Bitter Rejection

Author's Pov

"You can't do this to her Leo!" His father resorted in an enraged voice making the young man chortle in disbelief.

"Dad! I already told you I don't want this engagement when you called me two years ago!" He snapped back staring matching his father's glare.

"I told you then and there that it was a sham of an engagement, I don't want to be tied up with a low-class girl, I have some standards, some conditions, and some demands that I want to see in my woman and she has nothing, absolutely nothing! " Ajax fell silent after hearing his son's venom-filled voice.

He always thought that his son was serious about Freya when he left for his higher studies, Freya was the perfect epitome of the woman any dominant man would kill to have. She was a submissive, innocent, and educated woman who knew how to make a home, and how to take care of her husband's wishes but now what?

Witnessing his son's anger and hearing his egoistic commands he knew Leonard has gotten out of hand, he wanted a girl as he brought with him, she was nothing like Freya. A complete opposite to be precise. That girl had the confidence to look right into Ajax's eyes, she even dared mock their childhood engagement telling the old man how immature they were to get little kids to get engaged with each other.

Steve's family's men always engaged to their future wives in their childhoods that's why when Ajax adopted Freya from one of his friends he knew she could be molded the way her son wanted her to be. Leonard was a little more possessive, obsessive, and protective in his childhood when it came to Freya that's why Ajax thought that she would be a perfect match for him.

But now all his fantasies seemed to be fallen apart after seeing his son rebelling against his decision, both his son and the woman he wanted didn't seem to back off. Their hands were clutched tightly as Leonard openly declared his love for this girl named Janet. Ajax couldn't look into too Freya's eyes anymore. For the first time, he felt disturbed and embarrassed, he was the one who told her again and again that she was his son's woman but now what? His son refused to accept her.

"She waited 10 years for you Leo," His voice turned softer as he thought about how it will break that fragile girl. She didn't deserve this heartbreak. She really didn't.

"I don't care, I never thought you guys will take this childish engagement this seriously! The era has changed dad and people too, I don't want to be bound to that girl. She repulses me!" Ajax snapped his eyes at Leo in shock, and Freya repulses him.

"Did you see her dressing sense? Her way of walking and most important the way she couldn't even look into my eyes for more than two seconds. You want me to accept such a girl. I have some standards dad, I can't even introduce her as my relative than to tell people that she's my fiance. No, I can't lose my face!" Ajax stared at his son with disbelief.

Was this the same man who couldn't leave Freya alone even for a minute? What had happened to him? Even Ajax went overseas for higher studies and he met Sofia after 12 years but he never forgot about her instead the moment he came back he urged his parents to tie her to him for his whole life but now it seemed like his son indeed had moved on.

"I can't do this injustice with her, only she has the right to end this engagement. If she said to me personally that she doesn't want to marry you anymore then I will accept to end this engagement otherwise," He paused giving sore eyes to the arrogant girl beside his son.

"Break up with her." With that, the man sprinted to his room while Leo cursed under his breath.

"Leo, what will we do now? Seems like your father wouldn't let you end this engagement." Janet questioned making him sigh heavily.

"I need to talk to that girl, I never thought they will still be holding onto this engagement, they are being childish now." Saying that he also stormed to Freya's room wanting to end this mess as soon as possible while Janet rolled her eyes looking around the place.

On the other hand, Freya palmed her face crying bitterly, the moment he announced to end of this engagement her aunt dragged her back to her room trying to console her but her heart wasn't easing up. She was crying continuously, she couldn't believe the words he uttered, he bad-mouthed her. This Leo didn't seem to be the man she gave her heart to.

He looked so different, so cruel, so merciless, the look he gave her after finding her crying because of his rejection left her paralyzed. He didn't look compassionate or guilty instead he looked annoyed by her overwhelming emotions, how can he change so much? Where was her Leo? The one who asked her to wait for him where was he?

Her body got startled and alert when the door of her room got slammed open revealing the tall buff man standing there glaring down at her, he looked at his mother who tried to get him out of the room, but Leonard was fast enough to step inside.

