I headed back downstairs after several minutes of silence to address the invasion directly.<\/p>\n
Beatrice was currently in the kitchen rummaging through my drawers, while one of Lucas\u2019s cousins had completely opened my refrigerator to inspect the contents.<\/p>\n
In the dining room, a stranger was busy asking where they could plug in a phone charger, acting as if they were entirely entitled to the electricity and space.<\/p>\n
\u201cIt is about time you got down here,\u201d Beatrice said without looking up from my drawer.<\/p>\n
\u201cGo ahead and clear the plates for everyone,\u201d she commanded.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am not going to lift a single finger to help you,\u201d I replied, and the entire room suddenly went deathly silent.<\/p>\n
Lucas approached me quickly, looking frantic.<\/p>\n
\u201cFelicity, please just stop doing this in front of everyone,\u201d he whispered.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo what exactly, Lucas?\u201d I asked him.<\/p>\n
\u201cRemind them that this house is not theirs to control?\u201d I added.<\/p>\n
Beatrice let out a dry, dismissive laugh.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou have such a terrible attitude, daughter, and a woman who enters a family must learn how to share,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cSharing is definitely not the same thing as allowing strangers to enter my home without my permission,\u201d I countered.<\/p>\n
\u201cExcuse me?\u201d she repeated, as if the very idea that she needed permission was a joke.<\/p>\n
\u201cLucas has a key to this place,\u201d she stated as if that settled the legal matter.<\/p>\n
\u201cI gave a key to Lucas, not to you or any of your friends,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Lucas\u2019s face shifted, and for the first time, he looked genuinely uncomfortable with his mother\u2019s behavior.<\/p>\n
\u201cMom just wanted to organize something nice for us, so stop overthinking everything,\u201d he said weakly.<\/p>\n
\u201cNice?\u201d I asked him incredulously.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey just ordered me to come inside and cook for them in my own house.\u201d<\/p>\n
One of his aunts decided to intervene, stepping closer to me with an insincere expression.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, honey, you really shouldn\u2019t exaggerate so much,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is just how mothers-in-law operate, and if you start asserting your rights now, your marriage will not last long at all.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThen it is a very good thing that I am not married to him yet,\u201d I replied, and the words hung in the air like a heavy weight.<\/p>\n
Lucas grabbed my arm and dragged me toward the hallway, his grip tighter than it needed to be.<\/p>\n
\u201cAre you losing your mind?\u201d he whispered harshly.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhy would you say that in front of my family?\u201d he asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cBecause I desperately need to know exactly who I am about to marry,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are just letting your anger get the better of you, Felicity,\u201d he argued.<\/p>\n
\u201cNo, Lucas, I am not angry, I am finally realizing the truth,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
I asked him if he knew his mother had invited this entire group to my house, and he nodded slowly.<\/p>\n
I asked him if he knew they were going through my private rooms, and he stared at the floor in shame.<\/p>\n
I asked him if he knew his family genuinely thought this house belonged to them, and he said absolutely nothing.<\/p>\n
That silence was far worse than any confession he could have made.<\/p>\n
I walked back upstairs, but this time I went down the second-floor hallway to check the other rooms.<\/p>\n
The guest room door was wide open, and inside, there was a massive bag of clothes, a folded blanket, and a suitcase waiting against the wall.<\/p>\n
In the other room, I found sandals kicked under the bed, confirming that this was not a temporary gathering, but a full-scale relocation.<\/p>\n
I went back downstairs with my heart hammering against my ribs, and when I reached the main entrance, I noticed something new.<\/p>\n
There was a shiny, new deadbolt installed right over the original lock.<\/p>\n
\u201cWho put that there?\u201d I asked the room at large.<\/p>\n
Beatrice didn\u2019t even flinch.<\/p>\n
\u201cI had it changed for security reasons, because this is a big house with many people coming and going, and things easily get lost,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
I felt the floor drop out from under me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you change the lock on my house without telling me?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
\u201cOh, don\u2019t start with the drama, because it was just to protect everyone\u2019s belongings,\u201d she replied.<\/p>\n
\u201cThere is no \u2018everyone\u2019s\u2019 here, this is my home,\u201d I said.<\/p>\n
Lucas chimed in with a tired, pathetic voice.<\/p>\n
\u201cI knew about it, but it really wasn\u2019t that big of a deal, and my mom just wanted to help,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n
That was the moment the door of doubt finally closed for good.<\/p>\n
\u201cHelp whom?\u201d I asked, but he remained silent.<\/p>\n
Beatrice crossed her arms and looked at me with pure calculation.<\/p>\n
\u201cLook, Felicity, I am going to be very clear with you,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
\u201cAfter the wedding, it is best that this house be managed by someone with actual experience,\u201d she stated.<\/p>\n
\u201cYou are young, you do not know how these things work, and Lucas has his own financial commitments, so his family needs support too,\u201d she added.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat exactly does \u2018managed\u2019 mean?\u201d I asked, even though the answer was sickeningly clear.<\/p>\n
\u201cLet\u2019s just get things in order and see if it is better to transfer the deed to another name to simplify the paperwork,\u201d she said.<\/p>\n
I felt nauseous as I realized they weren\u2019t just invading; they were preparing to steal my property.<\/p>\n
I looked at Lucas.<\/p>\n
\u201cDid you know your mother wanted to transfer the legal paperwork?\u201d I asked.<\/p>\n
He clenched his jaw, refusing to look at me.<\/p>\n
\u201cDon\u2019t say it like that, because nobody is trying to take anything from you,\u201d he lied.<\/p>\n
My phone vibrated with a message from an unknown number.<\/p>\n
\u201cI am Uncle Dante,\u201d the message read.<\/p>\n
\u201cDo not trust them, as they are desperate because of a massive debt, and your house is their primary target.\u201d<\/p>\n
I looked up, and I saw that Lucas had turned completely pale.<\/p>\n
Before I could ask him about the debt, Beatrice spoke up again.<\/p>\n
\u201cThat is enough, because either you fall in line starting today, or this wedding is going to get off to a very bad start,\u201d she warned.<\/p>\n
I understood then that the full truth was still hidden, but it was already knocking at the door.<\/p>\n
I put my phone into my bag and looked at every single person in the room with absolute silence.<\/p>\n
For the first time all night, I didn\u2019t feel afraid, I felt a wave of complete clarity.<\/p>\n
\u201cI want all of you to leave right now,\u201d I said calmly.<\/p>\n
Nobody moved an inch, and Beatrice looked at me as if I had just blasphemed.<\/p>\n
\u201cWhat do you mean, leave?\u201d she asked.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
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