Walls
1721 Words
(Penelope's Point of View)
I found Aunt Marissa sipping coffee on the balcony. I approached her and sat in the chair opposite hers, the same spot Thala used to occupy. I picked up one of the books on the table and began reading.
"Put that down. That book belongs to my daughter," she snapped, her tone stoking the fire in my veins. Why is it so hard to win this woman over?
"S-Sorry, Auntie. I wasn’t claiming it; I was just borrowing," I replied calmly. Maybe I should just get rid of her—hypocrite!
"Stop pretending, Penelope. Thala and I know who you really are. You're a deceitful, family-destroying woman! I really hate you!" she shouted, her anger amusing me. I met her glare with a mocking laugh.
"You're right, Auntie. Honestly, I’m tired of pretending. Acting in front of you is a waste of time. Not that it matters—you and I both know Uncle, I mean Daddy, won’t believe you," I smirked, watching her face flush red as her fists clenched in rage.
"Why are you doing this? What are you after?" she demanded furiously, but I stayed silent.
I took a sip of her coffee to annoy her further and snapped my fingers. "Good question, Marissa—I mean, Auntie," I mocked, continuing with a smug grin.
"It's simple. I want to be recognized as the heiress of the Laurenco family—a dream that’s almost within reach. I also want to marry the man your daughter loves and ensure that you and Thala disappear from our lives for good. Why? Can you grant me that?" I raised an eyebrow, which only pushed her over the edge.
She slapped me hard, leaving me momentarily stunned. Not content, she hurled the book at me, hitting my head. I instinctively clutched the spot.
"Home wrecker! Ambitious fool! Ungrateful brat!" she screamed, but instead of being hurt, I felt exhilarated.
"If I were you, I’d leave voluntarily. Daddy will kick you out soon anyway," I said venomously.
She slapped me again, this time on both cheeks, but instead of fighting back, I let her hurt me. After all, I had noticed Uncle—Daddy—arriving. I pretended to cry and acted pitiful. I even collapsed onto the floor, feigning helplessness.
"Stop, Auntie! That hurts!" I sobbed, catching Daddy’s shocked attention as he stepped between us.
"Marissa, what are you doing? Why are you hurting Penelope?!" Daddy’s booming voice echoed, and I smirked secretly. Marissa’s stunned glare locked onto mine, and I responded with a sly grin.
"Open your eyes, Harris! That woman is evil! She just wants to replace our daughter—don’t you see that?!" Marissa yelled, but Daddy just shook his head, frustrated. That’s right, ignore her, Daddy.
"She’s not your child, Harris! Thala is your daughter! That woman is deceiving you!"
Marissa and I were both shocked when Daddy slapped her. Tears welled in her eyes, and the sight thrilled me. See? He’ll always side with me.
"Enough, Marissa! You’re the one enabling your daughter’s rebellious behavior!"
Daddy helped me up, and I made sure to milk the moment. "Ouch," I whimpered, sitting back down to fuel Daddy’s anger further.
What can I say? I enjoy the drama.
"What did you do to her, Marissa? This has gone too far!" Daddy yelled, hurling Marissa’s coffee cup to the side.
Fear and trembling gripped her as Daddy’s wrath bore down on her. She stood frozen, speechless. It was my cue to end the conversation—it was becoming dull.
"Uncle Harris, please stop. I understand why Auntie is upset with me. I shouldn’t have stayed in your house," I said, playing the victim.
"No, Penelope. It’s not your fault. You’re a good child and don’t deserve this mistreatment. I promised my brother I’d take care of you no matter what," he said, comforting me. I nodded slowly, feigning gratitude.
Daddy escorted me to my room to rest, and I could hardly contain my joy. Just a little more, and everything I want will be mine.
I smiled, fanning myself with the wedding invitation in my hand. Nekolauv and I are getting married next month, and I can’t wait to see Thala’s reaction. She’ll show up, no doubt, even if Daddy forbids her. That girl never listens.
Let’s see how brave you are, Thala, when you see Nekolauv and me happy together. How intriguing!
(Thala's Point of View)
Four days had passed since Alaric and I argued. I haven’t seen him in Doomscape since then. According to Hanni, he hasn’t been to the fighting arena either. Honestly, I felt more at ease not seeing him. My blood boils every time I recall the things he said to me.
“Thala? Ghad, am I really seeing the goddess Thala here?” someone teased from beside me.
I turned to see Syd, Nekolauv’s cousin and also his friend. Over time, Syd and I became friends too, thanks to frequent encounters at events our families were invited to. He’s two years older than me, but we get along much better than Nekolauv, who’s overly serious. We even got closer when he once asked for my help in courting one of my former classmates.
“Syd! It’s good to see you again!” I exclaimed, immediately clearing my throat afterward as I realized how loud I was.
We both laughed before hugging each other. He kissed my cheek—a habit of his whenever we meet. Actually, he’s like this with other women too.
“Flirting is prohibited during working hours,” someone interrupted from behind us.
Bitterness filled me when I realized who it was. I rolled my eyes, and Syd noticed, raising an eyebrow at me.
“Let’s talk later, baby,” Syd teased, giving me a playful look before winking and walking toward the table where his friends were drinking.
“Now you’re flirting with my brother’s cousin?” Alaric asked, clearly reading too much into my simple interaction with Syd.
I took a deep breath and faced Alaric with a smile. Thankfully, I was trained at home to smile without it looking fake.
“Do you need anything, Mr. Atkinson?” I asked calmly, trying to maintain professionalism despite his irritating presence.
“You’re really desperate, huh? You’d go for anyone just to get what you want—”
I cut off his insult without dropping my smile. “Mr. Atkinson, I know you’re my boss, but my personal life is none of your business. Besides, there’s nothing wrong with marrying someone as husband-material as Syd,” I snapped, letting a hint of irritation show.
“Marrying a man you just met?” he chuckled mockingly.
“We’ve known each other since high school. Maybe fate is telling me to reconsider him,” I beamed, giving him my sweetest smile before excusing myself.
Syd is just a friend, and besides, he’s dating Architect Sapphire. I just wanted to annoy this meddling boss of ours.
“Why is it so easy for you to say that? What do you even know about marriage?” he stopped me, making me frown.
“With all due respect, Mr. Atkinson, my decisions are none of your concern,” I defended myself, taking a deep breath as he seemed unwilling to let the matter drop.
“It’s not like choosing a prom date or picking random food because you’re hungry. Marriage isn’t that simple, Zara,” he said with a tone that suggested he knew everything about my life.
I swallowed hard at his words, unsure why he was acting this way. He had no right to interfere in my decisions—especially about marriage. What was his point in saying that? He was really getting on my nerves!
“I know what marriage is all about, Mr. Atkinson,” I said firmly, turning to face him so I could look him in the eyes. “You see, my family isn’t as perfect as you think, but I still want to get married despite everything—not to save face but to keep the little hope I’m holding on to. That someday, I’ll find home in my husband’s presence.”
“Marriage or misery? You’re drowning in your fantasies, Zara. Maybe it’s time to stop reading fictional stories,” he mocked.
How dare he ridicule my beliefs?
“Do we have to share the same beliefs, Mr. Atkinson? Or are you just jealous?” I snapped, unable to stop the words from spilling out.
I yelped when he suddenly pushed me, causing me to stumble onto a long sofa in the dimly lit corner of the room. My eyes widened as the tray I was holding clattered, shattering bottles and wine glasses on the floor.
I gasped for air, staring at the mess on the ground. I turned my attention back to Alaric when he grabbed my chin. He was angry, and I had no idea why he was acting this way.
He leaned over me, and I let out another yelp as I suddenly ended up sitting on his lap. Thankfully, the loud music drowned out the commotion, ensuring no one noticed us. I didn’t want to be embarrassed.
“Why Syd? Hmm?” he pressed, almost as if he wanted to tie me down to stop me from escaping.
“You know what? I realized I should thank you for rejecting my offer. You don’t even deserve my proposal,” I said with a laugh, recalling the past few weeks’ events. It had been a rollercoaster ride.
He loosened his tie, as if it was choking him. I watched as he licked his lower lip and clenched his jaw in frustration. His eyes were blazing, and his brows were furrowed deeply.
He was clearly infuriated by what I said. I’d struck a nerve. A part of me felt victorious seeing him so affected by my words. He wasn’t the only one who could turn words into daggers.
“You’re surrounded by walls, and I’m not determined enough to climb them. I’d rather find home than waste my time arguing with a heartless stone,” I added, speaking metaphorically. I had just added fuel to the fire.
“Try me, Zara,” he replied, his voice dripping with something almost dangerous.
- Writer
