Disciplining The Hockey Star

“Beverly, for years, we’ve raised you. Hoping that you’d be able to get the attention of the River family heir and bear the next leader of the four alliance, never imagining you would be capable of such cruelty. This house can no longer bear your presence, you must leave immediately,” Gloria Queen declared, sitting with an imposing aura before me, her gaze laden with disdain and a bitter chill, her elegant attire contrasting sharply with the harshness of her words. “Mom, don’t blame Beverly. It was an accident, I was confused for a while and lost my footing, and tumbled down the stairs on my own. Beverly had no part in this,” Andrea sitting on the bare marble floor with blood trickling down her porcelain thighs with stark resemblance to the woman in front of me said, clutching at her lower belly, her eyes brimming with tears. Just a few moments ago, Andrea Queen, the biological daughter of the Queens, had suffered a fall on the staircase, causing her to bleed out. At that time, I had been alone on the upper floor, and probably that made everyone believe I had pushed Andrea out of spite to make her lose her baby. The heir I couldn’t breed, the sign of my years of failure. Years of not being able to climb the bed of Reuben the rumored soon-to-be head of the alliance. Yet, already won over by Andrea, who had just arrived on the Queen's turf. Now, the looks that the Queens shot at me were filled with venom and disgust, a stark contrast to their attitude just a month prior, when they had professed their reluctance to ever part with me. I looked down at the floor, a fleeting shadow of irony passing through my eyes. Some time ago, I was the proud daughter of the Queens, untouchable, pampered, and cherished. Even with my failed attempt to get Reuben, I’ve never basked in parental favoritism or hated; I've never lacked for anything; my basic needs were always met. However, the facade shattered when Andrew Queens, whom I had known as my father, met with an up close attack from a rival necessitating an urgent blood transfusion. The subsequent blood tests unveiled a startling truth, which blew up the major influential family in the ordinance that s it was announced that, I Beverly was not his biological child. With the urgent need for blood, Andrew used his extensive network to uncover the whereabouts of his true daughter, Andrea. The Queen's family was a prestigious household in the ordinance, although they were not part of the major four alliance, but news like this naturally spread quickly. To manage the public narrative and preserve their esteemed reputation, they declared an unwavering commitment to me, a girl they had raised, asserting their intention to treat me as their own for a while longer before I returned to my biological family. Behind closed doors, however, their plans were different. Once the public’s gaze drifted elsewhere, they intended to quietly send me away, since I was suddenly labeled a failure, and not useful to the Queen's intent of climbing the social ladder. Upon Andrea’s arrival, the Queen's family blamed me for her years of hardship, instantly kicking me out of my room to a mere storage room, drastically bringing down my status far beneath the level of the servants in the Queen's estate, and just like that, I was tasked with menial chores since I was no longer the Queen's golden girl. Even with all that, Andrea on the other hand, still wanted me gone as she had crafted several schemes against me, yet her parents turned a blind eye, their disdain for me thinly veiled. The past few weeks’ transformation has stripped away any illusions I had about my former family, fueling a resolve to stop swallowing and confront the injustices imposed upon me. As tensions reached a boiling point, I tilted my face at Jenna, my voice resolute as I said, “I’ll leave, but not before setting things straight. I refuse to shoulder your misdeeds any longer, Andrea!” Saying that, Andrea’s composure wavered under the intensity of my icy stare, her body trembling slightly as she pondered inwardly, ‘Is this the same Beverly who had once been meek and humble?’ At that, a dark glint flickered in Andreas' eyes. ‘What a b***h! I am the rightful heiress to the Queen's family assets, the one carrying major alliances future leader not this usurper, Beverly, who has been living in undeserved luxury. ’ She said internally, already decided that she had to drive me, the impostor out! “Beverly, I have no idea what you’re going on about!” Andreas' voice dripped with feigned confusion. “Ever since I reclaimed my rightful place, gotten Reuben's attention, and I’m now carrying his heir while receiving the affection owed to me by our parents, I’ve sensed your discontent. Despite your actions, I’ve remained tolerant. But my baby Beverly, how could you? You’re part of the Queens and you know how important this baby is to mom and dad. Had I known you’re interested in Reuben so desperately that you would want to cause me to miscarry, I would not have gone to his bed.” “Think about it Beverly, all this isn’t my fault. I’m indeed