Chapter 2

Stella

My face twitches, a grimaced smile blossoming on my face. The two of them don’t even notice me standing inside the room. I take a couple of steps forward, clearing my throat.

Even with the sound I made, they simply do not look at me. They remain totally engrossed in each other’s presence, unaware of the world around them.

I hold back an eye roll. An aching pain forms in my side. I wince, clasping my hand over the gauzed area to try and hide a pained expression.

After a couple of slow and labored deep breaths, I look up. I slowly close the rest of the distance, now standing a few feet away from the bed instead of being by the door.

“Congratulations, Clara,” I push the words out of my mouth, “I’m so happy that you’re awake.”

Clara blinks at me, a hint of annoyance in her gaze before it softens. Adrian turns back to her, admiring the side of her face. Clara pulls herself to the edge of the bed, getting closer to Adrian, furthering herself in his embrace.

“During your coma, Adrian and I got married,” my gaze flickers to her hands tightening on Adrian’s body. “I know that you two are childhood friends but if anyone were to see you two like this, it will cause rumors.”

“I just woke up and I feel disoriented, Stella,” Clara’s voice has a hint of sharpness to it. She sighs and glances at me, “There is familiarity with Adrian…he makes me feel safe.”

Clara reaches over the side of the bed. Her fingers curl around Adrian’s hands, their fingers locking together. Tears begin to fall from her eyes and Adrian is quick to reach up, gently wiping them away.

The hospital room’s door opens. They don’t even bother to look at me, simply turning away and giving their full attention to Clara.

Without wasting another second, I take a few steps backward, my back connecting with the wall. I fade into the background, yet again, and watch as my parents give all of their love to their favorite daughter. My father glances at me.

“What did you do, Stella?” My mother asks, barely even looking at me. “Did you really argue with your sister as soon as she woke up?”

My mother wipes Clara’s tears away with her hands, Adrian leaning back so they can have their time with her.

“Stella, stop being so selfish. Your sister just woke up from a coma. She has been through so much,” my father scolds me.

I turn to look at Clara, who presses her forehead against Adrian’s with a tired smile. I suck in a breath, my body aching from surgery.

“She has been so brave…she’s survived a coma and has even negotiated with members from the Obsidian Pact to save your father’s business! You have always been so jealous of her, including now! Do not ruin the joy of her recovery, Stella!” My mother chimes in, pulling up a chair to the side of the hospital bed.

“She has done so much for our family…she deserves our time and energy,” my father smiles down at her. He gently reaches out and pushes her blonde hair out of her face.

“It wasn’t Clara.”

It wasn’t Clara who helped my father’s business. It was me who convinced the Obsidian Pact to spare my father from his dreadful fate.

I did not reveal it because I am scared of people finding out about my connection to the Obsidian Pact. If or when they find out, the consequences of my actions and connections with land me in hot water.

“Stop being jealous, Stella!” My mother’s frustration is prominent in her voice. “My goodness! You just can’t let this go, can you?”

A small, tired squeak leaves Clara’s lips. She turns to Adrian and hides her face into his chest, hands flying up to cover her ears. Adrian sighs and holds the back of her head, gently smoothing out her blonde hair.

My eyes fixate on Adrian’s soothing motions, the way Clara melts into his touch with a tired smile on her face. It makes me sick.

My stomach churns inside my body. My fists ball at my sides, my breathing growing shallow, nostrils flaring. Before I know it, I’m charging towards the bed, fury laced in every step.

I snatch Clara’s hand and yank her away from Adrian. A collective gasp rings out in the room. Clara stares at me with a hurt expression on her face, her free hand moving to her forehead, eyes dramatically rolling into the back of her head.

“I feel…I feel so dizzy,” Clara murmurs. She falls into the hospital bed, her blonde hair forming a halo around her her head.

Adrian shoves me away then turns to Clara, bringing her hands back into his. He glares at me. It sends chills down my spine despite the heat that grows throughout my body.

“Clara just woke up! She can’t be upset, Stella, you know this!” Adrian’s voice booms at me, making my ears ring.

My heart pounds in my chest, each beat prominent in my ears. My nails dig into the palms of my hands. My bottom lip trembles for a brief moment before I gather the courage to fight back.

“You all have such a double standard when it comes to her!” I yell, turning to Adrian as the words fly from my lips. “You have never cared about me the same way you do with her! I’m your wife and she isn’t!”

“Please, be quiet! You need to apologize to Clara for your harmful words. ” Adrian demands.

I stare at him, lip curling up into a snarl. He raises his eyebrows at me, expecting me to obey his every command, to be the perfect little wife he has always expected me to be.

Is that the only reason why he married me? To fill in the role as his perfect and obedient wife who fulfills every command, every ask, forever present and there to answer all of his wishes?

My anger boils over, the inside of my mind screaming and howling to fight back. My nails begin to draw blood from my hands from the increasing pressure.

“No.”

“No?” Adrian scoffs. He looks at my parents, then to Clara, before turning his eyes back to me.

“I am your wife, not your slave,” my eyes feel hot from the disappointed tears that gloss my eyes. “I have done nothing wrong to deserve this treatment from you. From any of you!”

They blink at me. Nobody responds, their blank stares only pushing my anger further off the deep end.

“You have no right,” my voice cracks, the tears threatening to fall from my face, “to make me apologize. I have done nothing wrong.”

My eyes burn into Adrian’s. For a split second, even if it is just a mere trick of the light, there is a flash of surprise in Adrian’s eyes. His face remains stoic but his eyebrows quirk up ever so slightly.