Deceitful Desires: A Billionaire's Betrayal

Chapter Four

Returning to the dim room, with its whispers and sighs, she met her mother's gaze. Their eyes met immediately. Her long, held ones, very slow, did come forth down her cheeks.

They had a connection that transcended all barriers and all words. And then tears fell on her pretty face, which she had held back bravely enough for too long to show how deep they were and how strong her vulnerability was.

And she just rushed towards her mother without waiting at all—an act fueled by relief, love, and longing—then hugged tightly so much that all the worries menacingly held onto her frail body eased down in an instant.

She tries to comfort her by saying, “Marianna I know it’s difficult, but be more patient in this house. If it were not for my condition, you would have found another house long ago.”

Amidst the wilderness of Marianna’s life, where silence thickens the atmosphere and houses are filled with different experiences, there is a soft yet strong desire to stay longer.

Not because it wants to control or harm them, but because it genuinely understands how complicated their world is.

In such homes where clocks tick with hush tones broken by sighs without cascading down facial planes at all, she knows that life is fragile in terms of health.

Had it not been for her fragile health, which Marianna painstakingly maintains at great cost, their lives would have gone different ways ages ago.

It represents victory in silent battles fought and won in the corners of one’s soul; her silent fight is what we see through life; she is the one we think about.

If she could only touch this restless spirit beating within this chest weighed down by so many storms and all kinds of burden that human beings carry on their shoulders, then our idea about how courageous she really was would change with time.

Her mother has had heart failure for decades now; it’s like a huge weight she got used to carrying.

An expression of determination lit up Marianna’s face as she said to her mom, “Don’t worry, mom, soon I’ll get us out.”.

In her eyes shimmered a spark of determination.

“Don’t you worry, mom, I will get a good-paying job soon and move us out of this miserable place,” were Marianna’s words, which indicated that they were poor yet there was still hope in them because she believed that she would look for a job that would allow them to leave their current situation behind as it was too bad.

Her mother simply nodded her head in acknowledgement with silence written all over her face since she hoped and anticipated it so much that she wanted it to happen as soon as possible.

Then, she let go of Marianna’s arm as a sign of affection intertwined with encouragement, placing it on her shoulder, thus telling her daughter in unspoken words that she stood behind her and believed in their dreams coming true one day.

“Now, let life filled with happiness enter into you and rise up, lifting your heart high while I am preparing food for lunch,” said the mother's voice, filled with motivation as well as soft love.

"Yes, mom,” was an answer accompanied by a twinkle in the eyes, which was so much excitement just before running towards their common room bedroom, where she would quickly get another outfit on before continuing any other planned adventures for the day.

She stepped out of the room and stood there with her eyes, beholding a sight that could warm anyone’s heart, preparing for a light meal in the kitchen, where the light was.

That morning, her favorite food had been prepared and placed out on the table just in case she came back. The way it was set reminded her how well they would want to see her and made their hearts go out to her rather than just looking as if they were strangers.

Her face adorned with a gentle smile, she called out to these delicacies as she said

“Come on, my dear one, share this feast that is worthy of royalty, or shall I have the honor of serving you myself?” All along with this were words of encouragement, wrapped up in motherly love, because there can never be more joy than that moment when a mother eats with her daughter when all things seem okay—even though they might not be.

Only the Lord knows how much pain and torment fill her heart when she sees her child suffering from others’ wickedness.

She carries much on her shoulders because of grief and exhaustion from overwhelming feelings that want to overwhelm her completely.

Nonetheless, she seems to be motivated by the prospect of motherhood; she wouldn’t be discouraged by the odds, and all she will do is do everything she can to shelter and instill her precious offspring.

But alas, how can she protect her baby from the dangers of life when she herself has to face such difficulties as poverty and diseases?

It is a question that appears in her sleep-deprived and tortured mind, a question to which she cannot find a favorable end.

However, even in moments of most hopelessness, she knows that there is a dim light, which is her hope, her beacon of light, that tells her that even in the worst that can be thrown at them, love is more powerful.

Overjoyed and full of expectations, Marianna quickly went to sit at the table and was already looking forward to the meal with pleasure.

In front of her, beautifully arranged and invitingly, there was a heaped plate of Mac and Cheese, steaming invitingly and giving off the temptation of an incredibly delicious meal.

Yet, it must be noted that while inspecting the dish closely, it lacked the cheese content needed to mark it as a proper decadent mac and cheese, thus leaving taste buds feeling unfulfilled.

“Mom, you really outdid yourself by making such a luscious dish today.”

Despite being very proud of what her mother did here because she went out of her way a lot for us,.

It was earlier when she talked about this particular type of cuisine, whose flavors reminded her of childhood memories full of emotion and care.

The tender morsels tasted to her like home-made meals prepared with love from scratch using only fresh ingredients without preservatives or additives.

Every single bite made her thank heaven for all. Mom spent hours standing at the stove cooking these things together so they could taste real good, unlike other commercial things sold out there.

All of a sudden, someone came in just before the inevitable happened—both women raised their heads in surprise!

Despite the fact that they appeared to be caught off-guard, they stared at each other, looked right into each other's eyes, and nodded themselves, understanding who their visitor could be.

Sadie then followed her, entering the room with pride. The strap of the bag lay across her shoulder, and she seemed more classy.

