[Celestine's POV]
I looked at Amelia sleeping peacefully on my bed. She looked like a little angel. Her hair fell on her forehead, her closed eyes without any worry, and her hands and legs which took more than half of the bed. It will be a constant surprise to me how can someone so tiny take up so much space.
I chuckled.
"Miss Celestine" I heard Anne say.
"Yes, Anne."
"The lady has been calling you" she said looking down at the carpet. Anne's voice wavered, betraying the emotions she felt for me. She didn't know me well, but the burden of her mother's demands weighed heavily on her. She felt torn, a strange mix of pity and sorrow for me, knowing my history with the man who now loomed over both our lives. It wasn't quite empathy or sympathy, but something caught between. She wished she could offer more than just these perfunctory messages but felt powerless in the face of the dark past that bound us.
I smiled and nodded at her.
She hesitated for a moment, then gave a small curtsey and left the room. The door closed softly behind her, leaving me alone with my thoughts and the soft, rhythmic breathing of Amelia.
My heart sank as I considered the inevitable conversation waiting for me. Mother's calls were always laden with veiled threats and manipulative undertones, especially since the announcement of my engagement.
Why now? Why after all these years had he decided that I, of all people, was to be his toy again? It was a cruel twist of fate that I could barely comprehend. My fingers tightened around the edge of the bed as I fought to control the wave of anger and frustration rising within me.
Mother, of course, was thrilled. She saw it as a brilliant match, an elevation of our family's status to heights previously unimaginable. She cared nothing for my feelings or the trauma I had endured because of this man. To her, I and Amelia were merely a pawn in her game of power and prestige.
Why Tom? Why?
Tears unleashed through my eyes. It hurt me so much. It hurt like hell.
I sniffed back my tears and looked in the mirror.
A weak girl, with a pale face and tear-stained eyes stood there. A girl who tried to become strong stood there. A girl who promised to be a good mother stood there. A girl who failed in every aspect of her life stood there.
"I am pathetic" I said looking in the mirror. I fell on my knees. My eyes had become dry, and it was an uncomfortable dryness. It was a dryness which signified the hopelessness. It was a dryness that was harnessed whenever I was in trouble.
"I wish I could just-" I could not complete my sentence.
I do not want to die. I do not. I cannot die. It is for Amelia. No, it is for me. I would not hesitate to die for my daughter, but I would not die just like that. I will not. I refuse to die.
If to live means getting engaged to you Tom, I will. I will marry you just so that I can breathe air through these nostrils of mine. Just so that I can feel my heartbeat. Just so that I can see my, Amelia growing.
I turned and walked to the window, feeling the cool glass against my fingertips. The garden below, vibrant and full of life, seemed like a distant world, so different from the oppressive atmosphere that hung over me.
Every fibre of my being rebelled against the fate that was being forced upon me, yet I knew I had to do this. Just to live. I straightened my shoulders, feeling a renewed sense of determination. The battle for my freedom was far from over, but I was ready to fight. For myself. For Amelia. For the life I dreamed of.
I heard a knock again at the door. Anne came in and said in a soft yet firm voice "The lady requires you to come immediately Miss Celestine."
I nodded at her and followed her to my mother's room.
Mother was standing beside the window with a glass of red wine in her hand.
"You may go Anne".
Anne went outside and closed the door.
"Take a seat Celestine" Mother said while taking a seat opposite to me. I nodded and obliged.
"The day after tomorrow is your engagement" she asserted.
I was given no choice.
"Are you not going to say anything?" mother asked.
"No, mother".
"I believe that would mean you have no objections to this wedding?"
"Even if I had would this matter to you?"
Mother remained silent.
I looked at her with a smile that did not reach my soul.
"You must pick your dress for the engagement tomorrow" she said looking at her glass.
"I understand. Will I be going with Anne?"
"No, the dark lord will accompany you. He would like to spend his entire day with you tomorrow."
"Why?" I looked at Mother with surprise.
"He believes you both have a lot to catch up on."
I was still surprised. I did not respond to my mother.
"You may show yourself out Celestine," Mother said.
I got up to leave.
As I was turning the knob of the door, I heard Mother "I hope you do not mess this up, Celestine."