Chapter 5 Choose My Poison

Something felt different today when I stepped on my property tonight. It wasn't just the unusual darkness of the night, nor was it the pressure on my chest after making such a treacherous decision. It was like something horrible was awaiting me.

I was proven right when I entered the living room just to find my father and brothers sitting in the same room together. My steps came to a halt, and my chest tightened with a suffocating sense of unease that I didn't belong there. I tightly gripped my handbag because I knew it must be related to me. This is because they are never at home at the same time.

"AURORA!" My older brother, Lorenzo Sinclair, shouted as soon as he saw me.

"Why are you here?" I asked my brother calmly, although I was freaking out.

"Where are you coming from?" He ignored my question.

"I was running some errands. And since when were you so interested in me and my whereabouts, brother?" I countered.

All the fake confidence I had crumbled the moment my father walked towards me. A word hadn't even left his mouth, and I was already on the verge of a breakdown. Oh god, this is bad.

"Who were you with?" His voice was demanding.

"A friend," I answered with a shaking voice.

My soul left my body when my father's slap left a print on my cheek. The world around me blurred with my tears as I stood there frozen, and the shock of what just happened occurred. I should be used to this, but why does the pain worsen each time it happens?

"HOW DARE YOU LIE TO MY FACE, YOU UNGRATEFUL BRAT?" My father's voice echoed through the empty halls of Sinclair's Mansion.

"It's your fault, father. You gave this whore too much freedom, and now look at the result of that," Lorenzo added fuel to the fire.

Tears ran down my cheeks as I kept my head down and listened to all their comments quietly. I was still unaware of what was happening, but I was too scared to ask. After all, this is what I've been going through all my life.

"Why were you with Nikolas, Aurora?" My father asked again slowly with a hint of threat, his words cutting through me like a blade.

Suddenly everything made sense, and I realized what just happened. Eliana has officially betrayed me and told the family about my plans. My fist curled into a ball, and when I didn't bother answering my father's question, he gripped my chin and forced me to meet his eyes.

"Answer the fucking question before I kill you right here, right now." His eyes were so wide, it sent a chill down my spine.

"I don't know what you are talking about, Father," I answered with a shaky voice.

Another slap wound my face, and a sob left out of my mouth. At this point, I was so scared to death that I would rather choose to die than let my father interrogate me more. I used to be his punching bag a while ago, but I thought it stopped after he accidentally hit my head so hard that I fainted for two day with broken ribs and rigged memories .

But the sensation of that child resurfaced, haunting me like a traumatizing memory, just like it did when he threw all my paintings away. That was the day he unleashed his beast again and tortured me for having a hobby I wanted to turn into passion. Now two years later, we're here and I know the history is supposed to repeat itself.

"I don't want to marry Matteo; that's it." I finally admitted, my words tumbling over each other.

"And who would even marry a slut like you?" Lorenzo raised his voice again,

"You should be grateful that Matteo even decided to take you as his wife."

I've never in my life done such a thing to be called by such disgraceful words. Yet here is my so-called 'family,' portraying a disgusting image of me like always. I don't even know what they know, except for the fact that I was meeting Niko right now. How much did Eliana even tell them? I collapsed to the floor, pleading for my life.

"All I'm asking is to let me make this one decision for myself; that's it. And that decision is not marrying that man, so please stop this torture, Father," I begged.

It was like Pietro Sinclair heard nothing as he grabbed me by my hair and started dragging me upstairs.

"You think marrying you into such a noble family is torture?" He shouted, "Now I'll show you what torture is, you insolent little wretch."

The whole time I kept begging for mercy as he continued to drag me by my hair until we reached the room I dread the most at the corner of the hallway. The room where I used to be locked for hours as a form of punishment for my 'bad behavior' as a child. I even refused to look in the direction of this hallway since it traumatized me so much. But here I am, meeting my past demons again.

