Wordless

Chapter 20

Dear readers,
Its a long chapter. I hope you will like it. Please let me know in comments and don't forgot to leave a vote as you finish reading.

Author's POV

A deep frown was etched on her face as she clutched the duvet in her fists. Beads of sweat formed on her forehead, and her lips trembled slightly as she let out a low yet painful cry. Her eyes were tightly shut, and her whole body shook. She struggled in her sleep, trying to wake up, but it felt out of her control.

''Mama... Please, don't let me go!''
She cried. Hot tears slipped from the corners of her closed eyes, and her breath shallow.

''Papa, don't send me away...''
she pleaded. More tears rolled down, and her body was drenched in sweat despite the cold temperature of the winter night.

''No... Please...''
she cried out loud before her eyes jerked open. She felt her surroundings were unfamiliar and enveloped in darkness. She tried to sit up hurriedly, searching for the side lamp with her trembling hands.

Her red, puffy eyes were desperate to find light, her breathing uneven yet heavy. As soon as her hand reached the switch, she pushed the lamp on. Her disheveled state was illuminated in the soft glow of the night lamp on her bedside. She looked around, unsure of her movements, her heart beating at a high pace. She realized she was in her room. A sob escaped her lips as she realized she was exactly where she had been dreading going in her nightmare just a few moments ago, in Alihan's house.

She brought her knees to her chest and buried her face in her hands as she cried with loud sobs. Each sob shook her body, and the sound of her heart-wrenching sobs filled the room. Her heart sank with each moment, realizing how far she was from home. She missed her parents, her brothers. She missed everyone at home. She missed her childhood, all the sweet and sad moments she had spent with her family. Right now, she wanted nothing more than to be in her mother's embrace. Her warmth was the only thing that could bring peace to her soul.

Then something clicked in her mind, and her tears came to a halt. She harshly wiped her face with the back of her hands and stubbornly shook her head to prevent more tears from escaping her eyes. It was as if she was trying to convince herself not to cry over the people who had treated her as if she were merely a material possession.

They had used her for their own advantage. She understood that they were also in a difficult situation, but was this the right way to handle it? Were they justified in sacrificing her life, happiness, and safety in exchange for the safety of that child and Hamza? She refused to believe that they couldn't come up with a solution that didn't involve using her as bait.

In that very moment, she realized how little she meant to them. They didn't even ask; they simply told her that she was going to marry a stranger that night, a person who held their baby grandson hostage and targeted their son. But what about her? If they considered him to be such a cruel person, how could they let him take her away? Why did they agree to this deal? Wasn't she also a family to them? Wasn't she the same daughter they had vowed to protect with their lives? But it was all a lie, a big, fat lie. She was just a useless member of the family they decided to trade away as soon as they had the chance.

These thoughts flooded her mind, and despite her resistance, tears of betrayal streamed down her cheeks. Her heart ached at the betrayal from her most beloved relations. It was worse than a nightmare. She was tired now, tired of pretending she didn't care, tired of trying to push through each day. She knew she wasn't that strong. She could pretend, but deep down, she knew she wasn't.

Amidst the storm in her head, she remembered something, and her heart dropped to her stomach as his face flashed before her eyes. A thought lingered in the back of her mind, and she found herself questioning: