After She Fell

The Haven Hall descended into chaos when the fourth daughter of the Wade Family suddenly disappeared from sight. Notorious for being naughty and full of mischief, this kind of repeated behavior had become so common that everyone had already predicted the outcome of such an impetus move. Thus, what was supposed to be a family get-together transformed into a search party, peered into small groups. When the young lady realized she could easily get caught taking the grand entrance, she opted for the backdoor, and in the meantime scrapped her thigh against the wall, ripping the red dress up to her waist. But she persisted, knowing that nothing was more important than the escape - something she had spent time, many sleepless nights planning. A day before, under the guise of checking out the ceremony venue, she had silently memorized the entire layout of the area, and pre-booked a cab to ensure a timely escape. The plan had gone well, and she could not be more thankful. However, things took a different shape when she sighted groups of uniformed men pacing back and forth right from the start of the exit to the main gate. The men appeared drained and exhausted, but were very vigilant on the inside. In a bid to escape unseen and unnoticed, Lottie decided to cause a ruckus by tossing one of her shoe legs to the left side, and sprinting off in the opposite direction. The reaction was immediate; they all looked in that direction, shining their flashlights. But the moment she stepped forward, her right leg struck a hard surface, followed by the left, plunging her into a buttomless pit. It was exactly 9am two days later when Lottie tried to open her eyes, but everything seemed dark and void, sending shivers down her spine. The thought of being dead flashed into her mind, but she pushed it aside. For she definitely still had apologies to tender for her past mistakes and naughty character. And besides, she could faintly hear the soft murmurs and whispers that filled the room. “The doctor confirmed you are in a better condition. You had better open those eyes because we are all worried!” The speaker was not finished when Lottie’s large eyes flickered open, bringing relief to all present. As soon as her eyes opened, she first saw the wall, the tiny room that resembled just a normal apartment and, lastly, the five pairs of eyes that watched her as if she had survived a near-death incident. One of them unexpectedly spoke up from the other side. “Ophelia, help her up. She is not sitting well.” The gentle voice belonged to Mrs Wade, Lottie’s stepmother. Unlike the perception most people have regarding stepmothers, Mrs Wade was different. Not so different actually, but displayed no iota of wickedness either. Ever since she moved in with them, the young ladies have spent less time thinking about the traumatic death of their late mother. As the silence dragged on, the tension grew, and every single person was ready to unleash their anger on the rebellious young lady. For several years, she had caused nothing but pain and discomfort. Especially, the cold young man whose absence was a big relief to them. There was another time when Lottie behaved in a similar manner and the Wade Family suffered tremendously for that singular act. “Why did you repeat that, Lottie? Haven’t you caused enough havoc already?” Ophelia, the second daughter of the Wade Family, spewed in fury. Sometimes, she wondered if her sister was sane or not. “What did you say?” Lottie rhetorically asked. Just like other times, she was ready to say her mind, about getting locked up in a dungeon by someone she loathed most. She wanted freedom and to live normally. It was not too difficult to ask. “You have to stop this now, Lottie.” Ophelia instructed, mirroring her expression carefully and hissing thereafter. What was she saying? Lottie would be the last person on earth to listen to advice or warning. In fact, she would rather die than to obey a word from others. “I mean—don’t be so heartless and selfish. The more you keep leaving, the more he explodes. Jones is ruthless and he just wants you. He is someone who would stop at nothing to be by your side. What is so hard about staying with him?” “But I don’t want him. I hate him! Why is no one even listening to me?” Lottie exploded, straining her voice in the process. Jones was not ideal for her. He was toxic, manipulative, so obsessive that it made her cringe. He was also disregarding and not appreciative. No matter what she did, he would neither say a compliment nor complain. “Seriously, your opinion does not matter. We are about to suffer the consequences of your foolish act, while you get locked in a room. This is something you should have avoided.” She said this because, as the Head of the Accounting Department at the Wade Establishment, she knew how serious the matter was. Exactly a month ago, Lottie had intentionally booked an escape flight during one of Jones’s long business trips. But upon reaching the airport, she was left unattended and the flight later canceled. Jones had taken the next flight back to the country, and that was how it all went down. Lottie was locked up, and more than ninety percent of potential investors in the Wade Establishment retreated for no tangible reason. As a result of this sudden occurrence, Wade Enterprise stock prices plummeted within a few minutes, and the news about incurring an astronomical amount of debt began to spread among hateful speculators. The Enterprise was able to rectify the issue, but it never remained the same.