C8 Love against blood

Vivian’s hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly that her knuckles blanched white. The city lights streaked past in a blur of gold and red, as though the world around her was melting into chaos. She could barely feel her own fingers; they trembled with every turn she took. Her heart thudded violently against her chest, pounding with the rhythm of dread.

Why didn’t she let the chauffeur drive? Why was she doing this to herself?

She could barely breathe, let alone think. The echo of her doctor’s words haunted her all morning…pending results. She hated those two words. They sounded like a verdict waiting to be pronounced, a shadow hanging over her head.

She wiped her forehead with a shaky hand and muttered under her breath, “What’s wrong with you, Vivian?”

Her voice cracked, barely audible over the hum of the car engine.

The city outside was alive with honking cars, neon signs, and chatter from pedestrians. But to her, it was all a distant echo, a faint reminder that life moved on…even when yours felt like it was falling apart. She tried to focus on the road, but her mind refused to obey. It replayed scenes she didn’t want to remember…Cecilia’s shocked face when she found out about the wedding, her parents’ likely reaction if they ever learned the truth, and Victor’s reassuring voice that now felt more like a chain than comfort.

She turned a corner and slowed as she approached her neighborhood. The quiet, tree-lined streets were usually a comfort. But tonight, they felt heavy with expectation. Her heart began to race again, not from fear of her test results this time…but from something she saw ahead.

A figure was walking briskly away from her house. Tall. Slim. Familiar.

“Cecilia?” she murmured, her voice barely above a whisper.

She blinked rapidly, trying to be sure she wasn’t imagining it. The figure paused briefly under the glow of a streetlight before hurrying away. Her breath caught. It was Cecilia.

Vivian’s stomach tightened. What is she doing here?

She instinctively reached for her phone to call her, but her hand froze mid-air.

If Cecilia had come to see her…why hadn’t she called first?

“Maybe she came to see Mom?” she whispered, but the thought didn’t settle right. Her mother and Cecilia rarely spoke. What reason could Cecilia possibly have to visit them..unless…

The realization hit her like a punch to the gut. “Oh no…”

Her foot slammed down on the accelerator. The car lurched forward, tires screeching against the pavement. But by the time she reached the gate, Cecilia was gone.

She parked recklessly in the garage, flung open the car door, and rushed inside, her heels clattering against the marble floor. The moment she stepped into the grand parlor, she froze.

Her parents were there…both of them. Sitting side by side on the cream sofa, their postures rigid, faces pale and unreadable. The tension in the room was suffocating. Vivian’s breath hitched.

Normally, she would run to her mother, wrap her arms around her, and plant a playful kiss on her father’s cheek. But tonight, the atmosphere was different. The air itself felt charged…like the seconds before a thunderstorm breaks.

“Good evening, Mom… Dad,” she greeted softly, avoiding their eyes. Her voice trembled. “Urhm…. Is everything okay?”

Her mother didn’t respond. Her father’s gaze followed her every move…sharp, cold and something else. Vivian felt the weight of that silence pressing down on her, heavy and suffocating. She turned toward the stairs. “If you’ll excuse me, I…”

“Vivian,” her mother’s voice cut through the air, calm yet firm, the kind of calm that carried warning beneath it. “Can we talk for a minute?”

Vivian hesitated mid-step, her hand gripping the banister. She forced a weak smile. “Mom, I’m actually really tired. Can we please do this later? I just need to…”

“Get back here, young lady!” Her father’s voice thundered, the authority in it unshakable.

Vivian flinched. The command wasn’t just loud…it was final. Like a gavel striking down on judgment. She turned slowly, her heart pounding so hard she could feel it in her throat. Every step back toward them felt like walking toward her own sentencing.

Her father’s voice was low, steady, and dangerous. “Are you planning to get married?”

The world seemed to stop spinning. Vivian’s mouth went dry. For a moment, she couldn’t move, couldn’t think, couldn’t even breathe.

Her eyes darted toward her mother, whose face now mirrored disappointment mixed with disbelief. Her hands trembled as she tried to speak. “Mom… Dad… actually…”

“Yes or no,” her father interrupted sharply. “Are you planning to get married?”

Vivian swallowed hard, her chest rising and falling with shallow breaths. “Yes,” she whispered finally, her voice breaking. “Yes, I’m planning my wedding.”

Her mother gasped softly, while her father’s face hardened, every muscle tightening with restrained fury. He turned away, pinching the bridge of his nose, trying to contain emotions that threatened to explode.

