Chapter 7
Smack.
Vesper was completely stunned.
Her cheek burned from the slap. It came so fast and hard, she didn't even have time to react.
Oriana stood in front of her, hand still raised, her face twisted with anger and urgency.
"How can you talk like that?" Oriana snapped, shaking with rage as she pointed a finger at Vesper.
"Liora's sick. Of course, Cassian should look after her! You're just an outsider here. Who do you think you are, talking about her like that?" she fumed.
Just an outsider? Vesper thought, the word echoing in her mind.
Vesper clutched her face, staring at Oriana, and honestly, it was almost funny. After everything, this was what it came down to.
Three years married, and she was still just an outsider in this family.
Just then, the balcony door opened.
Cassian walked in and paused for a moment, taking in the scene.
"What's going on?" he asked.
Vesper looked at him, waiting for him to come over, waiting for him to ask if she was hurt, waiting for him to stand up for her.
He didn't.
Because Liora suddenly clutched her chest, her face went white as a sheet, and she slumped to the side.
"Liora!" Oriana shrieked.
Cassian rushed over.
Cassian rushed to steady Liora, bending down and asking if she was okay, if she needed to go to the hospital.
His voice was so tense it felt like the world was ending.
He gently patted her back, his eyes overflowing with worry and care.
He never even glanced at Vesper the whole time.
Vesper just stood there, watching him cradle Liora, watching him call for a ride, watching Oriana fuss over Liora as they all hurried out the door together.
He stopped at the doorway, hesitating for a moment.
"Go home," Cassian said, without so much as a backward glance. "I'll come back later."
The door closed with a final, cold click, leaving Vesper alone.
She stood in that living room that never felt like hers, the sting of Oriana's slap still burning on her cheek.
She stayed there for what felt like forever, until the sky outside turned black, the streetlights flickered on, and her legs went numb.
Finally, she grabbed her bag, opened the door, and walked out.
That night, Cassian came home at one in the morning.
The master bedroom door was locked.
He knocked.
"Vesper?" Cassian called softly.
Silence. No response.
He knocked again, harder this time.
"Vesper, open the door."
Still nothing.
He frowned, his voice growing deeper, a hint of impatience creeping in.
"I know you're awake. Open the door, or I'll kick it down," he shouted.
After a few seconds, the door opened.
Vesper stood in the doorway in her pajamas.
The redness on her cheek had faded a bit, but one could still see the imprint of that slap.
Her eyes were slightly puffy, but her face was eerily calm, like a pond with not a single ripple.
Cassian noticed the red mark on her cheek and paused, caught off guard.
"What happened to your face?" he asked.
Vesper looked at him, and suddenly, she felt a bitter laugh rising in her chest.
He was asking what happened, not whether it hurt.
"It's nothing," she replied.
He seemed to accept it, stepping inside and closing the door behind him without a second thought.
"About today," Cassian moved a little closer, his tone gentler.
"Don't take it the wrong way. Liora's health has always been fragile.
"She probably just got spooked, so I took her to the hospital.
"They ran some tests. She's fine, nothing serious—" Cassian explained.
"I'm not mistaken," Vesper interrupted, her voice steady.
Vesper cut him off, her tone calm.
He looked at her, trying to figure out what she was thinking.
"Are you still mad?" Cassian asked.
"I know Mom was out of line today, but she was just anxious.
"Don't let it get to you. I already talked to Liora. He'll watch herself from now on," he explained.
Vesper said nothing.
He waited for a while, but when she didn't respond, he reached out to take her hand.
"Come on, don't be upset," Cassian said, his tone a mix of helplessness and indulgence, like he was coaxing a stubborn child.
"Tomorrow I'll take you shopping, buy you a new bag, okay? Will that make you feel better, hmm?" he asked.
Vesper froze up as he pulled her into his arms.
Suddenly, she remembered how things were when they first got married.
Whenever she got upset, he'd buy her a purse to make up for it, and she'd let it slide.
After that, he started believing a purse could fix any fight.
Back then, all she wanted was for him to comfort her; it was never really about the purse.
She still loved him then, so as long as he made an effort, she'd let him off the hook.
But now...
His hands were already getting bold.
Vesper closed her eyes.
She didn't push him away.
It wasn't that Vesper didn't want to resist. She just knew it was useless.
She'd tried before; the more she fought, the more Cassian got a kick out of it.
And in the end, she was always the one who paid the price.
So now, she just lay there, like a soulless body, eyes fixed on the ceiling, silently counting the seconds, wishing it would all end soon.