Entitled

Chapter 110

A couple of weeks had passed, and the days had settled into a rhythm. You and Severus had been focusing on the present, on the life you were building together, and things had seemed calm—until this moment.

You were at the desk, rifling through the drawers with a look of determination on your face when Severus walked in. His presence in the room was almost unnoticed until you turned to face him, your expression serious.

"I'm ready to read the letters," you said, your voice steady as you looked at him. "I've been thinking about it, and I need to do this."

Severus's expression changed, something unreadable flashing across his face. He hesitated for a moment before he responded, "I threw them away."

The words hung in the air between you, heavy and unexpected. You blinked, not quite processing what he had just said. "You... you threw them away?" you repeated, your voice rising slightly in disbelief. "Knowing I hadn't opened them yet?"

Severus met your gaze evenly, though you could see the tension in his jaw. "Yes," he replied, his tone calm but firm. "There was nothing useful in them, just Adrian asking to take you back and so on. I made a decision that they weren't important and discarded them."

Your heart skipped a beat, and you snapped your head back to look at him, a mix of anger and betrayal rising in your chest. "You read them," you said, your voice trembling with emotion. "And then you threw my letters away?"

"Yes," Severus said, his voice still measured, though you could see the resolve in his eyes. "I thought it was best. They would only cause you pain, guilt for a decision you've already made. I was protecting you."

You felt a rush of heat in your cheeks, your hands clenching into fists at your sides. "When did you do this?" you demanded, trying to keep your voice steady.

"A couple of weeks ago," Severus admitted, his tone not changing. "After they had been here for a few days. I didn't want you to read them and feel guilty. I made the decision to spare you that."

The weight of his words settled over you like a lead blanket, and you found yourself struggling to process what he had done. The betrayal cut deep, not just because he had thrown the letters away, but because he had made the decision for you—without consulting you, without giving you a choice.

As Severus watched the look on your face, the hurt and confusion written so plainly in your eyes, his expression shifted. The warmth that had been there moments ago was replaced by a colder, more calculating look. His voice took on a smooth, almost soothing tone as he spoke.

"Violet," he began, his words carefully chosen, "those letters were nothing more than Adrian's pathetic attempt to get you back. I assure you, they would have just made you feel worse, filled you with unnecessary guilt. I was doing you a favor by getting rid of them."

You stared at him, the shock of his manipulation hitting you like a wave. "You don't get to make these decisions for me," you said, your voice shaking with a mixture of anger and disbelief. "You don't get to decide what I can handle."

He raised an eyebrow, his gaze steady and unyielding. "Actually, I do," he countered, his tone firm, almost possessive. "I'm your husband, Violet. And if I see letters hanging around that I know will cause you undue stress or pain while you're carrying my children, then it is my right—no, my duty—to alleviate that burden for you."

His words hung in the air, the finality of them sinking in. You could see the way he was trying to twist the situation, to justify what he had done as an act of care rather than control. But the underlying possessiveness in his voice, the way he spoke as if your thoughts and feelings were secondary to his own decisions, made your stomach turn.