Pampered By My Three Brothers: The Return Of The Neglected Heiress - Chapter 749

Chapter 749: Can’t live like this anymore
[TRIGGER WARNING: THIS CHAPTER CONTAINS DISTURBING AND GRAPHIC CONTENT. READ WITH CAUTION.]

Silence was the absence of sound, but for Naylani, this silence was the loudest, most deafening, and sharpest. It was overwhelming and earsplitting. Although a single gulp was enough to ease her hearing, the heavy air and her growing awareness of every small sound lingered.

“Madam?”

Naylani blinked and flinched, her gaze flickering to the helper working in the kitchen. The servant tilted her head slightly, looking at her madam standing by the entrance.

“Are you hungry, madam?” the maid asked with a simple smile, wiping her hands on her apron as she approached. When she stood in front of Naylani, she studied her. “I’m still preparing the food, but I can make you something quick.”

“…” Naylani pursed her lips, taking a large gulp as she forced a smile. “I’m… I’m fine.”

“Are you sure, madam? I can make you something.”

Naylani nodded, gripping the side arch of the entrance. “I need a favor,” she said quietly, almost as if she feared someone might overhear her. “I need you to buy something for me in the market — in this particular store.”

“Madam?” The helper furrowed her brows. “But the store is very far, and I’m the only one here today. I can’t leave you and the young master alone.”

“But I need you to buy it,” Naylani whispered, her shaky hand reaching into her pocket before handing the helper a bill. “Can you?”

The helper glanced at the bill, then looked up at her madam. Reluctance flickered across her eyes; she knew she shouldn’t leave since there weren’t any other helpers today. It was also nearly time for the young master’s snack.

“If you’re worried about Zoren, I’ll make his snacks,” Naylani reassured her. “Or… are you not going to listen to me because I’m not my husband?”

“Madam, how can you say that?” The helper’s eyes widened slightly with panic. “I’m just worried about leaving you alone since no one else is here to assist you.”

“I’m not sick. Besides, you’ll only be gone for a short while. It won’t take all day.”

“…” The helper pressed her lips together, still reluctant. However, Naylani had always been kind and considerate to her. It was rare for Naylani to ask for any favors since the mansion was so well-stocked.

“Alright,” the helper finally conceded, accepting the bill. “I’ll just finish the snacks and—”

“I’ll do it,” Naylani interrupted, nodding reassuringly. “Don’t worry about it. I’ll take care of Zoren. Ask the driver to take you so you can make it back quickly.”

The helper smiled and nodded. She returned to the kitchen, removed her apron, and prepared to leave. Meanwhile, Naylani watched her from the same spot, offering a brief smile as the helper passed her by.

Once alone, Naylani breathed out, leaning her side against the entrance. She gulped again, closed her eyes momentarily, and then pushed herself away from the wall, heading into the kitchen.

As soon as she saw the food the helper had been preparing for her and her son, she paused. Her lips quivered, and her hands trembled. She clenched her teeth, looked away, and hissed softly.

“Damn it,” she muttered, glancing at the entrance as if fearing someone might walk in. A bitter laugh escaped her. “I can’t even feel safe in my own home.”

Naylani placed her hands on the counter, her gaze landing on the chopping board, where half-sliced strawberries lay. Her eyes slowly shifted to the kitchen knife, and she reached for it.

“Mama?”

Naylani flinched at the sound of her young son’s innocent voice echoing through the kitchen. She turned pale in almost an instant, her shaky eyes darting to the entrance.

“Zoren,” she called quietly. “Are you… hungry?”

The young Zoren placed a hand on the doorway, watching his mother behind the counter. “Are you making me snacks?”

“Uh, yes!” Naylani nodded with a forced smile. “It’ll be ready soon. Just wait a bit, okay?”

“…” Zoren blinked, his eyes round and full of blissful innocence. He watched his mother in silence while she chopped the rest of the strawberries.

“Ouch—” Naylani hissed as she accidentally cut her finger, her nerves and carelessness getting the better of her. She instinctively put her finger in her mouth and then went to the sink to wash it.

The kitchen was enveloped in silence as the water ran over her cut, washing away the blood. The running water sounded unbearably loud, and Naylani found herself holding her breath. Her shoulders grew more tensed, unable to look away from her finger under the running water. Despite that, she could feel it; the pair of eyes staring at her as if studying her every movement.

Zoren was watching without a word.

She gulped again, casting a glance toward the entrance where her son stood. Zoren blinked slowly, still and silent, his gaze fixed on her.

“Mommy’s being clumsy,” she said with a strained laugh, trying to break the overwhelming silence that clung to her like a shadow. “Why don’t you wait for Mommy in the family room, hmm? This will just take a moment.”

Zoren took a moment before speaking. “Why did the helper leave, Mama?”

“She went to buy something from the market, but she’ll be back soon,” Naylani quickly explained with a nervous smile. “She’ll be back.”

“But now it’s just the two of us.”

“Don’t worry. I said she’ll be back before you know it,” she reassured him. “Don’t you want to spend time with Mommy? Just the two of us?”

“…” Young Zoren hummed, then nodded. “Okay, Mama.”

With that, Zoren turned and walked away, humming a tune his mother used to sing to him. As he left, Naylani’s knees wobbled, and she clung to the counter for stability.

“Hah…” she exhaled, still hearing her son’s soft hum fading. She drew a deep breath and held it, her gaze fixed on the entrance where Zoren had been. Pressing her lips into a thin line, she reached for the kitchen knife on the chopping board.

“I must do it today,” she whispered with a jagged breath. “I have to do it. I can’t live like this anymore.”