She hated them.
They loved her with everything in them.
The universe truly has a sick way of telling you it's there, doesn't it? From being kidnapped to being abused, that was all Arabella saw in life. It was all she ever knew. They tell you to ke...
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No.
Leon told him.
I should have known, God. He has always bowed down to Nicholas. I had hoped that he wouldn't be able to find me, but this defies my hopes. Resurfacing thoughts and memories.
When I hear the door open, I push those ideas out of my head. I choose to ignore the message in the hopes that he will believe the number is incorrect. I put my hair up in a messy bun as Elijah exits, my heart still slightly racing.
Elijah and I descend the stairs and enter the dining area. Everyone engages in normal conversation while laughing and having fun. I enjoy seeing everyone converse and joke with one another. My face begins to smile as I say this.
I wished for a family for so many years. To have meals with them, torment my siblings, and to simply receive comfort from my family. Before coming here, I never imagined receiving that. I initially believed it would be the most awful event of my life. And now I'm unsure of how I ever survived without them.
But do they even need me?
But then I felt a flood of sorrow wash over me, like if everything were about to collapse around me. The pain in my chest from when I first got here, which led me to believe that they didn't want me, has subsided, but it's still there. I can't help but think that they're keeping me out of pity. That I'm nothing but a burden.
Until I arrived here, they were happy. Just another mouth to feed, that's all. I hope I could stop having that thought. I regret allowing Lilith and Nicholas' statements to affect me in the way they did. I'm repulsive. For a lot of reasons.
No- stop. Please not again.
I'm snapped out of my thoughts when someone places something on my plate. Luca grins at me sliding a piece of bacon onto my plate. It was my favorite and he knew. But as my eyes zeroed in on the bacon, I no longer saw food. Instead I saw numbers. So many numbers.
Flashback
"Eat." He places a plate full of food in front of me as I feel relief wash over me. I hadn't been given a meal in so long. I glance at him making sure he wasn't kidding as he nods his head intently watching me.
I don't waste a second taking some of the eggs putting it into my mouth savoring the flavor. I don't even care that eyes watched me as I took some of the potatoes that tastes like heaven. Suddenly I feel a sharp pain on my back. I scream my head launching forward as the pain crawls up my back.
"This won't do. I can't have an overweight wife, now can I?" His menacing voice travels around me as he walks in circles. The whip strikes my back again, the food in front of me no longer my concern. He grabs my hair pulling it back a scowl on his face. "A pretty face can't be wasted to a disgusting figure."
He shoves my head into the food as I try moving away but he holds down tight.
"This is what you'll think when you eat. Numbers. So many numbers. Do you know how much fat is in this? How many calories you just ate?" Pulling my face back up to meet his he wipes away some of the egg that scattered my face. "You won't eat this much. Even if offered, you only eat a small bit. You will remember the numbers. Everything you eat isn't so simple. You have to maintain. If not I will take the numbers that you decide to ignore to add to your punishment."
