Early in the morning, Avyanna awoke hearing her phone's ringing vibrations. She stretched her arms skyward, she widened a smile, and she felt an unexplainable happiness rush through her cells. She reached for her phone to see that it was a call from her father, Lanxter.
It's only been a day in their marriage but it felt like a month, Narcester surely made sure she was at home, pampering her. How lucky his wife would be.
She answered the call, her happy morning shattered when she heard what came through the phone. Her father was lecturing her on the phone, demanding her to come to the Klein Mansion. Well, isn't it 3 years early to return to that household?
She went up to her bed, frantic she was, she clothed herself, it would add up to her faulty actions if she arrived late to her father's demand. She stormed out of her room and swung past Narcester.
"Let's have breakfast." he greeted but Avyanna was in a rush that she didn't hear what he said. He felt ignored and scowled, his dark eyes followed her as she rushed outside his place.
Avyanna went to the gate, trying to open it, but it was slammed shut by a big hand from someone behind. She froze, a glare stabbed her back and a deep, husky voice voiced out.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"T-To my father's house..." she stammered a reply, even though her back was facing him, she could feel those sharp glares continuously staring at her soul. Like a sword that had been embedded in her bones, it sent fears and chills to her nerves.
"Without telling me?" he said, raising his eyebrows.
"I'm...in a r-rush..." she fumbled her words, flinching as he held on to her waist. He brushed his lips onto her ear with a whisper. "I'm your husband, right, Avie?"
It was like a death threat, the reaper must've been around her all this long, thinking it would be this man she married. After all the reading of dark novels, she adapted the thought that maybe reapers exist and would somehow take her soul away.
The fastidious man looked and moved his hands up her head, his fingers intertwining with her locks. She shuddered, no one had acted like this to her, her nervousness sent a negative vibe on her skin, quivering in fear.
But his rough hands touched her hair so gently, caressing it and brushing it with his fingers.
Avyanna shuddered intensely, she felt that not even Narcester would be scary but her father, he was waiting for her, if she gave him a no-show maybe she'll end up being beaten up, worst of yet thrown off as his daughter. Avyanna never had a sister, nor did she have a mother after nine years of her existence; she'd be lonely, without a family if Lanxter threw her out.
"I-I got to go, Narcester..." she stammered.
He ran his slender fingers into the tip of her hair and kissed it softly, "You're free to go, but be sure to tell me when you leave next time." he said, letting go of her waist and locks, he backed out with a step.
Avyanna looked at him and smiled, "Thank you." He looked at her with a beam. But boulders of annoyance fell upon him, right, Lanxter is very manipulative and abusive to her daughter. The gates opened wide, Avyanna waited for a taxi to come by, his glares were like a gun and she felt like being shot by his cold stares.
The changes in his moods were so fast that it's hard to tell when he'll snap.
Lanxter is a person Narcester wouldn't like, but he agreed to marry Avyanna for pure interest in her. The feeling that sweats his back cold is that right now, Avyanna's in panic just to reach Lanxter's Mansion. The only reason for that is that his waters had reached the surface of his teapot.
A taxi drove close, Avyanna waved at it for it to stop as it did. As she was about to enter, Narcester's voice called for a shout. "Avyanna!" his deep voice rang through her ears.
She turned to look at him. His gaze was austere as he eyed her, "Don't let that old man get to your head, fight back and make a good win."
She smiled, her lips formed a silent whisper, "I will." and entered the transportation as it drove away from his house. The worry on his face was hardly erased, it wasn't even a reassurance after her reply.
Avyanna arrived at her father's house, it had already been an hour since his call. She knew the scowling expression that would greet her once she reached their doorstep, she paid the driver as it drove away. She sighed heavily and squeezed her hand tightly in anticipation of what came forward.
She opened the gates, the sound of the metal sounded out in the household, and a maid went out to see. It was her old nanny, Margaret. She waved at Avyanna and signaled her with a "hush".
She pointed at the door, her lips formed silent words that soon Avyanna understood. "Hush, the master is angry."
Avyanna smiled gauchely as she tiptoed in the approach of the mansion. She peaked out the window seeing her father seated on the couch with arms crossed, he was scowling with an angered expression he carried on his face as she anticipated.
She walked toward him, making sure her footsteps wouldn't sound, as she entered the living room, her father looked at her with a glare. She froze, Lanxter pulled himself up by his hands from the couch and approached her.
With those evil eyes, Avyanna could tell that he is maddened.
He glared at her daughter, Avyanna's shoulder tensed up, she shuddered feeling where this is going, to where it usually goes. He eyed her in the eyes and looked at her daughter as if she wasn't the fruit he bore.
He lifted his hand and slapped her across her face, with a strong hit her face turned sideways, and her short hair covered the surface of the skin of her face. This is her anticipation. Whatever she might do, it must've meant something terrible for him or his company.
When most often it happens, Avyanna couldn't help but think, if there was no company, would there be a reserved place for her in her father's heart? Or if her mother did not die will things like this never happen? If she was in the company, would her father devote his life to protecting and loving her? By all means, risk anything he owns just to save it like how he risked her to save Klein Entertainment? She can't help but think those things through. It pained her to be in her shoes, even as she met Dana, Narcester's sister, she would look at her and wonder, if she was Dana Mariann Thaddeus, would she be a strong presence, a strong person?
Will Dana's shoes fit her, if she will be Narcester's sister for a day, will she get out of the world of her melancholy?
When the first time they met, she viewed Dana as a goddess, both given beauty and a strong personality. Maybe if she'd get a chance to wear her silver-glass shoes and walk on the red carpet to where Dana would tread, she might fill the void in her heart? Her alloy-made heels hurt so bad that she wanted them to just exchange with someone.
His father breathed heavy consecutive breathers and yelled at her, "You useless wench! You're a disgrace! Can't you feel the shame of carrying my name and ruining it?! Didn't I tell you to garner positive comments only from the media, then why are there so many in just a day?!"
"I don't know what you're talking about, dad!" she defended herself with a loud cry, hoping that somehow that cry of hers would reach out to his heart and squeeze it till it is pained. Maybe somehow he'll think that she's his daughter, somehow...