Chapter 3 Iris

• "Hi," I greeted him as he sat down. "Alone?" he asked.
• I shook my head. "I'm with someone. They're in the restroom, they might be coming back soon," I replied.
• "Can we join you—"
• "Husband... My husband is with me," I cut him off.
• He nodded and they excused themselves, leaving me alone. I forced a small smile and rested my head on the sofa's armrest. It was going to be an early morning tomorrow. I already felt tired.
• It felt like just a while ago I wanted to grow up quickly, and now I wished I could go back to being a child, coloring in coloring books at home.
• As the alcohol started to take effect, I decided to head home. I would be driving my car. As much I do not want to return home yet, I had no other choice. Plus, my uniforms were there. I hadn't brought any clothes with me.
• I looked at the house in front of me. The lights were on, and the place was bustling with life. It was late at night, so I wouldn't be surprised if he was already inside.
• I let out a sigh and walked in. I almost stumbled, thrown off balance. Thankfully, I managed to grab the stair railing to steady myself. I stressfully pressed my forehead and closed my eyes. The alcohol seemed to be hitting me quite hard.
• My forehead wrinkled as I heard laughter from upstairs. I climbed a few more steps up the staircase. It felt as though there was glue on my feet, making it difficult to lift them.
• They were laughing together as if they were in their own happy world.
• "I love you. I can't wait to marry you," Iris said.
• It was hard for me to leave my spot, almost as if I was rooted there, as their lips met. Even if I averted my gaze, I couldn't escape the sight.
• "You don't know how I am eager to marry you now, Iris. But you are aware of my situation. Please be patient with me, I'll fix this," Lucas replied after pulling away from her.
• I felt like the ground had given way beneath me. Not even two days had passed since I left, and this was already happening? There were still more painful memories buried there.
• I shifted my gaze as they caught sight of me on the stairs. I ended up feeling embarrassed, as if I had no right to be upset. I was the one feeling ashamed that I might be intruding on them.
• "Hi, Aurora!" Iris greeted.
• I tried to smile, but I couldn't manage it. I dared to look at Lucas, hoping he would feel some shame for what he had done, especially inside our own home, but I found no remorse in his eyes—only irritation.
• I nodded at Iris. "I'm going upstairs," I said, not waiting for her response.
• I hurried away and closed the door behind me.
• I bit my lower lip and let out a sigh. The sides of my eyes started to heat up. A lump formed in my throat.
• What did I do in my past life? Is my sin so great that I must endure this? Will I be plagued with headaches every day?
• I fought back tears, questioning whether I deserved everything that was happening to me. Did I deserve the trials and tribulations? Did I deserve all this suffering?
• "Stop, Aurora. Let him be. Remember how you wanted this? Let him be the one insisting on a divorce, so you won't have to struggle to explain to your parents why you separated," I spoke to myself.
• "Do you still not want this? After seven years, you'll finally be free. Your headaches will lessen. The bruises you get will diminish. You won't have to be a slave to someone who never respected you. Don't you want that, Aurora?" I asked myself.
• I wiped away the tears that streamed down my face, carrying a mix of pain, anger, frustration, and emotions I couldn't even put into words.
• I sat behind the door for minutes before moving to the bed. Sleep wasn't visiting me tonight. I wasn't hit with tiredness as I had been a while ago. I checked the time on the wall. It was getting late. I wondered how I would manage to work tomorrow. I just hoped I wouldn't make a mess and get scolded again.
• I wanted to drink water, but my water dispenser was empty. I had my tumbler with me, so I went downstairs to refill it. The surroundings were quiet now, and it seemed like Lucas had fallen asleep. I wasn't sure if Iris was still here or if she had left.
• The only sound was the water being poured into my tumbler. I purposely didn't turn on the lights. Fortunately, the inside of the tumbler was stainless steel, so it helped keep the water cool.
• This was what I always brought to work, although it was quite noisy when dropped or bumped, thanks to the stainless steel.
• I puffed my cheeks upon seeing the cupcake in the fridge. I wasn't able to touch it, of course. It wasn't mine. Ultimately, I went back upstairs.
• My eyebrows furrowed when I heard noises from Lucas's room. I was cautious as I approached the door, I pressed my left ear against it, trying to hear better. I was curious about what was going on inside.
• I could hear what sounded like conversation. It seemed they were watching something on TV and had forgotten to turn it off. I was about to ignore it, but then I thought that Lucas might not get a peaceful sleep if it was left on.
• I quietly opened the door, and the TV was indeed on. I didn't bother turning on the light in my annoyance, fearing that Lucas might wake up. What caught me off guard, however, was seeing Lucas and Iris in a compromising position on his bed.
• "Lucas..." it's Iris. "Faster..." she moaned.
• I quickly covered my mouth to stifle any noise, but in an unfortunate mishap, the tumbler I was holding slipped from my hand and made a loud sound as it fell.
• "What the fuck!" Lucas shouted.
• Fear coursed through me as Lucas's gaze immediately turned in my direction. I swallowed hard and hurriedly left the scene. I didn't bother picking up my tumbler, as it had rolled away and I had no idea where it ended up.
• My heart was pounding so hard that it felt like it would burst out of my chest as I locked the door to my own room. I know that he wouldn't be able to enter here since I held the key to my room. He had no interest in my room, so he didn't have a spare key either.