Philophobia | Tartaglia X Reader

Prologue

"I don't consent." You spoke in a stoic tone, your eyes glued to the paper before you. The room around you felt suffocating, the walls almost looking as if to be closing in on you. Trapping you in place - trapping you to this fate. You could feel your throat going dry as a tense silence was the only thing that filled the air.

You remembered this morning. Waking up as you did per usual, the curtains drawn allowing the sunlight to highlight your face. Drool stuck to your face along with astray strands of your h/c hair while you groaned in discomfort. You were not a morning person, never was and never will be. "Come on lady L/N you don't have all day." Your maid sighed, tugging the sheets from your sleeping form effortlessly, allowing the cold to meet your skin.

"Gah! Why're you so cruel to me this early in the morning?" You hissed, sitting up in your bed briskly. "Because you have a long day ahead of you." The maid spoke nonchalantly, her expression still and almost emotionless. The same way it has been for years.

You honestly can't remember a single time one of your maids smiled. They always looked so dull and tired. Presumably your father's doing. He seemed to suck the life out of every living being he walked before - the devil incarnate if you wish.

"Anyway, breakfast will be served at eight. Until then I advise you get dressed; your father has requested your presence." The maid spoke before exiting the room, leaving you to change in privacy. If it was your father you had to be seeing then you suppose you had to look presentable. After all, it has been years since he has wished to see you this early in the morning, meaning it's important.

You retrieved some formal attire from your wardrobe, quickly changing into it before doing your hair. Brushing the tangles quickly, you stared at yourself in the mirror silently. Your lips seemed to always be tugged into some sort of frown now a days compared to your once childish grin. You had definitely managed to lose weight over time, most likely the strict dieting and exercise you were made to do - after all your image was one of importance. Soon to be the face of your father's company to be exact.

You of course didn't have a say within the matter. You were born to be his heir and absolutely nothing more in life. All you must do is study his life and follow his footsteps to being the greatest. Your life had practically been planned before you were even born.

"What could the old man want this time…" you huffed, pulling yourself up from the mirror and to your bedroom door. "Business most likely, it's not like he'll even remember what day it is today…"

Upon opening the door, the musk within the room escaped and entered your nose. Smoke and alcohol; he must have had guests recently. "Hello Y/N."

"Hello father." You spoke nonchalantly, taking a seat in front of him. He seemed oddly pleased, a strange expression for you to witness on him of all people. Your mother maybe but not him. "I am going to guess you're aware of what day it is." What? The date? You looked up at him, almost hopeful in a way. Could it be that he remembered?

"Your finally eighteen meaning," he slid an envelope over to you with a small grin. You could feel your heart thumping in your chest as you took the thing. A birthday card perhaps? Doubtfully, your father wasn't into such 'welfie' ideals (or so he liked to called it). You opened the envelope with slight anticipation, quirking a brow as you pulled out the sheet inside. "Go on, read it."

Your eyes skimmed the lines and your face immediately fell. Of course, it was about his business yet again. Somehow he managed to make the day you were supposed to celebrate into something involving his god damn business again.

"An…arranged marriage…" He clapped his hands ecstatically while you stared at the sheet. You didn't know whether to be annoyed? Sad? The one time you believed your father had actually remembered your birthday, it was for his business. You swear he put more attention into his business than his own family.

"You see now your of legal age, you are able to help me strengthen my business even more. You see there is a business with a son known as Zhongli…" Your father's explination fell short as he noticed the tears falling from your face, your expression one of complete disdain. "Now, what's with the long face? Do you not see how great of an opportunity this is for me? For us?"

Your father looked over to you as you sighed, rubbing your temples in annoyance. "I don't consent." And that's how you got to where you were now.

The tightness in your chest being ready to explode, your throat closing up on you as your father continued to yell. "What do you mean you don't consent?! Think about how this may affect the business!" He slammed the paper down before you once more, forcing a pen into your hand briskly. "You're going to sign this damn paper and avoid bringing shame upon our name!"

"No! For fucks sake disown me for all I care, I am not going to help you by marrying a man I don't even know!" You huffed, throwing the pen away swiftly as you stood up. "Disown you? God I may as well kill you!" He hissed, throwing his arms in the air violently while you flinched. "The only reason you were brought into this world was to listen to my rules, as your father you should listen to me!"

"No! No, no, no! As a father you should have cared, you should have come to my recitals and my birthday parties. You should have loved me like a true parent instead of treating me like a goddamn charity case for your business!" You cried, finally exploding at the man. He was not a good father and you'd be damned to even admit you ever saw him as a parent to you.

"Well guess what, I never saw you as a daughter to begin with. God I never even loved you!" You froze while the man looked at you with pure anger. He never loved you, of course he didn't. He didn't have room in that shrivelled old heart of his for love, especially for his own daughter.

You'd be surprised if anyone held love in their hearts anymore. All of the media, everyone's minds are corrupted with money. They believe everything that is portrayed to them because they're never able to catch a glimpse of what life is truly like behind closed doors.

Love. Such a simple and insufferable thing. You swear to yourself you'll never fall into the hands of such an emotion. Such a painful and toxic thing, so easily breakable by the hands of another person.

"You know what, that's it! Get out of my house you brat!" He screamed, pointing at the door as he sent you an icy cold glare. "I'll have you given enough money to suffice for a month, but whatever you do with it isn't my fault. I want you gone by noon!"

You stared at the male completely taken aback, your hands shaking slightly and your breathe hitched. He just kicked you out…

"F…fine, if that's what you wish." You wiped your tears quickly and took your leave. You were not going to cry for such a fool, kicking out his own flesh and blood for his business. Something that could come crumbling down within an instant.

"Miss L/N…" Your maid watched silently as you began to pack, throwing clothes into your suit case effortlessly. You wanted to sob and wail until your throat ached but you couldn't, no you wouldn't. "It was nice having you work for me, thank you." You forced a small smile of gratitude to the woman who watched as you threw in some final items such as your computer, zipping up the case and leaving.

Your father stood by the door, narrowing his eyes as he watched you leave. Not an ounce of remorse evident within his e/c stare, he didn't even speak as you left. He simply kissed his teeth and slammed the door behind you harshly. This was it.

Looking at it now, you were definitely in a tight spot - a rather unfortunate predicament to say the least. However on the bright side, you were given a fresh start. A new adventure in a way had just begun.

©Zenosyne_Aries