My Sin

Nightmare

The empress and emperor traded a few more words before the empress excused himself. Looking at the back of the empress walking out, the emperor felt at a loss. The empress no longer looked at him with a tender gaze, he no longer asked him about his well-being, no longer told him he loved him, maybe no longer loved him. His heart squeezed at the thought of the empress no longer loving him.

Flashback...

"How do you feel about this painting, Your Highness?" Liu Quiaqio inquired, his face bright with delight.

"It's ugly" the crown prince stated emphatically. On his face, there was no sign of happiness. The painting was rather lovely, but it was painted by his fiance, whom he despised. His father advised him to spend time cultivating their sentiments, but he wondered if he could feel anything for his empty-headed fiance.

"Oh," whispered Liu Quiaqio, distressed. "It must be that you dislike cherry blossoms; many people have different tastes; what do you want me to paint for his majesty?" Lui Quiaqio replied with a sorrowful grin, but he appeared adamant about not giving up.

"You don't seem to comprehend. I don't like anything you do, leave me alone if you don't want to irritate me." The crown prince was furious. He strode out angrily, leaving his fiancée with a puzzled expression and yet another wounded heart. It was not the first time he hurled such cruel words at his fiancee, it was not the first time his fiancee spent a night crying, it was not the first time his father beat him for him to apologize, and it was not the first time he went over to apologize only to find his fiancee defending him and his name from his parents.

"My Liu'er, I honestly believe you should reconsider your choice to marry the crown prince. He's already abusing you, and you're not even married!" General Liu expressed his concern.

"How is he abusing me, Father? He doesn't ever strike me! It was just that he was having a horrible day!" Liu Quiaquio instantly replied, defending the crown prince.

"Is he having a hard day every day? Should I beat some sense into you? When did your brain become a puddle, huh?" Angry, Yin Bao Ai scolded.

"Abuse does not have to be physical, honey. I don't know much about abuse because I've never experienced it, but you crying your eyes out every night because of your partner is not normal. It's not natural for you to refuse to eat because you're afraid of gaining weight after becoming his fiancee. I've watched you grow since you were a baby, and you were always confident, brilliant, and kind, but now I'm at a loss for words. What happened to my baby?" Chen Jia Hui said, her voice quivering. Finally, she couldn't keep going and began to cry as she buried her face in Yin Bao Ai's arms, thinking of the anguish her child was experiencing at the time.

"You should know what I'm talking about! You persisted despite the opposition to your marriage! Shouldn't you be encouraging and supporting me in the same way?" Liu Quiaqio screamed, distraught, tears streaming down his cheeks, but his voice faded at the end. He went out rather than quarrel with his parents. He was so preoccupied that he didn't appear to see the crown prince approaching the door.

Flashback Ends...

Liu Quiaqio had left home that day and returned on the verge of death. Nobody knew what had happened, and he appeared to be so disturbed by the incident that he never mentioned it again as if the episode had never happened. He wanted to see Liu Quiaqio and inquire about his well-being after remembering his troubled expression when defending him from his parents, but his pride prevented him from doing so. He refused to admit it, but he regretted his harsh acts. The influence of Liu Quiaqio's family was comparable to his own, yet he never forced him into the marriage; he was the one who agreed. This animosity was sparked by his pride, not by Liu Quiaqio.