Chapter 7

The words hit Elena like a slap in the face. She couldn't believe the audacity and arrogance with which Liam spoke. His disregard for her feelings and autonomy was infuriating, and she couldn't let him trample over her rights.

Summoning her courage, Elena spoke firmly, her voice trembling with anger, "I won't be treated like this, Liam. I have a life outside of work, and you can't just dictate my every move. We need to talk about this arrangement, and I won't be going to Thailand unless we reach a mutual agreement."

Liam finally looked up, his eyes cold and calculating. "You have no choice, Elena. I make the decisions here, and you'll do as I say. Don't forget your place."

Elena felt a surge of defiance and self-respect. She refused to be silenced or controlled any longer. "I am not a possession, Liam. I won't be treated as one. We need to talk. Besides, this marriage was forced upon me, and I won't be controlled by you or anyone else. I have my own life and my own dreams, and I won't let you dictate them."

Liam's mocking demeanor made Elena's attempt to stand up for herself feel futile. His raised eyebrows and scornful scoff made her feel small and insignificant in his presence. She opened her mouth to respond, but before she could utter a word, Liam's condescending tone cut her off.

"Anything else you want to say?" he taunted, his voice dripping with arrogance.

Elena felt dumbfounded, unable to find the right words to challenge him further. It was as if Liam's domineering presence had stripped her of her voice and left her feeling helpless and vulnerable.

With a dismissive wave of his hand, Liam instructed her to attend to a menial task, as if her objections were of no significance. "I sent something to your desktop computer. Print it and send it to the finance department immediately," he ordered, his eyes devoid of any emotions.

Elena's mind raced with questions, wondering why her father would arrange a marriage with such a callous and heartless man. She couldn't comprehend how her father, whom she had always loved and respected, could subject her to this fate.

As she turned to leave his office, hoping to escape the suffocating atmosphere, Liam's voice rang out again, a warning dripping with authority. "And don't even think about being late to the airport. I don't tolerate lateness one bit."

Her frustration and anger intensified as she clenched her fists, her nails digging into her palms. She despised how Liam treated her like a mere pawn in his game, with no regard for her feelings. 

Feeling trapped and cornered, Elena walked out of his office, her heart heavy with emotions. She couldn't understand why her life had taken this turn, why she was forced into a marriage she didn't want with a man who showed no ounce of care for her.

Outside his office, she gnashed her teeth in frustration, forcing a tight-lipped smile to hide her seething anger. Elena took a moment to compose herself, her face flushed with anger and tears welling in her eyes. She couldn't let Liam see her vulnerability, but deep inside, she was bleeding tears.

With a deep breath, she wiped away the tears threatening to spill and walked back to her desk. The day seemed to pass in a relentless whirlwind for Elena. From the moment she stepped into the office, she found herself running errands for Liam, catering to his every whim and feeling like a puppet dancing to his every command.

From booking the flights to re-organizing Liam's schedule over and over again. Each task seemed more absurd than the last, and the climax was when he sent her to a diamond jewelry shop to fetch an expensive diamond-encrusted necklace for one of his girlfriends, who happened to be the daughter of a notorious mafia boss. The stress of the day's demands left Elena physically and emotionally drained.

When the clock struck 4 pm, she couldn't wait to leave the office. With a sigh of relief, she grabbed her bag, not bothering to spare a glance at Liam's office, she quickly checked out of work. She had reached her limit and needed to escape the suffocating atmosphere of the office. As she walked out of the building, her body felt heavy with exhaustion.

Hailing a cab, Elena gave the driver her home address, 376 Scott-White Avenue. She settled into the back seat, her mind racing with a mix of emotions. In the back of her mind, she couldn't help but wonder why her father had orchestrated such a cruel fate for her. Why he had chosen to marry her off to a man who treated her as nothing more than a servant? Fatigue gnawed at her, but there was also the worry of facing her family at home.

As the cab made its way through the city streets, Elena closed her eyes for a moment, hoping for a moment of peace from the chaos surrounding her life. She thought about her dad and stepsisters, knowing that they would likely be at home.

