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Life returned more or less to its normal course after that, but Scarlett couldn't fool herself into thinking things had gone back to the way they were before her falling out with her father. Arjun watched her even more closely than ever, and Scarlett couldn't even get five minutes alone with anyone, because her father was always hovering in the background, watching her every move. The only times she was truly alone was when she had to visit the facilities, or when she was in her bed at night; all other times, Arjun was watching her. She knew he wasn't fooled; he was looking for an excuse to throw her out and let her die on the streets. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡp872pYl4eO
And he had good reason to be so suspcicious, Scarlett told herself gloomily. Despite her claims, she still wasn't happy at marrying a stranger, but she knew better than to let her feelings be known, and she knew it was her own fault her father was watching her so intently these days. But deep down, common sense told her she'd been right to let fly the day of their estrangement, and nothing her father could do or say would ever make her change her mind. 73Please respect copyright.ＰＥＮＡＮＡzTUJ6deU1o
But she refused to give up on her destiny. No matter what her father did or said, she was still willing to go through the process of marriage and babymaking, if for no other reason to get her father off her back so she could finally live a life free of his influence. She had no doubt he'd try to keep an eye on her and her new husband when the time for the wedding came, but she wasn't going to have him hover over her when the time for babymaking came. This was going to be her child and her marriage, and if her father didn't like it, well, she told herself, it was just too bad for him!
Even so, she couldn't vent freely to anyone; her own mother was forbidden from being alone with her, and Scarlett's heart ached every time she saw the pain in Saanvi's eyes. Her parents had never really gotten along thanks to Arjun's controlling nature, and Scarlett wished there was a way she could get her father to leave her and her mother alone for five minutes. But every time mother and daughter went off together, Arjun always found an excuse to come join them, forcing Scarlett and Saanvi to engage in very stilted conversation with no substance, Arjun watching their every move, weighing their every word, studying each one until it had been examined to death. Saanvi and Scarlett couldn't even talk in guarded metaphors; Arjun had made it clear that if they said anything he thought had a double meaning, he'd have Scarlett thrown out and left to die on the streets. So mother and daughter were forced to speak plainly, but that still wasn't enough for Arjun, who would sometimes question them every time they made a statement, refusing to believe their words were harmless, until Scarlett felt ready to scream.
But there was nothing she could do. All she could do was endure, and look forward to the day when she could be married and away from her father's stifling influence. She knew her duty, and while she didn't like marrying a stranger, she was determined to see that duty through. And when she'd birthed the promised child, she vowed to make her father pay for everything he'd put her through, no matter how long it took.
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