Chapter 119: Pay for taking my place
Orabela sat before the mirror, staring at her own reflection, her face a mixture of anguish and disbelief. She had always cherished herself, believing she was a princess destined to have everything she desired.
But now, the truth had shattered that illusion. Her parents, the very people who had once showered her with love and comfort, were preparing to abandon her. The life she had known, with its warmth and security, was slipping away.
"The woman who raised me, the mother I loved, won’t even look at me now," she whispered, her voice choked with tears filled her eyes. "How did it come to this? How can I be the daughter of my father’s mistress? She destroyed everything," Orabela murmured, her voice trembling, her hands beginning to shake.
A cold fear gripped her heart as her mind spiraled. Would her life become like Layla’s? Layla, who had endured a life of shame, constant humiliation and rejection since childhood? It left her unable to think clearly, her once-bright future was now dark and uncertain.
A soft knock sounded at the door, and Orabela’s heart leaped as she rushed to answer it, a glimmer of hope sparking within her. ’Maybe it’s Mother,’ she thought. But as she pulled open the door, her shoulders slumped. A servant stood there, a tray of food balanced carefully in her hands.
"Master instructed me to bring you something to eat," the servant murmured, her gaze downcast.
Orabela shook her head, forcing down the lump in her throat. "I have no appetite," she replied, her voice hollow. "Take it away." She turned back into her room, closing the door gently.
Reaching the bed, she sat on the floor with her knees together, her head buried in her arms which were wrapped around her legs.
"Layla lied to everyone. She snatched my mother from me," Orabela murmured, letting the silent tears flow down her eyes.
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