"Mom, please wait outside I need to talk to her," His mother stared at her son with disappointment but again thinking of her husband she thought that Ajax might have sent him here. Maybe Leonard finally came to his senses, she reluctantly left the room closing the door behind her.

Freya unhurriedly stood up from the bed still not making any eye contact with him, the disgust and resentment growling in his eyes ripped her heart already, she had no energy left to suffer that treacherous heartbreak once again. Leonard sighed heavily before staring at Freya's wrenched frame, her swollen doe eyes and trembling frame kind of disturbed him but shaking away his thoughts he started.

"Look Freya, I don't understand why are you still holding onto that engagement which happened when we both were kids, I have already moved on it will be better if you end this engagement with your consent." Freya felt a sharp needle scratching her chest hearing his brutal words.

Steadily raising her bloodshot eyes she looked at him trying to find any kind of soft and gentle emotions in his eyes for her but nothing, all she saw was emptiness and disgust. Why was he so disgusted with her? He used to hug her, kiss her forehead and cradle her at every chance he used get then what has changed?

Freya remembered how he took her name, he never called her by her name. She was used to hearing different kinds of pet names from him. Seems like he really had forgotten her, and moved on while she was holding onto his memories for more than 10 years.

"W-why?" She let out as another train of tears escaped her eyes making Leonard clench his sharp jaw.

"I waited for you, for the past ten years I waited for you," Leonard finally chuckled shaking his head.

" And who told you to do so? Did I?" Freya bit her inner cheek nodding her head.

"You did, y-you told me to wait for you." Leo glared at her in disbelief.

"For fuck's sake woman! I was a fucking teenager and you were a kid, a fucking child, apart from being classless are you fucking idiot too! " He growled in anger making her flinch in horror taking a step back and dropping her head down.

No one had ever raised their voice at her, when her uncle used to talk to her even in a slightly raised voice she used to cry for days. She was always sensitive to loud voices and Leo knew this yet he yelled at her, and he didn't look remorseful even after seeing her scared frame.

He stepped near her making the back of her knees touch the bed as he towered over her, she was so scared of him that she didn't dare to look up at him. He was dreading her in the way that she never thought her Leo could ever do. He wasn't behaving like the man she gave her heart to.

"Listen to me very carefully, Freya." His voice wasn't anywhere near comforting or soft, rather it was threatening and dark.

"I don't want this engagement, I don't love you, heck I don't even like you. You're not of my standard and dad has put a condition that only you can end this fucking sham of engagement so it will be better if the first thing you would do in the morning was to end this engagement otherwise I swear, " She gasped out widening her eyes when he pinched her chin with his two fingers and jerked her face up.

Tears stung her eyes as pain shot up to her flesh, her red blue eyes met with his uncompassionate amber ones, "You will see the worst of me!" With that, he roughly threw her face away before wiping his fingers with his pants like she was some kind of dirt.

Shooting a last glance at her he walked out of her room and Freya fell on the bed bursting out in loud sobs, she scooted further into the corner of the bed hugging her knees to her chest in sorrow and pain. Her mind kept on replaying the way he shouted at her, held her, and the way he threatened her while her heart refused to believe this bitter truth.

No, her Leo couldn't touch her like that, he couldn't yell at her when he knew she never liked being shouted at, he couldn't do that but he did. Her mind again reminded her that he did. He did manhandle her, growled at her, and without any kind of remorse he looked beyond disgusted by her.

He did everything no one ever dared to do with her, he did the things she never thought he would ever be capable of doing. She didn't even notice when sleep took over her and the high fever embraced her petite body until her aunt came with her dinner.

She touched her daughter's forehead only to gasp out in terror, Freya was burning. Her anger shot up and she knew Freya's condition wasn't this bad until she had a conversation with Leonard. She needed to confront her son, this innocent angel had waited her whole life for him, and he couldn't simply discard her like this.

After calling the doctor and giving her medicine, Sofia went to the room where Leo and his girlfriend were residing even though Ajax strictly told his stubborn son to get the girl to stay in another room but the obstinate man refused it dragging Janet into his room infuriating Ajax to no end.

