03|Don't you dare!

Two days had passed since the whole incident, and I had been trying nonstop to push it all behind me, to forget it. But, as expected, it was easier said than done. Every time I woke up, it was the first thing on my mind. To be honest, I wasn’t sure how I felt about it—whether I was happy that I’d lost my virginity to Alaric, or if I was more upset that I couldn’t remember a single detail of it.

It was driving me insane.

“I heard about your wedding, poor sister. I can’t believe Leon really cheated on you. I can’t even imagine what you must’ve felt that day. Such a pity I couldn’t attend,” my older step-sister, Isolde,’s voice sliced through the silence, dragging me back to the present.

I blinked, finding her seated in front of me with that all-too-sympathetic smile of hers. Her wavy blond hair cascaded softly over her shoulders as she watched me, her smile just subtle enough to feel condescending.

“Oh, right, I heard about it too. Haha, I heard you walked out of the venue, that’s pretty cool, little sis, there is even a video going around about it. I watched it several times!” her twin brother, Kieran, chimed in, tearing his gaze from his phone to smirk playfully at me.

“Cool? You mean embarrassing. Isla, why do you always do things like this? How could you disgrace the Ashford name like that? Do you have any idea what people are saying? You should think about your father’s reputation for once, you shouldn't have caused such a scene!” my stepmother snapped, dropping her cutlery onto the plate with a sharp clang.

I stared at her with a blank expression, but my grip on the spoon tightened as I listened.

This was my family—the kind that blamed you for walking away from a cheating fiancé. The kind that didn’t even bother attending your wedding, choosing instead to go on a family vacation that very day.

My father had remarried when I was twelve. At first, I was genuinely happy. I thought I would finally have a mother, new siblings—even if we weren’t related by blood. But instead, my life turned sour in ways I never imagined.

The first year was fine. We laughed, we bonded, we felt like a real family. But then, overnight, everything changed. The kindness, the warmth, the closeness we once shared—it all vanished in the blink of an eye.

I shifted my gaze to the man seated at the table, his eyes focused on his food as he ate, completely unfazed by the chaos unfolding around him. But what did I expect? He had never truly shown any interest in me from the very beginning.

"L-Look at her, ignoring me just because I'm correcting her! Was what I said too much? Why are you not replying to me?!" my step mother suddenly lost it, her voice rising in frustration as she pointed a trembling finger at me, her glare sharp.

"Please calm down, Mother. Don't shout," Isolde spoke . "And Isla, Mother is only trying to correct you. You made a mistake—you shouldn’t have left Leon in the wedding hall. I spoke to him, and he was very sorry, he will do something about the pregnant woman. I really think you should work it out with him."

I blinked in disbelief at her words as I stared at her. Work it out with Leon? Was she really saying that right now, or was I hearing things?

Isolde smiled at my expression before speaking.

"I mean, I think you two are perfect for each other, and I believe Leon loves you a lot. You should give him a chance. It’s not good to end such a perfect relationship over a mistake."

Kieran, her twin brother, nodded in agreement.

"You see, that’s the thing about men. They might cheat, but that doesn’t mean they don’t love you. I mean, I’ve done it plenty of times, and I love my girlfriend dearly," he giggled, showing me a picture of the two of them together. "See? Don’t we look like we’re madly in love?"

Disgusting. That was the only word for the sick feeling churning in my stomach as I listened to them talk. Every word, every laugh—it was all disgusting, and it made my blood boil.

I took a shaky breath, forcing myself to stay calm, and shifted my gaze to my father. He was watching me now, his face unreadable as he casually wiped his mouth with a handkerchief.

I needed to get out of here.

"I-I will be leaving now," I whispered under my breath, pushing my glasses higher up the bridge of my nose as I attempted to stand. But my father's cold voice stopped me in my tracks.

"Sit."

The command was clear, leaving no room for disobedience.

I immediately stiffened, my body obeying before my mind even registered it. I sank back into my seat, my head bowed, feeling the weight of his gaze settle on me.

Was he going to tell me to give Leon another chance? To say I had made a mistake?

Whatever it was, I was prepared for it. I would refuse, no matter the consequences. I would rather die than let Leon back into my life.

The room fell silent. No one dared to speak when Father did.

"Are you done playing around now?" His voice was calm, but the underlying authority sent a chill down my spine.

I blinked, momentarily confused by his words—until his next sentence hit me like a thunderbolt.

"If you are, then get ready to start working at Voss Corporation starting tomorrow."

"W-what?" My mouth fell open in shock and disbelief.

He had to be joking. I must have misheard him. Because Voss Corporation belonged to the very man I was trying to avoid—the man I had spent the night with.

Alaric.

Oh, hell no.

I swallowed hard, my pulse quickening. My father’s gaze darkened at my expression. I knew that look. He hated repeating himself, but this time, he might have to—because I was absolutely stunned.

“Father! I thought you said I was the one who would work there?! Why did you pick Isla?!” Isolde yelled, her voice breaking with anger as she stared at him. But he merely ignored her, his gaze fixed on me instead.

“You know we’re securing a partnership with the Voss Company, and yesterday, Alaric suddenly requested that you work under him instead of Isolde. I trust you understand what that means?”

A scoff escaped my lips the moment I heard Alaric had requested me. Before I even realized it, I was on my feet, accidentally knocking over the chair behind me.

“I—I’m not doing it. I’m sorry, but I can’t work at Voss Corporation. You should have Isolde do it instead since she clearly wants it,” I stammered, bowing my head slightly toward my father before turning to leave the dining area.

However, before I could take another step, a sharp gasp escaped my lips as a glass flew past my head, shattering against the wall behind me. I froze in place.

“Don’t you dare!” He roared “Don’t you dare walk away while I am talking!”