Chapter 5

:Lying to protect them

When I opened my eyes and checked my phone, it was six in the morning. I couldn't even remember when I had fallen asleep last night—I had cried so much. I got up from the bed and went to the bathroom. When I looked at myself in the mirror, I flinched. My eyes were swollen, and I was terribly pale.

I took off my clothes from the night before and stepped under the shower. I had no idea how long I stood under the cold water, but when I was done and looked in the mirror again, my lips were completely blue. Seeing myself like that made me cry all over again.

Why was this happening to me? I finally had a plan, I was so close to my freedom, and now I had to marry a stranger just to protect my friends.

After a few minutes, I stepped out of the bathroom and put on the first thing I could find. I tied my hair up and packed my laptop and notebooks into my bag. When I checked the time, it was already eight o'clock. My lecture didn't start until noon, but I needed to get out of this house—I felt like I was suffocating.

I grabbed my bag and left. An hour later, I was at the university, walking toward my usual quiet spot. There was a big tree a little farther from the main area, and for some reason, no one ever went there. I didn't know why, but for me, it was the perfect place to be alone and clear my mind.

I sat down, leaned against the tree, and closed my eyes.

"Evelyn... Evie, wake up!"

When I opened my eyes, I saw Lily. Amelia and Noah were standing next to her, looking at me with worried and confused expressions.

"What's wrong? Why are you sleeping here? Do you have any idea how many times I called you?" Amelia spoke in a panicked tone.

"Damn it..." I muttered as I rubbed my eyes. "What time is it?"

Lily glanced at her watch. "Almost twelve."

"Shit. Shit!" I grabbed my bag and ran toward the university building without explaining anything to them.

I was a little late, but I still managed to attend my lecture.

Now, the only thing on my mind was how to tell them... How could I possibly explain that I was getting married to a complete stranger because my father had threatened me—threatened them?

I didn't even know who I was going to marry. Was he going to be an old, fat man? Someone my age? Or maybe a middle-aged man? I had no idea. All I could do was hope that, at the very least, he wouldn't be as cruel as my father.

The sound of my phone ringing snapped me out of my thoughts. I hadn't even realized that the lecture had ended. When I looked around, I saw that the classroom was empty—I was the only one left.

I glanced at the screen and saw Amelia's name. For a moment, I just stared at it, afraid to pick up, but then I took a deep breath and answered. There was no point in avoiding this. It would only make them more suspicious.

"Evelyn Adams, where the hell are you?!" Amelia's shouting made me pull the phone away from my ear. "You better drag your ass to the front of the university in five minutes, or I swear—"

"Okay, babe, that's enough," Noah's voice cut in as he apparently took the phone from her.

"Evie, please come quickly. I don't know how much longer I can hold her back."

"Alright, I'll be there soon."

I grabbed my bag and headed for the exit. A few minutes later, I reached the front of the university and stood beside them. None of them spoke—they just stared at me in silence. We stood like that for a while.

"Damn it, this is driving me crazy! Will you just spit it out already?!" Amelia snapped. "We've been calling you all morning, and you wouldn't answer! Do you even realize what we went through? I was this close to calling the police and sending them to your house! And when we finally found you under that damn tree again, you just ran off without saying a word! What the hell is going on, Evie? Talk to us!"

She was breathing so fast, as if she had been running. Lily and Noah stood silently beside her, waiting for an answer I didn't have.

"Say something! Don't just stand there! What the hell is wrong with you?! And your face... Your eyes are swollen, and your cheek—"

Amelia suddenly stopped talking, her eyes widening. Before I could react, she lunged at me and yanked off my jacket.

All three of them stared at my bruised wrist before their gazes slowly shifted back to my face.

"Oh my God..." Amelia whispered, tears spilling from her eyes as she pulled me into a hug.

"I swear, I'll kill that bastard," Noah growled, his voice filled with rage.

"You know you can't," I said softly. "And I won't let you. I won't let any of you get hurt because of me."

Amelia pulled back slightly and looked me in the eyes.

"What the hell are you saying, Evie? That bastard is abusing you—"

"This isn't the first time, is it?" Noah muttered, his voice barely above a whisper.

"He's been doing this since I was seven," I admitted, my voice steady. "And now that we're so close to our plan, I won't let anything ruin it. So please... Just let it go."

"Can't you stay with me or Amelia until we finish university?" Lily asked, her voice filled with desperation.

"No, Lil," I sighed. "I don't want to raise any suspicions. We have to stick to our plan, just like we always have. It's fine—I'll endure it. I'll try to stay out of his way."

"I don't even know what to say..." Amelia whispered, standing beside me with tears in her eyes. "I can't stand seeing you like this."

"I know, Em," I said, squeezing her hand with a small smile. "But I have to endure it. I have to do this... for us."

All three of them lowered their heads, avoiding my gaze. They were acting like this was their fault. I knew they blamed themselves for not being able to do anything, and no matter how many times I told them not to, they never listened.

But what could they do against my father? Nothing. If they tried, they'd only make things worse, and they knew that. That's why we stayed quiet, waiting for the right moment to put our plan into action.

And now... As I stood in front of them, looking at their defeated faces, how was I supposed to tell them that I would never escape this? That we weren't going to Italy? That all those months, weeks, and hours we spent planning had been for nothing?

I couldn't.

I couldn't tell them. Because if I did, they'd try to convince me to change my mind. And even though they knew what would happen to their families, they'd still blame themselves. They'd do everything in their power to stop me.

So I wouldn't say anything.

When the time came, when there was no turning back, when I knew they were finally safe from my father's grasp—I would tell them everything.

I knew they'd be angry. I knew they'd blame themselves all over again.

But at least I'd have the peace of knowing they were safe. Safe from him.