When I looked up, I saw the furious expression on Alaric's face.
“How could you hit Delilah? How have you become so unreasonable and vicious, Estelle?”
Alaric looked at me with irritation and disappointment before hurriedly helping Delilah to her feet. He pulled her into his arms and carefully wiped the dirt from her face.
Delilah sobbed pitifully, tears streaming down her cheeks, yet a triumphant smile flickered across her lips as she glanced in my direction.
“Alaric, don't be angry with Estelle because of me. Maybe my moving into Vaughn Manor has made her unhappy. She probably just wanted to vent her frustration.”
“I can endure it..."
Delilah's voice was soft and pitiful. Combined with her youthful, sweet-looking face, she appeared like the most wronged person in the world.
She sounded as though she were defending me, yet every word only made the situation worse.
The way Alaric looked at me grew even more resentful.
“Delilah, you don't need to defend Estelle.”
After soothing Delilah in a gentle voice, Alaric suddenly turned cold and snapped,
“Estelle, apologize to Delilah right now!”
I tightened my grip on the belongings in my arms. The burns on my hands had already blistered, and my voice came out thick with emotion.
“Alaric, I hit Delilah because she burned my grandfather's keepsakes first.”
My eyes reddened the moment I mentioned my grandfather.
“She even insulted my grandfather, saying he was nothing more than a waste picker..."
During the years of my childhood, when my parents divorced and abandoned me, it was my grandfather who pinched every penny to raise me and put me through school.
To earn enough money for my college tuition, he had even collected scrap and recyclables, working tirelessly just to make a few extra dollars.
It was the most painful and helpless memory of my entire life, and Alaric knew that better than anyone.
He also knew exactly how important my grandfather was to me, and how much I cherished everything that had belonged to him.
Especially the diary I had once shown him.
Inside were the stories of my childhood, the record of my growing years, and countless gentle words of love written by my grandfather himself.
He knew all of it.
For a brief moment, I had thought that no matter how much he loved Delilah, he would still be a reasonable man. I had thought he would stand on my side.
But the moment he spoke, he shattered the last remaining piece of hope I had left.
“Delilah only misspoke. Stop making such a big deal out of it.”
Alaric's voice was icy cold as he lazily glanced at the belongings in my arms, half-burned and reduced to ashes, his eyes filled with disdain.
“Delilah didn't do it on purpose. She's already explained herself.”
“And besides, keep these filthy things away from her from now on. She's still weak..."
Bitterness surged up my throat, and I let out a mocking laugh.
“Alaric, how did I never realize before that you're such a bastard?”
“They were my grandfather's keepsakes!”
I practically growled the words through clenched teeth.
“Do you remember kneeling in front of him and promising that you would protect me for the rest of my life?”
“He hasn't even been gone for three years, yet you've allowed your mistress to burn everything that belonged to him and torment his granddaughter like this?”
“Do you even have a heart?”
My voice was hoarse and sharp as I stared straight into Alaric's eyes, mocking him without restraint.
For a brief moment, surprise flashed across his face. His lips parted as though he wanted to say something.
However, Delilah suddenly let out a sob.
“Alaric, ouch... my stomach hurts so much...”
“Maybe the fall earlier injured me..."
Delilah doubled over, panting heavily as she clung to Alaric's arm.
The trace of guilt that had appeared in Alaric's eyes vanished completely. Supporting Delilah, he immediately swept her into his arms.
Then he glared at me and shouted.
“The maids!”
“Lock Estelle in the storage room immediately! Until she apologizes, don't let her out!”
His voice was vicious to the extreme.
The maids rushed forward at once and grabbed hold of me so tightly that I couldn't struggle free. All I could do was desperately protect the belongings clutched in my arms.
“Alaric, how dare you? I still have to go to the hospital and work!”
I shouted in protest, but he didn't care at all.
“I'll request leave for you. Now be a good girl and reflect on your mistakes.”
He signaled to the maids before carrying Delilah away without another glance.
As for me, they dragged me off like a chicken and threw me into the dark storage room.
Thud.
The pain from hitting the floor made cold sweat break out across my body.
Then came a click.
As the door slammed shut, the room was swallowed by complete darkness.
