One year, one love by Aurora Miller

Chapter 6

Chapter 6

Doris’s parents had always favored their youngest child over their other kids. Peyton, her mother, might have held some affection for Doris, but it was sparse and fleeting. For Rupert, Doris’s younger brother, they were willing to sacrifice anything —even their own daughter Doris,

A chill spread through Doris’s heart, a frost slowly thickening over the depth of her soul. Her chest tightened, the numbing cold spreading to her fingers as she clenched her hands into lists, the knuckles turning pale. “Fine. I get it.”

Jimmy assumed Doris had come to her senses. His expression softened into what he believed was reasoned persuasion.

“Good. It’s for the best. Mr. Watson is your perfect match–your only real future.

Doris’s

is lips curled into a grimm smile as she retorted, “If you’re so fond of Ryan, why don’t you marry him yourself?”

Her words hit like a slap, and Jimmy’s face darkened, his fury igniting instantly. “You ungrateful brat… he roared. “Piss off. Get out of my sight.”

Before Doris could react, Jimmy slammed the door shut before her with finality. His voice thundered from the other side. Tve already changed the locks. Don’t even think about coming back unless you make up with Mr. Watson. Until then, stay out there and think about what you’ve done.”

Peyton hesitated, her voice trembling with unease. Jimmy, it’s so late, and it looks like it’s raining outside…”

Jimmy spun toward her, his anger now directed at his wife. “Are you trying to make things worse? If you’re so concerned, why don’t you go out there and join her?”

Peyton recoiled as tears welled up in her eyes.

Jimmy sneered, his voice dripping with disgust, “Crying again? That’s all you ever do. It’s exhausting. Now get in the kitchen. and make dinner. I’m starving”

Silently, Peyton wiped her tears in a hurry and swallowed her sorrow, retreating into the kitchen without another word.

Outside, Doris stood frozen in the rain, taking deep breaths as she fought back the tears stinging her eyes. Her family home had never been a place of warmth or love to her.

It had always been a cold, suffocating cage, and now that cage had been slammed shut.

Jimmy and Peyton had two daughters and a son. Doris was the middle child.

Her older sister, Laura Reed–now Laura Webb–had dutifully obeyed their father’s wishes and married the owner of a small business. She was now a full–time housewife.

Her younger brother Rupert, the golden child, had reconnected with an old community college classmate, Claudia Robinson. After dating for two years, the two were set to marry, even though Rupert had only just turned twenty–two.

Doris, on the other hand, had always been the rebellious one, the black sheep. Her decision to break up with Ryan only confirmed her parents‘ long–held belief that she was the problem child, the ungrateful one.

Before she realized it, her aimless steps had led her to Hampstone General Hospital

She stopped outside, her feet unwilling to move further. She couldn’t bring herself to disturb Margaret, who was resting upstairs. Instead, she sank onto a bench near the hospital entrance.

The rain fell softly, a gentle drizzle painting the night sky. Doris tilted her head back, watching the raindrops streak across the faint glow of the streetlights. A hollow ache filled her chest, a deep sense of loneliness seeping into her bones.

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Chapter 6

hovering over Lola’s contact as she

softened. Looking up, she saw a large black umbrella shielding her

one hand holding the umbrella steady. His crisp white shirt had

88%1

of her fragile frame. Doris sat there like a drenched kitten.

the rain, her hair dampened by the

swollen redness on her left cheek. His voice was steady but laced with concern. “What happened to your face? Who hit you?”

her cheeks. She had no intention of airing her family’s dirty laundry, so

a moment, then decided not to press further. “Why

“I have nowhere to go. Can L… stay

on his heel, his steps sure and confident, leaving Doris to follow behind, the umbrella shielding her from

a taxi

a quick message to his driver: [Pick up the

his sleek Aston Martin to the hospital to visit Margaret, never expecting

his true identity, so leaving the car behind was

quiet, the hum of the tires on wet pavement filling the space between them. Twenty minutes later, they arrived

with a quick fingerprint scan and

and gray tones seamlessly blended to create an atmosphere that was both modern and coolly detached. The clean lines and precise organization mirrored

voice, calm and deep, broke the silence.

turned, meeting his gaze, and shook her

heading toward the master bedroom. “You’ll catch a cold otherwise. There are

T–shirt and a pair of casual pants. “There’s no women’s clothing here, so you’ll have to make

clothes, her fingers curling around the soft fabric. Her hoarse voice was low, almost a whisper.

“Thank you.”

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Chapter 6

matter–of–fact as he opened the bathroom door for her. “After your shower, use an ice pack on your cheek. I left

mix of gratitude and

the warm water cascade over her. The steady

the icy walls around her

face clean and her damp hair hanging loosely over her shoulders,

their loose fit emphasizing her slender frame, but they were soft and

by the aroma of something savory. Her

response.

to the living room and picked up the ice pack, pressing it gently against her swollen cheek.

movements crisp and efficient as he placed a steaming plate of spaghetti

called

plate of

under the soft lighting, and the dish looked so inviting