Faith froze, realizing how disrespectful her words had been, driven by her sense of superiority andck of family restraints.
"I actually meant to say..."
Her exnation was interrupted by L''s scornfulugh. "You meant to say you envy my freedom, didn''t you? Because you''ve been restricted by your parents and elders since you were young, you can''tugh or cry freely, and you can''t do what you love.
"What you''re expected to do is be the most beautiful and expensive cake in the disy case, waiting to be purchased by a wealthy buyer at the right time.
"And so, all these years, you''ve been resentful inside. You don''t want to be the cake; you want to be the baker, or even the buyer. You don''t want to be limited by your identity as a woman; you want to sit at the negotiation table and fight for fairness. Isn''t that right?"
Faith stared at L''s cold expression. Each sentence felt like a sharp de, piercing through her skin and into her heart.
But then she thought, L wasn''t in her position, so she couldn''t understand her pain.
She frowned. "Is it wrong to fight for the right to choose and to want a seat at the negotiation table?"
"Of course, wanting a seat at the negotiation table isn''t wrong!" L stared into her eyes, her lips curving into a mocking smile. "But you''ve chosen the wrong path. By resisting in this way, you''ve taken away my freedom-the very thing you envy. Do you think that''s fair?
"Of course, you wouldn''t care about my feelings or anyone else''s. As long as you get what you want, the method doesn''t matter, nor does it matter how many people''s happiness gets sacrificed along the way, does it?
"Because you''re the noble daughter of an elite family, and I''m just a speck of dust you can''t even see."
Faith stood frozen, and in that moment, she remembered her younger self-when she and her brother both made mistakes, she was locked in a dark room to reflect, while her brother merely received a gentle scolding.
Even to this day, that feeling of helplessness and suffering still felt like a cage that trapped her.
At this moment, she ovepped with her younger self.
After a long pause, Faith finally said, "I don''t even want to marry Kieran."
Indeed, she had no real desire for an arranged marriage.
"What I want is to truly escape the Moore family, but not by marriage-because
that would just be jumping from one cage into another."
Faith hesitated under L''s mocking gaze before continuing, "I want to have the right to speak; the power to choose my own destiny. I want them to understand that whatever the Moore family''s sons can do, can do just as well, if not better."
L looked at her, finding it even moreughable.
"You''re a grownup, and you''ve lived all these years. Have you never had another opportunity to escape this predicament? You keep saying you don''t want an arranged marriage, so what are you doing now?"
L met her eyes with an unwavering gaze. "I won''t initiate a divorce unless Kieran tells me he doesn''t love me!"
She stood tall and straight, like a resilient tree standing firm against the wind and rain, her vitality unshaken.
For a moment, Faith was stunned. The woman she had always looked down on seemedpletely different from what she had imagined.
After a short pause, she nodded slightly. "I''m sorry. I was too brazen today. I won''t disturb you anymore."
Faith turned and walked out. For the first time, she felt like she was retreating in defeat.
L watched her leave without even bothering to see her out. She sat at her desk, dazed for a moment before picking up a script and flipping through it slowly.
At noon, she went to thepany cafeteria. She coincidentally ran into
Teddy, and they shared a table.
Noticing her unusually low spirits, he
quietly ate his meal without trying to chat.
Later in the afternoon, L''s phone buzzed with a message from Kieran. "I''ve
L was surprised. Why had he returned early?
Before she could reply, another message from Kieran popped up.