Elise stood in the center of the room, facing her parents, who had strained expressions on their faces with her already packed box. For a fleeting moment, it seemed as though they cared, but their words soon betrayed them.

 "Look at the situation we're in. We are so financially unstable that we had to agree to a marriage union just to save our family.

 We wouldn't be in this situation if you hadn't been so selfish," Margaret voiced out in disgust. 

 Elise's heart clenched. "What are you talking about? How is that my fault?" 

 Her father joined in, his tone dismissive. "You've always been a burden. We had to sacrifice so much to fix the messes you created. All the money we had to spend on Clara's treatments and medications, all the times Clara needed help, it was because you weren't capable of doing your part."

 Elise's hands balled into fists. "So you're telling me it is my fault that you spend millions on Clara's luxuries? Her designer clothes, her trips, and even the time she beat up a girl and you had to pay to cover it up?"

 Clara, who had been lounging on the sofa and scrolling through her phone, suddenly looked up. Her lips curled into a smirk. "Oh, here we go again. Elise, the jealous little bitch, always against my happiness."

 "This isn't about jealousy, Clara," Elise shot back. "You've been coddled and spoiled and now, I'm taking the fall for your financial mistakes."

 Clara's eyes glistened, and she let out a dramatic sniffle. "See, Mom? She's saying that you have pampered me and didn't raise me properly. She just hates me and that's what I've been telling you."

 Their mother turned to Elise, her face dark with anger. "How dare you? After all we've done for you? You ungrateful girl!" She raised her hand as if to slap Elise, but Elise stepped back, her voice firm.

 "I wouldn't do that if I were you," Elise said coldly. "I'm not just your daughter anymore. I am the wife of Alejandro Mendoza now. You should know better."

 Her mother's hand froze mid-air, and the room fell silent for a moment. Clara's stunned expression quickly turned venomous.

 "Wife of a cripple," Clara sneered, breaking the silence. "You're just taking my leftovers, Elise. Did you know the Mendoza family wanted me first? But I rejected them. You're like the dog they threw scraps to."

 Elise's jaw tightened, but her anger was immediately replaced with a smile."You can say whatever you want, Clara. Alejandro is more of a man than anyone you'll ever meet. Disabled or not, he's worth more than all the small 'boys' you parade around."

 Clara's smirk faded, and before she could make a comeback, Elise grabbed her box and walked out of the house without turning back. 

 It did not take long and she was in Alejandro's estate, only finding her way as a guard had come to pick her from her house.

 Her eyes looked over it, and it was massive. The type of house that Elise only saw in movies. And from the name that she had seen on a post outside, the estate belonged to just Alejandro and it was different from the main Mendoza estate. 

 It made Elise wonder how wealthy Alejandro was. 

 A maid helped her settle into her room after she met with Alejandro and as much as she felt a little bit of unease, the luxury she experienced made her temporarily forget all her worries. 

 It had been a week since Elise moved to join Alejandro and though he seemed cold on some days, his presence was much more tolerable compared to being with her parents who hadn't even called her to check on her. 

 One evening, she sat at the desk in her room, her laptop open as she tried to finalize her admission process. Logging into her student portal, her breath caught in her throat. The status of her application had changed to rejected. She stared at the screen, her disbelief turning into panic.

 "No, no, no," she muttered, frantically clicking through the options. She'd been so careful, so meticulous. 

 Was this a mistake? Maybe it was some glitch.

 Elise logged out of the portal and back in again and nothing had changed. It still showed that her admission had been rejected. Her anxiety rose. Elise read the text by the side of the rejection text and it showed that it was rejected because she applied for it. But she didn't! 

 Who could have done it?

 The only person who'd had access to her login details was Clara. Elise remembered the time her laptop had died, and she'd borrowed Clara's system to submit some documents.

 Tears welled up in her eyes as the realization sank in. Had Clara done this? Did her sister sabotage her dream, and why? Spite? Jealousy? Elise's chest tightened, and a sob escaped her lips.

 At that moment, the door creaked open, and Alejandro wheeled himself into the room. His expression shifted from curiosity to concern when he saw her tears.

 "What happened?" he asked, his voice uncharacteristically gentle.

 Elise wiped her face hastily, embarrassed to be caught crying. "It's nothing."

 He frowned. "That doesn't look like nothing. Tell me."

 She hesitated but then poured out the story, from her rejected admission to her suspicion about Clara and how she wanted the admission from the start which was why they gave her the condition of marriage in the first place. Alejandro listened quietly, his hands resting on his wheelchair.

 "I worked so hard," Elise finished, her voice breaking. "And everything just disappeared. Like it was nothing."