Once again my father struck me for the last time, leaving me crumpled on the floor of this dark room. I could feel the metallic taste of blood in my mouth, thick and bitter as I struggled to breathe.

"I don't care if you die here, but you'll leave this room on the day of your wedding. You are so worthless that even Matteo wouldn't have accepted you if it wasn't for me. You're not worthy of anything without my name, Aurora, and you never will be," he spat.

The darkness filled the room as soon as he closed the door behind him. My heart ached as I cried my heart out, swallowed by the suffocating darkness of this room. His words kept ringing in my ears about how worthless I was. Even my brother's words were haunting me. Was asking for a chance to make my own decision too much? Would they even care if I die?

Time never stopped as I continued to cry for hours, slowly trying to accept my fate. Each passing minute was making me realize how I don't want to live anymore. My father would be happier if I died than if I were to live as his disgraceful daughter. My tears were endless, just like my thoughts. I never thought I could cry this much, but I am.

A commotion outside the door brought me back to this cold, empty room from my suicidal thoughts. I curled myself into a corner, unable to breathe as the door slowly opened.

"Aurora," Eliana covered her mouth as a sob left her mouth. She ran across the room and knelt before me, gently brushing my disheveled hair away from my face.

"You snitched on me." I wasn't sure if I was trembling with anger or cold. "I didn't; I would never do that to you," she said. I looked up, my eyes filled with rage but that's when I noticed her swollen cheek.

It all finally started making sense. It wasn't her; it was me who was not careful enough. It was me who was stupid enough to think my sister would snitch on me when she knew our father.

"It was your husband Viktor, wasn't it?" I asked, and her silence was the answer. "Don't you dare defend him now, Eliana? Don't you dare tell me to endure it for our father's sake anymore,"

The bitterness of my blood filled my mouth again. Eliana silently stared at the ground before she met my eyes again, with determination in her eyes now.

"You are right, Aurora. They will kill you if you stay here even after you follow our father's order. And yes, Viktor did see you at the golf club with him yesterday, and he was the one who told Lorenzo everything. But I'm equally to be blamed; I had to tell him that you like Nikolas and not Matteo. I had to tell him the truth, all of this happened because of me."

I interrupted her, "You were forced to Eliana. You were beaten by your husband for that information. It's not your fault he's a bastard that wanted something from father."

"Still, it's my fault because everything started when I married him. I can't let you live a life like that. I was too scared to take any action, but you're very brave, Aurora. You're going to take your life into your hands no matter what happens. Don't let these bastards control you." She grabbed my hands tightly.

"How am I going to do that? Pietro Sinclair will remain true to his words and break my legs if I step out," I told her about what he said earlier.

"Not if you run away. It's the middle of the night, and the staff is not on duty since they don't want this news to spread between servants and guards. Although his men are standing at the house gate and main gate, you can escape through the headquarters for servants upstairs. There is a fire exit that leads to the backside of the mansion so you can avoid cameras and guards. All you have to do is climb the wall and run." Her suggestion made me look at the open door behind her.

This was my last chance, and I can finally escape. I can either choose to give up or risk my life once more. Eliana must have noticed my hesitation as she grabbed my hands tighter than before, and then she slipped something into my hands. It was my burner phone, which she hid from everyone. I looked back at her with tears in my eyes; my heart ached to see her this desperate.

"Aurora, don't worry about me; I'll be fine. But I can't let both of us die, so please, you have to survive for my sake as well. Just run away as far as you can and call Nikolas. I will handle the situation here so don't worry about me. You can't escape from this family, but you can at least protect yourself." She was begging me, but the thought of leaving her behind was terrifying.

Just then, I heard a door closing downstairs, and I couldn't help but jump. Whoever it was must be making their way upstairs, so I don't have much time, and I have to make a decision right now. If I leave right now, they will kill my sister, and if I don't leave right now, we both are going to die slowly. All I have to do is choose my poison.

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