"Didn't you hear me? Get out of here, slut!"
Athena remained stiff, as her father slapped her for the third time, and asked her out of the family compound.
"Father, I just want my belongings and…"
But Mr. Zack Moore wasn't one to listen when angry. "Shut up, you ungrateful child! I don't want to hear any nonsense from you! The one thing you could have done for me, out of your miserable existence, you failed at it. You couldn't give me a son, and you couldn't keep your marriage. Rather you soiled my reputation, and destroyed my chance of profiting off that proud boy. I shouldn't have let your mother bring you in when she had found you at the barn. Cursed be the person that had dropped you by our doorstep, and cursed be you!"
Athena stirred then, having heard that she wasn't her father's daughter.
"What are you talking about, father? What do you mean..."
But Zack wasn't having any of it. He called for his assistant's son.
"Take this slut out of here. I don't want to ever see her in this compound. She is forever banished from this family, from my town, and from this city!"
Athena cried out loudly in pain, as she felt the breaking of the familial bonds for the second time.
When Ewan had issued his rejection, the same thing had happened. Pain. Loneliness. Rejection. She would have felt useless, would have given in to despair, but for the baby residing in her womb. She had to be strong.
Not wanting the hands of Marco, the deputy's son, on her, she turned around before she could be touched and left the compound, walking the short distance to Gianna's house.
There was a high probability that she wouldn't be accepted past the door by Gianna's parents, but she had to take the risk. She needed her friend's help.
Luckily for Athena, Gianna was the one that opened the door, when she knocked.
She heaved in relief, when her best friend engulfed her in a bear hug before demanding that she step inside the sitting room.
"I can't, Gianna. My father just banished me. It would spell trouble for you and your family if I'm seen here. You know how it works in this town. I just need you to help me with cash, and a few clothes. I promise, I will pay you back." Athena pleaded with her friend, who sighed in annoyance at the precarious situation.
"This is unfair." Giana muttered, as she gestured with her hand that Athena should wait, whilst she strolled into the house, without shutting the front door.
Athena smiled wistfully at this—she knew that her friend left the door open as a challenge to any onlooker, she knew that Gianna wanted her to come inside still and take a seat.
But Athena wasn't selfish, so she stayed outside, on the porch, until Gianna returned ten minutes later.
"You really stood outside? That's alright… didn't expect anything less from you. Here…" Gianna dropped a big backpack on the ground.
"It contains some clothes and the necessary accessories very important to our gender. There is also some cash; I stowed it away at that particular bottom pocket known to only you and I. It should be enough to get you by. And lastly, take this…" She handed a piece of paper to an already emotional Athena.
"It's an address. When you get there, ask for Antonio. He is a friend of mine. Just tell him that I sent you. He would know what to do. He is a good person."
Athena muttered a heartfelt 'thank you', before engulfing her friend in a hug that lasted until Gianna's mother came into the sitting room.
"What is happening here? Gianna, didn't you hear Zack's decree?"
Athena muttered a greeting to Mrs. Aldo, and without much ado, picked up the backpack and said a goodbye to her best friend, before hurriedly turning away and descending down the short steps, not wanting to bring trouble to her friend.
When she got to the borders of the town, she saw Fiona in talks with the security personnel of Ewan's town. Their borders were just opposite each other, separated by a grassy chasm, a lengthy path that served as a common route outside the region's confines.
"Oh, what do we have here?!" Fiona screamed in sheer delight and derision when she saw Athena. She had just been instructing the security personnel stationed for today's patrol to not let Athena into the town, no matter what.
She had believed that Athena might strut in to plead with Ewan for a second chance, or help. Whatever it was, Fiona didn't want the duo to cross paths again. She had gone to terrifying lengths to separate the both; she couldn't bear to have her efforts nullified at this time.
It was great that Ewan had banished Athena from the entire city too. The power her man held!
Athena, pretending that she wasn't hearing any of Fiona's gibberish, tightened her grasp on the backpack, and started threading the grassy path that would lead her out of the region.
But Fiona wasn't one to be ignored.
"How dare you ignore me?" She asked, dragging Athena by the arm. "Who do you think you are, walking out on me? Do you forget that you are alone now, that you are useless? Worse, you have no education, so I wonder how you will survive without your father's aid. I heard he disowned you. "
A snide chuckle followed the statement.
Athena gritted her teeth in anger, before violently shaking herself away from Fiona's grip. "You got what you wanted, Fiona. So, let me be. I know that you and your father had been behind the set up with Luca. I suggest you mind your business at this point, or else I might scatter your fairytale reality with just one word to Ewan."
Fiona indulged in a disjointed laughter, to mask the antsy feeling that was crawling over her body at Athena's words.
A word to Ewan that would puncture her joyful moment? What could that be? Was the illiterate bitch serious, or was she just making a fake attempt at being brave?
Athena scoffed, seeing the near speechlessness of Fiona.
Of course, she would never tell Ewan that she was pregnant at this point—he wouldn't even believe her—but it was nice unsettling Fiona. The latter always thought she had things in control—the reason for the ever present proud look on her face.
"You should be out of here, bitch, before Ewan takes notice of your presence. He is still pissed at your ruthless acts." Fiona cited, folding her arms across her chest, as she faked pity, whilst rejoicing inside at seeing her rival in pain.
Athena chuckled, hearing these words from Fiona. Saving face now, are we?
She laughed more wildly, when she saw the comical expressions on the faces of Fiona, and the two security personnel that were behind the latter. They must think her crazy. But she didn't care.
She was stirred now, and while at it, she would love to hear the truth from Fiona. She would love to know how they had gotten her childhood friend to their side. He wasn't even from their town. How could he betray her?
"You were behind it, right? You were behind the set up. You and your father." She inquired calmly, dying the laughter, keeping a firm hold on the backpack and on her feelings.
Fiona scoffed at the question before asking the guards to leave. When she was sure they were far gone, she turned around and looked at Athena with contempt.
"Yes, I did it, and so what?"
Athena nodded, not in the least surprised about the answer. "Luca…how did you get him to your side? Was his meeting me a planned operation? Was that where the setup had begun?"
"Luca was easy to win over." Fiona lied, perturbed when her words had no desired effect on Athena. It was like the latter had taken Ewan's cold demeanor with her.
Has she always been like this? Why wasn't she rising to the bait? Or was this how her surrender looked like? Was she tired of fighting?
That must be it. Fiona thought with a nod, about opening her mouth to spurt more lies, when a deep voice sauntered into the conversation going on between the women.
"What's going on here?"
Fiona jumped frightfully as she heard the voice behind her.
Sandro?