"Who is it?" Janet's voice entered Sofia's ears as she unlatched the door. Sofia's eyes widened in shock finding Janet cladded in a thin nighty with a silk robe hung over her shoulders.

Sofia was left speechless seeing the shameless behavior of this girl, even though her son and this girl were a couple but this house had some rules and the women of this house always had to wear decent clothes while meeting elders. She didn't care how this girl comes in front of her son but the fact that she appeared in such a vulgar dress in front of his mother disgusted Sofia. Thank goodness it was her and not Ajax otherwise he would have created havoc in the mid of the night.

"Mom, come inside," Leo said appearing from Janet's behind making Sofia ignore the girl and walked near her son with a resented gaze.

Her eyes moved all over the room finding the whole place filled with smell of alcohol and cigarettes, Ajax as well used to drink a lot but with time his drinking habit lessened a lot but seemed like Leonard has caught this venomous habit from his father. The place that Freya cleaned and took care of with her everything looked beyond disgusting and messed up now. Her efforts were discarded just like her heart by him. Ignoring the toxic surroundings his Sofia glared at him.

"What did you do that poor girl?" Leo rolled his eyes in irritation.

"From the time I arrived all dad and you are asking me is about her, only fucking her, you didn't even ask about my well-being!" Sofia suddenly felt the urge to slap him.

"Mind your tongue in front of your mother Leonard! And answer my question what did you do to her? " Leo clenched his jaw.

"I asked her to end this engagement with her consent that's it!" Sofia chuckled.

"That's it? Then how she got such a high fever after you met her? That poor girl was writhing in pain after you left her!" Leo stared at his mother with a blank gaze, he felt a little bad for scaring her so much but remembering how he was tied up with her without his consent his resentment came back for her.

"I don't care, she can die for all ---" Leo's eyes froze followed by a horrified gasp coming from Janet as a loud sound of the slap echoed in the vacant room.

His mother slapped him, and for the first time, she raised her hands at him.

He slowly turned his head to his burning mother who had tears in her eyes now, she hit him, her son for what? For that nobody. For such a fucking worthless girl she slapped her one and only son.

"This is not what I taught you, Leo, I didn't teach you to disrespect, humiliate others, or be this ruthlessly towards someone who was innocent in all of this." Leo clenched his hands into tight fists, his mind was hammering with only a few words, all because of her!

"It was me and your father who told her again and again that she belonged to you, that she's your fiance. Not even once she disobeyed us or even do anything that could bring shame to us but today you did. By bringing another girl to replace her, you made me and your father ashamed of ourselves that we kept on teaching her that she's yours but couldn't do the same with you. I can't even look into her eyes anymore." She cried palming her forehead in agitation remembering Freya's crying face.

"Mom," Whispered Leo trying to touch his mother's shoulder feeling pained after seeing her crying so much, he didn't want everything to turn out to be like this, he thought they were his parents and would eventually support him but all they were doing was to think and talk about that orphan girl.

"Don't!" His heart pained when his mother didn't let him touch her and stepped away from him. She wiped her tears shooting a disgusting look at Janet who was standing beside the door.

"You want to end this engagement, I will talk to my poor daughter, I am sure it will hurt her a lot but as always she will listen to me because she's not you." With that, she turned to walk out of the room before pausing a bit and staring at Janet.

"If you want to be a part of this family you better start following the rules of this house, I will not remind you again but remember to never come in front of the elders in such a disgusting dressing!" Shooting a last glare at Janet she walked out of the room making the young girl scoff in disbelief.

"What's wrong with my dress?" She questioned closing the door shut and facing the enraged man.

"Leo, why is your mom such a bi---" Leo's eyes glared at her the moment she opened her mouth to curse his mother.

"Janet!" She raised her arms in defensive mode.

"Relax," Mumbling the word she took a seat on the sofa and resumed drinking the alcohol while Leonard gazed at the floor with a thoughtful look.

She better end this engagement otherwise he wouldn't let her live in peace!

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