Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen - Chapter 28: Chapter 28
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Her parents' faces immediately twisted with shock and barely concealed rage.
"This IS your home! You can't just waltz back here and leave again like we're strangers. You finished college—it's time to come back and be part of this family," her father snapped, his voice dripping with entitlement.
Her mother lunged forward and grabbed Aurelia's wrist with desperate fingers.
"Sweetheart, we haven't seen you in four years. How can you want to run away after barely two conversations? Don't you love us? Don't you miss your family?"
Aurelia stared down at her mother's grip, seeing the manipulation disguised as affection with crystal clarity.
She didn't hesitate to shatter their illusions: "I stopped having a family the day I left for New Mexico. You want me to stay so I can be Rosalia's live-in caregiver, don't you?"
Her brutal honesty left both parents stunned into silence.
Realizing Aurelia was serious about leaving, her mother switched tactics to emotional terrorism.
"The doctors say Rosalia will be paralyzed for life—she'll need round-the-clock care forever. Even if you won't help your own sister, what about that Luigi boy who's so devoted to her?"
Aurelia's blood went cold with disbelief.
"He came here with you, didn't he? Could you convince him to stay and take care of Rosalia? She's been crying for him constantly since he visited."
For a moment, Aurelia thought she was having some kind of psychotic break. Surely her mother wasn't asking what she thought she was asking.
But seeing Aurelia's shocked pause, her mother pressed on with renewed hope: "You two have history together, right? He'd listen to you. Please, just ask him to consider it—for Rosalia's sake."
Aurelia wrenched her wrist free, her voice deadly calm: "If you want Luigi to play nursemaid to your precious daughter, ask him yourself. He's not my responsibility."
At the hospital room door, she turned back one final time, her words cutting like glass.
"I never belonged in this family anyway. I've given my life to my country now—that's my only allegiance. Lose my number."
Her father's face went purple with fury: "What kind of heartless monster did we raise?!"
"We fed you, clothed you, put a roof over your head for eighteen fucking years, and this is how you repay us? You're nothing but an ungrateful little bitch!"
Each word felt like acid being poured into open wounds, but Aurelia's voice stayed steady.
"You think I'm heartless? Look in a mirror."
"I'll fulfill my legal obligations—I'll set up automatic payments through government channels like the law requires. But that's all you're getting from me."
"Enjoy your life with your perfect daughter. You finally got what you always wanted—just the three of you."
She walked away with her back straight and her head high, even as her chest felt like it was being ripped apart by wild animals.
These people had never loved her. They'd kept her around as backup emotional support for their real child.
Her father stood frozen with rage while her mother started to chase after her, calling her name desperately.
Aurelia saw them coming and stepped into the elevator, slamming the close button like her life depended on it.
The doors sealed her away from them forever.
Outside the hospital, Luigi had been pacing for over an hour, his anxiety eating him alive.
Isaac had already left for urgent campus business, leaving just Luigi and Aurelia for the long drive back to New Mexico.
The moment Luigi saw Aurelia's devastated expression, his heart cracked completely. He pulled out a white bakery box he'd been clutching.
"I knew talking to them would destroy you, so I got your favorite—strawberry shortcake from that place you used to love."
His voice was desperate, pleading, like he could somehow fix her pain with cake and good intentions.
Aurelia stared at the delicate pink strawberries and pristine white frosting, feeling absolutely nothing.
"I hate strawberry cake now."
She got in the passenger seat and stared straight ahead, her voice completely hollow.
Luigi felt like she'd punched him in the stomach. He'd remembered wrong—or maybe she'd changed so completely that even her favorite dessert was different now.
He stood there holding the cake like an idiot until a homeless man walked by, then he practically threw the box at him before getting behind the wheel.
During the endless drive through the desert, Luigi kept stealing glances at Aurelia through the rearview mirror.
She was pressed against the window like she was trying to disappear into it, watching the New York skyline fade behind them with empty eyes.
Every familiar landmark they passed seemed to trigger another memory—probably painful ones, judging by the way her face kept crumpling and then going blank again.
Luigi's hands were shaking on the steering wheel as he realized this was it.
She was saying goodbye to her entire past life.
Including him.
