02 Empty heart

Lila’s POV

I gently place the last plate on the table, adjusting it beside the others. The breakfast spread is simple but warm—freshly baked bread, scrambled eggs, grilled plantains, and tea, just the way she said she wanted it last night. 

One job done for the day.

I step back and wipe my palms against the hem of my dress. My legs ache beneath me, heavier than usual. My eyes sting with fatigue. Maybe it’s the heat… or maybe it’s just everything. The weight of it all.

I haven’t eaten. Haven’t slept. Not properly.

But I still get up. I still try.

Because what else can I do?

I’m halfway to the kitchen when a sudden, sharp clang splits the air.

Claudia’s hand crashes down against the plate. The sound is violent—louder than it has any right to be—and it slices through the room like a blade.

“This isn’t what I asked for breakfast,” she says, voice cool but dripping with venom.

I blink, startled, turning slowly to face her. “But… you said you were craving grilled plantains and scrambled eggs,” I murmur, confused. “That’s what I made.”

I glance at Liam, hoping—foolishly—that he’ll back me up. That he’ll remember.

He doesn’t.

He looks up from his phone, his face hardening the moment our eyes meet. That same familiar fury settles in, like he’s been waiting for a reason to hate me all over again.

Claudia’s expression turns mocking.

“Oh?” she says sweetly, then in one swift, exaggerated motion, picks up the glass of water beside her and throws it.

The cold splash hits my face before I can even flinch. The sting of it steals my breath, and for a second, everything stills.

Silence.

Humiliation burns into my skin. I stand there, soaked and trembling, as water drips down my face, into the neckline of my dress. I’m frozen in place, heart pounding.

“Are you calling me a liar?” she shrieks suddenly. “Answer me, you gutter rat!”

I try to speak. Try to form words. But my throat is tight. Dry. Nothing comes out.

Liam stands.

The screech of his chair against the tile makes me flinch again, instinctively.

“The sight of you stinks,” he snaps, his voice like acid. “I’ve lost my appetite already.”

A tear escapes my eyes, falling silently.

And just like that, he walks around the table.

Not to me.

Not once glancing back.

But to her.

He takes Claudia’s hand—so gently, like she’s made of porcelain—and pulls her up from her seat.

“I’ll get you something better,” he murmurs. “Whatever you’re craving.”

Craving. There’s that word again.

She hums in delight, the picture of a satisfied queen, smug and victorious. As they begin to walk away, she tosses a parting shot over her shoulder.

“Oh—and housemaids,” she calls, her voice lazy with disdain, “make sure Lila doesn’t get anything to eat today. Not a single plate.”

I stand there, fists clenched at my sides.

The door closes behind them with a soft but final click.

And just like that… they’re gone.

And I’m left… to stew in hunger.

But I’m not surprised. Not really.

Liam has watched me go hungry before. Today is just another reminder.

*********

Evening comes like a punishment.

The house is quiet, too quiet. The shadows from the setting sun stretch long and tired across the walls.

My stomach growls. Loud. Angry. Empty.

I lie curled up in bed, hugging my knees to my chest. My pillow is damp from tears, and my head is spinning. Dull hunger throbs in my belly, like something gnawing at me from the inside out.

Just a crumb. Even if it was from the floor, I would have taken it.

But there was nothing. Even the kitchen smells empty. The house helps pass by my door now and then, but none of them speak. I can’t blame them. I saw the fear in their eyes when Claudia gave that command. I saw them avoid my gaze.

No one wants to risk crossing Liam.

And me?

I’m already a ghost here.

I stare at the ceiling, the ache in my stomach stretching into my chest. Why does this hurt so much? Is it because I’m starving—or because I’ve accepted this is all I’ll ever be to him?

Unwanted.

Unloved.

Forgotten.

Even if he hated me this much… couldn’t he at least have human sympathy?

I’m his wife.

I slam my hand against the bed. “Well, just for the name and nothing more,” I whisper to myself.

lf Madam Elara were here, none of this would have happened. But she’s not. She’s away. And I have no one left to fight for me.

My hand drifts to my stomach, seeking comfort in the quiet ache.

It’s when I feel the faint warmth beneath my palm that the thought strikes me—maybe if I tell him about the baby growing inside me… maybe then, things could be different.

Maybe, this child… our child, will be enough to soften his heart.

Enough to remind him that I’m still here. That I’ve always been here.

I wipe my tears quickly and place a hand gently on my stomach.

“Don’t worry, my child,” I whisper with a soft, aching smile. “We’ll make it through. I promise.”

I get up, reaching for the door. Maybe a little air will help.

But just as I open it, I freeze.

I hear Claudia’s voice down the hall.

Low, hushed, but clear.

“What if you find out Lila is pregnant with your child?” she asks Liam.

My heart stops.

And Liam’s answer…

It sends a shiver straight down my spine.

“Then she’ll have no choice but to abort it,” he says without hesitation. “I won’t ever let that low-class girl carry my child.”

My hand flies to my mouth as I step back. Wide-eyed. Numb.

A memory flashes—Claudia’s smirk when she caught me vomiting two mornings ago. The way her eyes lingered on me, almost too long.

Could she know?

Could she… be planning to hurt my baby?

No. I shake my head.

I can’t let that happen. I can’t let them touch this child.

Not after everything.

If I want to protect my baby… I have to leave this house.