* SENSITIVE CONTENT AHEAD *
The sound of the whips striking against Eveloria's skin was almost deafening. Beatrice whipped Eveloria relentlessly, the leather hitting the skin on her legs with each strike. When Beatrice finished whipping Eveloria, she placed the whip in the corner of the room, picked up a bottle of wine, and proceeded to drink.
' What did I do wrong? ' Eveloria cried inside. Tears ran down her cheeks as she lay on the cushion, panting hard. Beatrice walked around the sofa, uncorking the bottle once more. The smell of alcohol filled the air and Eveloria winced in distaste.
" From now on refer to me as My Lady. " Beatrice raised her glass in the air as if she were in a toast.
' And she didn't stop there . She punished me by starving me everyday, whipping my leg, locking me in the storage room for a day and using any hot utensil to leave burn marks on my back. If I get close to Ambrose and Briana, I get punished, if I don't address her as My Lady with respect I get punished, etc. The funniest thing was that father was never home. '
***
Soon years passed, Ambrose and Briana turned eleven and Eveloria turned twelve.
Eveloria laid peacefully on the green grass under the exact tree she and her mother used to play underneath years ago. She gazed up at the blue sky while watching clouds drift lazily through the skies with longing and nostalgia in her eyes.
' Why do people say that the happiest times come in the darkest hours? '
Eveloria glanced down at her hands, her once beautiful bright amber orbs lost its light, her hair was messy and her body covered in scrapes and bruises.
She sat up, her arms wrapping around her knees.
She felt a strong urge to cry, but she managed to suppress it, instead, she allowed a few stray tears to fall from her eyes, splashing onto the ground beside her feet.
For many days now, Eveloria had been feeling depressed, angry and tired. She felt as though she was suffocating.
She sighed heavily. Looking at the manor, Eveloria could tell that she wouldn't be getting any food anytime soon.
Her eyes then fell on Briana, who seemed to be approaching her at a fast pace. A small smile crossed Eveloria's lips.
The little girl stopped just beside her and stared curiously at her with wide sparkling amber eyes.
" Mother is mad again and big sister seems to be sad. " Briana whispered quietly. " But don't worry, Briana is here to make big sister happy again. " She gave Eveloria a gentle hug.
' I hope Briana never becomes like her mother, ' Eveloria thought bitterly, pulling away from their hug.
" I have a surprise for you, sister, " Briana exclaimed, pulling out a flower crown from behind her back and presenting it to Eveloria with an enthusiastic smile. " Ta-da! "
Eveloria's eyes widened in disbelief as she took the crown and examined it. ' This is the last flower crown my mother made for me. Where did she get it? I thought Beatrice took it away. '
Looking down at Briana, who was smiling expectantly, Eveloria couldn't help but wonder. " Briana, where did you get this? " She asked.
Before Briana could answer, the sound of approaching footsteps interrupted them. Eveloria's mood instantly changed as she recognized the familiar sound. She looked up to see Beatrice walking towards them, her presence sending a shiver down Eveloria's spine.
Gasping, Eveloria rose to her feet and instinctively backed away. Beatrice, however, ignored her reaction and approached with a smug expression on her face, stopping directly in front of Eveloria.
" I thought I specifically told you not to steal anything from my room! " Beatrice exclaimed, reaching out for Eveloria, who continued to back away, her heart pounding.
" But I ... I didn't steal anything from your room. " Eveloria stammered.
" You didn't? " Beatrice questioned incredulously, raising her eyebrow and crossing her arms in front of her chest.
" Then what's that in your hand ? " She asked as she pointed at the flower crown in Eveloria's hand.
Eveloria froze in place, unable to speak. She opened her mouth but nothing came out.
' No. It can't be. Did Briana ..? ' Eveloria thought desperately.
Eveloria remained silent as she stared at Beatrice in pure fear. Her mother's icy glare bore into her, causing her to shiver uncontrollably.
" It was a ... " Briana said softly but Beatrice cut her off.
" Briana, leave this place at once! " Beatrice narrowed her eyes, eyeing her younger daughter carefully. Briana immediately turned around in fright and sprinted towards the house quickly without a word.
Eveloria's heart felt as if it would explode at that moment.
As for Beatrice, her entire demeanor changed completely and her cold face transformed into one of anger and hatred. She glared down at Eveloria, grabbed her arm harshly, and began dragging her out of the garden.
Eveloria couldn't move; all of her muscles were frozen.
" I will make sure I kill you today, you filthy thing! " Beatrice growled.
***
As Beatrice's whip relentlessly struck Eveloria, she felt her consciousness slipping away. With trembling fingers, she held onto the flower crown, tears streaming down her face. Each strike caused her breath to hitch, and she whimpered in pain before darkness consumed her vision.
When Eveloria finally opened her eyes, everything was still blurry and dim. However, she noticed that the pain in her body had significantly subsided. ' Was I unconscious for a long time? ' She wondered, cautiously surveying her surroundings. To her surprise, she found herself lying in her own bed.
Her ears perked up when she heard her father's voice, even though he wasn't supposed to be home until the next day. Slowly, Eveloria propped herself up into a sitting position, wincing as her wounds throbbed with renewed pain.
" Father? " She called out softly, her voice barely above a whisper.
Lord Ravenshield stared at her intently and replied, " You're awake. " His tone lacked any hint of emotion or concern.
" Father, please listen to me. I have something important to tell you, " Eveloria pleaded, her voice barely audible.
" You shouldn't have stolen from her, " Lord Ravenshield stated menacingly, his words sending a chill down Eveloria's spine. Fear gripped her as she realized the consequences of not speaking up.
' If I don't tell him now, she's going to kill me, ' Eveloria thought desperately. Gathering her courage, she clutched her father's arm tightly and begged, " Father, please, hear me out! I swear I'm innocent! It wasn't me! Please, Father! "
With a sharp gaze fixed on Eveloria, he responded sternly,
" Let go. "
Lord Ravenshield pulled his arm away from Eveloria's grip. " If you steal from her again, I will punish you myself. " He said in an equally threatening tone.
' Those words wrecked me. He wasn't the father I knew and loved. '
***
She closed her eyes tightly and opened it. Her eyes darkening as she clenched her fist.
" Why did you come back? My Lord. " She spat out with venom dripping from her every word.
Lord Ravenshield stared intently at her. For several moments, he was silent, seemingly thinking about something. He looked straight into her eyes for a few seconds before leaving, closing the door behind him.
' It was on that day I changed completely. '