Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me, But Where Is Your Love?
Her whole body stiffened.
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her, soaking her to the bone.
She had thought–no matter how cold this family was, they wouldn’t ignore her pain.
But she had been wrong.
They didn’t just ignore it.
They accused her of faking it.
At that moment, exhaustion crushed her completely
She didn’t want to argue anymore.
There was no point.
“Think whatever you want.”
Finished
She straightened her back, blinking rapidly to stop her tears from falling. She refused to show weakness in front of these people.
Then she turned and walked toward the storage room.
“Stop right there!”
Elliot shot to his feet, his voice booming with anger. His face was still twisted in contempt.
Lauren paused but didn’t turn around.
She simply looked at him over her shoulder, her eyes frozen solid.
Under that gaze, Elliot’s chest tightened. His mind went blank. He forgot what he had even wanted to say..
Lauren stared at them for a long time. Long enough that the whole family began to feel unsettled, a prickling discomfort crawling over their skin..
Then she turned away and kept walking
Willow clutched Alice’s arm, her voice trembling. “Mom, did you see her eyes just now? They were terrifying.”
Alice patted Willow’s Hand reassuringly. But in truth, she had felt it too–that chilling sense of finality, like Lauren was ready to drag them all down with her.
“She’s changed so much in the last five years, Alice murmured.
David scoffed. “No manners at all. She’s nothing like Willow. If I had known she’d turn out like this, I wouldn’t have had her in the first place.
Alice sighed. “Enough. She’s still a girl. Don’t say such harsh things–it’s bad for her pride.”
David’s patience snapped. His roar echoed through the dining room, so loud that even Lauren, already in the storage room, could hear it clearly..
“Im her father! Why the hell should I care about her pride? She’s been spoiled for too long–that’s why she acts like this! If we had put her in her place from the–start, she wouldn’t be so out of control now!”
Just let it go.”
The argument dragged on.
Eventually, the house fell silent again.
Lauren sat on the floor, leaning against the door.
2:41 Þum c
Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me, But Where Is Your Love?
The room was pitch dark.
She hugged herself, burying her face against her knees.
And finally, finally, she let the tears fall.
They soaked into her clothes, but they couldn’t wash away the pain in her heart.
Finished
When she first came to this house, she had been filled with hope. She had imagined it would be her safe haven, a warm
home.
Instead, it had become a cold, inescapable prison–one that had torn her apart piece by piece.
Every wound, every scar, every moment of suffering she had endured… was all because of these so–called “family” members.
She didn’t know how long she cried.
At some point, her sobs grew weaker.
She crawled onto the bed, staring blankly at the dark ceiling.
Tears kept falling, slipping silently down her temples.
Eventually, exhaustion overtook her, and she drifted into a restless sleep.
But even in her dreams, there was no peace.
The nightmare swallowed her whole–dark, suffocating, filled with echoes of the past.
In the dream, she was back in prison.
She could feel the blows landing on her, hear the cruel laughter, taste the blood in her mouth.
She twisted and thrashed on the bed, her face contorted in terror. Her voice was hoarse, barely above a whisper-
“Help me. Mom Mom, please save me…”
The words were filled with pure fear and despair.
Like she was back in that endless nightmare, trapped with no way qut.
Then, a gentle, wrinkled hand rested on her back, patting her rhythmically
A warm, comforting voice murmured. “Don’t be afraid.. I’m here. I’m here…”
The voice was old but full of tenderness.
Like a small light piercing through the darkness, trying to chase away her fears.
In her sleep. Lauren instinctively curled toward the warmth, her tense body slowly relaxing. The cries faded from her lips.
The storage room door was slightly open. The soft glow from the hallway spilled in, revealing the person sitting beside Lauren’s bed.
It wasn’t Alice.
It was Marilyn.
She sighed quietly, her face full of sorrow.
But there was nothing she could do.
She was just a servant.
She had no power in this house.
Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me, But Where is Your Love?
The only thing she could do.. was take care of Miss Lauren however she could.
at
Lauren woke up, staring at the ceiling in a daze.
For a moment, she couldn’t tell what was real and what wasn’t.
Had she dreamed that Alice held her, comforting her?
Lauren let out a bitter laugh
She must have lost her mind.
What a ridiculous fantasy.
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