NovelEnglishChapter 206 Amelia stood frozen, a bitter laugh echoing in her heart at her own foolishness.
Fabian had always cared only for his son; she, his daughter, had never mattered. He wasn't worried about something happening to her he was worried that if something did, he'd lose the hefty dowry the landlord had promised.
"I'm telling you, I won't marry him! I want to finish school!" Amelia screamed, her voice raw as she glared at Fabian and Cindy.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtFabian took a drag from his cigarette, his tone dripping with contempt. "School? What's the point? Girls end up married sooner or later. What good is a degree? You'll graduate and make peanuts-barely enough to support yourself." "But that man's almost forty! I'm only eighteen!" Amelia's voice trembled. The idea of marrying, especially to a man twice her age, was unbearable.
"So what? He's loaded," Fabian shot back without missing a beat.
Amelia let out a shaky laugh, but her eyes were resolute. "If you want money for my brother's treatment, take out a bank loan or ask the family for help. But I am not getting married." Fabian exploded at her words, cursing under his breath. "A loan? Asking for money? We'd still have to pay it back! Don't be ungrateful, Amelia. The landlord's family is rich—you'll be living the good life, eating well, dressed in new clothes. You should be thankingfor this." He glared at her, greed gleaming in his eyes.
Realizing Fabian would never change his mind, Amelia turned to Cindy, her mother, desperation etched across her face. "Mom, please, I don't want to get married. Help me." Cindy hesitated, torn. Amelia was still her daughter, after all.
"Fabian, maybe we should-" Cindy started, but the look Fabian shot her made her fall silent immediately.
Cindy had always been afraid of Fabian. Now, she could only gaze at Amelia helplessly. "Amelia, the landlord's offering sixty thousand dollars, and they'll sign the house over to your brother. I know it's hard on you, but think about it. Their family has real money. You won't have to struggle anymore." "We're doing this for your own good." Amelia's face drained of color as her mother spoke. "For my own good? How can you even say that?" A hollow smile twisted her lips. "I'm a person, not something to be bought and sold. How could you treatlike a piece of property?" Tand again, they'd thrown her into the fire, but she'd always clung to a shred of hope that, maybe, they'd choose her just once. Now, even that hope was gone.
Fabian's patience snapped. "Shut up." He slapped Amelia across the face, his words venomous. "You owefor bringing you into this world. You'd better learn to be grateful." Without another word, he grabbed her by the hair, dragging her toward the storage room.
"Letout!" Amelia screamed as she heard the lock click shut, pounding on the door with both fists.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏm"Stay put," Fabian barked from the other side.
No matter how desperately she pounded, no one came.
She couldn't just sit here and wait for her fate to be decided.
Glancing at the small window above, an idea sparked. Amelia rummaged through
the clutter, tying together a few pieces of rope she found, and tossed the makeshift line out the window. They lived on the second floor. It wasn't high; she could make it.
It took every ounce of strength she had, but finally, Amelia climbed but and lowered herself to the ground below.
Once she was free, she wandered the streets alone, fear and uncertainty. pressing in She had nowhere to go, and no idea what would happen next.
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