Chapter 34 You look like a mess..

Chapter 34 You look like a mess..
Lilith’s POV
I huddled in the armchair by Ariel's bed, pulling my knees to my chest as I cried my eyes out.
Since Ariel was already deep asleep, the only sound in the room was the constant beep of the monitor and her soft and even breathing. The last thing I wanted was to disturb her so I quietly sat in the corner as my body shook with silent, bitter sobs.
Every word Jayden had spat at me in the car played over and over again in my head.
He called me incompetent, a liability, and a girl from the slums.
I was constantly being shamed for not being up to Celine’s standard. I was shamed for not being good enough and now for having an allergy that I had no control over. He didn’t care that I risked my life.
This wasn’t just about Jayden. It was about the burdens that I’ve had to carry at a very tender age. And no matter how hard I tried to make things work, it only got worse.
"I'm sorry, Ariel," I whispered into the darkness as I stared at her sleeping form. "I'm so sorry you're stuck with a sister who is just a liability."
For the rest of the night, I barely got any sleep. I cried till I was drained and then I just stared on in a daze as I waited for my misery to end. By morning, my eyes were all red and puffy from crying so hard.
I held my breath as I watched Jayden’s shadow pass the door to Ariel’s room. I waited for him to knock, or to barge in and throw more insults at me, but the footsteps never stopped. I waited till I heard the roar of his car engine but even then, I didn’t move. I waited for some more minutes to make sure he was truly out of the house.
Only then did I move.
I retreated to my own room in order not to disturb Ariel before stripping off my stained dress and taking a cold shower. I spent the rest of the day in a state of hibernation, lying in bed and staring at the ceiling with dry thoughts.
I didn't eat and I didn't answer the door when a maid knocked to ask if I wanted breakfast. By the time afternoon came, the silence was unbearable so I went back to Ariel.
When I entered her room, I relaxed immediately as her warm smile reached me. She was the only one who never said mean things to me.
"You look tired, sissy," Ariel said as I sat beside her, helping her with a puzzle I had found in the library a few days back.
The fact that she was getting better warmed my heart immensely.
"Just a long night, pumpkin," I lied, forcing a smile to convince her because she was a very smart girl.
Thankfully, she didn’t push the issue because she was too wrapped up in the puzzle she was trying to solve.
We spent the next hours talking about the things we used to do before she got sick. We talked about our apartment and she once again asked about Ravenna but I lied about her being very busy with work.
As I kept her company, I was able to let out a few laughs, which helped to improve my mood. Her assigned nurses came to check up on her and give her the necessary medications, which went smoothly.
For a moment, I forgot about Jayden.
Until evening came and Ariel’s door burst open.
Jayden appeared at the entrance with his eyes as cold as ever. He didn’t care about what happened last night, neither did he care about how I felt.
When our eyes met, we stared at each other for some seconds before a voice interrupted us.
“Welcome home, grumpy,” Ariel said, making my eyes widen slightly.
“Hey, don’t call him that,” I quickly corrected.
“But sissy, he always frowns,” Ariel said with a childish chuckle, clearly oblivious to the tension in the room.
I threw a worried glance at Jayden’s way but surprisingly, he didn’t seem to be offended by Ariel’s words. Instead, his eyes held a bit of fondness as he glanced her way but when our eyes met a moment later, they were cold again.
“What do you want?” I snapped.
"You have two hours," he said, his voice as cold as always. "There is a gala for the city's redevelopment project tonight. The Larks will be there, and so will the press. You need to be perfect."
I couldn’t believe my ears. I wasn’t healed from last night’s experience and now this?
"Another event?" I asked, my voice flat.
"A bigger one," Jayden replied, his eyes narrowing as he scanned my face for any sign of rebellion. "The stylists are already on their way so you better be on your best behavior," he said before turning to leave.
I thought he was done but before closing the door, his voice reached me once more. “And for God's sake, Lilith, cover those eyes. You look like a mess.”