 Alejandro gritted his teeth, he did not know what to say but Elise's family felt like a chore that needed to be taken care of. 

 He watched Elise cry, unable to offer any help at the moment. The way she was, melted his heart and it made him want to trample on everybody that caused her pain. 

 He could not yet, but he swore to himself that any other person who gave her a reason to cry would feel his wrath.

The house was silent, except for the faint ticking of the clock in the hallway. 

  Elise stood in the kitchen, carefully arranging a tray with a steaming teapot and a plate of crackers. It had been eight months since she first stepped into Alejandro's life, and she had grown accustomed to the quietness of his home. 

  Her fingers brushed the edge of the teapot as her mind wandered. Alejandro had made incredible progress and was walking now though not for long, and he still needed the support of a cane. 

  It made her happy to see him reclaiming his strength. Yet, it also filled her with a quiet dread. The contract's terms had been clear: Help me recover, and this marriage is off.

  Now that he was getting better, she wasn't sure how to live a life that did not include him. 

  "Elise?"

  Alejandro's deep voice called her from her reverie. He had been watching her for the longest time with a smile on his lips. 

  Elise glanced up to find him standing by the door, leaning against his cane.

  "I was making you tea," she looked at him with a smile.

  He nodded, "Thank you. Come sit with me." Alejandro pointed out, moving towards his room. 

  Elise followed him and when they settled, Alejandro volunteered to pour the tea for them. Elise smiled at him, not only his legs were healing, but Alejandro didn't seem like the rude and bitter person that she once knew. 

  "Do you know what tomorrow is?" Alejandro broke the silence that had almost begun to settle on them. 

  Elise shook her head. "No. What is it?" She furrowed her brows.

  "The anniversary of my accident."

  Her breath caught. She hadn't expected that not like she had expected anything. "Oh," she murmured, not sure of what to say.

  Alejandro's gaze dropped to his hands, his fingers tracing the rim of his teacup. "I've never talked about it with anyone before. Not my family. Not my friends. No one." He glanced up at her, his expression blank though a small smile began to appear. "But I want to tell you."

  Elise set her cup down, her full attention now on him. She nodded softly, encouraging him to continue.

  He let out a slow breath. "Before the accident, I was...everything people expected of an heir to Mendoza's legacy. I was charming." He smiled. "Almost everyone wanted to be me or move with me." His voice was tinged with a bitterness that made Elise's chest tighten.

  "And then, it all changed. One moment, I'm behind the wheel, laughing with my friends. The next, I'm waking up in a hospital bed, unable to feel my legs. 

  Everything happened so fast, and the world moved on, but I couldn't. People stopped calling. Stopped visiting. I became the man everyone pitied, the man they mocked when they thought I couldn't hear."

  Elise's heart ached at his words. She wanted to reach out, to touch his hand, but she stayed still, letting him speak.

  "And then you came along," his voice was soft. "You didn't look at me like I was broken. Though you had some arrogance that intrigued me," he chuckled. "You looked at me like I was...worth saving." He paused, his eyes locking with hers. 

  "Elise, I don't want to lose you."

  Her breath hitched. "Alejandro..." She had not seen this coming.

  "I know what we agreed," he interrupted. "But I can't let you go. I don't want this marriage to end. I want you. Not as part of a contract, but as my wife."

  Elise's pulse raced. The vulnerability in his voice was undeniable, and it shook her to her core. She had always known that leaving would hurt, but she hadn't allowed herself to imagine that he would feel the same way she did.

  "Alejandro," Elise called out, "I care about you. More than I ever thought I would. But we can't be more than the contract. I don't know how to believe that this is more than me being your caregiver."

  His eyes darkened. "I understand how you feel and I wanted it that way too, but I can't stop myself from feeling the things I feel. Don't you feel it too?"

  Elise didn't speak, but her silence answered enough. 

  Alejandro reached for her hand, his grip firm but gentle. "Please stay, allow me to prove it to you."

  Elise struggled to form the words but she knew that she felt everything he felt. Unable to control herself, she leaned in closer and her lips met his. 

  Alejandro's body language seemed like he didn't expect it, but in an instant, he took over, after receiving approval from her to go on, then kissed her fiercely. 

  He did not stop kissing her as he made her lay on the bed, her hair sprawled about her as he kissed from her lips to every part of her body. 

  The way his lips moved about her body made her toes curl, and Elise began to feel her body heat up at his touch. 

  Alejandro moved her dress up, and his fingers began to mess with her open thighs. Even as she wasn't completely sure, Elise could not resist his touch. 

