"I will kill myself here and now!" She shrieked out as her chance of becoming free was slipping away. How could she have known her would change? How could she have known he would become too possessive?
"I don't think you have the guts to.. take her upstairs..."
The men nodded silently, holding her arms, and dragged her up the grand staircase. Shen Xuan's cries echoed behind her, but she didn't look back.
Her vision blurred with tears she no longer felt. Her chest felt empty, hollow, as though every last piece of her soul had been scooped out and discarded.
Yueyao's body trembled violently as the two tall men dragged her through the grand staircase.
The marble steps were cold beneath her bare feet, and each sharp edge cut into her aching soles.
Her fingers clawed uselessly at their sleeves, her nails scraping against the expensive wool fabric without leaving a mark.
"Let me go… please… please… I'll leave quietly… I won't take anything… just let me go…" Her hoarse pleas spilled out in broken whispers, but neither man spared her even a glance.
They threw her into the bedroom and slammed the door shut behind her, the click of the lock echoing through the silent room like a death knell.
She staggered towards the bed, her knees buckling as she collapsed onto the mattress.
She could no longer cry, and she didn't seem like she was gonna be set free..
She didn't know how long she had been seated, but it was already evening.
The evening sun streamed in through the sheer curtains, painting her bruised skin in hues of dying gold.
She sat there silently, staring at the swirling dust motes caught in the fading light.
Her fingers dug into the bedsheet until her nails bent painfully backwards.
'Even in death, you will still be mine.'
His words replayed in her mind over and over like a curse.
Slowly, her lips curved into a bitter, broken smile.
'Then I will make sure… that when I die… There will be nothing left of me for you to own.'
A knock sounded sharply against the door, jolting her from her thoughts.
Bai Zhi's soft, sickeningly sweet voice floated into the room, "Yueyao, dinner is ready. Shen Xiao said to remind you… that starving yourself won't change anything."
Yueyao didn't answer, she just sat there frozen on the bed, her arms wrapped tightly around her knees.
After a few seconds of silence, Bai Zhi's footsteps faded away down the hallway, leaving her alone in the dimly lit room.
The ticking of the ornate clock on the wall was the only sound she could hear, each second digging deeper into her sanity like a dull blade.
Her mind raced desperately, searching for a way out.
Anyone… anything… any darkness would be better than this suffocating, rotting prison. Even if she had to sell her soul to the devil himself, she would do it without hesitation.
Yueyao didn't know how long she sat there, curled up on the cold bed as the room darkened around her. Hours bled into each other, meaningless and silent. Her tears had long dried on her cheeks, leaving pale, salty streaks against bruised skin.
Her body ached with every breath, her stomach twisted painfully with hunger, but she didn't move.
She felt nothing.
She just sat there watching blankly....
When morning came, grey dawn light filtered through the narrow window, illuminating dust motes dancing in the still air. Her eyes were swollen and dry, staring blankly ahead.
A soft knock broke the silence before the door opened.