Fermented Desires

Anywhere but Here...

Isabella shoved the last shirt into her suitcase, her jaw set and her movements brisk. The muffled laughter of her parents and Leo drifted from the dining room, a grating reminder of what she was leaving behind. The framed photo on her windowsill caught her eye. A family of four, all smiles, stood knee-deep in barrels of grapes. Her throat tightened, but she didn't pick it up. Memories belonged in the past, and she wasn't taking them with her.

From downstairs, her mother's sharp voice cut through the air. "Isabella! Why are you such a pest? I asked you to do one thing for this family, and you go and ruin it again! You're not capable of doing anything right!"

The words echoed through the house, but Isabella didn't flinch. She zipped her suitcase and turned to face the room that had been both her sanctuary and her prison. Tonight, she was leaving.

---

**Flashback: Earlier That Afternoon**

The greenhouse was her refuge. Sunlight streamed through the glass panes, warming the array of plants she had painstakingly nurtured over the years. Isabella crouched beside her Tiger Lily, her pride and joy, humming softly as she tended to its delicate petals. She had coaxed it to bloom despite the odds, and the sight of its vibrant orange flowers never failed to bring her peace.

Her peace was shattered by the sudden intrusion of a male voice. "Issa? Where are you?"

She didn't hear him over the music in her earbuds, Greentea Peng's soulful voice filling the greenhouse.

"I can't smell the flowers, felt empty now for hooouuurrsss..."

Leo's shadow loomed over her as he stepped closer, his face a mask of irritation. Without warning, he plucked the pot from her hands, snapping her out of her reverie. Isabella's head whipped around, her eyes narrowing.

"Give that back!" she snapped, yanking out her earbuds. She leapt for the plant, but Leo held it high above his head, a smirk curling on his lips.

"You really should learn some manners," he sneered. "Is that any way to speak to your future husband?"

Her stomach churned at the word. Husband. The idea of spending her life tied to someone like Leo was enough to make her gag. She glared at him, her hand outstretched.

"I don't have time for your games. Give me my plant."

Instead of complying, Leo's smirk turned cruel. With a sudden, deliberate motion, he dropped the pot. It shattered against the floor, soil and petals scattering. Isabella froze, staring at the remnants of her work. Her chest heaved as anger surged through her.

"You..." Her voice was a low growl as she shoved him. He stumbled back, crashing into a table of plants, but the satisfaction was short-lived. Leo recovered quickly, his eyes darkening.

"You... you broke it!" she hissed, her voice trembling.

Leo stepped forward, his expression faltering for a moment. "I didn't mean to! It was a reflex," he said, though the defensive edge in his voice betrayed a lack of true remorse. "You shouldn't have been grabbing at me."

His attempt to deflect only fueled her rage. Without thinking, Isabella shoved him hard. He stumbled back, crashing into a table of plants, the clang of pots and clatter of tools echoing through the greenhouse. The sound seemed to break through his shock, and his eyes darkened with anger.

"Don't you ever touch me like that again," he spat, his voice low and threatening. But then he hesitated, his gaze flickering to her trembling hands and the broken flower at their feet. For a brief moment, something almost like regret crossed his face.

Isabella didn't care. She turned away from him, kneeling to gather what remained of her Tiger Lily. Her fingers trembled as she gently scooped the soil, but her resolve hardened with every passing second. Behind her, Leo stood in awkward silence before turning and leaving without another word, his retreat marked by the soft crunch of his footsteps.

She stared at the ruined flower in her hands, her chest tightening. The greenhouse, her sanctuary, suddenly felt too small, too stifling.

---

**Dinner That Evening**

The dining room was a picture of opulence, but Isabella barely noticed the gleaming silverware or the elaborate spread. Her focus was on the conversation unfolding around her.

"So, what are your plans for Isabella at your home?" her father asked Leo's father. "Will they share a room immediately? As we agreed, they'll be each other's first, to ensure pure bloodlines."

Isabella choked on her wine, the words like a slap to the face. She barely registered her mother's cheerful follow-up.

"Oh, wonderful! Does that mean we should expect a baby shower within the year?"

Her chair scraped against the floor as she stood abruptly. "Excuse me! I am sitting right here, and what I do with my body is none of your business."

Her father's gaze hardened. "Young lady, you will do as you're told as long as you're part of this family. No ifs, ands, or buts."

Isabella's hands curled into fists. "Then I'm no longer part of this family."

She stormed from the room, the murmurs of the table fading as she ascended the stairs. In her bedroom, she grabbed her suitcase and a few final belongings. Her heart pounded, but her resolve was unwavering. Tonight, she would leave.

---

The house was eerily quiet as she descended the stairs. Her parents and Leo's family were still engrossed in their discussions, oblivious to her departure. She left her phone by the front door, a silent declaration of her intent to sever ties.

The Uber already waiting outside. As she slipped into the car, she allowed herself one final glance at the house.

"Goodbye, childhood home. I wish I could say I'll miss you, but I won't."

The car pulled away, taking her further from the life that had imprisoned her. They made one stop at the greenhouse, where she gathered a packet of Tiger Lily seeds. She whispered to them as she slipped them into her jacket pocket.

"Maybe we'll have better luck in a more positive environment."

At the train station, the ticket attendant greeted her with a kind smile.

"Where to this evening?" he asked.

Isabella hesitated for only a moment before replying.

"Anywhere but here."