  Alejandro held her closer and softly licked her navel, his touch causing chills and flutters in her belly. 

  "Ale..." Elise released a moan as his lips traveled up to her nipples. He sucked it with so much dedication, taking turns between her breast while his fingers played with the rest of her body. 

  Elise's hands wrapped around his head, pressing him against her body as she kept on moaning from the pleasure Alejandro caused. 

  This was the first time in eight months that they were having this level of intimacy or anything close to it, and it was fulfilling. 

  Gradually Alejandro's fingers ran to her panties and pulled them off then his fingers found their way to her vagina. 

  He pumped it with all carefulness while making sure that the chills ran through every part of her. All along, his lips rotated between her lips and nipples.

  Just when Elise thought he was done, his mouth went to her vagina. She gasped, "What are you doing? Stop please." Elise blushed. 

  He smiled, "hearing you speak turns me on. If you want me to stop then you'd have to stay quiet."

  Elise swallowed, "What was wrong with this man?"

  Alejandro's tongue went inside her wet channel, playing with it in a rhythm that excited his dick and made her toes curl. 

  He ate her like he was dependent on her, his fingers pumping inside in a way that seemed like it was paving the way for him. 

  Elise had gotten so wet that she could not control herself as her hands pulled Alejandro's hair. "Please don't do this anymore, just take all of me."

  The side of Alejandro's lips curved and without wasting any more time, he pulled out his hard cock with his veins pumped out on every side. 

  He rubbed it along her clit till Elise was pleading, "Please don't tease me. Just go in."

  Alejandro smiled then raised his face to her. "Lily, do you want me this much? I want you too."

  Before he finished his statement, his thick cock went deep inside of her and Elise let out a loud cry. "Aaarghh..."

  Alejandro's eyes were filled with excitement. He loved how she moaned, how she called his name, and everything about her. 

  Alejandro bent to the side of her ears and licked it before he muttered the words, "I promise to go easy on you."

  Elise kept on staring straight into his eyes as a tear slipped out of hers, while his hard cock slammed against her walls. 

  Everything continued that way, like the world was at a stop, till the night was far spent and they slept off. 

  The next morning light streamed through the curtains as Alejandro stirred on the bed. His hand reached out instinctively, seeking Elise warmth, but the bed beside him was empty. 

  He sat up, then tried to call her from the bathroom but something about her absence worried him. 

  Without wasting any more time, he jerked up and checked his room and hers only to notice a neatly folded piece of paper on the nightstand.

  With trembling hands, he unfolded it.

  Alejandro,

  Thank you. For everything. For showing me kindness when I needed it most. For believing in me, even when I wasn't sure of myself. You've given me so much, more than I could ever repay.

  But I'm scared. Scared that what we have isn't real, that it's just the closeness of our circumstances. I care about you, but I don't know how to give you more so I decided to leave, far away from you and this city. I'm sorry.

  Elise

  The paper slipped from his fingers as he bolted out of the room. "Security!" he shouted and in no time, they were in front of him. 

  "Go everywhere, the airports, train stations, and bus stops. Find my wife, Elise, and bring her to me. Now!"

  As the security scrambled to obey, Alejandro sank back onto the edge of the bed, his fists clenching at his sides.

  "You're not running from me, Lily," he muttered, "I am not letting you go."

Loving Alejandro was one thing she had fought against earnestly. Caring for him, even on her worst days, had given her something she had never truly had, a sense of purpose.

 Elise wasn't sure when it started. Was it the time he sat with her in her room and comforted her after she learned her medical school admission had been declined? Or perhaps it was that evening when he insisted on picking up ice cream for her during one of their strolls? 

 If she was being sincere, she hadn't even noticed when Alejandro began consuming her thoughts. 

 One day she was putting him through treatment routines, and the next, he was in her dreams. 

 Initially, she told herself that it happened because she spent so much time with him, guiding him through his medical routines. But even when she found reasons to keep her distance, Alejandro stayed, filling every corner of her thoughts.

 And now, out of nowhere, he was telling her he loved her? And they had become intimate.

 Her stomach twisted painfully at the thought. She couldn't allow herself to believe it. Not when she was still trying to figure out her own feelings. 

 If Alejandro truly loved her, why had it taken him so long to realize? 

 Why now, when he was closer than ever to recovering fully? It was not love, Alejandro was just being grateful and she understood that. But still, he did not have to mess with her heart that way.

 What would happen when he finally walked again, and had everyone's attention? Would she still mean anything to him? She had heard many stories like that, and one thing was constant. They would always realize that the caretakers were out of their league.

 "Ma'am, we've arrived."

 Elise blinked, pulled from her thoughts by the cab driver's voice. 

