Chapter 19
Rhea’s POV
Ginny was glowing.
Like, she was literally glowing. It was like there was a halo behind her head, shining over my eyes. She must have had a good time
yesterday.
The moment our eyes met, she beamed at me, “Rhea! You’re back!”
She hugged my arms tightly, her fake sweetness bursting like syrup, she was about to say something when my mother suddenly
stomped towards me like a hurricane.
“Where have you been?!” She screamed, her voice high and shrill. All heads in the living room turned toward us.
The maids stiffened. The butler lowered his head awkwardly.
Even Ginny recoiled a little, stepping back with an innocent blink.
“I asked you a question, Rhea!” My mother’s voice cracked.
Before I could even part my lips, she slapped me.
Hard. The sound echoed through the room, leaving a painful sting across my cheek. I staggered back a step but didn’t fall.
“Mom…” Ginny said timidly, trying to intervene.
But my mother wasn’t done.
“You slut!” She spat, pointing a shaking finger at me, “You whore! Is this what I raised you to be? Sneaking out at night? Sleeping around with strange men? Shameful!”
“Sleeping around? Who told you that? Ginny?”
Ginny gasped, “I… I didn’t want to tell mom, I really didn’t. You said you were going to rest up at the room but when we got there, I couldn’t find you. Kevin and I looked for you around but one of the waitress said she saw you follow one of the pimps who were working there. I was worried but Kevin brought me home first.” Ginny’s voice cracked like she wanted to cry.
What an award winning actress.
“Are you sure?”
“What?”
“Are you sure Kevin brought you home immediately? The both of you didn’t do anything together?” I smiled, staring at her.
Ginny froze immediately, years gathering at the corner of her eyes, “N… No. R… Rhea, are you accusing me of… Of sleeping with… Kevin?”
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“Isn’t that what happened?” I raised an eyebrow.
“R… Rhea…”
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“Do you think Ginny is like you, slut?! Kevin brought her home early but you, you stayed out and this in the time you’re coming
back?! How did I raise you to become like this?! This is why people don’t like you!”
“You see… That’s the thing, you didn’t raise me. You never did. You turned all of your attention towards Ginny the moment she
arrived, so no, I raised myself and turned out like this and whose fault is that? It’s yours!”
Slap!
My mother stapped me again, her body trembling, “It seems I have been too lenient with you these days, not only did you dare to
stay out until morning but you also dare to accuse Ginny of something she didn’t do.”
“Are you sure? Because it seems like out of the both of us, Ginny is the slut and not me.”
“Someone!” My mother’s voice tore through the room like a whip, “Lock her up! Lock this disgrace up in the dark room until she
learns some respect!”
There was a slight hesitation. The maids exchanged uneasy glances, they had all seen the scene, heard every word, but at the end
of the day, their loyalty lay with whoever held power.
And it wasn’t me. Two of the larger servants, burly men who usually guarded the house, approached me cautiously. As if I were
some wild animal ready to snap. I didn’t resist nor did I scream or plead. I simply stood there, calm, still, and watched them with
deadened eyes as they grabbed my arms roughly.
Ginny sniffled behind her hands, feigning sadness, but the gleam in her eyes betrayed her excitement.
The maids whispered among themselves, shooting me glances full of scorn and amusement.
“She deserves it.”
“Finally putting that little tramp in her place.
“Such a shame to the family name…”
“That’s why everyone likes Miss Ginny instead.”
“Miss Ginny seems more like the real daughter instead of this woman.”
The guards dragged me down the long hallway, toward the west wing of the mansion, the part of the house no guest was ever allowed to see.
The Dark Room.
That was the name of was given and it wasn’t an exaggeration. It was literally a windowless, damp space, meant for punishment. My punishment.
Chapter 19
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There were no lights, no sound except your own breathing. Just pure, suffocating darkness. I had spent a whole lot of my
childhood years and
my teenage years inside this prison, for things Ginny framed me of doing. It was funny… Even after all of
that, I still wanted to protect and love Ginny.
They shoved me inside roughly. I stumbled and caught myself against the wall, cold and slimy agair the heavy metal door, one of the guards snickered, his voice dripping with mockery.
alms. As they closed
“Maybe stay in there and learn how not to be a whore.”
Another one chimed in, chuckling, “Try not to seduce the rats, Rhea.”
The door slammed shut with a deafening bang.
Then came the turn of the locks, one after another after another, as if they were sealing away some kind of monster. Not like I
minded, after all, this house was going to be sold to someone else or rather… Ginny was going to scam the family out of this
house.
Scam…
“Hahahaha…” I couldn’t help the laughter that escaped from my lips at that thought, “Ah… Seeing the looks on their faces would
be so worth it but knowing them, they’d give the deed of the house to her themselves on a platter of gold and afterwards, they
start loosing everything. We went from one of the top families in the country, to cannon fodder. The lowest of them all.
“The kind of people who would get sold and still help the person who sold them count their money.” I leaned on the walls,
closing my eyes.
I would have to stay here for a few days, probably without food and water too. The maids would refuse to give me some or they’d bring food that has gone stale.
“Ugh… And I barely ate anything before coming back. I should have taken Alaric’s offer to eat something before coming. Fuck.” I cursed under my breath, unhappy.
However, just as I was getting ready to starve, a few hours later, the gates were suddenly open.
“Miss Rhea.” One of the servants greeted, her voice respectful.
I narrowed my eyes, “What the hell is happening? What do you want?”
She stiffened, “M… Miss Rhea…”
“Speak.”
“A messenger from the Vale Family is here and they… They want you to honour the engagement between… between the two families.”
“An engagement?”
