Lilia was jolted awake by the loud bang of the door. Her eyes fluttered open, the harsh sound pulling her out of a deep sleep.
Her mother stepped inside, her figure tall and imposing, her gaze cold and unwavering. "Wake up!" she barked, her tone sharp as a whip.
Lilia blinked, the grogginess of sleep still clinging to her mind. She rubbed her eyes, trying to shake off the heaviness in her body. As she tried to sit up from the sofa, her mother didn't wait, her feet moving with purpose, her gaze never leaving her daughter. "We're going out," she announced with an air of finality.
The words hit Lilia like a punch to the stomach. Out? This was a first. Her mother had never taken her anywhere, not like this, not so suddenly. It was almost as though the earth had shifted beneath her. Lilia froze for a moment, her mind struggling to process the unexpected.
Why was her mother suddenly willing to take her out? Where were they going? And why at this hour? Her thoughts raced, her stomach tight with confusion and a growing sense of unease. There had to be a reason. But what?
Before Lilia could even gather her thoughts, Sabrina, her younger sister, was already up, jumping out of bed as if this were a normal day. She glanced at their mother, then shot a quick look at Lilia, her eyebrow raised in silent question. Sabrina was always quick to react, always the one who spoke her mind first.
"Really, Mom?" Sabrina asked, her voice a mix of disbelief and curiosity, as though she couldn't believe this was happening either.
Her mother's expression didn't change, but her tone softened slightly, a cold edge still lingering. "I'm not talking to you," she replied sharply, her eyes locking onto Lilia. "I'm talking to Lilia."
Sabrina frowned, her curiosity piqued. She wasn't about to let this mystery slide. "But, Mom, I want to go out too," she protested, her voice rising slightly, a sense of entitlement creeping in.
Her mother turned to Sabrina then, her gaze as cold as ice, unflinching. "We're going to the hospital," she said, her voice flat and emotionless. "Lilia needs to be taken there."
Lilia blinked, her confusion deepening. The hospital? She hadn't been sick, hadn't felt a single thing wrong with her health. What could this mean? Her stomach twisted in unease. What was going on?
Before she could even speak, her mother added, her voice colder than before, "You'll be getting a virginity test." The words hung in the air, thick and suffocating, like a storm cloud suddenly hanging over her. Lilia's heart sank into her stomach as disbelief washed over her. She couldn't comprehend what her mother had just said.
"Who knows if you've been sneaking off to meet him? I just caught you yesterday trying to meet with your lover boy."
Lilia's mind spun. What lover boy? The accusation hit her like a slap to the face. She hadn't done anything wrong, so why would her mother think such a thing? She hadn't sneaked off to meet anyone. She hadn't even thought of meeting anyone. The idea felt absurd, impossible. Her mother's words stung, the weight of them crushing her, and she couldn't understand where they were coming from.
Sabrina's eyes widened, surprise flickering across her face. But just as quickly, a grin tugged at the corners of her lips.
She stood up straight, clearly intrigued by the sudden drama unfolding before her, her expression a bizarre mix of shock and something else, something darker. Something that might have been excitement.
"Really?" Sabrina asked, her tone a strange blend of shock and eagerness, almost as if she were thrilled by the spectacle. She seemed more entertained than concerned, and that made Lilia's stomach churn.
Lilia's chest tightened with humiliation. The words her mother had spoken were suffocating her, but Sabrina's added question felt like another layer of weight pressing down on her.
"What happened, Mom? Who's this lover boy?" Sabrina's voice was sharp with curiosity, her earlier teasing replaced by something more direct. Yesterday, she had seen Lilia judging her with narrow eyes, and now, Lilia was apparently hiding a secret.
Her mother, seemingly pleased with Sabrina's reaction, continued, her voice cold and final. "I saw Lilia outside, near the servant quarters, standing there in her nightwear. And of course, we'll be questioning the servant to find out who she's been meeting with." Her mother's words were cutting, accusing. She didn't hesitate, as though the mere sight of Lilia standing outside in her nightclothes was enough to confirm her suspicions. "We need to find this failure she's been meeting," she added with a sneer, her gaze flickering briefly to Sabrina before turning back to Lilia. Her eyes were sharp, as though she were daring Lilia to challenge her. "It's time we find out who she's been sneaking around with."
Lilia's heart twisted in agony. How could her mother think this of her? How could she be so certain of something she hadn't done? Lilia hadn't met anyone. She hadn't sneaked around. All she had wanted was to understand what had been happening around her, to make sense of the strange events that had been plaguing her thoughts. But her mother had already made her mind up. No explanation would suffice. She was guilty before she could even speak.
And that hurt more than anything else. The woman she had once looked up to, the woman who had been her guide, her protector, now seemed to be the one twisting everything, creating a truth that didn't exist.
She wanted to speak, to explain, but the words wouldn't come. The weight of her mother's accusations pressed down on her chest, choking her. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. The silence in the room was deafening, suffocating her from all sides.
Sabrina's voice broke the silence, and Lilia's heart sank even further. "I knew it," Sabrina said, her tone a mix of triumph and mockery. "You're pretending like you don't have a lover. I must say, you're one great actress, pretending to be innocent." The smugness in Sabrina's voice was unbearable. It was as though the entire world had shifted, and now Lilia was the one under suspicion, the one under attack.
Lilia's blood boiled, a wave of anger rising within her. She clenched her fists at her sides, but the words caught in her throat. What was so great about this? What was great about being dragged into something so humiliating, so degrading? Was Sabrina really thrilled about her sister being put under the microscope like this? Was this a game to her? A sick joke?
"And, Mom," Sabrina added, a gleam of mischief in her eyes, "this is actually great. Can I come too?" Her words were dripping with sarcasm, and Lilia felt like she was drowning in it.
Great, did her sister just say great?
Her mother's expression didn't change. If anything, it grew colder. "If you want to come," she said coolly, "your father would like you to take the virginity test as well." Her words were detached, as though they were discussing something trivial. "It's only fair."
Sabrina's face paled slightly, and her smile faltered, but only for a moment. "Haha," she laughed nervously, her earlier bravado slipping. "I forgot we have the Masquerade to attend tonight. I need to go for self-care today. I won't be coming with you, hehe."
Her mother's face softened slightly, a small approving smile curling at her lips. "That's my girl. Go freshen up, both of you," she said, her voice returning to its usual cold tone. "The fashionista will be here in five hours to prepare you for the masquerade tonight." Her words were clipped, final. "You better go to your room and take a bath, or you won't be going at all."
Lilia was still reeling from the shock of everything that had just been said. Her mother had made it abundantly clear: she had no say in the matter. Her life, her body, her dignity—none of it mattered. She was just another pawn in her mother's eyes, a thing to be scrutinized, to be examined, and to be tested.
Sabrina, on the other hand, was already moving, eager to comply with her mother's orders. Lilia just stared at her sister for a moment, her legs shaky and her mind in a fog, before she pushed herself out of the sofa. She had no choice. Her life was not her own. It never had been, not really. She wanted to scream, to shout, but she knew it wouldn't do any good.
With slow, deliberate steps, Lilia moved toward the door, her eyes still on her mother, who was now speaking to Sabrina in hushed tones, a private conversation, one that Lilia was no longer a part of. It felt like she was an intruder in her own home, a stranger in a place that should have been her sanctuary.
Just as she reached for the doorknob, she heard Sabrina's voice, quiet and cutting, from behind her. "What if Lilia's not a virgin?"
The question hung in the air like a knife, and Lilia felt it pierce her to the core.