WEIGHTS OF SECRETS
1145 Words
The morning rays streamed through the translucent curtains, creating faint shadows on the floor while Scarlett sat curled in the corner of her bed, her knees hugged to her chest. Sleep had come to her only for a moment—troubled by Damien’s revelation and the enigmatic words that resonated in her thoughts like a cautionary bell: You thought the past was concealed. It's close to digging itself out.
Damien was aware.
Another person was aware.
And Edward was observing.
Scarlett held onto the edge of her blanket more firmly. She hadn’t encountered Damien since the previous night, but his words lingered in her mind like smoke: “I recognized it was you that night.” She felt exposed completely. The delicate barrier she created to endure this home was breaking, and behind it were memories she had urgently concealed.
She was unable to confront Damien. Not at this moment. Not when her feelings risked to reveal her whenever his name crossed her thoughts.
Therefore, she concealed herself.
She steered clear of the main halls, had her breakfast in her room, and requested the staff to place everything outside her door. She roamed the gardens in the morning, prior to others rising, and remained absorbed in her thoughts throughout much of the day.
However, being alone wasn't secure—not in this home.
Particularly not with her present.
By late afternoon, the fragrance of lavender wafted down the hallway as Scarlett quietly strolled toward the reading room, yearning for a moment of tranquility. She stopped right at the entrance—but someone was already there.
Winnie.
Graceful and distant, Winnie leaned against the fireplace, twirling wine in a glass as though she had anticipated Scarlett’s arrival all along.
"How lyrical," Winnie remarked without looking back. "You constantly glide around like a phantom." Quiet. Cautious. "Fearful of being noticed."
Scarlett's back tightened. “I didn’t realize this room belonged to you.”
“It’s not,” Winnie replied, finally looking at her. “However, this house behaves oddly.” It causes outsiders to feel like intruders—even if they have an invitation.”
Scarlett gritted her teeth. She entered, shutting the door after her. “Then you ought to feel completely at ease.”
Winnie grinned slyly. “Gotcha.”
For a moment, silence lingered between them—tense, observant.
"You see," Winnie remarked, setting the glass down with a thoughtful clink, "I often questioned why Edward put up with you." You are attractive, indeed. Silent. Obedient. "Yet certainly not the type to endure in this family."
Scarlett remained silent, allowing the poison to flow.
“However, at this moment… I can see it.” Winnie moved nearer, her heels softly resonating on the marble floor. "He enjoys placing his toys on a shelf." Unchanged. Regulated. "Simply near enough to appreciate… yet distant enough to avoid damage."
Scarlett's heart raced.
"However, Damien?" Winnie leaned closer, her voice a piercing whisper. "He's not someone who takes the cautious route." "Recently, my dear, he appears quite intrigued by you."
Scarlett felt a constriction in her throat. "Anything you believe is occurring—"
“Oh, don’t disrespect either of us by acting like it isn’t happening.” Winnie's gaze became focused. “I’ve known Damien since we were young.” I understand his emotions, his signs, his fixations. “And at this moment, you're among them.”
She moved around Scarlett gradually, similar to a predator assessing its target. “However, you are delicate.” You shatter easily, don’t you? And Damien… Damien can’t figure out how to halt once he begins.”
Scarlett faced the door, her skin tingling with discomfort. “If your aim is to frighten me, it’s not needed.” "I understand my actions."
Winnie chuckled—soft and resentful. "Absolutely not, darling." You believe you understand. “However, if I were in your position…” she paused, gliding past Scarlett like a whisper, “I’d begin to say farewell. "Girls like you rarely go far with guys like him."
Scarlett departed in silence, her heart pounding.
She continued walking until she arrived at the solarium. She required breath, room—anything to stabilize her whirling thoughts. The sun had sunk below thick clouds, and the room was enveloped in a dim gray light that rendered everything colder than it ought to have been.
She perched on the rim of a wicker chair and retrieved her phone from her pocket, partly wishing and partly fearing a new message.
It was present already.
She was unfamiliar with the number. Once more.
Her thumb shook as she opened it.
There was no message. Merely a picture.
An unclear image. Captured from afar.
It was she.
And Damien.
Together.
From the evening of the gala.
She identified the dress, the place—the manner in which Damien’s hand rested on the small of her back, the way they leaned in, as if exchanging a secret. However, the angle... it was captured from behind a drape. They were being observed by someone.
Scarlett felt a chill run through her veins.
This was not a chance occurrence. She had been followed by someone for some time. This was no longer solely about Damien. It was concerning all aspects. The wedding. The agreement. The truths hidden under shiny surfaces and cheerful faces.
She rose suddenly, her heartbeat pounding in her ears.
She needed to face him.
She was unable to continue running. Not by Damien. Away from the truth.
However, as she rounded the corner close to the drawing room, she gasped.
Damien was present.
Winnie was the same way.
The two stood near, far too near. Winnie chuckled at his remark, lightly touching his arm in a manner that seemed far too personal. Damien remained unfazed. He did not withdraw. He allowed her.
Scarlett stood still behind a pillar, her heart knotting with a strange and intense feeling.
Envy? Disloyalty? Or anxiety?
Winnie leaned her head, glancing at the hallway for a fleeting moment. Scarlett retreated into the shadows, unnoticed, although her cheeks were aflame.
Was that intentional?
Was this meant for her to see?
She was unable to determine.
She wasn't inclined to do so.
She spun around and hurried back down the hallway, disregarding the pressure in her chest.
Perhaps Winnie was correct.
Perhaps she was out of place in this home.
Perhaps Damien was engaging in an entirely different game.
She continued on until she got to her room. She shut the door behind her, her breaths quick, her hands shaking.
While she attempted to comprehend everything, her phone buzzed once more.
A single line.
"You ought to inquire with Damien about what he forgot that evening."
Scarlett gazed at the screen, her thoughts whirling.
What did he leave behind...?
What did Damien abandon?
And even more crucially…
Who on earth found out about it?
- Writer
