Chapter 127 Listening To Her
Chapter 127 Listening To Her
Danika's Pov
The familiar barrage of her entitled voice used to make me burst into tears, apologizing frantically for things I hadn't done. But today, hearing her tone only made me annoyed.
I closed my eyes for a moment, then toon a deep breath and reopened them, "What do you want, and why are you calling me?"
A sharp, dramatic scoff echoed from the speaker. I could practically picture her features twisting into that ugly, condescending sneer she always reserved for me.
"What do I want?" she mimicked, her tone dripping with disbelief. "It seems you’ve forgotten about the respect we instilled in you, you ungrateful girl. Is this how you speak to your mother? After everything I have sacrificed for you? You disappear, you change your life, and the moment I reach out, you treat me like a stranger on the street?"
"You are a stranger," I said, "And you didn't instill respect, Mother. You instilled fear. There is a difference. Now, tell me why you are calling, or I will hang up again, and this time, I will block the number permanently."
Behind me, I heard Lysander let out a low, breathy exhale, a mix of surprise and quiet pride. His hand squeezed my waist gently.
On the other end of the line, a heavy, tense silence stretched out. My mother wasn't used to me fighting back. She was used to my obedience. When she spoke again, she forcibly shifted her tone, brushing off my defiance as if it were nothing more than a child throwing a minor tantrum.
"That is beside the point," she said briskly, her voice sharp and business-like. "We don't have time for your theatrics, Danika. Natalie called us. She told us everything. She said you had gotten married."
Of course. "I am married, but what does that have to do with you? You made it clear that you didn't want anything to have to do with me back then. Why the change of heart now?"
"What does it have to do with us?" My mother laughed, a harsh, grating sound that lacked any genuine mirth. "Everything, Danika. You have always been selfish, but this is a new low, even for you. You went behind our backs and tied yourself to a man of that stature? Natalie explained it all. You seduced a man who belongs in a completely different world, a man who could elevate our family, who could give Natalie the life she truly deserves."
I stared blankly at the wall ahead of me, a dark, cynical humor bubbling up in my chest. Of course. It was never about my well-being. It was never about whether I was happy, safe, or loved. It was always about what could be extracted from me to benefit Natalie and the family name.
"Get to the point and stop beating around the bush
I don't have time for any of these things that you're saying," I demanded, the disgust raw in my tone. I knew my voice was probably shaking, but at this point, I didn't care anymore. I simply wanted to get this over with.
“You…!” My mother stammered, shock filling her voice. Apart from the day I ran away and defied her, I had never spoken to her like this before. The day I ran away, she had said wanted nothing to do with me and would never care about me even if I was going to die.
“You stole Natalie's man, aren't you ashamed of yourself?!”
“I stole Natalie's man?” I asked, dumfounded. I had to glance at Lysander for a moment, “Do you mean Lysander or Jared? Because I'm confused.”
“Don't act smart with me you dirty girl! Lysander Ashworth, he was supposed to get married to Natalie and not you. How could you do something like that? Aren't you ashamed of yourself?!”
“Wait, are you trying to tell me that I stole Lysander from Natalie? Lysander?” I repeated to make sure I was hearing correctly, “Did she tell you that?”
“It doesn't matter what she told me, all that matters is what you did! Return him back to her and come back here right now! They need to get married so she can finally live a good life. You know how much she's suffered all these years.”
A bitter laugh escaped my throat before I could even stop it. The sheer absurdity of everything coming out of my mother's mouth was mind-blowing. I looked up at Lysander, who was still standing right behind me. His jaw was clenched so tightly that a muscle jumped in his cheek, his dark eyes fixed on the phone in my hand. If looks could kill, the device would have burst into flames right then.
"Are you actually listening to yourself right now?"