Aisha’s mind was a frantic knot of guilt and fear. The low murmur of her parents, Valentina and Alistair, discussing her wedding date with Karn had been a constant background noise since the previous day.
While the silence between her and Karn, following their argunt last night, only amplified her distress. He hadn’t called, and she hadn’t dared to reach out.
’I’ll be exploiting Karn’s genuine feelings if I keep asking him for help, relying on him to solve my problems. It’s been selfish of from the start,’ she thought, her fingers anxiously picking at a loose thread on her sleeve. ’I have to tell my parents I can’t marry him. I just can’t.’
But then, the ice-cold mory of her mother’s threats, Valentina’s words, flashed through her mind. ’I have to make a decision before it’s too late. My mother wouldn’t actually harm her, would she? She was just saying that to scare ... right?’
With a resolve, Aisha pushed the fear down and moved her feet. She found Alistair and Valentina in the sun-drenched living room as they finalized a detailed list of wedding necessities.
Both parents looked up upon sensing their daughter’s presence, their expressions shifting from focused concentration to curiosity.
"Aisha?" Valentina’s face softened into a smile. "Do you have sothing you want to tell us? This is the second ti you’ve co in here looking like you’re about to run a marathon. What is it?"
Aisha gulped before finally speaking, "Mom, Dad... I need to move out."
"What? Why?" Both Valentina and Alistair shot the question at her in a stunned unison.
"Umm... I-I found a job for myself," Aisha stamred, trying to regain her composure. "It’s quite far from the house."
’Get to the point, Aisha. Tell them you don’t want to marry Karn.’ Now, an urgent voice scread inside her head.
Valentina’s eyes narrowed, her smile completely vanishing. "Why on earth would you find a job now? Don’t you know you are to be wedded to Karn soon?" She dismissed the idea with a sharp wave of her hand. "He lives in San Ravendale. You’ll move there with him. Simply quit that job and find one in San Ravendale."
"Mom, I don’t wish to live in San Ravendale," Aisha finally declared, the words tumbling out in a rush of air. "And I don’t want to marry Karn."
Alistair’s eyes widened, his face paling as he slowly backed away from the list on the table. Valentina’s expression, however, darkened.
"I will pretend that I didn’t hear that last part," she stated.
"Mom, please. Don’t do this," Aisha pleaded, stepping closer. "I am ready to move out and live on my own. I don’t need a man to live my life."
"Indeed. You are living on the mories of a dead man!" Valentina shouted, her controlled anger finally shattering. She rose quickly, taking a step closer to Aisha.
"Dare to step back from this marriage, and I will surely end my life, Aisha. All you see is your love for Joshua. What about ours? Do you think your father and I don’t love you? Do you even know what fear haunts us every single night? Joshua was a nice man, no doubt. But he only inflicted pain on you. Nothing more!"
"Mom, my life isn’t owned by you or Dad," Aisha affird despite it was trembling. She stood her ground, refusing to let the confrontation end with her surrender.
Alistair watched the escalating fight and decided to intervene.
"Calm down, both of you. I am utterly sick of hearing how you both want to end your lives," he said, the sheer displeasure in his tone silencing the room.
"Dad, it’s Mom who keeps threatening with her life," Aisha corrected, her eyes now brimming with unshed tears. "I love you both, I do. But it’s not easy for to forget the promises I made to Joshua."
She took a shaky breath, the need for understanding overriding her fear. "We were mated, rember? He gave the mark. I understand you both are worried for . But I—I just can’t let anyone else enter my life. I can’t be soone else’s. That’s all I’m trying to tell you. I can take care of myself. I will prove it to both of you. Please, just support in this."
The fire of Valentina’s anger seed to vanish, replaced by a sudden, vacant stillness. Alistair simply leaned back onto the couch, his gaze fixed on his wife, silently probing for her reaction.
"Fine. Move out," Valentina finally said, her voice flat and devoid of emotion. Without another word, she turned sharply and walked out of the living room, leaving the list behind.
"Dad, please tell Mom—" Aisha started, desperation creeping back into her voice.
Her plea was abruptly cut off as Alistair interrupted her.
"Aisha, I don’t want to say anything to her," Alistair admitted. "For the last two years, she’s been incredibly supportive of you. A man like Karn wasn’t easily found in our eyes... But it doesn’t matter anymore."
He pushed himself up from the couch. "You want to live your life on your terms, so we both won’t say anything more on this. You are free to do whatever you want."
With those final words, Alistair turned and walked in the sa direction his wife, Valentina, had gone, leaving Aisha alone in the living room.
Aisha sank onto the couch, releasing a deep, shuddering sigh. She pressed her palms tightly over her mouth, battling with relief and fear. The imdiate goal was clear: get out of the house.
She went upstairs and swiftly began to pack her bags, haphazardly throwing essentials into a duffel bag. Just as she zipped it shut, her phone buzzed. She glanced at the screen and whispered, "Sis," seeing her elder sister Lilith’s na pop up.
Aisha swiped to answer and put the phone on speaker, holding it against her shoulder as she scanned the room one last ti.
"Aisha, I selected a few dresses for you! They’re gorgeous. Choose one, we need to finalize the look soon," Lilith’s cheerful voice chirped in from the other side, completely oblivious to the chaos that had just unfolded.
"I’m not marrying Karn. I told our parents. I’ll be moving out today, so I’ll call you later and explain everything."
Before Lilith could even register a word, Aisha ended the call.
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