Chapter 33 Celine would have known..

Chapter 33 Celine would have known..
Lilith’s POV
I watched silently as Jayden pulled out of the driveway and began to drive us home. I thought escaping narrowly was supposed to be a thing of joy, but seeing his face, I knew it meant the opposite.
Jayden’s hands were gripped so tightly around the steering wheel that his knuckles were white. The silence grew thicker with each breath, till I was unable to bear it.
"Jayden?" I whispered, the sound of my own voice small. "Is everything okay? You seem... angry."
He didn't answer immediately. Instead, he took a moment as if he was trying to tone his anger down.
"Is everything okay?" he repeated, mocking my tone with a cruel edge. "You almost blew the entire project over a bowl of pudding, Lilith. You stood there like a deer in headlights, trembling like a child, while Mr. Lark took notes on every single one of your hesitations."
"I told you, I’m allergic," I said, my voice rising as I tried to defend myself. "I was trying to find a way out without making it obvious. I was going to eat it, Jayden. I was literally seconds away from risking my life just to keep your lie alive."
"And that is exactly the problem!" he yelled, making me flinch away from him. "You are incompetent! You had three days to study. Three whole days to prepare and it never occurred to you to check the dietary habits of the woman you are being paid to be? Did you think this was a game? A dress-up party where you could just wing it?"
“I was in a bad spot and I didn’t know what to do!” I snapped, unable to wrap my head around the fact that he was blaming me for having an allergy. “Last time I checked, we can’t control what we are allergic to.”
“But how didn’t you know Celine liked it!” He spat. “This is your job. I expect no loose ends.”
"How was I supposed to know?" I cried out, my frustration boiling over. "The files you gave me didn't mention her favorite dessert! And what could I have done?”
"Celine would have known," he hissed, his eyes fixed on the road with cold eyes. "Celine would have laughed in his face, made a joke about his chef’s poor taste, and moved on. She wouldn't have stood there shaking like a leaf, looking like an impostor waiting to be caught. You were supposed to be her, Lilith. But tonight, you were just a pathetic girl from the slums who couldn't even handle a dinner party."
The words hit me harder than I could have ever imagined. I felt the sting of tears prickling the corners of my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. He clearly would never have settled for me if not for the disappearance of Celine. I was always the second choice and even then, I was still hated.
"I am doing my best," I said, my voice trembling as I tried to hold on to my emotions. "I am living in a house I don't belong in and living the life of someone who isn’t me and I am doing it all for Ariel. You have no right to call me incompetent when I am clearly trying my best.”
"You are the reason it almost collapsed tonight," he countered, his tone cold as if we were strangers. "Do you realize how much is at stake? The Lark partnership is the key to everything I’ve been building for years. And you almost threw it away because you couldn't handle a simple allergy. Celine was a lot of things. She was greedy, manipulative, and cruel, but she was never weak. She was a professional but you? You’re just a liability."
My lips trembled as I turned my head away and stared through the window. The comparison to Celine felt like a poison. He didn't see me. He didn't care that I had spent the night in a state of absolute terror, or that I had been willing to risk my life to please him. To him, I was just a project he had to keep eyes on.
"I am not her," I whispered, so quietly I wasn't sure he could hear me.
"Clearly," he snapped, not missing a beat. "And that is exactly what I am paying to fix. If you ever put this mission in jeopardy again because of your limitations, I will find someone who won't. And you know exactly what that means for your sister."
The mention of Ariel was the final straw. My heart ached painfully, reminding me of the very night Poppy had turned his back on me and married his best friend. I was just a tool for everyone.
I stayed silent for the rest of the drive, with my pain gnawing at my heart. The rest of the ride was silent but I didn’t pay it any mind. I cried quietly for the life I’ve been forced to live. Why do I have to suffer this much?
When the car finally pulled into the estate, I didn't wait for him to open the door. I scrambled out of the car and ran inside the house, looking for an opportunity to let my pains out. Jayden didn’t try to stop me either, which was even better.
I didn't head for our room because it was the worst place to be in. Instead, I headed for Ariel’s. I needed to see her to remind myself why I was enduring this nightmare.
I got into her room and quietly shut the door before crumbling to the floor in despair. As I watched Ariel’s sleeping form, the first tear finally escaped, rolling hot down my tired cheek.
Jayden hated me and all he wanted was Celine, who was a perfect match for his mission and it seemed as though the harder I tried to fit in, the more damage I did.
I heard a door open and I knew immediately it was Jayden entering his room. As I heard the door shut without a care for my whereabouts, I cried bitterly.