But him… six years of my youth, wasted without a second thought!
I jerked my hand away, my words sharp and full of frost.
"What do I want? Isn’t it me who should be asking that?"
"Isn’t it the norm to discuss dowries and wedding banquets before marriage?"
"You want a wedding but refuse to spend a cent. Tell me, where in the world does such a good deal even exist?"
I raised an eyebrow, my lips curling into a wry smile. "How about I cover the dowry and Anthony marries into my family instead? The child can even carry my surname."
Zora’s fury was palpable. Her hands shook as she pointed at me, her face flushed with anger, her teeth grinding together.
"You're out of your mind! Making demands like that, where do you expect us to find that kind of money? You’re just making life difficult for us old folks!"
Oliver’s palm slammed against the table with enough force to rattle the dishes.
His expression was dark, his voice cutting through the tension in the room.
"I’ve never seen anyone so desperate for money. Are you marrying or selling yourself?"
"Sell me?" I scoffed, the words dripping with contempt.
"Wanting a dowry means I’m selling myself?" I let out a laugh, bitter and cold. "Then your daughter must have fetched a pretty penny, hasn’t she?"
“So your daughter is a prized gem, but I’m just some worthless object?”
“You used to say you treated me like your own daughter. What a farce. What a disgusting joke.”
Amelia shot to her feet, her body trembling as though I’d struck her with a slap. Her eyes brimmed with tears, but all they held was fury as she glared at me, her hatred cutting deep.
"Aurelia, not only are you rude and disrespectful, but as a woman, your heart is as vicious as they come. And to think my brother treated you with nothing but devotion. What a waste; you two should just break up!"
I shook my head, my exasperation boiling over.
Never had I witnessed anyone play the victim so shamelessly. How dare she, a woman herself, stand there and say that?
I pushed my bowl aside, rising from my seat, my resolve unshaken.
"And what about my perspective?" I shot back.
"It was perfectly fine for you to demand 288,000, but when I ask for a mere 88,000, I’m suddenly greedy? Who’s the real one with the insatiable appetite here?"
"My family’s not struggling. We don’t rely on dowry money to put food on the table. All I wanted was a little respect, nothing more."
We stood there, glaring at each other, neither of us willing to back down.
Zora’s face twisted with fury, her lips pulling back into a snarl as she rushed to shield Amelia, her stance protective.
"What kind of woman are you?" she spat, her voice dripping with disdain.
"And what kind of woman is my Amelia? My Amelia is pure, proper, a true lady. You? You’re already carrying someone else’s child.”
“Who else would even consider you? Anthony choosing you is your good fortune and still, you demand a wedding and dowry? Take a long, hard look at yourself."
She glared at me like I was something beneath her, her words cutting deep.
After all this time, the truth slipped from their lips at last.
So, to them, a woman was nothing once she bore a child?
And they thought they could use the baby to twist my arm?
I let my eyes sweep over the room, a cold laugh escaping my lips, its chill biting through the air.
"What a pity…"
Zora scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain.
"What’s so pitiful? Married life is the same for everyone in the end."
"No…" I interrupted sharply.
"The pity is yours. Your little fantasy has crumbled to dust."
Confusion spread across the room. They didn’t understand.
Zora’s fury was unmistakable. Her forehead bulged with veins as she jabbed a trembling finger at me.
"What do you mean? Explain yourself!" she barked, her voice seething with venom.
I ignored her, turning my gaze to Anthony instead.
"I was never pregnant."
My voice was soft, but it echoed like a thunderclap in the silence.
"You're lying to me, aren’t you?" Anthony’s voice cracked with disbelief. His hands seized my shoulders, shaking me with desperation.
Zora darted forward, yanking him away with a vicious tug.
"Don’t touch her stomach!"
Then, her tone turning venomous, she said, "You fool. No wonder you were so easily fooled."
“She was simply weaving a lie, hoping for the bride price and a grand wedding.”
Anthony seemed to hear none of it, his expression hollow like his soul had been sucked into an abyss.
The shattering sound of porcelain broke the heavy silence.
Amelia leaped from her seat, fury blazing in her eyes. At last, the emotions she’d been bottling up exploded.
"Enough, Aurelia! What do you want from us? Will you only be satisfied when our entire family is in ruins? You’re a harbinger of disaster!"
My mind went still, the air buzzing with noise.
My eyes drifted to the broken pieces of porcelain scattered on the floor and suddenly, memories rushed back to me, the first time I had met the Hector Family.
They had been nothing but kind, careful with me as if I were some priceless treasures. They had filled my bowl with the finest food, making sure I never lacked anything.
But people were experts at hiding their true selves, weren’t they?
A chill swept over me and all I wanted now was to escape this place.
I slammed the medical report down onto the table, each word escaping my lips with cold precision.
"From now on, I want nothing to do with your family."
The shock on their faces was palpable, their eyes glued to the report, especially to the glaring words: "Not pregnant."
I couldn’t help but chuckle, the mockery slipping easily from my lips.
"Surprised?"
"If that’s not enough of a shock, let me add one more little secret for you."