"This IS your home! You can't just waltz back here and leave again like we're strangers. You finished college—it's time to come back and be part of this family," her father snapped, his voice dripping with entitlement.
Her mother lunged forward and grabbed Aurelia's wrist with desperate fingers.
"Sweetheart, we haven't seen you in four years. How can you want to run away after barely two conversations? Don't you love us? Don't you miss your family?"
Aurelia stared down at her mother's grip, seeing the manipulation disguised as affection with crystal clarity.
She didn't hesitate to shatter their illusions: "I stopped having a family the day I left for New Mexico. You want me to stay so I can be Rosalia's live-in caregiver, don't you?"
Her brutal honesty left both parents stunned into silence.
Realizing Aurelia was serious about leaving, her mother switched tactics to emotional terrorism.
"The doctors say Rosalia will be paralyzed for life—she'll need round-the-clock care forever. Even if you won't help your own sister, what about that Luigi boy who's so devoted to her?"
Aurelia's blood went cold with disbelief.
"He came here with you, didn't he? Could you convince him to stay and take care of Rosalia? She's been crying for him constantly since he visited."
For a moment, Aurelia thought she was having some kind of psychotic break. Surely her mother wasn't asking what she thought she was asking.
But seeing Aurelia's shocked pause, her mother pressed on with renewed hope: "You two have history together, right? He'd listen to you. Please, just ask him to consider it—for Rosalia's sake."
Aurelia wrenched her wrist free, her voice deadly calm: "If you want Luigi to play nursemaid to your precious daughter, ask him yourself. He's not my responsibility."
At the hospital room door, she turned back one final time, her words cutting like glass.
"I never belonged in this family anyway. I've given my life to my country now—that's my only allegiance. Lose my number."
Her father's face went purple with fury: "What kind of heartless monster did we raise?!"
"We fed you, clothed you, put a roof over your head for eighteen fucking years, and this is how you repay us? You're nothing but an ungrateful little bitch!"
Each word felt like acid being poured into open wounds, but Aurelia's voice stayed steady.
"You think I'm heartless? Look in a mirror."
"I'll fulfill my legal obligations—I'll set up automatic payments through government channels like the law requires. But that's all you're getting from me."
"Enjoy your life with your perfect daughter. You finally got what you always wanted—just the three of you."
She walked away with her back straight and her head high, even as her chest felt like it was being ripped apart by wild animals.
These people had never loved her. They'd kept her around as backup emotional support for their real child.
Her father stood frozen with rage while her mother started to chase after her, calling her name desperately.
Aurelia saw them coming and stepped into the elevator, slamming the close button like her life depended on it.
The doors sealed her away from them forever.
Outside the hospital, Luigi had been pacing for over an hour, his anxiety eating him alive.
Isaac had already left for urgent campus business, leaving just Luigi and Aurelia for the long drive back to New Mexico.
The moment Luigi saw Aurelia's devastated expression, his heart cracked completely. He pulled out a white bakery box he'd been clutching.
"I knew talking to them would destroy you, so I got your favorite—strawberry shortcake from that place you used to love."
His voice was desperate, pleading, like he could somehow fix her pain with cake and good intentions.
Aurelia stared at the delicate pink strawberries and pristine white frosting, feeling absolutely nothing.
"I hate strawberry cake now."
She got in the passenger seat and stared straight ahead, her voice completely hollow.
Luigi felt like she'd punched him in the stomach. He'd remembered wrong—or maybe she'd changed so completely that even her favorite dessert was different now.
He stood there holding the cake like an idiot until a homeless man walked by, then he practically threw the box at him before getting behind the wheel.
During the endless drive through the desert, Luigi kept stealing glances at Aurelia through the rearview mirror.
She was pressed against the window like she was trying to disappear into it, watching the New York skyline fade behind them with empty eyes.
Every familiar landmark they passed seemed to trigger another memory—probably painful ones, judging by the way her face kept crumpling and then going blank again.
Luigi's hands were shaking on the steering wheel as he realized this was it.
She was saying goodbye to her entire past life.
Including him.
End of Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen Chapter 28. Continue reading Chapter 29 or return to Done Hiding as Your Backup Plaything I'm Shining Golden as a Queen book page.