Bound by lies Trapped by Desire novel Chapter 133

Chapter 133

Elena’s POV:

I watched with a completely straight face, my back pressed against the plush cushions of the living room couch, my fists clenched so tightly that my knuckles had turned white. The news anchor droned on, finally revealing the outcome of the civil case filed by Lena Winters, Mielle’s mother.

She had made a tearful, yet strangely composed, speech on the steps of the courthouse, preaching about the importance of kindness, the power of forgiveness, and the need to find closure. The case had come to a swift and rather unsettling close today. And Frankie Hudson, the young, intoxicated driver who had so carelessly taken Mielle’s life, had essentially received just a slap on the wrist – a paltry fine, a suspended license, and a small, almost insulting compensation he would

need to pay to the victim’s family.

Shinichiro watched the news report beside me, his face contorted in barely suppressed fury, his jaw tight. Nine long, agonizing weeks had passed since the case had first begun, and this was the infuriating result.

I instinctively rubbed my very slightly swollen belly. My hands trembled slightly, the weight of the news and the memories

of Mielle’s vibrant spirit suddenly feeling unbearable.

Just like Sergei Morozov had so callously predicted over the phone, everything had unfolded exactly as he had described,

his cynical view of the world proving to be disturbingly accurate.

Shinichiro had opened up considerably in the weeks following Mielle’s tragic death. He had offered me quiet consolation, a surprising depth of empathy, and a tremendous amount of practical help during my increasingly noticeable pregnancy.

We had shared more deep and meaningful conversations than I had with most people in my entire life. He had confided in me about the relentless bullying he had endured at school after his sexual orientation had been discovered by his

classmates.

In turn, I had ended up telling him the convoluted and frankly embarrassing story of why I had married Nikolai, a confession that had left him utterly stupefied. He had practically scolded me, for making such a clearly unhealthy and ill-

advised start to a relationship.

“This has to be some kind of sick joke, right?” Shinichiro said, his voice filled with disbelief as he turned to face me. “How could her mother just… forgive him? Just like that?!” He practically exploded from the couch, pacing the length of the

living room.

Mielle’s tearful breakdown in the condo that night had clearly had a profound impact on him. He had told me later that he

felt a strange sense of guilt.

He, despite his own struggles, had a capable and fiercely protective brother who loved him more than even most parents loved their children. When he had experienced his own moments of intense anxiety and fear, not unlike Mielle’s panic attack, he had had Haruki to lean on. Mielle, on the other hand, had been left feeling utterly alone, even with two people physically beside her, because she couldn’t truthfully depend on either of us, not fully.

ttress dipping

I got up slowly from the couch, a heavy feeling settling in my chest, a sense of suffocating fullness that had nothing to do with physical hunger. I made my way into my room. I sat down heavily on the edge of the bed, th beneath my weight, and after a moment of simply staring blankly at the opposite wall, I fell back

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st the pillows,

Chapter 133

clutching one tightly to my chest.

I lay there just like that, for what felt like an eternity. Not thinking, not even really breathing properly. My mind was a blank canvas, devoid of any coherent thought. Not until Shinichiro’s soft knock echoed through the closed door. “Hey. You okay?” He asked gently, his voice laced with concern as he tentatively pushed the door open and peered inside. I remained lying there in silence, my gaze fixed on the ceiling. He stepped fully into the room, his expression softening with understanding. “Sorry,” he mumbled after a long, tense silence, turning to leave. “That was a stupid question.”

He hesitated near the door, his hand resting on the doorknob, before turning back to face me. “You… want to eat dinner?! made spaghetti?” His voice held a hopeful note.

I swallowed the thick lump that had formed in my throat, the thought of food making my stomach churn. “Sorry, Shinichiro. I’m really not hungry. You should eat, though, and then get some sleep. You need to get up early for that field trip tomorrow, right?” I said, forcing a small smile. He looked clearly taken aback by my refusal.

I didn’t skip meals often, not at all since I had become pregnant. In fact, I had developed a voracious appetite, feeling

constantly hungry.

He took a sharp, decisive breath then, his earlier gentleness replaced by a newfound resolve. He walked over to my bedside, his gaze intense. “Let’s go to her house, Elena.” He said, and I frowned, pushing myself up to a sitting position, my eyes meeting his.

“Whose house?” I asked. He rolled his eyes, a hint of his usual teenage exasperation returning. “Lena’s, obviously! Mielle’s mom’s house! We should go talk to her. She clearly has something wrong with her brain if she just let that driver off like

that-”

I cut him off, my voice firm. “It’s useless, Shinichiro. Plus, it’s their personal life. We can’t just interfere like this. We’re practically strangers.”

“I don’t care, Elena.” He paused, his eyes drifting towards the window, as if he were remembering a painful memory. “I told you about my friend, who committed suicide, didn’t I?” He asked, his voice barely a whisper.

I paused then nodded slowly, recalling the brief story he had shared.

“Right, Azeem,” I murmured.

“He did it because his family was incredibly traditional and deeply religious. They would never have accepted his sexuality. So he just… gave up. He never fought back against the relentless bullying he endured at school. He suffered in silence, tormented and alone, without letting anyone truly know the extent of his pain. I…” He paused, his voice thick with self–reproach. “I was a coward, Elena. Even after his death, his bullies remained untouched, their actions never truly held accountable.” He paused again, his gaze locking with mine, his eyes filled with a deep, lingering sadness. “Do you know what I regret the most, Elena? What causes me the most nightmares, even now?” He asked, and I sat up a little straighter,my chest suddenly felt tight. “What?”

“That I didn’t testify against those bullies. I always thought that someone else would speak up, someone else would have the courage to help him get justice. I told myself I was practically a stranger, we weren’t even that close of friends… I didn‘ need to get involved. But that was wrong. Not only was I a coward, but I lost my own self–respect

my own eyes that day.

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