Chapter 71 - NO CHOICE IN THE MATTER

SIENNA.

I couldn’t help but stare at him in confusion, my eyebrows binding in a silent question. Why would he delay his work when there were pressing matters to attend to?

“Oh, I see. You need a little excitement before you head out,” I said, a teasing grin playing on my lips as I attempted to lighten the mood.

He chuckled softly, but there was this seriousness in his eyes that contradicted his amusement.

“You bet I do, but that’s not what I wanted to discuss with you,” he replied, his voice taking on a more somber tone as he shifted the conversation to a more serious topic.

His unexpected shift in demeanor caught me off guard, and I found myself leaning in slightly, eager to hear what he had to say. There was this sincerity in his words that called for my attention.

I shot him a curious look, silently asking for more details. I was both nervous and intrigued, wondering what was going on in his head.

He inhaled deeply, his gaze meeting mine with a determined intensity that made me shudder.

“It’s about something important,” he said. “It’s about you,”

His words made me feel sick to my stomach, scared and unsure about what he meant. There was a heaviness to his words that hung in the air between us.

“ Me? What do you mean, me?”

I finally caught him hesitating, like he was about to step into unfamiliar territory.

“Do your folks always treat you like that?” he finally asked, breaking the silence that had settled between us.

I let out a chuckle, unable to suppress a smirk.

“You noticed that, huh?” I said, giving him a playful shrug. “My mom treats me like her little doll to dress up, and my dad sees me as someone who should make significant contributions.”

He frowned slightly at my response, clearly troubled by what I had revealed.

“And you’re okay with that?” he pressed.

I sighed, realizing that he wanted to have a serious conversation. Well, if that’s what he wanted, then I was ready to oblige.

I grumbled to myself while undoing my coat, feeling increasingly annoyed. It wasn’t easy admitting to the dysfunctional dynamics of my family, but I knew that keeping it bottled up inside wasn’t doing me any favors.

“Yeah, it sucks,” I admitted, feeling defeated. “But what can I do? They’re my parents, and I love them, even if they drive me crazy sometimes. And there is Alicia’s condition. They…me…we are all worried and…”

He nodded understandingly, his expression softening as he reached out to place a comforting hand on my shoulder.

“I get it,” he said sympathetically. “Family can be complicated.”

I glanced up at him, grateful for his understanding.

“Tell me about it,” I muttered, offering him a wry smile.

We were quiet for a bit, both feeling the weight of what we had just said. But even though the topic was heavy, I felt relieved. It was nice to finally talk to someone about my home struggles, and I was thankful to have him to share with.

“Thanks for listening,” I said, offering him a small smile.

He squeezed my shoulder gently, his touch warm and reassuring.

“Anytime,” he replied, his eyes meeting mine with a look of genuine compassion. But I still didn’t know if he was doing it because he cared. And that set me on. “So, what are you planning to do now that they are here? Your mother clearly doesn't know the real reason you married me. She thinks we are in love. She even dreams of making you a wedding because she was not present when we said yes”

“Well, I was doing pretty well at keeping them at bay until you came along,” I blurted out before realizing the weight of my words, and quickly covered my mouth with my hand. “Oops, my bad. I didn’t mean it like that, I swear.”

He arched an eyebrow, his expression unreadable.

“Oh? Then what did you mean?” he asked.

I let out a nervous laugh, relieved that he didn’t seem too offended by my slip-up. Rubbing my temples, I tried to gather my thoughts despite the fog of exhaustion clouding my mind.

“I meant...things were complicated even before you entered the picture,” I explained, struggling to find the right words. “I barely talked to my dad, and it had been ages since I saw my mom. Even though she lived close by, we only spoke on the phone a couple of times a week. There was a distance between us. And Alicia’s illness struck a chord to the entire family.”

As I spoke, memories flooded back to me–moments of tension and frustration, and the constant struggle to maintain a semblance of normalcy in my fractured family. It was a reality I had become all too familiar with, one that I had been trying to navigate on my own for far too long.

Aiden nodded understandingly, his gaze softening as he listened to my words.

“Sounds rough,” he remarked sympathetically.

I sighed, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders as I finally let my guard down.

“Yeah, it’s been a challenge,” I admitted, and my voice got a little vulnerable. “But I’m trying to make the best of it, you know?”

My job didn’t bring in enough cash to cover my own expenses, let alone my sister’s medical bills. If only things had been different, maybe my life would’ve taken a brighter turn. But with the limited resources I had, I was forced to take the hard road.

“So, why do you always seem so down?” he asked suddenly, pulling me out of my reverie.

I blinked, surprised by his question.

“Um, I guess it’s just... life,” I replied with a half-hearted shrug. “You know how it is.”

He gave me a skeptical look, clearly not buying my vague answer. “Come on, spill it. What’s really bothering you?” he pressed, his eyes searching mine for any hint of the truth.

I hesitated for a moment, unsure of whether I should open up to him. He was always oblivious to my struggles, so why start caring now? But something in his earnest expression made me feel like I could trust him.

“Well, it’s just... money stuff, you know?” I admitted, feeling a weight lift off my shoulders as I finally voiced my concerns. “I’m struggling to make ends meet, and it’s taking a toll on me.”

“But now that you are married to me, you are also married with my money. It is in the contract! So why the fuss?”

That was exactly what I hated about him. Just when I believed that Alden Roberts might have a heart.

Did he seriously want to hear that? He arched an eyebrow, clearly expecting an answer. Well, he asked for it!

“Alright, since you brought it up,” I began, unable to resist the opportunity to vent. “Let me tell you straight up that if that greedy fundraising director had paid me a decent wage, I wouldn’t have to resort to selling my soul. I mean, who does he think he is, hoarding all that wealth while the rest of us struggle to get by?”

I could feel the frustration bubbling up inside me as I spoke. This injustice had been building for far too long. It sucked that I had to sacrifice my values to survive, and I was done pretending everything was okay.

He nodded in understanding, his face getting softer as he listened to my rant. But there was also some mischief in it.

“That sounds rough,” he said.

“You’re damn right it’s rough,” I replied, feeling all fired up. “But what can I do? It’s not like I have a choice in the matter, now do I?”