Previously on Avenging Angels
After the little incident with Miss Helda, Rose and Chris share some quality time before going to bed. The Bladderworts express their gratitude towards Rose and she becomes uneasy.
THIRTY-NINE
"I did what I did yesterday not because I wanted to but because I had to. There's no need for all these acts of gratitude towards me" I turned to look at her to see her already starting at me with her large green eyes.
"You are a really bright girl. Your parents must be lucky to have you as their daughter" she said with a wistful smile while tilting her head and staring at me with a questionable expression.
"The same parents you murdered?" I asked with scorn deeply imprinted in my face and she looked up at me with widened eyes.
"Pardon?" she asked in fake innocence.
"Oh, save the pretense for the devil!" I scoffed darkly.
"You think I don't know what you did twelve years ago or the day I was born?"
"What are you talking about? I don't even know you..." she said and I let out a dry chuckle.
"Of course, you don't. How would you know the face of the daughter whom parents you murdered in cold blood without thinking twice?" I gritted.
"Rosaline-"
"Don't you dare call my name!!" I spat menacingly as I stepped towards her.
"Rosaline and Brudy Thorne. Does that ring a bell, Avalor?" she squinted her eyes as it darkened when she realized whom I was talking about.
"Y-you're their daughter?" she asked in shock and I tilted my head backward and laughed at her face.
"Oh, yes!! And I'm here to get my revenge on you. Just the way you took the most precious people in my life away from me, I'm going to do the same to you and even worse!" I said as I moved to where she stood and slowly took the scissors and gripped it in my palm.
"No, wait! Let me explain-"
"I don't need an explanation. All I want is for you to suffer the way my sisters and I did just because of you!"
"I'm sorry, you need to forgive me but trust me, revenge will not bring back your parents" she cajoled shakily.
"You're right. They won't come back but at least their death won't be in vain once I avenge the wrongful death you orchestrated!"
"Please, doing this won't help. W-what do you want? Money? Full life support? Compensation? Whatever it is, name it and I will give it to you?" she asked as her lips trembled with fear from the dark tints on my eyes.
"Your death..." I scorned as I got close enough to raise my hand and drive the scissors down her exposed throat.
She held my hands, trying to push me away but I didn't budge and just smirked darkly at the way her blood rushed down my arm.
"P-ple...ase" she pleaded with shivering lips but it passed deaf ears.
"I'm sure this was the same way my father and mother pleaded with you" I shoved the scissors deeper and she chortled in pain as her body went down.
I finally released my grip and she fell down in her pool of blood while I towered over her and stared down at the unmoving figure.
I jolted back into reality with a shock when I heard someone's voice calling my name.
"Rosaline. Are you okay?" she asked in concern and I looked at her neck to see it still untouched.
"Y-yes, of course" I grimaced.
When she turned back to her work, I hit myself on the face for having such murderous thoughts but a satisfied grin was still stuck to my face when I recalled the way she trembled under my gaze.
If only daydreams were real.
*****
It's lunchtime in the mansion and all the maids are in the kitchen, cooking up what they craved as we all talked amicably about nothing in particular.
"How's Georgina by the way?" Violet asked Helen and she looked down in pity.
"She kept on waking up last night with a shock, having serious nightmares," Helen said with melancholy.
"I can't believe something of such could happen and the Bladderworts are acting as though nothing even occurred. I mean, they didn't ask after her in breakfast!" said Sarah with blazing chocolate eyes.
"That's how they always are. Rich people and their strange mentality... Where I worked before, I once fell from the stairs and got injured really badly but my madam at that time didn't even bother to help me with my wounds but instead, she told me to clean up the whole house as she was expecting guests over. Like, can you believe that? A human being just like you with feelings and emotions was severely injured and the least you could do was help out with the wounds" Francesca said and shook her head.
"I never knew people could be this cruel" Chloe said softly with a sigh from beside me.
"They are, Chloe. Mankind, especially rich people are cruel bastards, that's something I found out in a hard way" Francesca said with an edge to her tone and we all looked at her in question, the Frances we knew never had a rough tone like that.
