Chapter 6
1232 Words
Isabella walked into the room she had been assigned to clean.
It was Camila's room in the grand Castillo Mansion.
She paused at the doorway, taking in the sight, golden and royal blue walls, elegance dripping from every corner. It screamed power.
Her eyes landed on a framed photograph sitting neatly on the table.
Alex and Camila.
Her Alex, now trapped in someone else's web of love.
And her children, tangled in the same thread, slipping further away from her every second.
She reached out and ran her fingers along Alex's face in the picture.
If only she had said I love you back then.
If only she'd fought for him harder, defied her parents, stolen just a little more time.
Now he was gone, like sand sliding through her fingers.
Isabella exhaled deeply and turned toward the bathroom.
The toilet was spotless, yet Helena's orders had been clear, "Clean it again. Madam Camila likes her things perfect."
Each step felt heavier than the last. Her back still ached from the endless cleaning yesterday, but she had no choice.
Her mind wandered as she knelt by the toilet, scrubbing at invisible stains.
Maybe I should just take my children and run. Leave this place forever.
That thought was cut short by the sudden splash of icy water on her face.
Before she could react, a hand gripped her hair and shoved her head into the toilet.
The cold, soapy water burned her nose and eyes, the harsh sting of bleach clawing down her throat. Isabella struggled, thrashing, trying to pull free, but the grip only tightened.
Her lungs screamed for air. The world spun. Her pulse slowed.
Then, air.
Her head was yanked back up. She gasped violently, choking, her chest rising and falling in rapid bursts.
Helena's laughter filled the room, loud, cruel, triumphant.
"Pathetic," she spat, eyes glinting with venom. "You think you can steal Madam's place? You don't even belong in this house."
Helena had seen Alex and Camila walk out earlier, hands intertwined, glowing like newlyweds. The sight had burned her chest with jealousy, and now she poured every drop of that rage into Isabella.
Isabella's vision blurred. Her head spun. The smell of disinfectant mixed with her tears.
Helena finally let go, tossing Isabella to the floor like a rag doll. Then she walked out, still laughing, the sound echoing through the bathroom like a curse.
Isabella stayed on the floor, trembling. Her breathing was uneven, her eyes blank.
She had always been claustrophobic, but this felt worse than suffocation.
It felt like erasure.
Tears slid down her cheeks silently as she stared at the golden walls.
They shimmered mockingly under the light, symbols of a world she could never belong to.
Tears again.
Tears again…
That's all I ever do.
Isabella scolded herself silently, her breath trembling as her fingers brushed away the water from her face.
But the sting of humiliation refused to fade.
Her reflection in the mirror stared back, drenched, hollow, and unrecognizable.
"Pathetic," she whispered, her voice cracking like shattered glass. "You can't even protect yourself… or your children."
The words cut deeper than anything Helena could ever say.
Something inside her snapped, a soundless breaking that left her trembling.
She fell to her knees, gripping her arms as though she could hold herself together.
The air grew too tight; her heart pounded against her ribs like a trapped thing.
Humiliation burned through her skin, and before she could stop herself, she began scratching, at her neck, her arms, her shoulders, desperate to feel anything other than this pain.
"Why…" she cried out, dragging her nails down her skin until thin lines of red appeared. "Why can't I stop hurting?"
Her sobs tore through the silence.
She clawed at the wooden floor, her body shaking uncontrollably. Every breath hurt; every memory of Alex holding someone else's hand made her crumble a little more.
She wanted to rip the pain out of her chest, to scrape it away like dirt, to feel something, anything, that wasn't heartbreak.
When her strength finally left her, she slumped onto the cold floor, her cheek pressed against the wood.
Her chest rose and fell too quickly, the echo of her heartbeat loud and heavy in her ears.
Then, silence.
Just her.
The sharp scent of bleach.
The slow drip of water from the toilet she had just cleaned.
For a moment, Isabella wished she could disappear into that silence, to sink beneath it and never rise again.
But even then, in the deepest corner of her breaking mind, a voice whispered:
You can't give up.
Not yet.
Not while your children still need you.
----
"Lucas, slow down! Let your sister catch up!" Camila called out, laughter trailing her words.
"Funny little rascals," she added, shaking her head fondly.
Lucas ran back immediately, his small hand finding Sophia's. "Come on, slowpoke," he giggled, pulling her along toward the sea of blooming flowers, where butterflies fluttered lazily above their heads.
Lucas had always been one with nature, curious, gentle, fascinated by every living thing.
"What's that, Lucas?" Sophia asked, pointing at a red bloom.
"That's a hibiscus petal," Lucas said proudly. "Count it, Soph."
"One… two… three…" she began, her voice slow and soft, as if she didn't want the moment to end.
---
"Where are the kids?" Alex asked as he walked back, holding four tickets and two cones of ice cream.
"They're playing in the garden over there," Camila replied, turning her head toward the field of color and laughter.
Alex placed the tickets and ice cream on the bench before sliding his arm gently around her waist.
"Soph, Cas!" he called out. "Ice cream!"
While Lucas was still lost in his fascination with the plants, Sophia had already started running, her chubby little legs carrying her forward in what looked more like a jog than a sprint.
"Here you go," Camila said playfully as Sophia arrived, handing her the cones. "This one's for you… and this for Lucas."
"Thanks, au.... mom," Sophia stuttered, cheeks flushing red as she quickly ran off toward her brother.
Camila's smile faltered. Alex caught it immediately.
"What's wrong, babe?" he asked, pulling her closer.
"I'm fine," she murmured, eyes lowered. "I just… wonder what Isabella's doing right now. Alex, do you ever think of marrying her?" she asked softly, her fingers tugging at his sleeve as if trying to hide from the question itself.
"I would never marry her," Alex said firmly, his tone leaving no room for doubt. "You're the only one that makes my heart beat." He leaned in and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.
"What if I can't give you children as wonderful as Lucas and Sophia?" Camila asked, her voice trembling slightly.
"Having you is enough,” Alex said with a grin. "Kids are just icing on the cake, and I was never really good with sugar anyway."
Camila blushed and looked away, her lips curving into a shy smile.
---
Later, the four of them walked toward the zoo, hands intertwined, laughter echoing softly through the air.
"Lucas, calm down," Alex called out as the boy skipped ahead excitedly.
"What a perfect family," a passing teen murmured with admiration as she walked by, her eyes lingering on them, the picture of warmth and harmony.
But perfection, as always, came at someone else's pain.
- Writer
