Chapter 32: A Life I Don't Want
I wasn't scared of them anymore.
I wasn't scared of the punishments.Or the control.Or the bruises that faded too fast to matter.
Because what was the point?
What was the point of fearing pain when I already felt dead inside?
The Slow Disappearance
I stopped fighting weeks ago.
Stopped resisting.Stopped pretending that I could change anything.
The days stretched long and empty.
I ate when they told me to.I moved when they ordered.I sat in silence as they spoke about my body like it wasn't mine.
But I wasn't really here.
I wasn't really anywhere.
Adrian's Breaking Point
Adrian was the first to snap.
"You're seriously still doing this?" he scoffed one night, watching me with genuine irritation.
I didn't respond.
I hadn't responded in days.
He exhaled sharply, rubbing his jaw. "You're so fucking boring now, sweetheart."
I just blinked at him.
That made it worse.
"Say something," he growled, stepping closer.
Nothing.
His hand suddenly grabbed my chin, forcing me to look at him.
But I wasn't really looking.
Just… staring past him.
Adrian's storm-gray eyes flickered with something new.
Not amusement.
Not even frustration.
Something else.
Something like… unease.
Because for the first time, he realized I wasn't faking it.
This wasn't a game.
I was really gone.
Leo's Control Tightens
Leo's patience ran out next.
"You're not a corpse," he snapped one morning, gripping my wrist tighter than necessary.
I barely blinked at him.
He sighed sharply. "You're carrying something inside you. That means you take care of yourself."
I tilted my head slightly.
"Just until I'm not needed anymore."
The words left my lips before I could stop them.
And the room went silent.
Leo's icy-blue gaze darkened instantly.
Adrian—for once—didn't have a response.
And then, from the other side of the room, Nico spoke.
"…Explain."
The Words That Changed Everything
I turned toward Nico slowly.
He was watching me like always.
But this time, his expression was unreadable.
I exhaled softly.
And then, for the first time in weeks, I spoke freely.
"I don't care what happens to me after."
Silence.
"Once I give birth, I don't care if I disappear."
Still, none of them spoke.
So I pushed further.
"I hope I do."
The words hung in the air, suffocating, heavy.
Leo's jaw clenched.
Adrian's smirk was completely gone.
And Nico?
Nico just kept watching.
Like he was dissecting me.Like he was trying to figure out if I was serious.
I was.
I meant every single word.
And now, they all knew it.