Tanya Heinz, the Russian fairy like teenager with the heart of tyrant was proceeding the court. Ehm! She was sitting along with her grandparents, awaiting the apology from Sophia Hart.
The solutions were simple. One- she would be blabbering, fearing and apologize. Two- she would show backbone and refuse, in which case her family would forcibly make her apologize. Tanya prefered second one as she had seen many instances of first solution and she was bored with it.
Correcting her jaws after being gagged and massaging her wrists from chaffing due to restraints, Sophia strode forward. Oh! Look at the speed and determination. She is going to refuse. Unfortunately, Sophia Hart didn't do so.
She happily kneeled down, her grin even more visible as she was kneeling very near to Tanya and her family. "I beg your pardon your highnesses for whatever problem I might have caused." That's it? It's done? It was like hitting the cotton. Heinz family - angry. Harts - escatsic. Inspite of lots of admonition, they were not sure this girl would accept the blame and apologize. Oh, thankfully they didn't have to forcibly make her acknowledge the mistake.
"You are not forgiving me?" Sophia asked. "What more do I have to do? Read apology letter at school assembly? Post a letter as my chat status? Be around you, answering to every beck and call?" With each option, the faces of the Harts family turned red and green. What nonsense was this girl blabbering? Won't the face of the Harts be lost if she did any of those things? How could they even work when they don't get any respect from others?
Mrs Hart, who didn't have much patience to troublesome kids, strode towards her and said, "That's enough, Sophia. Stop talking. "
Tanya interupped Mrs Hart, "No, no, let her continue. I want to know what all she can do before I decide what to do."
Sophia gave the answer. "Well, apart from public apology, only thing left is leave the shelter of my family. So, an exile, banishment or complete remove of my identity as daughter of Harts family are the only things left." She should have stopped at that. But would it fulfill her wish? So she continued, "But I am sure you won't ask for such drastic measures from me or my family. We can't let anyone know that Harts gave me up without a fight as soon as you commanded."
The face slap was loud. The Harts were very angry. What this girl meant by that? Were they cowards because they had brought her to this place to beg for forgiveness? It's called strategic retreat. Which ones of the long standing families had not adopted it from time to time?
However, it was also true that if others found they had handed over the daughter of the family so easily, it would be difficult to do business anymore. As a weaker party, they did not have power to protest either.
Tanya was amused. Did Sophia really think that by listing out options like that, she would not choose the said punishments? What psychology or reverse psychology? Only thing that mattered was what she felt.
"That's a good idea though. A pampered rich heiress pulled down to mud. I like it. That's what we will do." And like a princess, she left after handing over the sentence. This prey...she will play till it falls down completely. She will toy with Sophia till she would fall on knees and beg for respite.
The hall turned into a mess. Sophia was slapped by Chloe so hard that her cheeks went red instantly. The fury didn't even with the slap though. But the situation...
The old man Hart started, "Albert, we ..."
Albert Heinz stopped the monologue in the beginning itself. They had their talk just before Tanya had entered. The Harts had only one request - to save their face. But Tanya 's decision had made mockery of the request.
"Now, now, don't start. I understand your plight, I truly do. But my sweetheart, she'll not change her mind. Better start preparing."
Mrs Heinz decided to give a twist in the name of helping. If you are capable of being wife of despotic man like Albert Heinz, you should have a cruel streak too. "As we are friends, I am giving you a suggestion. You can decide if you want to follow it or now. We will not let other know that you are removing that chit from family due to pressure from us. You can decide whatever reason you want. What our baby loves is the end result, not the method used. But you better find a reason to push her out soon. We will declare ceasefire for two days. We hope that we will hear good news by then." Mrs Heinz was truly cruel. What reasons can a family give to push a girl out? All were bad, immoral or worse. And this girl's family would be deciding the blame. That should hurt a lot more than just dumping on the streets. That would haunt the girl far worse than the shame painted on her.
No one spoke on the way home. Sophia was not gagged but she was pushed to back of the car. The silence was oppressive and all were thinking different things.
The old Harts - easy to guess their thoughts. They were thinking of ways to save their face. Thinking of the reason they could use to send the jinx away, far away from family. If possible, they wanted to make something extra from the incident. Get back some of that face.
The younger Harts - they just wanted a reason that would not paint them as bad irresponsible parents. They still had twins and their future to think of.
The end of the road was the old home. Sophia's resting abode, the chilly ancestral hall. Sophia still didn't speak. Did not cry and make a ruckus about staying in the family. Her aim was being realised sooner. The only hotxh in the plan- she would suffer, a lot. She was sure that whatever plan was made, it would paint her blackier than black, giving the Harts a reason to disavow her and yet remain pure and clear. The Harts were like pure lotuses and Sophia would be the mud trying to taint them.
It took all the time allotted by the Heinz family for the plans to be made. Sophia had to lazily lay in the ancestral hall. Apart from fixed breaks and barely edible food, she was alone in the world, or it seemed so. Thank goodness, she snatched a phone charger stealthily on second day.
And she popped fictional popcorn as she watched the smear campaign. She was turned into shameless homewrecker coming between two sweethearts. Oh no, the sweetheart in question was her own sister. That sweet, dainty, lovely Shirley Hart.
Unfortunately, there was no childhood fiance to Hart twins. So, they found a believable substitute - a boy from Heinz family, Timothy Heinz. A kid so afraid of Tanya that he would do everything she told and more just to not suffer.
The raging episode of Tanya Heinz was written off as her finding out about shameless behaviour of Sophia and getting angry on behalf of her cousin.
The smear campaign started as some veiled and cryptic words left in school forum. Slowly, fuel was poured to turn it into hot, hot, flaming topic. Lots of spectators joined the fun. Many shared anecdotes of Sophia being with Timothy and him looking harassed.