CHAPTER 14

Apart from Dad, Aunt Martha was the only one who considered me a part of the family. Since childhood, whenever Grandma locked me up or starved me unjustly, she would sneak in food for me. She treated me like a daughter when others were absent.

"Aunt Martha, you heard everything, right?" I shrugged her shoulder, wondering why she hadn't said anything yet. She stood still with the tray of food in her hands, her eyes darting at me, then at Grandma, then back at me again.

She walked forward, freeing herself from my grasp, and dropped the tray beside Grandma before she began to speak.

"Hear what, Elizabeth?" My eyes widened in awe, my ears couldn't believe what she had said.

"Aunt Marth—"

"At this point, I think you need to stop. You're being selfish," she blurted out.

"But, Aunty— I was certain you heard."

"Is the damage you've caused not enough? Don't involve me in your mess. How shameless can you be, Elizabeth?" She pointed at me with a disappointed look.

I watched as the rest of the family, apart from Dad, walked in.

Now, a family meeting was ongoing in the wardroom, and i was the center of attention.

At this moment, I only had one wish—for the ground to open wide and swallow me. It was better to be sent on a deadly mission than stay among such vile personalities.

I raised my head, counting patiently to the invisible time bomb ticking within me. A topic of discussion had been established—me. I was waiting to see who would begin first.

"Elizabeth, darling," Uncle Martins, Aunt Martha's husband, began, his tongue sugarcoatted with sweet words.

I rolled my eyes at the fake endearment. It felt like I was being fed sweets before poison.

"What exactly happened?" Uncle Martins asked, his voice was dripping with false care. Something I didn't need at the moment.

"You don't need to ask her; we are all aware of what happened. Chloe and Grandma can't lie to us," Roselia, Uncle Raph's fiancée, chipped in abruptly.

It was funny to hear her speak. A yet-to-be member of the family was more welcomed into my family conversation than I ever was. I dared not utter a word.

I felt as pale as a ghost, my heart pounding in my chest. I looked around the room, turning to Aunt Martha. She knew the truth. Why wasn't she speaking up for me, at least just this once? I stood there helplessly, watching her avert her cold gaze from me.

I was alone, in the lion's den, with no flicker of support. Uncle Martins looked at me coldly. "Elizabeth, how could you? Grandma has always been so good to you."

"Indeed," I let out a soft, inaudible murmur. They all knew the truth; they just needed someone to prey on. I was exhausted from the whole drama and trying to explain myself. I couldn't wait for all these to be over as I felt the weight of their accusations, pull me slowly.

"And there's another issue," Aunt Martha's voice cut through the tension. "Elizabeth is pregnant."

A gasp echoed around the room. my stomach dropped into a deep pit. How did she know? I glanced at Chloe, whose eyes sparkled with joy. It was obvious she enjoyed watching me be at the receiving end.

"Pregnant?" Uncle Martins spat. "After everything we've done for you, this is how you repay us?"

"You ungrateful child. How dare you bring shame to the Douglas name," Uncle Raph, who barely said a word to me, spoke out.

It was evident they were all against me. I had little hope of being accepted into this family, but it looked like wishful thinking.

"Elizabeth," Aunt Martha's voice rang out loud, softer but no less condemning. "You have two choices. You can either abort the child or give up your position in this family." She uttered indifferently.

I was dumbfounded, not by the options presented, but by the person who gave them. I raised my head to meet her eyes, cold as ever. This wasn't the Aunt Martha I grew up loving; something about her seemed different, colder and more vicious. I'm certain Grandma must have put her onto this. I guess this is what happens when you dine with demons for too long.

I turned to look at Grandma, who had been helplessly quiet, it was so unlike her. Her gaze was fixed on me, lips pressed into a thin line. Her eyes, usually so stern and unforgiving, were now unreadable.

I took a deep breath, feeling the weight of everyone's eyes on me. The air in the room felt heavy and oppressive. I decided that I had to speak up, to defend myself, even if it seemed futile.

"I didn't ask for any of this," I said, my voice trembling but gaining strength. "I didn't ask to be treated like an outsider in my own family. And I didn't ask for this pregnancy." I rubbed my belly protectively, even though I knew it was all fake.

The room fell silent. Uncle Martins' face twisted in anger, while Aunt Martha's expression hardened. Roselia looked smug, her satisfaction barely concealed.

"You think you have a choice?" Grandma finally spoke out, her voice low and menacing. "You've always been a troublemaker, Elizabeth. This is just another mess you've created. You have brought nothing but disgrace to our family."

I didn't bother giving her a reply. She was undeserving of one. I was tired of this whole issue, it had lingered for too long and I had to pull the final straw.

I shut my two eyes tight, pulling all the strength I needed to make my decision.

"I'm keeping the baby," I declared. "And if that means I have to leave this family, then so be it. I won't let you bully me into giving up my child."

Aunt Martha's face turned pale, and for a moment, I saw a flicker of the woman who used to care for me, who used to sneak me food and treat me like a daughter. But it was quickly replaced by a mask of cold indifference.

"Fine," she said, her voice barely above a whisper. "If that's your decision, then you're no longer welcome here."

Tears welled up in my eyes, but I refused to let it get the best of me. I needed to be strong, I couldn't show them this weak side of me, not now.

"Very good then, henceforth, you cease to be a member of the Douglas family." "You're hereby stripped of your official position and you're expected to return every property owned by the Douglas'." Uncle Martins declared.

I watched the whole family nod in unison, giving their approval to his decision.

I watched as Grandma's lips curled into a sinister smile."Chloe will take over at the office tomorrow." She reached out to hold Chloe who was beaming with excitement.

Realizing I was no longer required here, I walked out of the room, the tears falling freely down my cheeks.

"The doors of the Douglas household are no longer opened to a commoner like you, don't you ever come begging." Grandma's cranky voice rang out, like a warning.

I clenched my chest not from pain or guilt, but from false accusations laid. My head replayed every single word and action from childhood, slowly wiping away with each step I took.

I was finally outside, free from the walls with nagging mouths, the air outside the hospital was refreshing, it smelt like freedom, something I yearned for a long time. I had finally gained my freedom from the devil's den. I took out my phone and texted my best friend, Maltida.

"Hey babe, you mind if I crash over at your place."

"Sure" she replied almost immediately.

After a few minutes, I stumbled into Matilda's place, my legs feeling like they might give out at any moment. The events at the hospital played over and over in my head like a cruel joke. When Matilda opened the door, her eyes widened with concern, and she immediately pulled me into a tight hug. I could feel the warmth and the familiarity of her embrace, but it was barely enough to keep my tears at bay.

"Hey, Liz. What's going on?" she asked, her voice gentle but filled with worry.

The words tumbled out of my mouth before I could stop them. I told her everything—Grandma's accusations, Aunt Martha's betrayal, and the shocking lie about my pregnancy. As I spoke, Matilda's eyes grew wider, her hand flew to her mouth in disbelief.

"Pregnant? Liz, I can't believe this. Why didn't you tell me sooner?" she demanded, folding her hand across her bosom.

"I didn't know how to say it," I mumbled, wiping away a tear with the back of my hand. "It all happened so fast. They didn't even give me a chance to explain. And there's more, Matilda.

The pregnancy... it is—"

Just as I was about to tell her about the pregnancy being a lie, my phone buzzed with a call from Ethan.