15 years later
Prince Aaron is 18 years now and still as cold as ice . As soon as news got out of the witches words , all girls have been trying their best to make the Prince fall in love with them from young , but still nothing . Prince Aaron didn't feel anything towards them and he could sense their disgust towards his curse and birthmark making him even colder . But can we blame them ? No . I mean they want to be the Queen , so there attempts are reasonable , but who would want to marry a cursed prince and so their plans backfire and Prince Aaron is getting more cold .
Tomorrow is Prince Aaron's birthday and there's a huge banquet in the palace where all are invited .
Meanwhile
In Campbelle mansion
" You ingrate ! " Whipping sounds could be heard throughout the mansion with insults rubbing salt into the wound .
That's right . The one being whipped is the first daughter of Campbelle family , Ophelia Campbelle .
The Campbelle family is the second most powerful family as their head was the duke and everyone shows them respect except they don't know the hidden stories in this mansion .
The duke , Kade Campbelle , was in love with a woman of a lower status and they married despite there were a lot of arguments about the duke marrying a woman of lower status . Two years later , his wife , Samantha Campbelle , got pregnant , but died while giving birth to their daughter leaving her husband heartbroken and at the same time , angry at his daughter . He thought that she's the reason his wife died . After a few months , he was drugged and then was forced to take that woman as his concubine which didn't last long because she became the wife a short while afterwards . That woman later gave birth to a girl and the girl was favored by the duke . The mother and daughter pair then started framing the little girl Ophelia and that made her father hate her successfully . Even after years , their treatment didn't change and she got abused more for no reason .
Right now , she's being whipped for stealing her younger sister's necklace that their father gifted her , even though she didn't do a thing .
" B-But ! Ahh ! ... I d-didn't steal anything ! Ahh ! " Ophelia tried to convince her stepmother , but the whipping only got harder .
" You're still lying ! " Her stepmother , Veronica Campbelle , just kept whipping her harder even though she knows that Ophelia never stole anything .
After an hour
Veronica left Ophelia drowning in her blood in the basement , where Ophelia sleeps .
' What did I do for all this ? I just want family love , so why did it only turn south ? My mother died , my father hates me and my stepmother and half sister always scheme against me , how unfortunate . How I wish someone is there to help me , to pull me from this darkness into the light , but ... will that ever happen ? I miss you mother . ' Ophelia is a pure girl , but this family is destroying her . Though she is tired mentally and physically , she still has a small glimmer of hope , hope that everything will turn out well in the end , and whatever happened to her and no matter how much she wants to give up , that glimmer of hope stops her from giving up .
The next morning
" Wake up ! " A maid poured water on Ophelia to wake her up , " Duke Kade wants to meet you . "
Ophelia immediately woke up and tried to dry herself up while changing her clothes to a dress that wasn't torn yet from whipping . Although she was injured pretty badly , she had to bear the pain and go to the duke .
After 5 minutes
Ophelia ran towards the dining room and found the family of three having breakfast happily . A bad feeling was spreading through her , she didn't want to witness the happy family show .
" Oh , you're here " Stated the duke coldly after a while like he just noticed her .
" Good morning , your grace . " Bowed Ophelia while lowering her head .
" There's a banquet tomorrow for Prince Aaron's birthday and you're coming with us as a servant . You may leave now . "
" Yes , your grace . " Ophelia bowed again and then left .