Chapter 11
802words
She was already thin, but after that she looked like a different person, her cheeks hollow and her eyes sunken. She could hardly lift her arms.
Tracy Yates, who had come to take care of her, waited outside the door. Every now and then, she heard the sound of water and could not help but cry, feeling so sorry for Tania. She kept blaming Samuel in her mind, over and over.
On the fourth morning, Elias arrived. He did not say a word, he just broke the lock and opened the door.
As the door swung open, the heavy, stale air hit him.
Elias stepped inside and dropped the divorce papers on the nightstand with a thud.
"It's over."
Tania slowly raised her head to look at him, her eyes empty.
The moment she saw Elias, she was hit by the memory of that day at the octagonal pavilion.
The fake video, her most embarrassing moment, he had seen it all.
Elias reached out to ruffle her hair like he used to when they were kids, but Tania flinched as if she had been scorched, pressing her back against the headboard, her eyes filled with rejection.
Elias's hand stopped in mid-air, and his heart felt like it had been hit.
He thought he had comforted her that day, but it was clear that Tania was still hurting.
He pushed down the sadness he felt and crouched down to be eye-level with her.
"Mrs. Yates told me you haven't eaten in three days. What's going on? Are you trying to starve yourself over that terrible relationship?"
He held the divorce papers in his hand and slid them closer to her, "You were always so clever, picking up anything new with ease. Why can't you see things differently now?
"Your time with Samuel is over. He married Lucy today, I witnessed it myself."
Tania's lips quivered, but no sound came out, her eyes just grew dimmer.
Elias did not push her and left the bedroom.
Tracy approached him, tears in her eyes, whispering, "Sir, Ms. Russell has been hiding in the bathroom for three days, taking bath after bath, repeating 'I'm dirty,' 'someone saw me,' 'everyone saw'..."
Elias's face turned grim, and he headed to the kitchen.
Half an hour later, the dining table was set with two dishes.
One was Tania's childhood favorite, grilled salmon, and the other was a fresh Caesar salad, both her preferred flavors.
He went back to the bedroom, ignored Tania's protests, scooped her up, and gently placed her at the table.
"Tania, I know you've been wronged," he said, handing her the silverware, "but you need to take care of yourself first, so you're strong enough to make those who hurt you pay.”
"Your parents in heaven wouldn't want to see you neglect yourself.”
"They were brave, and they'd want their daughter to be brave too. Now, eat! Get your strength back, and then we'll get revenge."
The words "parents" and "revenge" stirred something in Tania's gaze.
She looked at the fish on her plate, silent for a long while, and then finally, with shaky hands, she took a small piece of fish and tasted her first bite in three days.
After dinner, Tania curled up on the living room couch. Elias sat next to her, gently combing through her tangled long hair.
Tania glanced down and scrolled on her phone, only to see the top searches buzzing with Lucy's scandals.
Fake degrees, evidence of her being supported by a sugar daddy, Kingston University's official denial...
She did not even have to guess, Elias was behind it. However, he had held back, not spilling all the secrets, leaving some things unsaid.
"Thanks, bro."
Elias's grip on the comb tightened for a moment, a sour feeling in his heart.
He did not want to be just her "bro" anymore.
"We're family. There’s no need for thanks." He hesitated, then with a deep breath, his voice softened. "Tania, I don't want to be just your brother anymore. Now that you and Samuel are divorced, could you... maybe look my way?"
He finished, his heart pounding so loud he thought it might break free.
However, the response he hoped for did not come.
When he looked over, he saw Tania asleep against the couch, her breathing calm and even.
She had been worn out those past few days, and had fallen asleep.
Elias gave a wistful smile, gently rested her head on his shoulder, and draped a blanket over her.
It was fine. He could wait.
He would wait for her to come out from the dark. Wait for her to turn back to him. He would be right there.
