The Abandoned and Terminally Ill Lady Married a Monster - Chapter 26
Chapter 26
Despite her usual cruelty, Lizzy was still only thirteen. The shock of my fall and my injured arm had clearly shaken her.
She stammered as she tried to defend me. Lane, on the other hand… To think the day would come when I’d call Lizzy compassionate.
Despite being twins, Lizzy possessed more reason, or perhaps empathy. Lane simply watched the scene unfold with amusement. It sent chills down my spine.
Mother and Father glared at me. Even with my broken arm, their expressions remained unchanged. I longed for even a sliver of affection in this house. Would that day ever come? They say shock can prevent tears. That was true.
“Lizzy, Lane. Leave us for a moment.”
‘I…’
I hadn’t expected much from Lane’s supposed intervention, but I’d still held a flicker of hope. A hope that my parents’ misunderstanding would clear, that for once, they’d praise me, tell me I’d done well. Or at least ask if I was hurt.
“Your father and I have discussed this. One more incident like this, and you’re out of this house. Stealing your sister’s pendant wasn’t enough; now you’re making a spectacle of yourself in front of them.”
My injury was a spectacle. Lizzy’s was a tragedy. I laughed inwardly. It was all I could do. Lizzy hesitated, then left with Lane. Stern faces loomed over me as I sat on the bed. Disapproval, contempt, and pity filled their eyes.
“Lizzy has the Academy entrance party tomorrow, and you’ve marred her beautiful face. What are you going to do about this?”
“Tomorrow is the first gathering of the Academy’s new students. You’ve certainly made a mess of things.”
“First the pendant, now a facial injury. What will you do next? You’re incorrigible!”
Mother, Grandmother, and Father spoke in turn, each word a lash. Their unified condemnation led me to the familiar question: ‘Was it my fault?’
For not refusing the twins’ demands more forcefully? For being clumsy and falling? Or was it simply my fault… for being born?
My arm throbbed, my palms were scraped raw. Bandages covered my injuries, yet no one asked if I was in pain. It was cruel.
‘Perhaps the cruelest thing is that I still don’t want to leave.’
Once again, the blame circled back to me.
“You can afford to be injured since you’re confined to the house, but Lizzy has to face the world. You have no conscience.”
Grandmother accused me of lacking a conscience. Conscience? What conscience did she expect to find in me? The kind that demanded I weep and beg, regardless of the circumstances? Usually, I would, but now, I was numb, unable to speak.
“You left the cottage despite being confined, and caused this incident. You are forbidden from setting foot in the main house. That is your punishment. If this happens again, there will be no more warnings. You’ll be expelled.”
Father’s heavy voice settled over me. Indefinite confinement to the gardener’s cottage. That was my sentence. Imprisoned without a release date.
Father left first, followed by Grandmother, who clicked her tongue in disapproval. Mother stared at me silently before finally speaking.
“I did my best to keep you here. I showed you leniency because you’re my daughter, but you continue to disappoint me.”
Mother’s lips were pressed into a thin line. I stared blankly, then whispered, “Mother, I…”
I didn’t know what to say. My numb mind simply yearned to call out to her.
“Mother, I…”
“Heed your father’s final warning. I can’t offer you any more chances. You’re taking your medicine, aren’t you? Focus on getting better.”
If this was her leniency, I’d rather she hadn’t bothered. A deep despair washed over me. I felt adrift, unsure if this was reality or a nightmare. It was like being submerged in a pool of dark ink. I couldn’t breathe.
From the depths of that darkness, desperate for a lifeline, I called out to her again, a final, desperate plea.
“Mother, what if I had… abilities…?”
Would you finally see me as your daughter then? The words remained unspoken.
Mother’s wrinkles deepened around her eyes, her face twisting with displeasure. “Stop with this nonsense. I don’t even want to hear about abilities.”
“But… Mother,” I pleaded, rising from my seat to reach for her. She recoiled, lips trembling as if in disgust, and coldly swatted my hand away.
“Do you want to be examined again? Even if they discover you have some late-blooming ability, the world will only call you a mutant. And if the results are the same—that you have no ability—the whole world will call you an imbecile.”
Mutant and imbecile. Someone whose ability manifested this late was usually considered defective, a mutant. And imbecile… yes, that was a label reserved for people like me.
I couldn’t argue. No, I didn’t have the strength to. I remained silent.
“There are already enough whispers about it. It’s sickening. What good would another examination do? If you want to add fuel to the fire, to confirm the rumors that your mother’s foolishness produced a flawed daughter, then go ahead.”
Her furious gaze was a physical blow. I couldn’t speak, couldn’t explain. I let her leave, the chance to talk about my ability lost. ‘I can’t bear this anymore, Mother…’
