The living room was unsettlingly silent. The clock on the wall showed it was 12:30 am.
Sienna looked at Felix, who sat quietly with his head down, then turned to Shelly, who seemed to have calmed down.
Sienna's heart felt heavy, making it difficult to catch her breath. The tension in the house was overwhelming, almost pushing her to the edge of madness. "Mom, Felix was tricked into this. We need to involve the police," Sienna urged.
She took a deep breath before continuing, "My boyfriend works in anti-drug enforcement, but his job doesn't put us in danger. Please try to understand "
Shelly interrupted, her voice filled with anger, "Those criminals targeted Felix because of your boyfriend. They wouldn't have done this otherwise. Can't you see how serious this is?" Sienna hung her head, unable to reply. Her heart throbbed with pain.
Felix hesitantly asked, "Sienna, is what Mom said is true? When did you start seeing a cop? Did Clement trick me into that two-million-dollar debt because of your boyfriend?" Sienna grew frustrated with Felix. If it weren't for his foolishness and greed, they wouldn't be in this mess.
The living room grew quiet.
Sienna balled her fists, and tears began to well up in her eyes.
"Why won't you listen to Mom and find a local guy from a good family? Why are you so set on dating a cop?" Felix asked.
Shelly buried her face in her hands and sobbed again. "Felix is in serious debt, and we just can't afford it."
Sienna discreetly wiped her tears and met Shelly's gaze. "Mom, who told you about Felix's debt?"
"Ms. Lambert, the one who visited me last time."
Sienna was convinced it was Molly even before confirming. Molly seemed to have the same sketchy traits as Clement. They probably had committed numerous misdeeds together.
"Mom, if you agree to one condition, I'll end things with my boyfriend and handle Felix's two-million-dollar gambling debt," Sienna offered.
Shelly gazed at Sienna, her eyes brimming with tears. Felix, too, glanced over nervously.
Sienna clenched her fists, her heart
feeling as though it were torn apart by pain that made her tremble. She uttered, "Promise me you won't pressure me into marriage or meddle in my future relationships."
"You're willing to break up with that cop?" Shelly asked.
"Sienna, are you going to settle the debt for me?" Felix asked.
Tears trickled down Sienna's cheeks. Her Reartache was nearing its breaking point, yet her voice remained unwavering. "Yes, I'll break up with him and cut off all contact. And about the money Felix owes, I won't cover it, but I'll figure out a solution." Contents belong to NovelDrama.Org
"How do you plan to handle it?" Felix asked.
"I'll report Clement to the police and gather evidence to prove it was a scheme he concocted."
"And what if you can't?"
Furious, Sienna sprang up from her seat and brushed away her tears "Then it's on you to figure out how to settle the debt. You messed up, so it's your responsibility to fix it," she exclaimed.
She stormed into her room and slammed the door shut. The room was completely dark, and she chose not to turn on the light.
Sienna collapsed onto her bed, burying herself under the covers as she wept silently. She regretted ever dating Daniel.
Back when she had a crush on him, she hadn't experienced real happiness, so she wasn't emotionally invested. But things had changed.
Once she had a taste of happiness with him, she began to expect more, and with those expectations came disappointment. Now, Sienna was realizing just how painful a breakup could be. She spent the entire night awake, crying until her eyes were puffy and red.