MORE THAN FORBIDDEN

I sat there beside Noah, holding his cold hand carefully in mine. My blood moved slowly through the IV tube while the machine beside him beeped softly inside the hospital room. Watching him breathe a little easier should have made me feel relieved, but all I felt was exhaustion crawling through my body. The nurse standing nearby looked at me with quiet pity because she had been there earlier when the doctor gave me the final warning. “Fifty thousand dollars now or the treatment stops,” he had said without emotion. Those words had not left my head since morning no matter how hard I tried distracting myself.

I reached for the small television hanging inside the hospital room because the silence felt unbearable. The screen switched channels before suddenly stopping on a celebrity news report showing Ryan Cole smiling beside Vanessa Cole. At first my tired brain struggled processing what I was seeing because the words beneath the screen made no sense to me. Engaged. Ryan Cole engaged to Vanessa Cole. My chest tightened painfully while I stared at the expensive ring resting on her finger beside him. Then my phone buzzed loudly inside my pocket with a text message from Ryan himself.

“Meet me at the penthouse.”

That was all he sent me after disappearing the entire day. No explanation. No concern about Noah. Not even a simple question asking if I was okay after giving blood all morning. I still rushed there anyway because part of me desperately wanted another explanation that would somehow make everything reasonable again. My body felt weak and lightheaded as I left the hospital, but I ignored it completely because Ryan always knew how to calm me down when things became difficult.

By the time I reached the building, my legs were already shaking badly beneath me. The elevator was packed with people laughing and talking, so I forced myself toward the stairs despite the dizziness hitting harder with every step. My breathing became uneven before I finally reached the penthouse floor completely exhausted. I lifted my hand toward the door, ready to walk inside, when Ryan’s voice suddenly stopped me. It sounded colder than usual, missing the softness he always used around me. I froze outside the door while unfamiliar laughter echoed from inside the penthouse.

“Come on, man, that’s harsh,” one of his friends joked between laughs. “The girl literally gave her brother two pints of blood today, and you announce your engagement now?” More laughter followed immediately after the comment while my heartbeat slowed painfully inside my chest. For one stupid second, I expected Ryan to defend me or sound guilty about what he had done. Instead, he laughed too before taking another drink casually. “That’s exactly why this timing is perfect,” he said carelessly. “Lydia would believe anything I tell her anyway.”

The room burst into louder laughter while I stood frozen outside the door. My fingers tightened slowly around my bag as his words replayed inside my head repeatedly. Ryan sounded amused instead of ashamed, like my feelings were some entertaining joke to him. “I already know what to tell her,” he continued lazily. “I’ll say my parents forced this engagement on me and she just needs to wait until I can fix things.” Someone laughed harder before asking whether I seriously believed I could keep lying to Lydia forever.

Ryan scoffed loudly after hearing the question. “You don’t understand Lydia,” he said confidently. “She’s naive, too loving, and desperate for affection.” My stomach twisted painfully while tears slowly burned behind my eyes. “That girl would do anything for love if you say the right words to her,” he continued. “Honestly, the best thing about her is her body, and that’s why I’m keeping her around.” The entire room laughed again while something inside me finally snapped completely.

I shoved the penthouse door open so hard it slammed loudly against the wall. The laughter inside the room instantly died while everyone turned toward me in complete shock. Ryan nearly dropped the drink inside his hand after realizing I had heard everything. For one pathetic second, I still expected guilt or regret to appear on his face. Instead, annoyance slowly replaced the surprise inside his expression. It was like I had interrupted something important rather than caught him humiliating me publicly.

“Lydia,” he muttered while standing slowly from the couch. My chest hurt so badly I could barely breathe properly anymore, but I forced myself to keep looking at him. “How long were you standing there?” he asked coldly. I stared at him silently while tears slid down my face without permission. Ryan sighed heavily before setting his drink down like this entire situation exhausted him. “Honestly, you should already understand why this could never become serious between us,” he finally said.

I felt my heart crack wider with every word leaving his mouth. “You’re poor, Lydia,” Ryan continued bluntly while his friends watched the scene uncomfortably. “You’re an orphan with a sick little brother and absolutely nothing attached to your name.” The humiliation burned through me so hard I physically trembled standing there. “I come from a completely different status than you,” he added calmly. “Marriage was never realistic between people like us.”

I stared at him in complete disbelief while Ryan walked closer toward me slowly. “But I’m not heartless,” he continued casually like he was offering me something generous. “You can still stay with me privately if you want.” My stomach twisted violently while he reached inside his pocket carelessly. “I’ll give you ten thousand dollars every month,” he offered. “After all, you clearly need the money.”

For a second the room became completely silent around me. Then I grabbed the glass of alcohol sitting on the table beside me and threw it directly into Ryan’s face. His friends jumped back immediately while expensive liquor dripped down his shocked expression and designer shirt. My chest rose violently with anger and heartbreak while I finally found my voice again. “Fuck off,” I whispered brokenly before turning toward the door. Then I ran before anyone could see me completely fall apart.