"Yes, they are" Mrs. Scott suddenly stepped in and we all straightened up.
"The people you work for and many more out there are harsh and unforgiving, especially to low-life beings like us. To them, we are like the gum under their shoes, irrelevant and irritating. But we can do nothing about it if we want to survive in this world" said Mrs. Scott and I stepped forward.
"Sorry to interrupt, Mrs. Scott but I just need to say something" she nodded for me to go ahead.
"Not all rich people are as you said. Yes, we all agree that the majority of them are wicked but there are still some of them who harbor a kind heart and won't hesitate to take in three young orphans"
"There's still some who won't think twice before picking up a beggar from the street and feeding her, educating her, raising her like your own child. I think we should never judge everyone by just looking at the major parts"
"If we say the Bladderworts are evil then you are naturally saying that every single one of them is wicked then what about William or Christian? The first thing they did when they got up this morning was to check on Georgina, they made sure she was ok before they went down to have breakfast. William even promised her a gift if he sees her tomorrow at breakfast just so he could see her smile again. Do you classify them as evil too?" I asked out loud while looking at all of them.
"I personally believe that amongst all the vices, cruelty, and corruption, there is something out there that is still worth fighting for. My father taught me so, that you should never throw out a rotten apple just because it has one or two spoilt spots, cut out the good parts, and throw out the spoilt ones. You don't need to waste an entire apple just because of one or two sour spots" I finished and looked up to see Mrs. Scott staring at me with wonder.
"That was awesome, Rose" Chloe gushed and I smiled.
"The fire in your eyes, keep it burning," Mrs. Scott said with a small smile and left the kitchen.
"Go girl!!" the girls all clapped and cheered for me and I shook my head at their childishness but the smile was still on my lips.
I took the cookies I was arranging on a plate with a cup of orange juice and went out of the kitchen to the living room where Regina who was putting on a simple baby blue knee-length dress was watching TV.
I was ordered by Avalor this morning to make sure Regina takes something to boost her sugar level for lunch so I decided to give her cookies and orange juice.
"Ma'am" I called and dropped the tray on the table.
I looked at her to see her eyes were actually somewhere else and not on the TV which was on.
"Ma'am" I called a little bit higher this time which made her jolt up with widening eyes.
"W-what?"
"Your lunch" I pointed at the cookies and she followed my finger to see the snacks on the table.
"Oh? Thank you" she said and I raised my eyebrows.
The Regina I know never says thank you to anyone.
After deciding to just ignore her weird behaviour, I was about to leave when she called me back.
"Rosaline?"
"Yes, ma'am" I turned around.
"Um...about yesterday..." she paused and pursed her lips while looking down at her entangled fingers.
"It was nothing. I'm just glad you are fine now, there's no need to thank me or this extra behavior of yours. I did what I had to" I smiled and she smiled back.
I tried to ignore the warmth that blossomed into my heart with the little exchange.
"Help me check the mailbox if I received any letter from the court, I rectified a mistake in my birth certificate and it's supposed to be here by today"
"OK," I said and went to the mailbox outside which was by the doorway.
I opened it and rummaged through the bunch of papers before I finally saw the symbol of the court and drew the paper out.
I went back inside the house and handed the mail to Regina who had started eating the cookies.
"Here you go, ma'am"
"Open it and read it out for me, my hands are dirty" she gestured to her chocolate stained hands.
I opened the envelope carefully so as not to tear that paper inside and brought it out.
"Name, Regina Eugene Bladderwort. Gender, female. Parents, Brad and Avalor Bladderwort. Date of birth, 20th of May, 2000. Place of birth, Hope and Love clinic...." I had to blink my eyes a few times to clarify what I read.
"What's the matter?" she asked.
"You were born in this clinic? Hope and Love clinic?" I asked as sweat began to form in my palms.
"Yeah, my mom was going on a business trip when she urgently had to go into labor so that was the nearest clinic they found. Why are you so shocked?"
"N-nothing" I licked my dry lips.
I know of someone else who was born on the exact day and year and in that same clinic.
Me,
I was born on May 20, 2000, at Hope and Love Clinic.