Chapter 12 - A Mother's Betrayal
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The night air in the rose garden was cool and crisp, carrying the sweet scent of blooming flowers. It was a stark contrast to the thick, suffocating tension inside the estate.
I walked down the stone path, my stained dress dragging behind me over the wet cobblestones. I felt no sorrow. I felt no regret. I only felt an incredible, overwhelming sense of lightness, as if a heavy iron chain had been lifted off my chest.
Behind me, the French doors burst open again. Daniel came stumbling out into the garden, his bowtie undone, his tuxedo jacket discarded somewhere in the hallway.
"Maya! Stop! Please, just talk to me!" he begged, running down the stone steps.
I stopped near the central fountain and turned around to face him. "What is there left to say, Daniel?"
"I didn't know she was going to ruin your dress!" Daniel cried out, tears streaming down his face. "I swear to you, Maya, on my life, I had no idea my mother went into your suite before the wedding! If I had known, I would have stopped her!"
"You wouldn't have stopped anything, Daniel," I said, my voice filled with pity rather than anger. "You never stopped her when she insulted my father at dinner. You never stopped her when she excluded my family from the guest list. You never stopped her because you are terrified of her."
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"I loved you!" he screamed into the night air.
"You loved the idea of me," I corrected him softly. "You loved having a quiet, obedient wife who would make you feel like a savior while your family quietly destroyed hers. But I was never obedient, Daniel. I was just waiting."
