The Weight Of Betrayal

Lilia's lips trembled as she bit down hard, trying to keep the tears from spilling over. Her chest felt heavy, suffocating with the weight of everything she was about to lose. She sat rigid, her voice a fragile thread as she spoke, "Father, Mother… I don't want to go." The words tumbled out, slipping from her before she could think better of them.

She didn't want to go anywhere—especially not to someone she barely knew. Her mind raced with the unbearable truth of her situation, memories from her earlier bubbling to the surface. A part of her wished to run, to disappear into the walls of their cold, sterile house. But there was no escape. Not now.

Her mother's warning echoed in her mind: He's dangerous. Lilia knew her mother far too well. When her mother called someone dangerous, she meant it—every syllable wrapped in unspoken warning. Yet now, the very man she'd deemed a threat was the one they were forcing Lilia to meet.

Lilia could feel the gaze of her parents on her, heavy and suffocating. Her mother's eyes narrowed, the usual softness replaced by a cold, implacable fury. Her lips pressed into a thin line, and when she spoke, her voice was like steel, each word cutting through the silence. "What more do you want? He's powerful, rich—far wealthier than your sister's fiancé."

Sabrina's face tightened, her composure slipping for just a moment, the mask of confidence she usually wore faltering. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but Lilia saw it she always did.

Then, as quickly as it appeared, Sabrina masked it with a practiced smile, straightening her back as though nothing had changed.

Her mother's gaze flicked to Lilia, a dangerous gleam in her eyes as she added, "And now, you dare to act ungrateful?"

Her voice rose, sharp and accusatory, each syllable biting like ice. Lilia flinched as her mother's hand lifted, ready to strike. The space between them seemed to stretch, and for a heartbeat, Lilia braced herself.

But before the slap could land, her father's voice cut through the tension like a blade.

"Don't."

The single word reverberated through the car. The sharpness in his tone stopped everyone in their tracks, freezing the moment in time. His cold, calculating gaze bore into her mother's eyes, and Lilia saw a flicker of something dark pass between them—a silent battle over control. "She belongs to Mr. Zethan now. Don't touch her."

Lilia's heart stumbled in her chest at the word belongs. Her eyes burned with the sting of it, but she couldn't look away. The word echoed in her mind, heavy and suffocating. Belongs. It was so dehumanizing, so cold. She wasn't a person in their eyes. She wasn't a daughter, a sister. She was simply an object—a thing to be bartered and handed over like property.

A bitter smile tugged at the corner of Lilia's lips as reality settled in, weighing down her every thought. This was her life now. Not a life of her own choosing, but one dictated by her father's deal and her mother's obsession with wealth and status.

The silence stretched until Sabrina, ever the composed one, broke it. She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear, her voice smooth and composed, though there was an unmistakable edge to it. "Mommy, if Lilia doesn't want to marry Mr. Zethan, I could marry him instead." She added the words casually, almost nonchalantly, as if it were no big deal. But there was a gleam in her eyes—a glint of something darker as she added, "I'm only trying to help the family."

Her mother's gaze softened, just for a moment, before she gave a small, approving nod. Sabrina was always quick to pick up on what her mother wanted. Always ready to play the part, to wear the mask of the perfect daughter. Lilia felt a pang of something sharp in her chest. Sabrina had always been the favorite, the one who could do no wrong in their eyes. The golden child.

But before Sabrina could get any further with her offer, her father spoke again. His voice, now colder than ever, filled the room with an oppressive weight. "Enough. The virginity test results have already been sent. We have proof. Mr. Zethan was clear—he only wants a virgin. And I convinced him that Lilia was untouched."

Lilia's breath caught in her throat. Her vision blurred, the edges of the room growing hazy as her mind struggled to process what she had just heard. Virginity test results. The words swirled in her head like poison, making everything inside her churn. This was how she was being treated: a commodity, something to be verified and validated, traded for the price of her father's reputation.

All he cared about was his own standing in the world. His pride, his deals. Lilia's innocence had become his bargaining chip, used to secure a deal with a man she knew nothing about.

Her mother's voice broke through her thoughts, sharp and unforgiving. "Sabrina is a virgin. She could marry Mr. Zethan instead."

The words hit like a slap. Lilia could feel Sabrina freeze beside her, her expression flickering with panic, but it was gone in an instant. Sabrina's eyes darted around the room, wide and filled with fear as she tried to keep herself composed. She opened her mouth, but no words came out. Panic twisted in her gut. Lilia watched, helpless, as her sister struggled with the weight of her own secret.

Finally, Sabrina spoke, her voice faltering. "Mom, it's fine. It's fine."

Her hands clenched tightly around the fabric of her dress as she took a shaky breath. She couldn't meet anyone's eyes. Her gaze remained unfocused, her thoughts clearly racing. But her smile was forced, her lips trembling as she added, "I wouldn't want my sister to remain unmarried."

The words sounded hollow as if she were convincing herself as much as anyone else. Lilia saw the cracks in her mask. Sabrina wasn't as untouchable as she appeared.

Sabrina straightened herself, the weak smile still tugging at the corners of her mouth. "I'll marry Mr. Lowell."

Her father gave a satisfied nod, as though her submission pleased him. His expression softened in approval. "That's my daughter. Very understanding."

He turned his cold, calculating gaze toward Lilia, and her stomach twisted. His eyes locked onto hers with a finality that made her skin crawl. "As for you, you're marrying Mr. Zethan. That's final. The chauffeur will be here any minute to take you."

Lilia's chest tightened, her heart sinking further into the abyss.

Her father's voice continued, as if he hadn't noticed the crushing despair in her eyes. "If you're worried about your belongings, don't be. Everything has been arranged. All new things are waiting for you at his house."

Lilia felt her blood run cold. She wasn't even allowed to take her own things. Everything had been arranged, her life, her future, her very identity had already been decided for her. She had no say. No choice.

But out of the corner of her eye, Lilia noticed something—a fleeting flash of jealousy in Sabrina's eyes. It was subtle, almost imperceptible, but it was there.

Sabrina's lips parted, her breath catching in her throat as the weight of her own secret seemed to hang in the air between them.

How could Sabrina possibly tell their parents now? How could she confess what they didn't know? That she was no longer a virgin? That she had already defiled herself with her boyfriend—the one she'd been talking to earlier at the masquerade ball? The man she had lied about, calling him an old friend?

But worse still, Sabrina had never told their parents about him. The parents who believed their daughters to be pure and innocent. They had no clue about the secret Sabrina had been hiding so desperately.