The hope of avoiding them seemed slim, but she desperately yearned for some peace and solitude. With every passing block, her anxiety grew, fearing the confrontation that awaited her at home.

As the cab approached Scott-White Avenue, Elena's heart pounded in her chest. The driver pulled up to her address, and she paid the fare before stepping out. Taking a deep breath, she braced herself for whatever lay ahead.

Walking up to the front door, she hoped that maybe, just maybe, she would find the house empty, sparing her from facing her family at this moment. But as she unlocked the door and stepped inside, her hopes were dashed.

The living room was filled with the familiar voices of her step-sisters and the sight of her dad sitting on the couch. The tension in the room was palpable, and Elena felt a knot forming in her stomach.

Her dad looked up as she entered, and the atmosphere seemed charged with unspoken words. Elena's exhaustion seemed to deepen as she prepared herself for what was to come.

"Where have you been?" Jennifer, one of her step-sisters asked, her voice tinged with faked concern.

Elena hesitated for a moment before responding, "I had some work to take care of at the office."

Her father wasted no time in confronting her, his voice filled with frustration and accusations.

"Why did you run away from the office and never come back last night?" her dad demanded, his tone accusatory.

Elena's exhaustion had taken its toll, and she wasn't in the mood for a confrontation. Feeling a surge of frustration, Elena tried to avoid an argument. "I just needed some rest, Dad," she said, her voice attempting to sound calm.

But her father was not willing to let the matter go. He stood up abruptly and barked at her, blocking her path as she tried to make a move. "You can't just disappear like that, Elena. We were worried sick about you."

Elena's anger reached a boiling point, and she could no longer suppress her emotions. Her voice rose as she unleashed her frustration, years of pent-up emotions pouring out.

"Worried about me? Dad, you're selfish!" she burst out, her voice trembling with anger. "All you care about is yourself and your reputation. You sold me off to marry Liam just to cover up your own mess!"

Tears streaked down her face, her emotions raw and exposed. Her words hung heavily in the air, the weight of years of pent-up frustration and betrayal finally coming to the surface.

Her dad looked taken aback, but his face quickly hardened with indignation. "How dare you speak to me like that? I did what was best for our family!"

Elena shook her head in disbelief. "Best for the family? You never even bothered to ask me what I wanted! You never considered my feelings, my dreams. First, you made me travel to France to acquire an MBA, then you forced me into a condescending job as a secretary, and now you've forced me yet again into marrying that arrogant, narcissistic son-of-a-bitch! Dad, you have always made decisions that completely change my life without even consulting me."

Her voice cracked with emotion as she continued, "You sold me like a piece of property, and now I'm stuck in a loveless marriage with a man who treats me like a servant."

Her dad's expression wavered, but he quickly regained his composure. "You don't understand, Elena. I did what I thought was necessary to protect our family's reputation and future."

"Protect the family's reputation?" Elena's voice rose with incredulity. "What about my happiness? What about my life?"

"You think I wanted this?" her dad responded, his voice defensive. "I did what I thought was best for you and our family."

"No, you did what you thought was best for yourself!" Elena retorted, her voice quivering with emotion. "You never considered my feelings or what I wanted. You treated me like a pawn in your game, sacrificing my happiness for your own gain."

Her father's expression softened slightly, but his pride wouldn't allow him to fully admit his mistakes. "I did what I thought would secure your future," he said, his voice tinged with regret.

Elena shook her head, her frustration mounting. "My future should be my own to decide, not something you can bargain away for your convenience."

Elena couldn't bear to stay any longer in the same room with her father, the hurt and anger bubbling inside her. She brushed past him, running upstairs and into her room. As she closed the door behind her, she sank onto the bed, her tears flowing freely.

Her emotions were in turmoil, torn between love for her family and resentment for their actions. She felt trapped, suffocated by their expectations and demands. Soon she drifted off to the abyss of unconsciousness. Not even one of her step-sisters bothered to check up on her.