Under Her Authority

Chapter One

Athenarie POV

I am currently in the living room shaking, i cant breathe every word they spoke felt like chains tightening around me, and tonight, I couldn’t hold back anymore.

“You have to marry the youngest of the van Raay’s athenarie!”. My mother’s voice are sharp , almost pleading so loud that almost echoing through the living room.

“The youngest of the Van Raay family is perfect for you. For our family! Think about what this could do for us, for our business!” My father added.

“For us? Or for you and you and you”. I pointed my mom, dad and older sister with a shaking hands.

“You never even think of me im done with this family you guys are so selfish!”. I shouted to them my fists clenching until my nails dug into my palms.

“I don’t care about your business! I don’t care about them! I don’t even know them!” My voice cracked, but I didn’t care. I had to make them understand. My older sister, crossed her arms and stepped closer, her eyes blazing.

“Oh, give me a break! You’re acting like marriage is the end of the world! The Van Raays are powerful. They’re perfect for you. Stop whining!” Her words hit me like a punch. I feel like they dont even considering what i feel they only think about business.

“Look who’s talking. You threw your freedom just to chase your ridiculous ambition. No wonder your ex never chased you cuz you’re selfish, heartless and love doesn’t suits you. You cant even have your own decisions you’re nothing but a pathetic puppet “. I shouted before a felt the sting of a powerful slap from her.

“Athenarie you dont understand responsibility-“.

“No you dont understand me!” I cut my mom of before looking on her direction.

“I will not marry someone I don’t know just because it’s ‘convenient’ for your empire! I will not spend the rest of my life feeling trapped, feeling like I’m owned by everyone but myself!” My older sister scoffed.

“Fine! Go ahead. Run away like a child. Let’s see how far you’ll get on your own.”The words stung, but it was like a spark ignited inside me. I couldn’t stay. Not here. Not with them trying to turn my life into a business transaction. Not with my older sister judging me, not with my parents forcing my hand. I needed air, I needed space, I needed freedom even if it meant breaking their hearts.

I turned and fled to my room, slamming the door behind me. I sank to the floor, tears soaking my clothes, my chest heaving with every sob. I grabbed a pen and paper from my desk, hands trembling, mind racing. I needed to leave something behind something my younger sister could understand, even if no one else would.

Dear little sister,

I’m sorry I can’t say this to everyone else. I can’t stay here anymore… I need to find my own path, even if it means making mistakes along the way. They want to force me to marry someone I don’t know, someone I would never choose for myself. I can’t… I won’t live my life as someone else’s asset.

Please don’t hate me. I love you more than I can say. Be brave, okay? Keep being the light in this family, even when I can’t be here. I hope one day you understand why I had to leave.

Love always,

Arie

I folded the letter carefully and placed it on her pillow. I pressed my forehead against it for a long moment, imagining her holding it later, crying, maybe feeling hurt but hopefully understanding.

I looked around my room the walls covered in memories, the pictures, the little things that used to comfort me. I felt a pang in my chest. This was home. These were my family. And yet… it wasn’t my life. Not if they could hand me over to someone like a business deal. Not if my choices didn’t matter.

With one last glance, I opened the door and stepped into the night. The cool air hit my face, but instead of fear, I felt a strange sense of relief. I was leaving behind expectations, chains, and decisions that weren’t mine.

The streets were quiet, almost eerily so, and each step I took felt both liberating and terrifying. The world was vast, unknown, and entirely mine now but it was also full of uncertainty. My heart pounded in my chest, echoing the fear that had been buried under years of suffocating rules and expectations.

I hugged my arms around myself, trying to hold back the trembling. Where do I even go from here? My mind raced with questions I had no answers to. The city was a maze, and I had no plan, no safety net. But still… I had to move forward. I couldn’t go back. Not after tonight, not after everything.

I thought about the Van Raay heir the person I was supposed to marry. A stranger, a symbol of a life I would never accept. I shivered. I didn’t know them, and yet they had been thrown into my fate like some necessary puzzle piece for my family’s empire. But I didn’t care anymore. The path they represented was closed to me. I was walking my own path, even if I had no idea where it led.

The city lights glimmered ahead, a promise and a warning all at once. Somewhere out there, I would have to find work, shelter, survival. Somewhere out there, I would have to face the world without the safety net of my family, without their name to shield me. And maybe… maybe I was ready.

I let the tears fall freely now, the fear and grief mixing with a strange, raw exhilaration. I was leaving behind my home, my family, the life I knew and yet, with each step into the night, I felt a spark of something I had never felt before: hope.

The night stretched endlessly around me, dark and uncertain, but it was mine. And for the first time, truly, it felt like I could breathe.

The cool night air had done little to calm the storm inside me. My legs ached from walking aimlessly, my chest still heavy with grief and adrenaline. I finally found a quiet corner near a small park bench, hidden under the shadow of a streetlamp. My hands shook as I pulled my phone from my pocket.

I dialed the number I knew by heart.

“Hello?” came a sleepy, familiar voice on the other end.

“RC… it’s me,” I whispered, my voice cracking. I had to make sure she didn’t hear the panic I was trying to hide.

“Can you… can you listen?”

“Of course, Arie. What’s wrong? Are you okay?” I took a deep breath, trying to steady myself.

“I… I had to leave. I couldn’t stay… not after tonight. They were forcing me to… to marry someone I don’t even know. The Van Raay’s youngest. They said it’s for the family… for the business. I can’t… I can’t do it.” There was silence on the line, then a sharp inhale.

“Arie… are you serious? Where are you now?”

“I’m… somewhere safe for now,” I said quickly, glancing around the dark streets as if anyone could be listening.

“But RC… you can’t tell anyone where I am. Not my family, not lia… no one. Please.”

“Arie, of course I won’t,” she said softly.

“I promise. But you need to tell me what you want me to do. Are you… do you want me to come get you?”

“No,” I shook my head, even though she couldn’t see me.

“I need space. I need to think. I just… I needed someone to know, someone who can understand without judging me. Can you do that for me? Just… keep me safe in your mind, okay?”

“Okay,” she said, her voice steady, but I could hear the worry threading through it.

“I’ll keep your secret, Arie. I’ll help you however I can. You’re not alone in this.” Tears pricked my eyes again, and I wiped them quickly.

“Thank you… that means everything right now.”

“I’ll be here, Arie. Always,” RC replied.

“Just… promise me you’ll be careful. Don’t do anything reckless.”

“I promise,” I said softly. But even as I said it, a part of me knew I couldn’t promise what the future held. All I could promise was that I would survive, that I would make my own choices… and that, for the first time in my life, my life would be truly mine.

I ended the call and slipped the phone back into my pocket. The night was silent around me, the city lights distant and cold, but somehow, the weight on my chest felt lighter. I wasn’t completely alone. RC knew. And for now, that was enough.

I took a deep breath, letting the cool air fill my lungs, and pushed forward into the darkness, each step a quiet declaration ‘I was free, I was choosing, and nothing not even my family would take that away from me.’