CHAPTER 8 #2
In fact, she just leaned a little closer and placed her hands on her daughter's shoulder blades, her elbows never leaving her sides as she brushed her cheeks against Rila's before moving away. All this lasted about two seconds. Very polite and formal. And not at all affectionate.
— Dinner will be served, let's sit — Naomi spoke and looked her up and down, her small nose wrinkling at the sight of her baggy dark jeans, black combat boots, gray sleeved blouse, and black puffer jacket — At least your hair isn't a mess.
Believe it or not, that was a compliment.
Different from Rila's casual clothes, her mother wore a beige tweed set, the jacket and knee-length skirt hugging her body perfectly. As always, her black hair just below her jaw was brushed and she wore light makeup that accentuated her Asian features in the best possible way.
— Yeah, I had to wash and dry it before leaving the hospital, there was a bit of blood on my bangs — no, it hadn't, but it was fun to see her mouth twitch like it was doing at that moment.
— Please, don't talk about fluids and body parts at the table, we don't need that kind of image while eating — she sighed and started walking towards the dining room while shaking her head from side to side.
It wasn't long before the three of them were sitting at the twelve-seat table that took up most of the space in that room, with the large crystal chandelier lit right above it. As always, her father was at the head, with Rila and Naomi sitting on either side of him.
The mansion was an old building, passed down from generations to generations, but each family modernized the place over the years. Good thing, or she would have grown up in something that would probably look like a medieval castle.
— So Rila, anyone new in your life you'd like to introduce us to? — her mother asked from across the table.
That was her way of asking if Rila was dating someone. She asked the same thing last month. And the one before that. And in all the others before.
— No, no new man in my life — however, there was one who had just returned, she thought — But, I did save a life today and helped three people with a cold.
— This is… good. Saving lives is good, but when are you going to fix yours?
— My life doesn't need to be fixed, mom. I've almost finished my residency, I have great friends, and thanks to you, I have a roof over my head — she didn't love living in an apartment paid for by her parents, but that was the only way she could move out.
According to them, it would be absurd for a Hill to share a house with other students. What would people think? What would the woman covered in diamonds and pearls with whom her mother spent the afternoon at the Country Club say?
And that's how she ended up at the penthouse of one of the most expensive buildings in Boston, with a one-hundred-and-eighty-square-meter apartment all to herself.
As much as she didn't like having her parents controlling her living space, she had to admit that the living room's gigantic glass windows had a great view of the Charles River.
— Sim, but you need a husband, you have to think about starting your own family.
Her mother was perhaps the first person not to be proud to have a daughter who was a doctor. No, spending twelve years studying to save lives was nothing compared to snatching a husband with a great last name.
Good thing her father thought having a daughter who was a doctor would be good for the family's image and didn't object to paying for her degree.
But Rila knew that he expected a good marriage in return.
And the idea of marrying someone just for their last name or their bank account made her want to peel her skin off her body.
— When I feel like the time is right to think about starting a family, I will do it, don't worry, mom — her tone was full of boredom. Every time it was the same damn conversation.
One of the staff entered the dining room and distributed the dishes. Lamb with pumpkin purée. And she hated lamb.
— You're not getting any younger, Rila — her mother sighed heavily, as if she were talking about something as tragic as a car accident.
— Don't worry, I can have a baby on my own whenever I want, so the family legacy won't die with me.
— Rila — her father spoke in a warning tone — You know that's not how things are done in our world.
— Right, in this world people live in the last century and think that women can't do things by themselves — now she could no longer control her temper and the words came out almost in growls — Arranged marriages and perfectly unhappy families, that's your world.
That wasn't her world, and she made a point of making that clear. Yes, they were her family, but this was her life.
— Our world? You're part of this too, Rila — Naomi looked at her with flames in her eyes — Or have you forgotten that you only got where you are because of us?
— No, I didn't. I'm very grateful for everything you've given me, seriously, thank you. But, I won't let you use that to try to make me feel like I'm in debt. You gave me the life I have, but you have no right to tell me what I should do with it.
— Enough! — her father wasn't shouting, however, his voice was loud enough for them to shut up.
— Yes, you're right, dad, it's enough — Rila pushed her chair back, making it crack against the floor, before words loaded with sarcasm came out — Thanks for dinner.
This was a new record, their dinners had never ended as quickly as today.
Hungry and irritable, she ordered Chinese food before leaving the Hill estate and driving in silence to her apartment.
Alone on the living room floor, with a glass of wine resting on the coffee table, Rila devoured the yakisoba while reliving the conversation with her parents.
Naomi tried to raise her to be like her, a wife devoted to managing the household staff, attending social events, and supporting her husband in any and all decisions.
But, devotion and obedience were words that weren't part of her dictionary.
Not when the person demanded these things instead of deserving them.
Rila couldn't remember exactly when this aversion to following the same path as her mother began, all she knew was that, at some point, she learned that she could challenge Naomi.
From the silliest things, like not wearing the dress chosen by her mother, to decisions that drastically impacted her life, like studying medicine and refusing to get married out of interest.
Yes, she was grounded countless times for not sitting still at dinner tables or for sneaking out in the middle of the night to go to parties with friends.
She had been an impulsive and somewhat reckless teenager, she had to admit.
All because she wanted to prove to her mother and herself that she wouldn't be like Naomi.
Over time, she learned to choose the battles she fought with her mother.
When younger, she felt almost proud for getting off her bad side, but as she grew older, all Rila wanted was peace.
It was exhausting having to fight with someone your whole life, fighting to be heard, and being able to choose your own path.
But at least it taught her to keep her head up and not be afraid to face life's challenges.
She also learned that sometimes silence was as powerful as words.
Immediately, the image of Kieran's piercing blue eyes came to mind. When something happened and she expressed her anger with words, grunts, and incessant pacing, he would just stand there and stare in silence. And God, how unnerving that was.
— Get out of my head — Rila mumbled, her voice echoing through the empty apartment.
She didn't want to be thinking about him or remembering the feeling of being stared at by those pale blue eyes.
Didn't want to remember that it was like putting ice on something hot and feeling her body melt with it.
Didn't want to remember how just being around him could be calming and euphoric at the same time.
Fucking Kieran Ward.