’t feel completely alone.
I took a slow step towards her, cautious as I stretched my arms out to hug her.
She didn't push me away, her head rested on my shoulder as she let out a whimpering breath.
“I couldn’t reach out. Father was the only one who contacted me, and no matter how much I asked, he refused to give me your number,” I said softly, remembering how I begged to speak to Mom and my sister, but he always said no.
"I'm sorry I didn't try harder," I paused, hugging her more tightly, "I'm here now and I'm not going anywhere."
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