4. Torture

Tears streamed down Lilian's cheeks as Sebastian's words pierced her fragile heart like broken shards of glass. The weight of his accusations, coupled with the so much anger in his voice, crushed her spirit, leaving her feeling utterly defenseless and alone.

"Please, you have to believe me. I would never do anything to hurt my sister," Lilian pleaded, her voice barely above a whisper as she struggled to choke back her sobs.

But Sebastian's gaze remained cold and unyielding, his eyes burning with a mixture of anger and grief as he stared at her from across the room.

"Your sister was all I had," Sebastian's voice cracked with emotion, his words heavy with sorrow. "She was my future, but you took her away from me."

Lilian's heart ached at the pain in Sebastian's voice, the depth of his grief cutting her to the core. She longed to reach out to him, to offer him comfort and solace in his time of need, but she knew that her words would fall on deaf ears, her attempts to help him release from his pain were just a mere dream.

"I'm sorry, Sebastian. I never meant for any of this to happen," Lilian whispered, her voice choked with tears as she struggled to find the right words to express her remorse.

But Sebastian's expression remained impassive, his grief-hardened heart closed off to her pleas for understanding.

"You know this marriage means nothing to me," Sebastian shouted, his voice laced with bitterness and disgust. "I love your sister, not you!"

Lilian felt as though she had been punched in the gut, the full force of Sebastian's rejection hitting her like a physical blow. She had known deep down that he didn't love her, but to hear him say the words out loud was a crushing confirmation of her worst fears.

As Sebastian's anger blazed beneath the surface, he rose from the bed with a sense of purpose, his movements determined as he crossed the room to where Lilian stood trembling.

"You're not welcome in my bed, Lilian. You took my wife away from me, and I'll be stupid if I let you share the same space with me," Sebastian declared, his voice cold and unforgiving as he tossed a pillow at her feet. "You'll sleep on the floor from now on, where you belong."

Lilian's heart clenched with pain at Sebastian's harsh words, her hopes of finding even a shred of compassion or understanding fell against the cold, hard reality of his hatred.

As she sank to her knees on the unforgiving floor, tears streaming down her face, Lilian knew that her marriage to Sebastian would be a living hell, a constant reminder of the pain and loss that had torn their lives apart.

As she lay down on the floor, her body racked with sobs, Lilian knew that her only hope lay in finding a way to escape the suffocating embrace of her husband's hatred before it consumed her completely.

********

Lilian awoke the next morning with a heavy heart, the events of the previous night weighing heavily on her mind. As she pushed herself up from the cold, hard floor, she glanced around the dimly lit room, her eyes searching for any sign of Sebastian's presence, but he was nowhere to be found.

A sense of relief washed over her at his absence, followed by the thought of how the day might turn out for her. With a deep sigh, she pushed herself to her feet and made her way downstairs, her footsteps echoing in the empty hallway.

As she walked down the staircase, her thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a child's laughter drifting through the air. Curious, Lilian hastened her pace, following the sound to the living room where she found her niece, Katie, playing with a toy doll on the floor.

"Katie?" Lilian called out softly, a flicker of warmth stirring in her heart at the sight of her sister's daughter.

Katie looked up, her eyes lighting up with delight as she spotted her aunt standing in the doorway.

"Aunt Lilian!" Katie exclaimed, jumping up from the floor and rushing over to throw her arms around Lilian's legs. "I missed you!"

Lilian felt an urge of affection swell within her at Katie's words, her heart melted at the sight of the young girl's innocent smile.

"I missed you too, sweetheart," Lilian replied, stooping down to gather Katie into her arms in a tight embrace.

As they hugged, Lilian couldn't help but marvel at the playful attitude of children, and their ability to find joy in even the darkest of times. For a moment, she allowed herself to feel the warmth of Katie's affection, the weight of her troubles momentarily forgotten in the embrace of her niece's love.

But as the moment passed, reality came crashing back down upon her like a tidal wave, the events of the previous night flooding back into her mind with painful clarity. Sebastian was her husband and Katie was part of her responsibility.

"Katie, sweetheart, where's your father?" Lilian asked, her voice filled with concern as she pulled away from the embrace to look into Katie's eyes.

Katie's smile fell slightly at the mention of her father, her expression clouding with uncertainty.

"Daddy went out early this morning. He said he had some business to attend to," Katie replied, her voice filled with sadness.

Lilian felt a relief at Katie's's words. She took Katie's hand in hers, her heart heavy with uncertainty but her spirit weakened by the challenges that lay ahead.

She promised herself that she was going to be strong for Katie and that she'll do whatever it takes to make her happy.

With Katie's hand clasped firmly in hers, Lilian encouraged herself as they both walked into the kitchen. "Let's eat breakfast before it gets cold."

Katie looked up at her niece with a sweet smile. "I want scrambled eggs and a lot of cookies."

"That's quite the taste, baby. How about toasted bread with tea," Lilian suggested.