Chapter 26

Luiza waved her hand dismissively at my concern showing that she wasn't interested in what I had to say. Then she turned her complete focus back on me and spoke with a mocking tone. “You believe that you can hold on to Raf, don’t you? How cute and so very naive of you” she teased and as she spoke her lips formed a smirk that showed she looked down on me.

“Wow, that's quite something to hear from you!” I replied quickly feeling my heart race and my face gets hot with anger. “Do you believe that just because you have a lot of money it makes you a better person than me? You walked in here acting like you own everything around here but honestly, you don’t scare me at all. Raf is not just some trophy you can grab and take home!”

“Isn’t he just amazing?” Luiza responded with a challenging tone folding her arms over her chest in a way that made it clear she felt very self-assured almost like a proud peacock showing off its feathers. Her laughter held a hint of condescension as if she was laughing at me rather than with me and I could sense my frustration and anger starting to rise inside me. “You are a joke, my dear. A rather sad and insignificant little joke. And once I marry him you are going to understand just how foolish you have been.”

“Foolish?” I exclaimed almost spitting the words out in disbelief. I stepped closer to him feeling the anger pulse through my veins like a strong current. “Do you think I am just going to stand here quietly and allow you to threaten me like this? You have absolutely no idea who you are dealing with right now!”

“Oh I think I do understand what you mean” she replied her voice sounding sharp and filled with bitterness. “And let me tell you I'm just beginning to express how I feel.”

In an instant Luiza quickly moved her arm and brought her hand down hard with a slap. The impact of her slap was so strong that it felt like a wave of energy rushed through my entire body overwhelming my senses. I was filled with disbelief as I stood there unable to move my face twisting in surprise and I could feel warmth rising to my cheeks.

“I really should have realized by now that you don’t have any class at all,” Luiza said with a sharp tone her eyes shining with spite. “When Raf gets a glimpse of my elegance and sophistication he will see that you cannot even begin to compete with me. You’re just some kind of—”

My anger surged up within me like a volcano ready to erupt and I could feel my muscles tensing up preparing for action. However, before I had a chance to do anything Maria quickly moved in front of us. Her voice was strong yet I could sense that it was shaking with feelings. She firmly said “That’s enough! This is not the right moment for us to be fighting!” I felt a wave of irritation wash over me because I knew I wasn’t the one who started all this trouble. But deep down inside I understood that this disagreement was not finished yet.

I turned away from Luiza feeling an intense wave of anger flowing through my body like a wildfire raging inside me. This overwhelming emotion made me feel both very alive and strangely trapped at the same time. In front of me, the door to my room seemed to stand like a dark and imposing entrance something I desperately wanted to pass through to leave behind the chaos that was swirling around me.

My heart was pounding loudly in my chest each beat reflecting the inner turmoil I was experiencing. As I walked quickly through the empty hallway I pushed the door to my room closed with a loud bang that broke the silence around me.

The sound felt like a release of my pent-up feelings but it also left a quiet emptiness that echoed reminding me that the tension and anger were still simmering just beneath the surface.

Inside my room, I felt like the four walls were closing in on me wrapping around me tightly like a heavy cloak that reminded me of my isolation. It was a feeling that both suffocated me and felt strangely familiar at the same time. I began to walk back and forth my steps quickening as my frustration grew. Thoughts swirled chaotically in my mind each one more confusing than the last.

I couldn’t believe I had allowed Luiza to get under my skin and affect me in such a deep way. The very thought of facing her again was daunting I didn’t want to risk going through another episode of humiliation. It felt like a sharp blade was hovering over my thoughts ready to strike at any moment. However underneath it all there was a burning anger that refused to disappear.

It simmered just below the surface bubbling up and reminding me that I was still here in this fight. Even though it felt like I was battling alone that anger was a sign that I hadn’t given up yet.

Time seemed to drag on endlessly while I was stuck in my confined space almost as if it were teasing me for trying to stay strong and not give in to fear in this difficult situation. However, I realized that I couldn’t keep myself trapped here forever. Taking a deep breath that felt more like a gasp for air I gathered all my courage and decided to open the door.

I cautiously looked down the hallway almost expecting to see Luiza waiting for me or hiding in the shadows. To my surprise the house was exceptionally quiet—it felt too quiet and that quietness allowed my worries and doubts to slowly creep in and settle into my mind.

“I need to leave this place,” I said softly to myself feeling my heart tighten as I was overwhelmed by frustration that churned in my stomach. The strong desire to escape was like a clawing feeling inside me constantly reminding me that I had to find a way to break free from this situation.

“I cannot allow her to scare me or make me feel powerless. I will not let her come out on top in this situation.” Even though I spoke these words quietly they resonated within me filled with a strong sense of determination and refusal to give up…