Chapter 5
1324 Words
For a moment, she remained frozen outside the study.
Maybe she had misunderstood.
Maybe she had imagined it.
Maybe—
“No!”
Mrs. Blackwood's voice broke again from inside.
“She doesn't even know anything!”
Amara's fingers tightened.
Her heart began pounding.
And suddenly—
not knowing became worse than knowing.
Without thinking, she pushed the door open.
Everyone froze.
Mrs. Blackwood's tear-filled eyes widened.
Mr. Callen immediately lowered his gaze.
Mr. Blackwood stood motionless by the window.
Amara looked from one face to another.
Her voice came out quietly.
“What does that mean?”
Nobody answered.
She swallowed.
Then louder—
“What does that mean?”
Still silence.
Fear slowly became anger.
“Mom?”
Her voice trembled.
“Dad?”
“What am I hearing?”
Mrs. Blackwood stood abruptly.
“Amara…”
“What does that mean?”
Her voice cracked.
“Why did Mom say my name?”
Mr. Callen quietly stepped away.
“I'll wait outside, sir.”
The door closed behind him.
Leaving only the family.
Mrs. Blackwood sat down weakly.
And cried.
Not softly.
Not elegantly.
She broke.
Amara had never seen her mother cry like that before.
Never.
“Mom…”
“What happened?”
“Where's Selene?”
“Why is everyone acting like the world is ending?”
Mr Blackwood finally spoke.
“Sit down.”
Amara didn't move.
“Sit down, Amara.”
His voice wasn't cold.
It was tired.
Exhausted.
Slowly, she sat.
And for the next hour—
her world changed.
The debt.
The agreement.
The Vale family.
Ethan Vale.
The marriage.
Selene.
Everything.
Everything came crashing down.
And by the time he finished speaking—
Amara simply stared at him.
Blankly.
Like she no longer understood the language he was speaking.
Then she laughed.
A small laugh.
Disbelieving.
“No.”
Mrs. Blackwood closed her eyes.
“Amara…”
“No.”
She stood.
“No.”
Her voice became louder.
“No!”
“You can't be serious!”
“You can't actually be serious!”
Tears filled her eyes.
“You wanted Selene to marry some man because of debt?”
“And now she's gone—”
She stopped.
Looked between them.
And suddenly understood.
Completely.
“No.”
Mrs. Blackwood sobbed harder.
“No…”
Amara stepped back.
“No!”
“No!”
“You can't mean me!”
“You can't!”
Richard remained silent.
Which was answer enough.
Amara shook her head violently.
“No!”
“I won't do it!”
“I am not Selene!”
“I'm not her!”
“You can't just replace people!”
“You can't replace your daughter!”
Her breathing became uneven.
“You can't replace a human being!”
Mrs. Blackwood rose shakily.
“We know.”
“No, you don't!”
“You don't!”
Amara wiped her tears angrily.
“How could you even think this?”
“How?”
Mrs. Blackwood broke down completely.
“Because we're desperate!”
The room fell silent.
“We are desperate, Amara!”
Her voice shattered.
“We don't know what else to do!”
“We don't know!”
“We've searched everywhere!”
“We've waited!”
“And she's gone!”
Richard lowered his head.
Mr. Blackwood.
The man who rarely showed emotion.
Looked old.
Older than Amara had ever seen him.
“If the Vale family finds out…”
He stopped.
“The Blackwoods are finished.”
“But that's not my fault!”
Amara cried.
“It's not my fault!”
“It isn't!”
“No,” Mrs. Blackwood whispered.
“It isn't.”
“And I hate myself for asking.”
“I hate myself.”
“But I am your mother.”
“And I am begging you.”
Begging.
The word hit Amara harder than anything else.
Not asking.
Begging.
And somehow—
that hurt more.
Much more.
Mr. Blackwood remained seated.
For a long time, he said nothing.
As if he was giving Amara time.
Time to scream.
Time to hate them.
Time to leave.
But eventually, he spoke.
Quietly.
“The debt isn't small, Amara.”
She said nothing.
“The Vale family saved this company years ago.”
“They saved this family.”
“And in return…”
He stopped.
His voice sounded heavier now.
“There was an agreement.”
Amara closed her eyes.
She didn't want to hear it.
Not anymore.
“Without them…”
Richard swallowed.
“We lose everything.”
“The estate.”
“The business.”
“The company.”
“Everything your grandfather built.”
Mrs. Blackwood covered her mouth and cried silently.
“And that's why you wanted to sell Selene?”
Amara's voice was empty.
“No.”
Richard shook his head immediately.
“No.”
“She agreed to meet them.”
“She agreed to try.”
“But she was afraid.”
“And now…”
His voice faded.
“Now she's gone.”
Silence.
Heavy.
Exhausting.
Then Amara laughed again.
But this time, there was no humor in it.
“So that's it?”
“She runs away…”
“And I take her place?”
Mrs. Blackwood cried harder.
“No one wants this.”
“No one!”
“But we don't know what else to do.”
Amara looked at her mother.
And suddenly—
she didn't see Mrs. Blackwood.
She saw a frightened woman.
A mother.
Broken.
Desperate.
And somehow—
that made her angry.
Because she wanted to hate them.
She wanted to.
But they looked too broken.
Too human.
And she hated that.
Without another word, she turned.
“Amara—”
She didn't stop.
She walked out of the study.
Past Mr. Callen.
Past the servants.
Past everyone.
And locked herself inside her room.
Silence.
Hours passed.
No one disturbed her.
Not Mrs. Blackwood.
Not Mr. Blackwood.
Not even Mr. Callen.
Night came.
The rain outside had started again.
Soft.
Gentle.
Cruel.
Amara sat on the floor beside her bed.
Old photographs surrounded her.
Pictures from birthdays.
Festivals.
Family trips.
Pictures with Selene.
Smiling.
Laughing.
Normal.
Back when life had made sense.
Back when sisters were just sisters.
Not replacements.
Not sacrifices.
Tears rolled down her cheeks.
She remembered Selene teaching her how to braid her.
Remembered sneaking snacks together.
Remembered staying awake late just to gossip.
And suddenly—
anger replaced sadness.
“She left…”
Amara whispered.
“She left us…”
Not because she hated Selene.
Never.
But because she had stayed.
And Selene hadn't.
A knock came.
Gentle.
Amara didn't answer.
Another knock.
Then—
“Amara.”
Her mother's voice.
Not loud.
Not commanding.
Just tired.
“Please.”
Still, Amara remained silent.
The door slowly opened.
Mrs. Blackwood stepped inside.
And for the first time in Amara's life—
her mother looked small.
Not elegant.
Not graceful.
Not strong.
Small.
Mrs. Blackwood sat on the floor beside her.
Neither spoke.
Neither looked at each other.
And after a long time—
She whispered softly,
“I know I'm selfish.”
Amara's eyes filled again.
“I know I have no right.”
Silence.
“I know I'm asking you to carry something that isn't yours.”
Her voice broke.
“And I hate myself for it.”
She wiped her tears.
“But I am begging you, Amara.”
“Not as your mother.”
“Not as Mrs. Blackwood.”
“Just…”
Her voice shattered.
“Just as a woman who doesn't know how to save her family anymore.”
Amara lowered her head.
And cried.
Because she had never heard her mother sound so helpless.
Never.
And somehow—
that hurt more than the truth.
Much more.
Outside—
the rain continued falling.
And somewhere in the darkness—
time kept moving.
Whether they were ready or not.
- Writer
