Chapter Seven

Marco’s POV

My father's frustration reached its boiling point, his face contorted with anger and disappointment. In a fit of rage, he raised his hand and delivered a stinging slap across my face. The room fell silent, the echo of the impact lingering in the air.

Shock and pain washed over me as I clutched my cheek, my eyes welling up with tears. The emotional turmoil I had been wrestling with suddenly transformed into a seething anger. The weight of his expectations, the years of feeling controlled, had finally reached its breaking point.

"You dare strike me?" I hissed through gritted teeth, my voice trembling with a mixture of anger and hurt. "I won't be treated like a puppet any longer. I deserve respect, Father, as your son and as a human being."

My father's expression wavered between remorse and defiance, but I was no longer willing to bear witness to his volatile emotions. Without another word, I turned on my heel and stormed out of the room, my heart pounding in my chest.

As I walked through the hallways of our opulent estate, the weight of my father's actions bore down upon me. The sting of the slap reverberated through my entire being, fueling a burning determination to forge my own path, away from the toxic cycle of control and manipulation.

Anger swirled within me, mingling with the hurt and betrayal. How could my father, the man who should have been my guide and support, resort to such violence? It was a painful reminder that our relationship had been damaged beyond repair.

As I reached the entrance of the estate, I paused, taking in a deep breath to steady myself. The cool breeze brushed against my face, offering a momentary respite from the turmoil within. I knew that walking away meant severing ties with my family and the wealth that had surrounded me all my life, but the cost of remaining within that suffocating environment was far too high.

Gathering my resolve, I whispered to myself, "I will build my own legacy, free from the chains of my father's expectations. I will find my purpose and create a life that is true to who I am."

With each step I took away from the grand estate, I felt a sense of liberation washing over me. The weight of my father's demands, the weight of a legacy that did not align with my dreams, lifted from my shoulders.

In that moment, I knew that I had chosen the path of self-discovery and authenticity. It would be a challenging journey, filled with uncertainties, but it was a journey that I had to embark on to reclaim my identity and find true happiness.

As I walked into the world beyond my father's reach, I carried with me a renewed sense of purpose and determination. No longer defined by his expectations, I would carve out my own destiny, guided by my own passions and values.

The pain of the slap still lingered, a painful reminder of the fractured relationship with my father. But I vowed to myself that I would heal, that I would not let his actions define me. I would find the strength to create a life of my own choosing, where love, respect, and personal fulfillment would be the guiding principles.

Scarlett’s POV

As I stood hidden behind the corner, my eyes strained to catch every word of the heated exchange between Macro and his father. The weight of their conversation pressed upon me, overwhelming my heart with a mixture of sadness and anger. It was in that moment that the harsh truth settled within me like a heavy stone: I had been nothing more than a pawn in Macro's relentless pursuit of political ambition.

A surge of emotions threatened to spill over as tears welled up in my eyes. I grappled with the magnitude of Macro's deception, realizing that our marriage, the sacred vows we had shared, had been tarnished by his ulterior motives. The pain of this revelation cut deep, tearing at the core of my being. How could my love and commitment have meant so little to him? How could he have manipulated our union for the sole purpose of appeasing his father?

As I struggled to make sense of the betrayal, a mix of heartache and resentment coursed through my veins. The promises we had made to each other, the dreams we had shared, had been nothing more than a charade. It was a devastating blow to my faith in our relationship, a realization that shattered the foundation upon which our love had been built.

The tears streamed down my face, an outward expression of the pain and anguish that consumed me. I felt a profound sense of loss, mourning not only for the love I thought we had, but for the person I had believed Macro to be. The depth of his deceit left an indelible mark on my heart, eroding the trust I had placed so wholeheartedly in him.

As the conversation between Macro and his father escalated, I could sense the deep-rooted frustration and yearning for independence in Macro's voice. The slap across his face echoed through the corridor, and I felt a surge of anger rise within me. How could his father resort to such violence? How could Macro bear the weight of his father's expectations for so long?

As Macro stormed out of the room, his footsteps growing louder with each passing moment, I braced myself for the encounter that awaited us. The pain in my heart mingled with a burning anger that had been ignited by the revelation of Macro's true intentions.

When he finally emerged from the grand estate, his face etched with a mix of determination and vulnerability, I couldn't contain my anger any longer. I stepped forward, blocking his path, my voice trembling with a mix of hurt and frustration.

"How could you, Macro?" I spat out, my voice laced with disappointment. "I thought our love was genuine, that our marriage meant something to you. But all along, it was just a charade to please your father, wasn't it?"

Macro's gaze met mine, his eyes filled with regret and sorrow. "Scarlett, please understand. I never meant to hurt you. I was lost, trapped in the expectations forced upon me."

His words fell flat, failing to provide the solace I desperately sought. "Lost? Trapped? Is that what you call it? You used me, Macro. You used our love to further your own ambitions, and it breaks my heart."

Tears streamed down my face as the weight of the betrayal settled upon me. I had believed in our love, in the promises we had made to each other. But now, it felt like a cruel illusion, shattered by the reality of his actions.

"I can't be with someone who sees me as nothing more than a pawn in their political game," I said, my voice quivering with a mixture of pain and resolve. "I deserve better, Macro. I deserve someone who loves me for who I am, not for what I can offer them."

Macro reached out, his hand trembling, but I stepped back, avoiding his touch. The hurt ran deep, and forgiveness seemed like an unattainable horizon.

"I don't expect you to understand now," he whispered, his voice filled with regret. "But please know that I never meant to hurt you. I was trapped in a world of expectations, but I'm determined to break free and find my own path."

His words hung in the air, but they offered little comfort. The damage had been done, and trust, once broken, was not easily repaired.

“What was I going to do?”, I thought….