His Destructive, Toxic Love

Aaron had gone over Eliza's medical report. She had premature ovarian failure. A condition she shouldn't be experiencing at her age. "What's going on with your body?" he asked.

He wasn't sure if Casper knew, but the Welton family was desperate for Eliza to get pregnant, and this condition would seriously affect her chances of having a baby.

Eliza couldn't give an answer. Aaron didn't push further, only saying, "You're still young. With the right treatment, things can get better."

A bitter smile crept onto Eliza's face. She wasn't a doctor, but she had enough common sense to know that this condition was incurable. "Thank you," she said.

Just as Aaron was about to reply, Casper walked in. "You two should talk," Aaron said. He did not plan to stick around.

Casper was carrying a pot of homemade chicken soup that Marian had made. He walked over to Eliza's hospital bed. "Have some soup. It's still warm," he said. His tone had softened, but it felt insincere. Eliza closed her eyes, not in the mood to talk. He poured the soup into a bowl and brought it to her lips. "Come on, drink a little."

She turned her face away, not even opening her eyes. Casper wasn't known for his patience. The fact that he was being this tolerant was already a big deal, but Eliza didn't care.

"Open your mouth," he said, trying to keep his anger in check.

Eliza slowly opened her eyes. "I'm not going to die. I don't need this miracle cure."

His fingers tightened around the bowl, his knuckles turning white.

With a swift motion, the bowl and soup were tossed into the trash can, making a sharp sound. Eliza watched him calmly, her heart unmoved. His fake patience wouldn't last long; his true nature always showed through. People could pretend, but they couldn't change.

"Eliza, I'm really giving you a chance here. It's better if you don't drink it; it saves me the trouble," he said, almost letting slip that it would be better if she were dead. He held back, but Eliza could read between the lines.

Their eyes met, saying more than words ever could. "I'm warning you, stay away from Zach. You can't win against him."

The name Zach had come up too often, making her frown. "I've never even met Zach."

"Zach is the owner of the studio you joined, and you're telling me you've never met him?" He hated being treated like a fool. "Eliza, you'd better stay away from him, or it won't end well for anyone."Published by Nôv'elD/rama.Org.

Zach was the studio owner? Chelsea had said he was her friend. Was it really Zach? No way. Chelsea knew what Zach had done to her. "I've never met the studio's owner." If it really was Zach, she'd quit. Clearly, Casper didn't believe her. Whether he did or not, Eliza didn't care anymore. After a long silence, Casper left.

A few days later, Eliza was discharged from the hospital. Casper's driver came to pick her up. "Ma'am, please get in the car," the driver said, respectfully opening the rear door. She instinctively stepped back, not wanting to return to that house. "I can't go with you, John."

Not completing Casper's task would likely cost him his job. "Ma'am, Mr. Casper said he's waiting at home to talk to you. Please just let me take you to him. Look, I'm just an employee..." John was close to tears. Eliza couldn't bring herself to make things harder for him. Casper was used to getting his way, never thinking about how others felt.