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Letta slowly stepped out of the hospital after spending a week in the medicine-scented room. Even though Desi had gotten permission from the doctor for Letta to go home, she still felt weak and devoid of any zest for life. Somehow, after the incident, Letta seemed to have lost interest in living. Her efforts to disappear from this world felt challenging, as if God wouldn’t allow her to leave peacefully and was punishing her for her mistakes. Since then, Letta had become quiet and seemingly indifferent to her life and herself. She felt like a statue forced to live.
Upon stepping out of the hospital, Letta saw Marco’s private car waiting for her. There were even two other cars with guards ready to escort her home. This made Letta certain that Marco wouldn’t give her a chance to escape from the mistakes she had made. Desi invited Letta to get into the luxurious car, but Letta felt as if the air she was inhaling wasn’t her priority. Even if she lost the ability to breathe, Letta felt that might be better for her.
Letta stared out the window, but the view outside no longer excited her. Life outside seemed like something she didn’t desire at the moment. Eventually, the car stopped in front of the grand house that marked the beginning of everything. The house would be Letta’s living space, but also a prison for her. With a vacant stare, Letta got out of the car and saw Marco waiting for her at the door with a sharp and haughty gaze.
“Welcome back, Letta,” Marco said, making the other servants bow to welcome Letta’s arrival.
“You can see how many guards I’ve added just to protect you from now on, so never think of doing something foolish like you did before,” Marco whispered to Letta, right by her ear. As if Letta had to remember his words. Marco then stepped back, observing Letta’s still very pale face. Was it because she had just come out of the hospital, Marco wondered. But what made Marco pause a bit was the woman’s gaze that seemed to disregard his presence.
“You’re listening to my threat, aren’t you? Or you could say it’s a warning for you,” Marco said, making Letta finally look into the man’s eyes in front of her, but with a different feeling.
“I’ll go in now,” Letta replied as if ignoring Marco’s words. Letta ignored Marco’s presence and walked past him, followed by Desi carrying her belongings.
“Desi, don’t forget her room is no longer on the second floor,” Marco said, stopping Letta and Desi in their tracks.
“Yes, Sir,” Desi said, as if she was already prepared for all of Marco’s previous instructions. Letta then waited for Desi to walk ahead, as it seemed Marco had changed all his plans from the beginning. If initially, when she first arrived at the house, Marco had prepared all the luxury for her, it seemed different this time.
Eventually, Desi stopped in a room at the end of the first floor. The room seemed isolated from the other rooms and spaces. When Desi opened the door, there was only a small bed, a small wardrobe, and a bathroom of the same size, leaving Letta speechless. Somehow, she didn’t feel too surprised by the situation. After all, she was already used to hardship when she lived with her aunt and cousins. So when Marco gave her this small room, it didn’t feel like torture to Letta.
“It seems you no longer deserve to call me Mrs. Desi, and perhaps your room is even bigger than this one,” Letta said. After that, she simply passed by the silent Desi. For some reason, she felt a little sorry for Letta’s situation. Desi didn’t know what other orders would be given to her, so she could only sigh deeply. She was just a servant who would follow her master’s orders.
Letta then walked towards a small square-shaped window. While her room on the second floor displayed a spacious garden with a swimming pool, this one only had a backyard with lush trees that blocked the sunlight entering the room. It made the room feel damp and cold.
Even the room was adorned with dark brown paint, adding to the bleakness of the small room occupied by Letta. Letta gazed blankly ahead, focusing on a tree among the others. While the other trees had lush foliage, blocking the sunlight, there was one large tree with dry leaves. Was it shedding or had it already died, Letta wondered. However, it still stood firmly among the other trees, making Letta ponder if she was similar to it.Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.
Even though she was still breathing, she felt like that tree, nearly dead among the other trees. Until Letta’s reverie was interrupted as the small door opened, producing a sound that seemed like the door might fall off due to the room’s neglect. This allowed Letta to inhale the familiar scent that made her not need to turn around to recognize who was currently behind her.
“How about my welcome? Are you pleased?” Marco asked right behind Letta, as if Letta didn’t pay him any attention. Marco reached out and pulled Letta’s shoulder forcefully, finally making Letta turn around and face Marco directly, who was now staring at her with his sharp gaze. Letta could once again see the anger emanating from his eyes.