No strings attached |(UNDER REVISION)

Chapter 31- I love you

Aiah cupped my cheek, her thumb brushing away a stray tear. "I promise," she murmured. "I will always choose you. No matter what."

I wanted to believe her. I needed to believe her.

So, I nodded, resting my forehead against hers. "Okay."

"Okay," she echoed, pressing a soft kiss on my knuckles.

I closed my eyes, savoring the moment, trying to ignore the nagging voice in my head that whispered-

What if she's already keeping something from you?

The office was buzzing with activity when I returned. I buried myself in work, trying to push away the lingering unease in my chest. Aiah was back in her office, probably handling her own workload, and I told myself everything was fine.

Until it wasn't.

The office suddenly grew quiet. The sound of keyboards clicking, phones ringing, and employees chatting all faded into an eerie silence.

I felt it before I saw it.

A presence.

I looked up from my desk, and my breath caught in my throat.

An older woman stood before me, poised and elegant, yet undeniably intimidating. Her eyes held nothing but cold calculation as she gazed down at me. I didn't need an introduction. I knew exactly who she was.

Aiah's mother.

I had expected her to go straight to Aiah's office. Maybe to summon her, maybe to have a private conversation behind closed doors.

But no.

She came to me.

I barely had time to react before it happened.

A gasp rippled through the office as the scorching liquid splashed against my skin.

Coffee.

Hot and bitter, it dripped down my face, soaking into my blouse. The sting was immediate, but it was nothing compared to the humiliation that burned deeper.

I froze in shock, my hands trembling slightly as I wiped at my face.

The woman-Aiah's mother-looked down at me with pure disgust.

"You," she sneered, her voice sharp like a blade. "You have no place beside my daughter."

I swallowed, my throat dry. I could feel the eyes of my coworkers on me, the tension thick in the air. No one dared to move. No one dared to interfere.

I forced myself to look up at her, meeting her gaze despite the humiliation crawling under my skin.

With a steady voice, I asked, "What do you want?"

Her lips curled into a smirk, eyes glinting with something cruel.

"To remind you," she said, leaning in ever so slightly, "that no matter what you think you have with Aiah, you will never belong in her world."

I was still in shock, my hands clenched into fists, my soaked blouse sticking uncomfortably to my skin. My mind was racing, trying to process what had just happened when-

"Aiah!"

The sound of her name made my breath hitch.

Aiah suddenly appeared, moving quickly to stand between me and her mother. Her face was tight with anger, her eyes burning with barely contained frustration.

"Mom, stop this," Aiah's voice was firm, protective, but there was also a desperate edge to it. She grabbed her mother's wrist, stopping her from stepping any closer to me.