Alex crept into the kitchen, anxiety simmering just below the surface. The warm sunlight streamed through the windows, casting dust motes dancing in the air. Her mother stood at the island, chopping vegetables with sharp, deliberate movements. The steady thud-thud of the knife was the only sound, and with each strike, Alex's stomach knotted tighter.
"Uh… Mum?" she began, her voice tentative. "You said something pretty funny upstairs. You were kidding, right?" She forced a laugh, thin and awkward, hoping to lighten the air.
Her mother didn't glance up. The blade sliced cleanly through the carrots, each cut crisp, precise, merciless.
Alex stepped closer, her palms clammy. "Mum—"
"What are you doing, Alex? I'm busy." Catherine's voice was firm, clipped, a warning in itself
Alex crossed her arms over her chest, trying to mask her fear with defiance. "What you said earlier… You were joking, weren't you?" Her tone cracked with desperation.
At last, Catherine dropped the knife onto the cutting board with a heavy clack. She exhaled, shoulders sagging slightly. "No. I wasn't."
The floor seemed to tilt beneath Alex. "But… but—" Her tongue tangled on the words. Then came the anger boiling through the shock. "How can you plan to get me married without my permission?"
Catherine arched a brow, unimpressed, and turned back to the vegetables.
"Mum!" Alex's voice sharpened.
"What?" Catherine snapped, her eyes flashing like flint.
"Say something!"
Her mother's jaw clenched as she turned fully to face her. "What do you want me to say, Alex? Hm? How was college today?"
The question hit her like a slap. Lexi faltered. "It… it was cool."
"Was it?" Catherine's tone dripped with disbelief. "Because I spoke to your lecturer today. He told me you haven't been in class. Not just today. For weeks."
Alex's breath caught. Her mother's stare was unforgiving, pinning her in place.
"I… I wasn't feeling well," she muttered weakly.
"Sick?" Catherine's voice hardened, slicing like her knife. "You didn't look sick. You don't look sick now."
"Well—"
"Don't you dare lie to me, Alex!" Her full name cracked like a whip. "Why did you drop out of college?"
The words slammed into Alex. Her mouth opened, but nothing came out. How did she know?
"And where the hell have you been going every day?" Catherine's voice cut deeper, fury and disappointment intertwining.
Alex stood frozen, throat dry, heart pounding. She couldn't answer.
Her mother's tone dropped to a chilling calm. "Now you know why you're suddenly married."
Alex's vision blurred, her thoughts spinning. No… it couldn't be… it can't mean what I think it does.
"Oh God," she whispered, panic rising like a tide. I'm doomed.