 She nodded slowly, handed over the fare, and stepped out. The air was cold, causing her to shiver as she stared up at the building in front of her.

 Running away from Alejandro might not have been the wisest choice, but she was too tired to even think of it. 

 In the eight months she had cared for him, Alejandro had always insisted on compensating her for her efforts. His "thank you" payments of $25,000 a month, along with the occasional bonus whenever he felt particularly pleased with his progress, had allowed her to save a significant amount. 

 Now, with almost half a million dollars tucked away, she had a plan. She would leave for a new city, start fresh, and finally apply to medical school. If she worked hard enough, maybe she could still build the future she prayed for.

 She sighed deeply and turned her gaze toward the house. The number "26" glinted faintly on the gate, reminding her that she was at the home she had left behind eight months ago. She never thought she would return. Yet, here she was, standing in front of the gate.

 Elise pushed open the gate, her shoulders stiffening as she wondered how her parents would react to her presence. Her heartbeat quickened with every step toward the door, each stride heavier than the last. 

 After much hesitation, she reached for the door knob when her hands froze midway.

 A sharp voice pierced the stillness, coming from inside.

 "Elise already accepted it as her fault. Do we need to tell her?"

 Elise's breath hitched. Her hand fell back to her side as she pressed herself against the wall, her ears straining to hear.

 Her father's voice followed. "We're not arguing. I just thought that since Clara has shown huge recovery, there's no harm in telling her. Of course, we won't let her know it's your fault."

 Margaret's response was quick and venomous. "Oh, now it's my fault? Like you weren't there when I took those drugs? You're the one who got them for me in the first place. Don't tell me you've forgotten that too."

 "Dear," Charles cut in, his tone tired, "there's no point in blaming each other now. We both knew the risks. The doctor told us."

 Margaret scoffed. "Well, I needed something effective, not those useless drips they wanted to hook me up to for twenty-four hours."

 Elise's knees buckled as the weight of their words crashed down on her. She reached out, her hand trembling as it found the rough edge of the wall for support.

 She was still trying to piece together what she had heard when Clara's voice joined the conversation. "Are you two still arguing about who's to blame for my illness? It's pointless. Elise already took the fall, and that's what matters. Besides, if she hadn't been so careless, the cold wouldn't have triggered it."

 "I agree," Margaret voiced out.

 A single tear slid down Elise's cheek, hot against her chilled skin. Was this woman even her mother? She has always had that thought but seeing that all her childhood photos had her in Margaret's arms, then she could not argue. 

 Clara continued. "I'm much better now, and I've forgiven you both." She chuckled. "Poor Elise, though. She's married to a sick, useless man. Maybe when she's done cleaning up his mess, she'll finally understand the pain she caused me."

 Like she had cracked an interesting joke, they all joined in, laughing. "The Mendoza family really looked down on me. Why else would they bring a proposal request for their disabled and useless son to me?" Charles queried. "If not that the financial benefits were appealing, I would have chased them out of my house."

 "At least Elise was useful for something," Margaret added with a cruel laugh.

 Clara's voice turned sweet, almost syrupy. "You know, sometimes I feel bad for her. But who else could we have traded for the investment they made to Dad's company?"

 After a pause, Clara added, "Oh, by the way, Mom, Dad-I never told you, but I declined her admission."

 Elise gasped, the sound muffled against her trembling hands. She had suspected Clara, but with no proof, she had buried the accusation. Hearing it now, spoken boldly, made her stomach churn.

 Charles frowned. "Did you have to?"

 Clara hesitated before responding, her voice carefully measured. "It was necessary, Father. Did you forget how she threatened Mom the day she left? I had to clip her wings a little so she'd remember where she belongs."

 The rest of their words blurred into meaningless noise. Elise's vision clouded with tears as her mind reeled.

 How was it okay, that for eleven years of her life, she had lived with the guilt of hurting her sister?

 How was it okay that she had been denied her childhood because her parents needed a "scapegoat" to pass their guilt to?

 It didn't make sense that Clara knew all along, and even went on to decline her admission when she did nothing to hurt her.

 It just didn't make sense that the people that did these things to her were the same people that she always wanted the best for and even loved them regardless of the torture they put her through. The people she called Family.

 Her knees gave out, and she crumpled to the floor, her body trembling with silent sobs. Elise buried her face in her arms, the cold concrete pressing against her skin.

 She wasn't sure how long she stayed there, her heart heavy with betrayal and sorrow. Confronting them felt like an option, but right now, she didn't have the strength to stand, let alone speak.

 She had never done anything wrong to them and none of this was okay.