Chapter three
1846 Words
Aurora slowly opened her eyes.
The first thing she noticed was the bright light above her.
She immediately closed her eyes again.
“Argh,” she groaned.
Her entire body felt heavy.
She tried opening her eyes again, this time slowly adjusting to the light.
Everything around her was white.
White walls.
White curtains.
White sheets.
And the annoying sound of a machine continuously beeping beside her.
Aurora stared at the ceiling for a few seconds, confused.
Where was she?
She tried moving her hand, but a sharp pain immediately shot through her body.
“Ah!”
She quickly froze.
That was when everything started coming back.
The rain.
Her grandparents’ graves.
Eric.
Her best friend.
The naked bodies.
The accident.
The car.
Aurora’s eyes widened.
“No…” she whispered.
The door suddenly opened.
A nurse walked in carrying some things in her hands.
The moment she noticed Aurora awake, her eyes widened.
“Oh my God!”
Aurora stared at her.
The nurse quickly rushed towards the bed.
“You’re awake!”
Aurora blinked at her.
“Unfortunately.”
The nurse paused.
“What?”
Aurora turned her face away.
“Nothing.”
The nurse pressed a button beside her bed before checking the machines.
“You gave everyone a scare, young lady.”
Aurora stared at the ceiling.
“I wasn’t trying to.”
The nurse looked at her.
“Do you know where you are?”
Aurora sighed.
“A hospital.”
“Yes.”
“I figured that out.”
The nurse stared at her for a few seconds.
Aurora knew she was probably being rude.
But honestly, she didn’t care.
She didn’t have the strength to pretend everything was okay.
A few minutes later, the door opened again.
A man in a white coat walked in.
The doctor.
He smiled when he saw Aurora.
“Miss Rux.”
Aurora looked at him.
“So that’s my name.”
The doctor frowned slightly.
Aurora sighed.
“Sorry.”
He walked closer to her.
“How are you feeling?”
“Like I got hit by a car.”
The doctor stared at her.
Aurora raised a brow.
“Too soon?”
The doctor sighed before checking some things.
“You were lucky.”
Aurora’s face immediately went blank.
Lucky.
Everyone always said that whenever someone survived something.
You are lucky.
She didn’t feel lucky.
Not even a little bit.
“Can I leave?” Aurora asked.
The doctor looked at her.
“You just woke up.”
“And?”
“You were involved in a serious accident.”
“I know.”
“You need to rest.”
Aurora looked away.
“I don’t want to.”
The doctor stopped.
“What?”
“I don’t want to rest.”
Aurora swallowed.
“I don’t want to wake up again and remember everything.”
The room became quiet.
The doctor looked at her differently now.
Not with pity.
At least she hoped it wasn’t pity.
Aurora hated pity.
She had received enough of it throughout her life.
“Do you have anyone we can call?” the doctor asked gently.
Aurora didn’t answer.
“Your parents?”
Her body immediately stiffened.
“No.”
The doctor noticed.
“Friends?”
Aurora laughed bitterly.
“No.”
“Boyfriend?”
Aurora turned her face towards him.
“I said no.”
The doctor nodded.
“Alright.”
Aurora looked back at the ceiling.
“Can you just leave me alone?”
The doctor hesitated.
“Miss Rux—”
“Please.”
He nodded.
“I’ll come back later.”
Aurora didn’t respond.
The doctor and nurse eventually left the room.
And Aurora was alone.
Again.
She stared at the ceiling for what felt like hours.
Her mind was completely blank.
She didn’t want to think.
Thinking hurt.
But no matter how hard she tried, the images kept coming back.
Eric standing up from the bed.
Her best friend rolling her eyes.
Come back to bed, Eric. It’s not like she has anywhere to go. No one wants a burden.
Aurora closed her eyes tightly.
Her chest hurt.
She had trusted them.
Eric had been with her through one of the worst times of her life.
Her best friend had been there when her grandparents died.
Or at least Aurora thought she had.
But apparently, neither of them cared.
Maybe they never did.
A tear escaped her eye.
Aurora quickly wiped it away.
“No,” she whispered to herself.
She wasn’t going to cry.
She was tired of crying.
Her whole life felt like one big painful story.
Her parents didn’t want her.
Her adopted sister was loved while she was treated like a burden.
Her grandparents were the only people who ever made her feel wanted.
And now they were gone.
Aurora’s breathing became shaky.
“Grandma…” she whispered.
More tears fell.
She turned to the side of the bed and buried her face in the pillow.
For the first time since waking up, Aurora allowed herself to cry.
Not loudly.
Not dramatically.
Just silently.
Like she had been doing for years.
##############################
Aurora didn’t know how much time had passed before she heard a knock on the door.
She quickly wiped her face.
“Come in.”
The door opened.
Aurora expected to see the nurse.
But instead, an unfamiliar man walked in.
He looked to be in his fifties.