With her hair tied up and wearing a somewhat worn faded schoolgirl outfit, the blouse of which was what had once been, red, though it had faded considerably to a bloomed hazy high school sweetheart, she received the room and the unseen viewer with a scholarly passion and a hint of authenticity.

A lovely light of happiness sprang from her heart and sparkled in her eyes on seeing her beloved sister. She held out her hands to fold the girl’s slender figure in an affectionate hug—her lips parted in an emotionate smile—only to compress them into a line of serious concern that crossed her face, indicating that there was another feeling that overshadowed the first feeling of pleasure.

“Aunt Marianna, how come you returned early home today?”

She was deep in pondering as to why her sister was back home before the expected time, until a question came out of her mouth.

"I got this headache, and that is why I decided to transit home early these days."

Marianna responded with a heavy heart, pressed down by the weight of a headache that seemed to get worse as time passed. She sparely breathes out after she explains to everyone else and herself the underlying reasons behind her leaving early, which in turn had been attributed before as a long-standing cause of pains all throughout that day.

The mother notes how surprising it is when her children show so much love and care towards one another, something she could not have imagined possible even if they were much older than themselves.

"Oh, please accept my deep apologies for anything that caused you pain, and I really wish you had already taken some medicine to relieve the pain,” she said with genuine concern, embracing all her caring and protective sisterly traits, which they have always shared over the years.

While looking at what was taking place in between her kids, the matriarch of the family was deeply touched by the love and care they were exhibiting towards each other, which resonated strongly in her heart.

"You never told me about your health when you got here, did you really? That made me wonder how you still had the guts to argue," she asked her daughter curiously.

All of a sudden, Sadie jumped out of her seat with an awesome jolt, like she had been recharged with an electric current after a long sleep.

“Whom did you argue with? It seems very clear that the culprit must be that naughty and spoiled boy, right? But don’t worry, I will teach him on your behalf. " She rose elegantly and went out of the room.

Over time, it has become clear that she is always the one who creates trouble and takes them into problems with their father, but Marianna is always blamed for all the mayhem.

The mother nudged her daughter toward a safer and better path to walk on, saying, “I’ve told you plenty of times to stay away from that boy. Didn’t you remember the last time you had an argument and he said you punched his stomach and then collapsed at his feet?”

In her plea, the mother sounded anxious with a tinge of frustration that underscored the significance of adhering to her advice regarding a past wrongdoer.

In this case, she hoped that her daughter would remember all the past fights they had experienced before while still making wise decisions for herself; this would keep her safe from harm and ensure happiness in this household.

“Mom, how could I possibly forget it? There are visible reminders of it on my body in terms of scars! But have you ever thought about what’s going on between Aunt Marianna and him? He is always using her as his punching bag; he needs to be taught a lesson!” It came out that she did not really want an argument but still sided with Aunt Marianna.

The girl tried drawing comparisons despite having to relive what hurt last time; it helped only because she felt something inside her that told her that nobody deserved such treatment like that, even if they happened to be our real relatives. All these bore grudges never healed nor changed.

"She does not appear to be concerned and thus ought you if you need to go on living in this residence."

In a bid to keep the atmosphere at home good, her mother reprimanded, stating that she does not appear to be concerned, which would therefore require her to adopt a similar, indifferent attitude about it because someone’s behavior heavily influences the overall mood of the house they live in.

"And who said I was still going to stay here? I will be out of here as soon as I complete high school."

She replied calmly to her mother’s admonition, implying that once she was done with high school, she would leave the family house, indicating independence and the desire for self-discovery beyond her present living quarters.

"Hey, why don’t you go change? Mum made your favorite."

Having felt an impulse and a concern for their continuous cycle of indecision, Marianna eventually gathers enough courage to intervene and disrupt what seems like an endless back-and-forth.

The moment of confrontation comes when she makes a stand, ready to change things around and sort them out.

However, Sadie, who seems to freeze, especially due to Marianna’s intervention, gets shocked by a new emotion that enters her after a moment of conflict.

The mood is tense as the relationship between the two people experiences an abrupt shift, creating conditions for the new story to begin.

With a rather fast pace and vigor, full of spirited and vigorous actions when she was opening the door and entering the room, for some moments she danced, I could say, like a merry child full of energies and enthusiasm.

In her eyes, she displayed emotions that ranged from anger, sadness, and desperation for a temporary truce, and she sent her mother a look of desperation in the hope that the confrontation with Sadie would be stopped due to the increasing conflict.

Increasingly conscious of the seriousness of the conflict that was developing between them, another fear gripped her: whether her mother's poor health might take a turn for the worse given that the rate of occurrence of the disease was already escalating as a result of all the stress and agitation that was characteristic of their current conversation.

Then, shortly after, out of nowhere, Sadie stood there looking as good as ever in classic jeans and a stylish white shirt.

Her sister was lost for words after seeing Sadie’s beaming smile, which concealed happiness previously unknown.

A kind, familiar laugh echoed across the room, which made it difficult for anybody to think about anything else when these two people were talking to each other.

What they experienced was indeed something beautiful; there was no mistaking it because their whole being radiated joy, which couldn’t help but be contagious given what was happening around them at the moment.

It wouldn’t be wrong to say that these sisters represented so much more than that in every sense possible: like a perfect piece of music where all notes are in place and play together as one unified song.