Chapter 4 A FAMILY DINNER OR A HORROR SHOW

Isla's POV

I woke up feeling like my body had been drained of all its energy. My limbs felt heavy, my head throbbed, and my stomach churned uncomfortably. I tried to ignore it, but the weakness in my body was hard to push aside.

Maybe it was the stress, or maybe it was because I barely ate anything last night. Either way, I didn't have time to dwell on it. My schedule was packed, and there was no room for feeling sick.

As I dragged myself out of bed, the blaring sound of my phone filled the quiet room. I sighed, already feeling exhausted, and picked it up.

"Hello?" My voice came out hoarse, and I cleared my throat.

"Isla," Adrian's voice came through the line. "My father wants to see us both at dinner tonight."

I swallowed the bitterness that rose in my throat. Dinner at the Calloway estate always felt like walking into a battlefield, especially when it came to my mother-in-law, Victoria. No matter how hard I tried, nothing I did was ever good enough for her.

"Alright," I muttered, forcing my voice to sound neutral. "What time?"

"Seven," Adrian replied. "Try to be on time."

The call ended without another word. No "how are you?" or "do you need anything?" Just straight to the point. I sighed, staring at the screen for a moment before setting the phone down.

I forced myself through the day, tackling work with as much focus as I could muster. My body protested, and my head continued to ache, but I pushed through. Work was the only thing that kept me sane these days.

By the time evening rolled around, I felt worse than before. But I couldn't let it show. Not in front of Adrian. Not in front of his parents. So, I forced myself into an elegant dress, did my makeup to hide the exhaustion on my face, and got into the car.

The drive to the Calloway estate felt shorter than usual, though my nerves made it seem longer. As soon as we pulled up, I took a deep breath, mentally preparing myself for whatever awaited me inside.

The moment I stepped out of the car, the sharp voice of Victoria Calloway reached my ears.

"Two years! Two years of marriage and still no child! What kind of woman doesn't know how to give birth?"

My heart clenched, and my breath hitched in my throat. The pain of those words cut deeper than I could explain. I had tried. God knew how hard I had tried. I had done everything to take care of Victoria, to earn even a shred of warmth from her, but this? This was what I got in return?

Adrian said nothing beside me. He just walked forward as if he hadn't heard a thing. I followed, but the sting of those words clung to me like a wound that refused to heal.

As we stepped into the living room, I quickly composed myself. But then, I saw him.

Davis Calloway.

The elder son. The calm one. The brother who had been gone for years, living abroad, away from all the mess of the Calloway family.

I had only heard Adrian's parents' voices outside, so seeing Davis sitting there, casually sipping from a glass, caught me off guard. His sharp eyes met mine, and a flicker of something unreadable passed over his face before he masked it with indifference.

"You're finally back," Adrian said, his voice lacking warmth.

Davis set his glass down and leaned back against the couch. "Did you miss me?"

Adrian scoffed. "Hardly."

I stood there, feeling like an outsider in my own life. The tension in the room was thick, and my body still ached, but I held my head high, refusing to let them see the turmoil inside me.

Victoria finally noticed my presence and scoffed. "You're late. And don't just stand there. Sit down."

I moved to take a seat, but my legs felt weak. I gripped the edge of the chair to steady myself. Davis's eyes flicked toward me, but he said nothing.

Dinner was served, but I barely touched my food. Every bite felt like a struggle, and my stomach twisted in discomfort. Meanwhile, Victoria continued to make snide comments about my "uselessness" as a wife.

"I don't understand why you're still here," she said, shaking her head. "A wife who can't give her husband an heir is nothing more than a burden."

I clenched my fists under the table. Adrian said nothing. He just continued eating, as if his mother wasn't tearing me apart with her words.

Davis, on the other hand, set down his utensils and leaned back in his chair. "That's enough, Victoria."

The room fell silent. Even Victoria seemed momentarily stunned.

"Excuse me?" she said, her eyes narrowing.

"You heard me," Davis said, his tone cool. "You've made your point. No need to beat a dead horse."

Victoria's lips pressed into a thin line, but she said nothing further. Instead, she turned her attention back to her plate, cutting her steak with more force than necessary.

I let out a quiet breath, feeling an odd mix of relief and confusion. Davis had no reason to defend me. He barely knew me. But for some reason, he did.

The rest of dinner passed in strained silence. Then I realized I needed to excused myself to the bathroom, needing a moment to breathe. I splashed cold water on my face, gripping the sink to steady myself.

I was tired.

Tired of trying. Tired of pretending everything was fine. Tired of fighting a battle I was destined to lose.

When I stepped back into the hall, I nearly ran into Davis.

"You look like hell," he said bluntly.

I let out a humorless laugh. "Thanks. That's exactly what I needed to hear."

He studied me for a moment before speaking again. "You should leave."

I stiffened. "What?"

"This family will destroy you," he said simply. "Walk away before it's too late."

I swallowed hard, forcing myself to meet his gaze. "I don't have that choice."

His expression didn't change, but there was something in his eyes. Something almost... understanding.

He breath hard and with that, he turned and walked away, leaving me standing there, shaken to my core.