Chapter 58: Chained to the past
Yeri finally reached out, gently placing her hand over Lianna’s.
"You were a pawn in someone else’s game," she said softly. "And even then, you face it righteously. That’s not weakness, Sister Lianna. That’s strength."
Lianna’s lip trembled at the words, like they chipped away at years of self-blame.
For the first time, it felt like someone was truly on her side.
"I gambled on the fact that Zahn and I were childhood friends." Lianna murmured, her gaze distant. "We grew up together, and I truly believed that counted for something. I thought... maybe we could go back to the way things used to be. That he could see me the way he once did."
She paused, her voice catching for a moment before she continued, "We only dated briefly before marriage, but our bond went back decades. I thought if I just endured long enough, things would change."
Lianna trailed off, then continued in a mechanical voice, like reciting a sacred law. "I’m certain I followed the family rules since my marriage...always obey and listen to the matriarch. Never shame the family and prioritize its reputation. Never interfere with Zahn’s work. Always consult the estate’s legal advisors before making a—"
"Wait," Yeri cut in quickly, shivering at the eeriness of Lianna’s tone. "Didn’t Dr. Neri investigate the drugging incident?"
Even her skin prickled listening to that lifeless recitation. It wasn’t just creepy—it was deeply unsettling.
Just imagining someone being forced to live under such rigid, suffocating expectations... It wasn’t hard to understand how someone could lose themselves completely.
Trying to live entirely by other people’s expectations will slowly makes you forget who you are.