Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me , But Where Is Your Love ? Her whole body stiffened .
It was like a bucket of ice water had been dumped over her , soaking her to the bone .
She had thought no matter how cold this family was , they wouldnt ignore her pain .
But she had been wrong .
They didnt just ignore it .
They accused her of faking it .
At that moment , exhaustion crushed her completely She didnt want to argue anymore .
There was no point .
Think whatever you want .
Finished She straightened her back , blinking rapidly to stop her tears from falling .
She refused to show weakness in front of these people .
Then she turned and walked toward the storage room .
Stop right there ! Elliot shot to his feet , his voice booming with anger .
His face was still twisted in contempt .
Lauren paused but didnt turn around .
She simply looked at him over her shoulder , her eyes frozen solid .
Under that gaze , Elliots chest tightened .
His mind went blank .
He forgot what he had even wanted to say ..
Lauren stared at them for a long time .
Long enough that the whole family began to feel unsettled , a prickling discomfort crawling over their skin ..
Then she turned away and kept walking Willow clutched Alices arm , her voice trembling .
Mom , did you see her eyes just now ? They were terrifying .
Alice patted Willows Hand reassuringly .
But in truth , she had felt it too that chilling sense of finality, like Lauren was ready to drag them all down with her .
Shes changed so much in the last five years , Alice murmured .
David scoffed .
No manners at all .
Shes nothing like Willow .
If I had known shed turn out like this , I wouldnt have had her in the first place .
Alice sighed .
Enough .
Shes still a girl .
Dont say such harsh things its bad for her pride .
Davids patience snapped .
His roar echoed through the dining room , so loud that even Lauren , already in the storage room , could hear it clearly ..
Im her father ! Why the hell should I care about her pride ? Shes been spoiled for too long thats why she acts like this ! If we had put her in her place from the start , she wouldnt be so out of control now ! Just let it go .
The argument dragged on .
Eventually , the house fell silent again .
Lauren sat on the floor , leaning against the door .
2:41 Þum c Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me , But Where Is Your Love ? The room was pitch dark .
She hugged herself , burying her face against her knees .
And finally , finally , she let the tears fall .
They soaked into her clothes , but they couldnt wash away the pain in her heart .
Finished When she first came to this house , she had been filled with hope .
She had imagined it would be her safe haven , a warm home .
Instead , it had become a cold , inescapable prison one that had torn her apart piece by piece .
Every wound , every scar , every moment of suffering she had endured … was all because of these so called family members .
She didnt know how long she cried .
At some point , her sobs grew weaker .
She crawled onto the bed , staring blankly at the dark ceiling .
Tears kept falling , slipping silently down her temples .
Eventually , exhaustion overtook her , and she drifted into a restless sleep .
But even in her dreams , there was no peace .
The nightmare swallowed her whole dark , suffocating , filled with echoes of the past .
In the dream , she was back in prison .
She could feel the blows landing on her , hear the cruel laughter , taste the blood in her mouth .
She twisted and thrashed on the bed , her face contorted in terror .
Her voice was hoarse , barely above a whisper- Help me .
Mom Mom , please save me … The words were filled with pure fear and despair .
Like she was back in that endless nightmare , trapped with no way qut .
Then , a gentle , wrinkled hand rested on her back , patting her rhythmically A warm , comforting voice murmured .
Dont be afraid ..
Im here .
Im here … The voice was old but full of tenderness .
Like a small light piercing through the darkness , trying to chase away her fears .
In her sleep .
Lauren instinctively curled toward the warmth , her tense body slowly relaxing .
The cries faded from her lips .
The storage room door was slightly open .
The soft glow from the hallway spilled in , revealing the person sitting beside Laurens bed .
It wasnt Alice .
It was Marilyn .
She sighed quietly , her face full of sorrow .
But there was nothing she could do .
She was just a servant .
She had no power in this house .
Chapter 23 You Say You Love Me , But Where is Your Love ? The only thing she could do ..
was take care of Miss Lauren however she could .
at Lauren woke up , staring at the ceiling in a daze .
For a moment , she couldnt tell what was real and what wasnt .
Had she dreamed that Alice held her , comforting her ? Lauren let out a bitter laugh She must have lost her mind .
What a ridiculous fantasy .
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