𝐿𝐼𝑉𝐸 𝐿𝐼𝐾𝐸 𝐿𝐸𝐺𝐸𝑁𝐷𝑆 - 𝑓𝑜𝑟𝑚𝑢𝑙𝑎 𝑜𝑛𝑒

𝒯𝑒𝓃

"You're late," Camille's voice sliced through the air, sharp and cutting, as she continued her task of trimming the roses, not bothering to turn towards her daughter.

"Sorry, mother," Amalia replied quietly, not wanting to pick a fight. Her words hung in the air, heavy with the weight of their strained relationship. Despite her best efforts to please her mother, it seemed that nothing she did was ever enough.

"You know how important it is to be punctual. I thought I raised you better," Camille chided, her criticism cutting deep. "Have you been keeping to our diet and training, Amalia? It doesn't look like it's paying off. Look at you – your thighs are getting huge, and your stomach is an eyesore. Honestly, how do you even walk around happily like that?"

"I've been more training, Mother. It's just muscle, I need it for racing." Amalia tried to explain, her voice strained with frustration.

"Whatever, Amalia. I don't have time for excuses," Camille dismissed her daughter's words, her attention already elsewhere. "We are hosting a Christmas party in a few days, and I expect you to be on your best behavior. Very important people will be here, and I can't have you embarrassing us. I have taken the liberty to order you a dress, but looking at you, I might need to get a bigger size..."

"Sorry, Mother. Forgive me. I can lose the weight, Mother, I promise," Amalia pleaded, her heart sinking at her mother's relentless criticism.

Camille sighed, her disappointment palpable "Amalia, I don't ask for much. All I want is for you to uphold the standards of our family. You represent the Schröder name, and I expect nothing less than perfection."

Amalia nodded, her gaze fixed on the ground as she absorbed her mother's words. She knew the drill – her mother's expectations were as unyielding as the thorns in the rose garden, and she had learned the hard way that defiance only led to more pain.

"I'll do better, Mother. I promise," Amalia said softly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Camille's expression softened slightly, a hint of resignation flickering in her eyes. "I hope you do, Amalia. You have so much potential, but you need to start taking this seriously. The world won't wait for you to catch up."

With that, Camille turned back to her task, the rhythm of her pruning shears punctuating the tense silence that hung between them. Deciding to leave Camille to her tasks, Amalia turned and made her way back towards the house, the weight of her mother's expectations heavy on her shoulders.

As she passed through the kitchen, Gretchen called out to her with a warm smile. "Lia darling, would you like anything to eat?"

"No thank you, Gretchen. I had the smoothie you made, and I'm still full from it," Amalia replied, mustering a small smile of her own.

"Of course. Let me know if you want anything," Gretchen offered kindly before returning to her own duties.

Leaving the kitchen behind, Amalia's mind was already set on her next course of action. She needed to start losing the weight right away – she just wanted her mother to be proud of her, to see her efforts and acknowledge them.

Arriving back in her room, Amalia quickly changed into her workout clothes before making her way down to the home gym.

As Amalia began her stretches, she allowed her mind to drift away from the weight of her mother's expectations and the relentless criticism that seemed to follow her everywhere. With each movement, she focused on the sensation of her muscles stretching and loosening, grounding herself in the rhythm of her own breath.

The familiar routine of her workout provided a comforting escape from the pressures of her reality. As she moved to running Amalia pushed herself, her feet pounding against the running track. Getting lost in her mind again Amalia didn't realize how long she had been running until she felt a sudden rush of dizziness wash over her. Panic began to rise within her as her vision blurred and black dots clouded her sight.