our parents’ true daughter and it’s not my fault that I got pregnant easily. You were given this chance for years, but you couldn’t even take him to bed or produce an heir for the alliance. This is a crime against the ordinance!” She uttered, her insinuation that I had sabotaged her out of jealousy, which was clear and tangible. The gaze of Andreas' mother, Gloria Queens, hardened at Andreas' words, her voice laced with disdain. “Andrea, you possess a remarkable strength and resilience that Beverly could never hope to match. That spot was yours by right and you, Beverly! ”She turned sharply toward me, adding, “Pack your belongings and leave immediately!” She uttered and at the same time, my usually somber expression seemed only to fuel her contempt. Meanwhile, Andrea, ever the docile and good daughter, shone brightly in her eyes a true definition of what a Queen descendant should be. Amidst the unfolding drama, Andrew finally broke his silence, his voice heavy with disappointment. “Beverly, we agreed to keep you until the public scrutiny waned, yet here we are, facing your deep-seated resentment towards Andrea. We have no choice but to return you to your true family today.” Saying that, Andreas's eyes glittered with a triumphant gleam as her father pronounced my imminent departure. On the contrary, my face remained an unreadable mask as without saying a word, I went up the stairs to gather my possessions. Meanwhile, my prolonged stay on the upper floor ignited a flicker of anxiety in Andrea. ‘What if she attempts to take everything with her?’ She had contemplated, after all, that everything of value in the house rightfully belonged to her, how could she allow a fake to leave with any part of her wealth? Not long, I reappeared, descending the staircase slowly, my movements calm and deliberate as I carried a small, black bag with my gaze sweeping coolly across the living room, it unsettled Andrew enough for him to divert his eyes. Gloria’s eyebrows knitted together at the sight of my bag. “That’s all you’ve packed? What’s in there? Show me,” she demanded, suspicion laced in her tone. Andrew, however, raised a hand to halt his wife’s interrogation. “Let her be.” He affirmed as he had instantly assumed that it was probably just the bank card he had given me, which had a mere hundred thousand dollars left on it. Unfazed, I placed my bag squarely on the table, my expression cold and stoic. “You can go through it if you must.” Gloria, unable to mask her distrust, scoffed. “Maybe she has packed something valuable,” she muttered as she unzipped the bag. Peering inside, she found nothing more than a diary, an ID card, and a small stack of cash, hardly the valuables she had feared. At that moment, Gloria’s face flushed with embarrassment from her baseless accusation, and she straightened up at the same time. “I’ll let the driver take you there, you were once the renowned heiress of the Queens empire.” She said casually. Andrew, who had the weight of the situation bearing down on him, reached into his pocket and pulled out a card. “Beverly, when you return, listen to your parents. They’re mere servants, yes, but they are good, simple people. You should help them.” He affirmed. I looked at the offered card with clear beautiful eyes, my expression calm. “Everyone has their own life to live,” I replied quietly, pushing the card back toward him. “But before I leave, there needs to be clarity,” I muttered and turned to look at Andrea again. “How did you truly fall down those stairs? Speak the truth, this is your last chance to say it.” Andrea seethed internally, infuriated by my unbothered composure, which seemed to keep me above everyone else despite my so-called humble origins. ‘Who does she think she is? She is not from a wealthy family! She’s just the daughter of two servants eating off scraps!’ She glared at me as she mumbled to herself with disgust. “Beverly, what are you implying? Trying to cook up a pity story so that you can cling to the Queens? Are you saying that I threw myself down the stairs?” She retorted. “This pregnancy is our legacy and is essential for our family. Why would I ever get my poor baby injured?” As she spoke, her emotions intensified as she burst into dramatic tears, collapsing into Gloria’s arms. With her feign of innocence biting my eyes, I hurled a vase towards her and in an instant it shattered the tense air, hurtling toward Andrea and interrupting her display. Startled, Andrea instinctively leaped to her feet, ignoring the cramp and running off. With the sudden leap, a blood bag fell off from between her legs splashing all over the marble floor. In a flash, silence enveloped the room as everyone, including Gloria and Andrew turned their shocked gazes toward Andrea who was yet to know that she had just shot herself in the leg, their jaw dropped watching as the blood bag fell off with a startling snap that made them lose their voices for a second. ‘Wasn’t she saying she couldn’t stand up because of the severe cramp and the pressure on her waist from the excessive loss of blood.’ I huffed, rolling my eyes.