He wore a neat black suit and carried a brown briefcase.
Aurora frowned.
“Who are you?”
The man looked at her.
“Are you Aurora Rux?”
Aurora immediately became suspicious.
“Yes.”
He sighed in relief.
“My name is Mr. Wilson.”
Aurora stared at him.
“Okay?”
“I was your grandparents’ lawyer.”
Aurora froze.
“My grandparents?”
“Yes.”
Aurora sat up straighter.
Pain immediately shot through her body.
She winced.
“Please, be careful,” Mr. Wilson said.
“What do you want?”
The lawyer walked closer.
“I have been trying to reach you for some time.”
Aurora frowned.
“What?”
“Your grandparents left some things that needed to be discussed with you.”
Aurora stared at him.
Her grandparents had died two months ago.
What could there possibly be left to discuss?
“I don’t understand.”
Mr. Wilson sat down.
“There are some things your grandparents wanted you to know.”
Aurora’s heart started beating faster.
“What things?”
The lawyer opened his briefcase.
He brought out a file and placed it on the table beside her bed.
Aurora looked at it.
Then back at him.
“Are you Aurora Rux, the biological daughter of Mr. and Mrs. Rux?”
Aurora frowned.
“What kind of question is that?”
“Please answer.”
“Yes.”
He let out a sigh of relief.
“Well… there are some things you need to know.”
“Go on.”
Mr. Wilson opened the file.
“Before your grandparents passed away, they signed a contract with the Luther family stating that the daughter of the Rux family would be given to the Luther family as a wife.”
Aurora stared at him.
Silence.
Then…
“What?!”
Mr. Wilson flinched.
Aurora stared at him in complete disbelief.
“I’m sorry?”
“Miss Rux—”
“Did you just tell me that my grandparents signed a contract to give me away as someone’s wife?”
“It isn’t exactly—”
“Then what exactly is it?”
Aurora’s voice was getting louder.
Mr. Wilson looked towards the door.
“Please calm down.”
“Don’t tell me to calm down!”
Aurora immediately regretted shouting because pain shot through her head.
She held her forehead.
Mr. Wilson stood up.
“Miss Rux—”
“Sit down.”
He stopped.
Aurora slowly looked at him.
“Explain.”
Mr. Wilson sat back down.
“The Rux and Luther families have had a relationship for generations.”
Aurora blinked.
“What relationship?”
“Business.”
Aurora shook her head.
“My grandparents never mentioned the Luther family.”
“They kept a lot of things from you.”
Aurora laughed bitterly.
“Apparently.”
Mr. Wilson continued.
“The contract was made years ago.”
“How many years?”
“Before you were born.”
Aurora froze.
Before she was born?
She slowly looked at the documents.
“You’re telling me that before I was even born, my life was already planned?”
“It was an agreement between the two families.”
“And who exactly am I marrying?”
The lawyer hesitated.
Aurora noticed.
“Why are you hesitating?”
“His name is Alexander Luther.”
Aurora repeated the name silently.
Alexander Luther.
She didn’t know him.
She had never heard of him.
“Who is he?”
“The eldest son of the Luther family.”
“And how old is he?”
“Twenty-nine.”
Aurora stared at him.
“And how old am I?”
“Twenty-three.”
“Great. At least he’s not eighty.”
Mr. Wilson looked confused.
Aurora shook her head.
“Nothing.”
She looked back at the file.
“Does he know about this?”
“Yes.”
Aurora slowly raised her eyes.
“And?”
“He agreed.”
Aurora laughed.
A dry, humourless laugh.
“Of course he did.”
“Miss Rux—”
“So he knew he was going to marry some random woman and he agreed?”
“He knows more about the situation than you do.”
Aurora’s expression changed.
“What does that mean?”
Mr. Wilson immediately looked uncomfortable.
“It’s complicated.”
Aurora stared at him.
“Why does everyone suddenly love that word?”
“Miss Rux, there are things—”
“No.”
She shook her head.
“Tell me.”
Mr. Wilson stayed quiet.
Aurora could feel her anger rising.
“What does Alexander know that I don’t?”
The lawyer looked down.
“I can’t answer that.”
Aurora grabbed one of the papers and threw it towards him.
“What kind of lawyer are you?”
“Miss Rux—”
“You come into my hospital room and tell me that my dead grandparents sold me off to some family, and then when I ask questions, you tell me you can’t answer?”
“Your grandparents did not sell you.”
“Then what did they do?”
“They were trying to protect you.”
Aurora froze.
The room became quiet.
“What?”
Mr. Wilson immediately realised what he had said.
Aurora slowly stared at him.
“Protect me from what?”
He didn’t answer.
Aurora’s face changed.
“Mr. Wilson.”
“Miss Rux—”
“Protect me from what?”
The lawyer stood up.
“I shouldn’t have said that.”
Aurora laughed in disbelief.
“Oh, but you did.”
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