When Love Becomes a Burden

Just seeing Sharon was enough to terrify me and now Lucas was here too. Tears welled up in my eyes as I looked at him and I couldn’t hold back any longer—I fainted.

I had a dream, a terrible dream. In it, I was back in the mental hospital, with the attending doctor administering electroshock therapy while relentlessly drilling into my mind that I was unworthy of Lucas. The agony was unbearable and I screamed for mercy, “Please, let me go! I swear I don’t love Lucas anymore! I don’t love him! I don’t love him!”

But then Lucas appeared in my dream, holding me tightly and begging in a hoarse voice, “Helena, don’t leave me.”

I jolted awake, staring at the white ceiling, realizing it was just a nightmare. But one part of the dream was real, I was in Lucas’s arms. I tried to push him away, but he only held me tighter.

“Helena, please, get better,” he murmured.

Get better? Yes, I had to get better. If I didn’t, he and Sharon would send me back to the mental hospital. I nodded numbly in his embrace. “Lucas, I’m fine.”

“Helena, what did they do to you?” He finally let go, looking down at me with concern.

I stared back at him blankly. Did he not know what they had done to me? He should have known. In the first year, I called him for help, telling him about the inhuman torture I was enduring. He didn’t say a word before hanging up. After that, I lost hope and never called him again.

“Why is your leg broken?” Lucas asked. “Who did this to you?”

I didn’t want to relive those memories, so I remained silent. He finally lost patience and yelled, “Helena, answer me!”

Startled by his outburst, I stammered, “The attending doctor said I was shameless. He sent me to the male patients’ ward on the third floor. They cornered me and bullied me. In desperation, I jumped from the third-floor window and... became crippled.”

Lucas's eyes widened with shock and anger. "What? They did that to you?" His voice shook with barely controlled rage and I could see the muscles in his jaw clenching tightly.

I nodded, tears welling up in my eyes as the memories of that horrific night resurfaced. "I had no choice, Lucas. They wouldn't stop. I was so scared and there was no one to help me."

His grip on my shoulders tightened, his knuckles turning white. "Helena, why didn't you tell me? Why didn't you call for help?"

"I did," I whispered, my voice breaking. "I called you. I begged for your help, but you hung up. After that, I lost all hope."

The hands gripping my waist tightened into fists, anger blazing in his eyes.

“Lucas, don’t be angry.” I pleaded, “I know I was wrong. I really don’t want to go back there.”

Lucas released me, grabbed his phone and walked out to the balcony. Through the door, I couldn’t make out his words, but I heard him roar, “Sharon, you broke your promise!”

When he returned, he looked even angrier. I shrank back in fear. Seeing my reaction, his expression softened a bit and he pulled me back into his arms.

“Helena, don’t worry. I’ll make sure you get justice.”

“No need.” I shook my head. “I just want to find a place without you and live quietly.”

But Lucas seemed determined to help me. He kept making phone calls and while he was distracted, I slipped out of the hospital and returned to work. The manager wanted to fire me, citing my mental instability, but after begging her for a long time, she reluctantly let me stay.

After a long day, I limped back home, only to find Lucas waiting at my door. Before I could turn away, he grabbed my wrist and dragged me to his car.

“Lucas, where are you taking me?” I asked stiffly.

“You’ll live with me from now on,” he said calmly while driving. “I’ve arranged a light job for you at the company. You can start tomorrow.”

His domineering attitude left no room for negotiation. But I wanted to stay as far away from him as possible. I declined his offer firmly. He finally turned to me, his eyes serious.

“Helena, you’re the adopted daughter of the Specter. Think about the family’s reputation.”

He meant that my job as a cleaner was an embarrassment to the Specter family. It was true; everyone knew I was their adopted daughter. But this time, I was resolute in keeping my distance from him.

"Lucas, I will find another job on my own," I said firmly, my voice steady despite the turmoil inside.

He frowned, clearly displeased with my decision. "Helena, you're a part of our family. It’s not just about you; it’s about the Specter name."

I nodded, willing to compromise just enough to end the conversation.

Unable to persuade me, Lucas arranged for me to work at a dessert shop instead. Knowing my love for sweets and baking, he even hired a pastry chef to teach me. On my first day, he came to pick me up after work, but I slipped out the back door.

The shop was close to home, just two alleys away. But even in that short distance, I encountered danger. Young men wearing baseball caps jumped off their motorbikes and kicked me to the ground. I screamed, trembling with pain and struggled to get up when a high-heeled shoe pressed on my hand.

In front of me stood Sharon, her white legs looking impossibly long and menacing. Her expression was one of cold satisfaction as she watched me writhe in pain.

"Helena, do you think telling on me to Lucas will make him love you and marry you? You think running to Lucas will save you?" she sneered, her voice dripping with disdain. "You’re even more pathetic than I thought."

Sharon continued, “Yes, I did arrange with the doctor to have you ‘disciplined,’ but don’t forget, it was Lucas who insisted on sending you to the mental hospital.”

The pressure from her heel increased, sending sharp waves of pain through my hand. I gasped, tears welling up in my eyes. "Please, Sharon, I’m sorry. I was wrong. I won’t do it again. I won’t bother you anymore."

Sharon's eyes narrowed as she leaned closer, her face just inches from mine. "I don’t believe you, you haven’t learned your lesson" she said softly but with a deadly edge. "But don’t worry, Since the doctors can’t ‘discipline’ you, I’ll have to do it myself. We’ll make sure you understand."

She straightened up and gestured to the men behind her. "Break her other leg！"