Chapter 12%
Nick’s annoyed voice came through the line fast and sharp
“Aria, I’m giving you a chance here. I know you’re just throwing a tantrum–waiting for me to lower my pride and make the first move. Well, here it is. Come back, take care of Jayden and I swear I won’t see Valentina again.”)
I let out a bitter laugh.
“You Ambroses are all the same–so damn full of yourselves. I’m not coming back. Figure it out on your own
And with that, I hung up!!
After I left the Ambrose estate yesterday. I flew straight to my hometown.
It’s a small city–nothing flashy–but it held the happiest memories of my life.
I’d been paying the landlord.
A lot had changed in the five years I’d been gone. But thankfully, the apartment I used to rent was still there. I’d b to keep it for me all these years, just in case I ever needed it
He’d even cleaned it up and kept it in perfect condition. When I arrived, everything was spotless, like it had been waiting for me all along! I dropped my luggage and was about to lie down for a nap when I heard a knock at the door
It was my landlord–an old man in his early sixties, everyone around here calls him Mr. Walker, He had always treated me kindly, ever since he found out I reminded him of his late granddaughter.
“Aria, you’re back,” Mr. Walker said with a worm smile, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. “I’ve missed you a lot these past years“.
I smiled back and handed him a small, elegant box from my suitcase.
“I brought you something from the city. Open it–I hope you like it.“X
He looked stunned and moved, carefully unwrapping the box Inside was a designer watch–sleek and modern
I’d spent years saving up bits of spending money to buy that watch, I knew Mr. Walker loved watches and he’d looked after me like family ever since Mom passed. I wanted to give him something special.
He hold it like it was treasure, but I could tell he thought it was too much. Eventually, he tried to give it back,
“I can’t take it. This is too expensive, Aria. I don’t need anything fancy. You should keep your money for yourself. Don’t waste it on an old man who doesn’t have many years left.”
I frowned, annoyed.
“Don’t say grim stuff like that, Mr. Walker. You’re going to live to a hundred. This watch suits you perfectly. Take it, I insist or I’ll get mad.”
I pushed it back into his hands and playfully shoved him toward the door, pretending to be irritated. “Go on, get out of here, I need to rest.” Once he was gone, peace settled over the room again. I lay down on the bed and pulled out a bracelet to examine more closely. It had belonged to my mom.X
Her early years were anything but kind. She was born into a poor family that favored sons over daughters. Her own relatives kept her under constant pressure and treated her like she didn’t matter. Before she even hit thirteen, they shoved her out into the world to work. The money she made with her own two hands was never hers. Every single cent went straight to her parents, who funneled it to her brother- because, in their eyes, only he was worth investing in
For five long years, she labored endlessly. And in all that time, she never owned a single piece of new clothing. Not one. Everything she wore was secondhand, castoffs from others, worn thin by time and use before they ever touched her skin.
When she finally got older, she was starving–for affection, for validation, for someone to see her. That made her vulnerable. And my father… he saw that. He lured her in with sweet talk and big promises–whispers of a better life, of love, of happiness. She believed him. She wanted to believe so badly that she stopped into murrlage with hope in her heart
But it didn’t take long for the mask to slip
After the wedding, my father changed. Just like that. The kindness disappeared, replaced by cigarettes, alcohol and a gambling habit that drained what little they had. And when he drank–he got mean. Violent
He hit her. Not just once. It became a pattem, like some twisted ritual.
When she was pregnant with me, he got so angry one night that he kicked her–hard enough to almost end the pregnancy.
