Chapter 3The Depths of Time

News of Ethan Vance breaking off our engagement spread quickly. The expected brutal punishment never came. Only, I once again lost contact with my younger siblings abroad. I knew this was my father’s customary way of unleashing his wrath.

He and my stepmother, Vivian, began scouring the Capital City for a suitable husband. They wanted to marry me off, to secure The Sterlings’ continued prosperity. But soon, ugly rumors began to circulate. They said that all these years, to please Ethan, I had done everything imaginable, that I was utterly used up, that I had even lost the ability to bear children. No one in the Capital City would be willing to take on a woman like me.

Father’s temper grew increasingly volatile. My days became increasingly unbearable.

The second month after Ethan broke off our engagement, another explosive piece of news spread through the circle. It was said he was getting engaged again, to Seraphina. Ethan had even defied his parents for her.

The usual gossipmongers made sure the news reached me. I knew what they wanted to see. Nothing but boredom in their lives. And perhaps, a longing for the old days when they had a spectacle like me to entertain them.

“Elara, I actually think Ethan still really likes you.”

“You’re probably having a tough time now, aren’t you? Why don’t you go beg Ethan?”

“He’s soft-hearted. If you cry a little, or even pretend to try to end it all, he might change his mind.”

“Seraphina can’t compare to you, Elara. You’re much prettier than her.”

I saw all the messages but didn’t reply. Instead, I poured my entire being into preparing for my own marriage.

Just a week ago, I had knelt for an entire night. Finally, I convinced Father to agree to my taking my newly adult sister’s place, marrying into a family in Portsmouth. I’d heard that the eldest son of The Thornes, Dorian Thorne, was ruthless and cunning, yet wielded immense power, an uncrowned king in Portsmouth. But he was also said to have a fierce and unpredictable disposition due to a physical disability that confined him to a wheelchair.

But I wasn't afraid. To escape The Sterlings, to ensure my siblings’ freedom. I would welcome it all. Besides, I could no longer stand to be in the Capital City. Portsmouth might just offer a glimmer of hope.