Dinner, had ended, the table cleared, and the servant had quietly left the dining room
The soft clicking of dishes being wash faded down the hall, leaving the mansion unusually still stars, indifferent to the storm brewing inside.
Daniel remained at the table, his hands folded neatly in front of him. Dinner, he had said nothing, listening carefully as his mother spoke about plans, expectations, and his future responsibilities. He had force a calm smile, responding politely when needed, careful no embarrassed her. But the polite restraint he maintained during the meal was fragile mask and now that servants were gone, it's began to Crack.
Mrs Carter stood from her chair and walked slowly to the window, the folds for dress swaying with the moment." Daniel," she said her voice controlled but firm, " I've told already told you I will not accept defiance. You will marry the girl I have chosen. She suitable,from a respectable family and it is in your best interest "
Daniel inhaled deeply, trying to contain the surge of emotions building inside him. He rose from the table, his hands pressing briefly to the smooth surface ,before he face his mother.
" Mother.... I've heard everything tonight. I know what you want, but you cannot force me . I will not marry someone I do not like."
Mrs Carter turned sharply, her eyes narrowing. " Daniel! I am your mother I know what is best for you. You are not thinking clearly. You are letting your emotions could your judgment."
Daniel's Jaws tightened, and for a moment, the calm, politeness he had all evening vanished. Completely, " no, mother it's you , who doesn't understand. You think this is about duty, about family pride.
Bit it's not. I am not a puppet in your hands.i will not live a life dictated by someone else's desires. And don't lecture me about Mary she may not have your status, but she has more honesty, courage and more heart than anyone I've never met that should matter to you!"
Mrs Carter face darkened, fingers curling around the edge of a side table." Mary?" You dare bring her into this conversation? Do not let me hear such insolence, you will follow my instructions. Daniel or you will regret it!"
" I will not regret choosing my own path!" Daniel said his voice rising " you think you are protecting me, but all you are doing is suffocating me. Don't forget _ when you were young, you ran away from the marriage your parents arranged for you. You defied them to marry my father! Who was also 10 times older than you because you loved him, and now you try to dictate my life as nothing has change."
Mrs Carter face paled, a flash of guilt mingling with her anger. " how dare you."
" I'm saying it because it's true!" Daniel snapped stepping closer " I am not a child, Mother. I have the right to choose who I love, who I spent my life with. I will not be controlled not by you or anyone!"
The argument escalated, their voices bouncing off the hight ceilings of the living room. Each word cut sharper than the last, exposing old wounds and hidden resentment. Daniel accused; Mrs Carter defended. She cited tradition, family expectation, and his future legacy. He encountered with honestly, passion and defiance, refusing to be silenced.
Finally, exhausted, frustrated and see thing with adrenaline, Daniel turned abruptly and left the room. He strode out into the night, needing at, needing distance from the tension and from the weight of his mother's control.
He climbed into his sleek back car parked in the driveway. The engine roared to life beneath him, echoing in the quiet mansion grounds. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, running a hand through his hair as his thoughts churned.
Mary. His mother. The suffocating expectations of his family. His chest ached with anger and worry. He need to think. He needs space.
The city streets were empty at this late hour, and Daniel drove fast and reckless. The night air whipped past the open window, cool against his flushed face. But his focus was elsewhere, his mind replaying the fight, Mary absence and the injustice controlled.
At sharp bend in the road, Daniel concentration faltered. A flash of headlights, appeared unexpectedly the opposite lane.
His beliefs were quick, but the speed, the adrenaline and the wet asphalt from a recent drizzle betray him. The car skidded violently, tired squealing as mental met the edge of the guardrail.
Time slow Daniel's heart race as the vehicle twisted and turned. His hands fighting the wheel. Glass shattered, the engine roared in the protest and then _ a deafening impact.
When the car finally came to a stop, Daniel was shaken, pain shouting through his shoulder and leg. The world lifted, then settled into grim silence. The streetlights blurred into streaks of gold and white. He could taste blood in his mouth and feel the warmth of it trickling down in his face.
Daniel's though we're scattered, chaotic and panicked. But one thought was crystal clear, cutting through the fog of the pain.
" Mary..... I hope she's safe. I hope she knows..."
Inside the mansion, Mrs Carter sat froze in the living room, unaware that the heat argument and Daniel's storm of defiance had escalated into a life threatening accident. The night had started with tension and control but, but it ended with fear, chaos and uncertainty.
Outside the city continued it's indifferent hum, oblivious to the crash, the broken car, and the man fighting silently for life and choices that had always been denied to him.