“Vivian,” her mother said quietly, standing to her feet, “do you even understand what you’re doing? You’re planning a wedding behind our backs? With someone we barely know?”

“I’m not a child anymore, Mom,” Vivian said, her voice shaking but firm. “I love him. And I’m old enough to make my own choices.”

“Love?” her mother repeated, almost scoffing. “You call that love?”

“Mom…”

Her father slammed his palm against the armrest. “You will not marry that boy!”

Vivian’s voice rose, desperate. “What? You can’t be serious! I love Victor with everything I am!”

Her mother’s eyes flashed. “Oh, shut up, Vivian! That boy…that same boy…Cecilia came here to warn us about him! He’s cheating on you, using you! How blind can you be?”

Vivian’s lips quivered, anger and pain twisting inside her like fire. “Mom, you don’t know him like I do! He’s my first love! We’ve been through everything together. He’s just struggling now, but things will change. I know they will. After all no one knows tomorrow ”

Her mother laughed bitterly. “Tomorrow is Friday, Vivian. Come back to reality.”

Her words sliced through the air like a blade.

Tears welled in Vivian’s eyes. “You think you’re protecting me, but you’re just controlling me! You gave up your own love because of Grandma and Grandpa. You’ve been miserable ever since. And now you want me to suffer the same fate?”

The color drained from her mother’s face. “Don’t you dare bring that up.”

“I will!” Vivian’s voice cracked under the weight of her emotion. “Because I refuse to live a loveless life just to please you!”

Her father stood abruptly, his chest heaving. “Enough! You will not defy us, Vivian. If you think you’re grown enough to make your own decisions, then be ready to face their consequences. Because from this day forward…” His voice shook, raw with emotion. “….if you marry that boy, I’ll take back everything I’ve ever given you. Every cent. Every privilege. Everything.”

Vivian’s breath caught. “Dad… you wouldn’t…”

“I would,” he said coldly, sinking back into the sofa. “Don’t test me.”

The words broke her completely. For a second, she couldn’t see through her tears.

She turned and fled, running up the stairs, her sobs echoing through the house.

Inside her room, she collapsed onto her bed, clutching her pillow as tears streamed down her face. “Why me?” she whispered into the fabric. “Why can’t I just be free to love?”

The room was dim, filled with shadows and moonlight. Her breathing slowed, but her father’s words kept replaying in her head.

“I will take back everything I’ve ever given you.”

Her sobbing stopped. Slowly, she sat up, wiping her face with trembling fingers. Then she walked into her massive walk-in closet, her steps mechanical, her mind running on autopilot. She pulled out a silver suitcase from the corner, unzipped it, and began to pack…clothes, shoes, jewelry, documents. Her mother’s laughter echoed faintly from old memories in her head, but she ignored it.

Finally, she took her laptop, sat cross-legged on the floor, and opened her banking app. Her hands shook violently as she typed in her password. The numbers on the screen glowed: $60 million.

She hesitated, tears gathering again—but then she whispered, “If he freezes my accounts, at least I’ll still have my money with Victor.”

With one final tap, she transferred every dollar into Victor’s account.

The confirmation message appeared. Done.

She closed the laptop, exhaled shakily, and zipped up her suitcase. The metallic sound echoed through the silent house like a final decision.

When she stepped out of her room, her mother was standing in the hallway, eyes wide, face pale. “Vivian,” she whispered, “what are you doing?”

“I’m leaving, Mom,” Vivian said quietly, dragging her suitcase behind her. “You can’t control me anymore.”

“Vivian, please,” her mother’s voice broke, trembling with desperation. “Don’t do this. You’ll regret it.”

“I already regret not doing it sooner,” Vivian said softly. She took a step forward.

Her mother blocked her path, tears glistening in her eyes. “You walk out that door, and everything changes.”

“Then so be it,” Vivian whispered. “I’m sorry, Mom. But I can’t live in this prison anymore.”

“Vivian!” her father’s voice boomed from the living room, full of anguish. “VIVIANNNN!”

She turned just in time to see him clutching his chest, pain etched across his face. Her heart splintered. “Dad…”

He tried to speak, but his voice failed him. Her mother rushed to his side, screaming his name. Vivian’s eyes filled with tears again, her suitcase still in her grip.

For one fleeting second, she wanted to drop everything and run to him. But then….Victor’s face flashed in her mind. His promises. His love. His words: “It’s us against the world, Vivian.”

She took one trembling breath and stepped outside.

The door shut behind her with a soft click—but it sounded louder than thunder.

And in that moment, Vivian Dary walked away not just from her home, but from the version of herself that once believed love was enough to save her.