Chapter 5
1159 Words
When they arrived at her family's house, she expected nothing.
She had stopped expecting anything from them a long time ago.
The moment they entered, her parents barely acknowledged her.
There was no warm welcome.
No embrace.
No, "How have you been?"
She was simply the daughter they had raised to become the perfect asset to their wealth.
A daughter who was expected to obey.
A daughter whose value seemed to depend on how well she could fulfill her role.
And then there was Aiden.
The moment he stepped inside, the atmosphere changed.
Her family surrounded him with respect.
Some practically bowed.
Others tried desperately to please him, eager to gain his approval.
Her stomach twisted with embarrassment.
Why?
Why did everyone act as though he were some untouchable king?
Why couldn't her family simply stand with dignity?
Why did they always have to lower themselves and grovel before him?
She said nothing.
Because her voice didn't matter. It never did.
They eventually sat around the dining table.
Food was served.
She stared down at her plate.
She couldn't eat.The house felt suffocating.
It was supposed to be her childhood home.The place where she should have felt safe.Yet somehow, she had never truly felt at home there.Not with her parents.
Not with Aiden.Not anywhere.
She felt like she was constantly being placed somewhere, moved somewhere, displayed somewhere.
Never asked what she wanted.
Never asked what she felt.
Then the front door opened.
She looked up.
And froze.
Vivian walked inside.
Her eyes immediately shifted toward Aiden.
He had invited her.
Of course he had.
Vivian entered the house as though she belonged there.
And somehow, everyone welcomed her.
She sat quietly at the table, her fingers tightening around the edge of her dress.
She wanted to say something.
Anything.
Why is she here?"
"Why did you invite her into my family's home?"
"What am I supposed to be in this marriage?"
But she swallowed every word.
She already knew the answer.
She had no say.
Their marriage had never really belonged to them.
It was a business arrangement between families.
A union designed to benefit powerful people.
Her feelings had never been part of the agreement.
So she lowered her eyes.
She said nothing.
Across the table, Vivian was talking comfortably with Aiden.
Everyone seemed perfectly at ease.
Everyone except her.
She sat there quietly, feeling like an unwanted guest in her own life.
And a question slowly formed in her mind.
How long am I supposed to live like this?
How long could she continue living as a prisoner of her own life?
How long could she keep pretending that being beautiful, obedient, and silent was enough?
She looked around the room.
Her family.
Her husband.
Vivian.
All of them seemed to have a place.
Except her.
Dinner was served soon afterward.
Plate after plate was placed across the table, filling the room with the smell of different dishes.
She sat quietly.
Then her mother picked up a plate of lobster and placed some in front of her.
She stared at it.
For a moment, she couldn't believe it.
Her mother knew.
She had always known.
As a child, even the smallest exposure to seafood had caused a reaction. Her parents had once been extremely careful about it. They checked ingredients, warned servants, kept medication nearby, and made sure nothing containing seafood ever came near her.
But that had been when they cared.
Now, somehow, it seemed as though everyone had forgotten.
Or perhaps they simply didn't care enough to remember.
She looked around the table.
Nobody stopped her.
Nobody warned her.
Nobody even seemed to notice her hesitation.
So she picked up the food.
She ate.
Within a short time, something felt wrong.
Her skin began itching.
Then the rash appeared.
Her breathing became difficult.
She reached toward her throat, frightened.
Aiden noticed immediately.
He shot to his feet.
"What's happening to her?"
"She's having a reaction."
A maid added
Everything around the table suddenly became chaotic.
Aiden lifted her and carried her quickly toward the car.
She could barely focus anymore.
The last thing she remembered was his voice calling for someone to get the car ready.
Then everything went dark.
At the hospital, doctors rushed her into treatment.
Aiden remained outside.
Her parents stood nearby, visibly shaken.
Eventually, the doctor came out.
"She's had a serious allergic reaction to seafood."
Her mother covered her mouth.
"Seafood?"
The doctor looked at them in disbelief.
"She's allergic, and you didn't know?"
"We knew," her mother admitted quietly.
The doctor stared at her.
"Then you should understand how dangerous this could have been. She needed immediate treatment."
Silence filled the hallway.
Her mother looked down.
For the first time that evening, guilt appeared on her face.
How had they forgotten?
How had they allowed something like this to happen?
Aiden said nothing.
He simply stood there, waiting.
Waiting for the doctor to tell him she was going to be okay.
Eventually, the doctor returned.
"She's awake."
Aiden immediately walked into the room.
She was curled up on the bed, facing away from the door.
Her shoulders trembled.
She was crying silently.
Aiden approached carefully.
When he reached toward her, she immediately flinched away.
"Don't touch me."
He paused.
Then he reached for her arm.
She recoiled again.
Her mother entered behind him.
"Stop behaving like a child."
She turned toward her mother.
Her mother's expression was frustrated.
"You knew you were allergic. Why did you eat it?"
The words hit harder than anything else.
Aiden's expression darkened.
"Enough."
Her mother looked at him.
"She needs to understand—"
"I said enough."
His voice was cold.
"Leave."
Her mother hesitated.
Then she slowly walked out.
The room became quiet again.
Aiden turned back toward her.
But she kept moving away from him.
Every time he came closer, she flinched.
She pulled the pillow over her ears.
The room felt strange.
Too quiet.
Yet somehow, the silence was deafening.
Every tiny sound seemed amplified.
The ticking of the clock.
The movement of the curtains.
Her own breathing.
Everything.
She squeezed her eyes shut.
"Stop..."
Aiden watched her carefully.
"Hey."
She shook her head.
"Please..."
She pressed the pillow tighter against her ears.
The pressure inside her seemed to build until she couldn't contain it anymore.
"Stop!"
Her voice broke.
She suddenly screamed.
The sound echoed through the room.
Aiden immediately moved toward her.
She slipped from the bed, overwhelmed and trembling, and collapsed onto the floor.
"Liz"
He called for the doctors.
Within seconds, medical staff rushed into the room.
Aiden stepped back as they surrounded her.
For once, there was no command in his voice.
Only fear.
He stood there silently, watching the doctors care for her.
And somewhere beneath all the power he possessed, he finally began to understand something he had refused to see.
She wasn't an accessory
She was a person.
And she was breaking.
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