Chapter Ten : The Locked Door
420 Words
It was a quiet Saturday afternoon, the kind that usually passed unnoticed in the Delacroix household. Mr. Delacroix was out of the country for a political summit, and Mrs. Delacroix had traveled with her entourage to a charity gala three cities away.
Juliet was alone in the mansion.
She had spent the morning texting Solene, planning to visit his home for the first time. It had taken her weeks to agree—she didn’t open herself up easily. But today felt like a step forward. She had even smiled.
After her bath, she wrapped herself in a towel, humming softly, her heart light for once. The hallway outside her room was silent. She assumed the housekeepers were off today, as usual when the family traveled.
Then came the knock.
Soft, familiar.
She froze.
Before she could ask who it was, the door creaked open.
Uncle Claude stood there, dressed too neatly for a casual visit, a small box of chocolates in one hand.
“Uncle?” Her voice wavered. “What are you doing here?”
He stepped in casually, closing the door behind him.
“I heard your parents are away,” he said smoothly, setting the chocolates on her dresser. “Thought I’d check on my favorite niece.”
Juliet clutched the towel tighter. Something about the way he looked at her made her stomach turn.
“I’m getting dressed. You shouldn’t be here,” she said firmly.
He ignored her.
He crossed the room slowly, like he had all the time in the world. His voice stayed calm, too calm. “You don’t need to act scared, Juliet. You know I care about you.”
She moved toward the door, but he was already there—blocking it.
What followed was silence. And then pain. And then the sound of her own voice disappearing into nothing.
When it was over, he stood up like nothing had happened, brushing imaginary dust off his shirt.
“You’ll understand one day,” he said coolly, as if justifying a mistake he didn’t believe was one. “This kind of thing—it’s nothing serious. Just between families.”
And then he left.
Juliet lay on the floor for a long time, staring at the ceiling, her towel soaked in tears. Her body felt distant, like it no longer belonged to her. She didn’t scream. She didn’t move. She simply folded into herself, trying not to exist.
Solene texted her five minutes later:
“Still coming?”
She didn’t answer.
- Writer
