The Vows of Vengeance

Chapter 13: Family or Fire

The soft chime of the doorbell echoed through Lara's penthouse crisp and unexpected.

She had just poured herself a glass of wine intending to enjoy a quiet evening no board meetings no scandals no calculated smiles just silence.

But silence had never lasted long in Lara Alden's lif

She walked to the door glass in hand heels clicking lazily against the floor When she opened it her body stiffened, her mother stood there hair still perfectly in place pearls tight against her neck the kind of woman who measured disappointment in silence and subtle glances

"Mother" Lara said flatly

"You didn't pick my call" her mother replied stepping in without an invitation "So I came in person since clearly you're not above hanging up on me now"

Lara didn't respond She walked back to the living room and sat down crossing her legs as she sipped her wine.

Her mother stayed standing

"I heard what you did" she said "The nude leaking to the press"

Lara stared ahead "Oh you mean the same press that didn't mind photographing your daughter being dumped at the altar like garbage"

"She's your sister Lara"

"She was" Lara corrected "Until she decided to wear my dress and marry the man who promised me forever"

Her mother's face pinched but she didn't flinch "You're angry, I get that. But dragging our family name through the dirt What does that accomplish"

Lara laughed quietly bitterly "You only care about the family name when I'm the one causing a scene, Where was this energy when Maya humiliated me in front of hundreds of guests, where was this concern when I stood alone in that church and not a single one of you came after me"

Her mother's jaw tightened "You always had a flair for theatrics, You're not the only one who got hurt"

"Oh please" Lara stood now "Don't you dare stand in my house and try to justify betrayal. Maya leaked her own nudes I just exposed the truth, If she wanted privacy she shouldn't have made herself public property"

"Lara"

"No" she snapped "You came here to make me feel guilty, You came to tame me But guess what Mother That girl the obedient one she died the day you chose silence over your daughter"

There was a moment of tense quiet

Her mother looked at her like she didn't recognize her

"You've changed"

"No" Lara replied "I woke up mother"

Her mother blinked eyes glassy now but still hard "Well you got what you wanted The power, The pity, The headlines. But one day this war you're starting It's going to burn you too"

"If it does" Lara said coldly "I'll burn standing tall not crawling like the rest of you"

Her mother didn't say goodbye She walked out like she had walked out of Lara's life the day Maya said yes to Ethan.

Lara slammed the door behind her the sound echoing through the penthouse.

Her chest heaved with anger and hurt, She threw her glass against the wall and it shattered spraying shards everywhere

She didn't stop there She grabbed the vase on the table and hurled it across the room It crashed to the floor breaking apart.

Her wrist caught on a sharp piece of glass she gasped biting back a scream as pain shot through her arm.

Ignoring the blood she stumbled to the kitchen grabbing a bottle of whiskey She poured a generous amount into a glass and swallowed it down burning but numbing the ache inside,

One drink became two, then more, She staggered around the room knocking over books, papers, anything within reach.

Tears streamed down her face as the rage turned into sorrow and pain all crashing into one.

She screamed into the empty room her voice raw and broken "Why did you do this to me Ethan Why did you make me suffer for loving you"

She cursed herself the situation everything Her emotions spilled over with no one to catch her.

Suddenly the door opened quietly, Ethan stood there frozen taking in the chaos, shattered glass scattered papers and the broken woman before him.

Lara's legs gave way before she even reached the couch, and Ethan caught her just in time. Her eyes were glossy, unfocused, voice thick with whiskey and pain.

"You know what's crazy?" she slurred, her head leaning heavily against his chest. "How you can love someone for years... and then one day... one stupid day... it's like they're a stranger. Like all those years were a lie."

Ethan's hand tightened around her waist but he said nothing.

"I waited for you... through all the cold shoulders, the silence... the nights I cried alone wondering what I did wrong." Her voice cracked. "I thought... I thought maybe one day you'd see me. Not the woman I was trying to be for you, but who I really am."

She hiccuped, swallowing hard, tears slipping down her cheeks.

"I loved you, Ethan. I loved you so damn much it hurt. More than I knew was possible. I put everything into us. My dreams, my future... even my own happiness. Because I believed in us."

Her voice broke, trembling with the weight of her confession.

"And then you just... walked away. Like all that love meant nothing. Like I was just... some obstacle you got tired of."

Her fingers trembled as she brushed a stray hair from her face, her whole body shaking with the effort of holding it together.

"I don't know if I can forgive you. Maybe I never will. But God, it hurts... so bad it feels like my heart is tearing in two and nobody even sees it."

She hiccuped again, closing her eyes briefly before looking up at him, eyes shimmering with raw, broken hope.

"Do you even love me? Or was I just... convenient? Something to hold onto until someone else came along?"

Ethan's throat tightened. He didn't answer right away.

"I'm hurting, Ethan. So much it's like I'm drowning and the world keeps walking past like I'm invisible."

Her breath hitched, tears falling freely now.

"I was so in love with you. And maybe that was my biggest mistake."

She rested her head back against his chest, exhausted.

Ethan stayed still, holding her steady, feeling the weight of her pain settle deep inside him. He could almost hear the cracks in his own heart.

He wiped a tear from her cheek and whispered, "I never wanted to be the cause of your pain."

Lara barely heard him, already slipping into restless sleep, her body finally giving in.

Ethan watched her breathe slow and deep, promising himself silently to carry the burden of this love and this hurt even if it meant carrying it alone.

Without waking her, he fetched a clean cloth and some antiseptic from the small first aid kit he kept in his office. Gently, he wiped away the blood, careful not to cause her pain.

Lara stirred, murmuring something unintelligible, but didn't open her eyes.

Ethan wrapped a soft bandage loosely around her wrist.

He sat beside her, his fingers brushing a stray hair from her face. She looked so fragile like this, all the armor stripped away.

He thought about the years they'd wasted, the silence between them, the wounds deeper than any scrape.

How had he let her get so broken?

The weight of her words, how much she had loved him and how much she was hurting pressed on his chest like a stone.

He whispered softly, "I never wanted to hurt you. I'm sorry."

She shifted slightly, finally closing her eyes for real.

Ethan stayed there, watching her sleep, the steady rise and fall of her chest a reminder of the girl he had lost and maybe could never have back.