HARPER
My lips trembled as I watched Camilla, her vicious lie filtering through the air. I opened my mouth to defend myself, but the heavy blow on my cheek stopped that from happening.
I grabbed my stinging cheek, and I tasted the saltiness of my tears before I realised I was even crying.
"You little slut!" My father bellowed, his eyes blazing with fury. "How can you shame the family by getting together with someone like that?"
It had always been like this. My father jumped to her defense, even though she was often wrong. He was my father, but I believed he hated me more than Elizabeth and Camilla.
The first time I was brought here, he never wanted to let me into the house. But Camilla and Elizabeth had begged for me before he let me in. They pretended they cared. I should have run away the first chance I got. Still, I wouldn't have achieved what I did if I had done that. I was still grateful to them despite their cruelty.
I peeled my eyes away from the vintage flower vase in the room's corner to Elizabeth as she snorted.
"Why are you surprised, sweetheart? Her mother is a sex worker and will open her filthy legs for anyone to sleep with her. This ungrateful brat will do the same." Elizabeth's eyes moved up and down my body, her lips twisted in disgust.
"I agree with my mother. Let's not act surprised here. It's inevitable." Camilla chimed.
I sobbed quietly. "You believe everything they're saying without asking me to tell you the truth? She took what belongs to me!"
"Your sister wants him. What's wrong with sharing?" Elizabeth questioned.
A disbelieving laugh slipped past my lips. "Sharing? She stole him!"
"One more stealing words from you—"
I cut her off, my tone scathing. "How much of a hypocrite are you, Elizabeth. You accused my mother of being a whore. Yet, your precious daughter is doing the same!"
"How dare you talk to my mother like that?" Camilla said, shoving me. I staggered backward, hand reached out to grab hers, but she moved out of reach, and I fell to the ground. I heard a sharp crack in my wrist, and more tears spilled out of my eyes as pain flared in the area.
Camilla screamed, holding her hand, "She just pinched me, mother. What did I ever do wrong to you, Harper? My offense is being beautiful, and Owen decided to pursue me. How could I say no?"
She sobbed even louder, dangling her hand in the air like it was broken. I stared at her in shock. I didn't even touch her.
"You…!"
"I did nothing wrong, Father!" I said, looking as he approached.
SLAP!
My teeth sank into my lower lip due to the force. For the fourth time tonight, I received the most slaps in a night. My father clasped a fistful of my raven black hair, bringing my face closer to his. He snarled, "One more word from that lying mouth of yours, and you'll regret the day you were brought into this world."
"Now tell me what's between you and that useless thing?" He said.
"Nothing," I reached for his hand to loosen his grip, but it only tightened.
"Nothing?!" He grunted. "Nothing, and you kissed him? How many times have you let him touch you?!"
I shook my head, looking around the room, frantic. Camilla smiled while Elizabeth scoffed, shooting me a dirty look.
"I swear, Father. I am telling the truth. There's nothing between us!"
Whether I had spoken or not, my father didn't answer me; instead, he drew me closer to the wall, then smashed my skull against it. A sickening thud echoed.
My breath left me in a whoosh, white stars exploded behind my eyes, and pain shot through my head, sharp and blinding, radiating down my spine, like my brain had rattled inside my skull.
It actually did.
"I'm going to teach you a lesson. The one your slut of a mother didn't!" He grunted, pulling me from the wall.
"Father," I weakly said, my hands falling to my side after failing to stop him. "You'll kill me, father."
"I should have done so before you were born." He hissed.
My father hauled me out of the house, and only when he let me go did I realize we were close to the pool.
"This is where I should have left you seven years ago. A beggar doesn't have a choice. Perhaps that'd have made your attitude less rotten!" He spat on me, kicking my hand that tried to grip his pants.
"Father," I murmured for the umpteenth time tonight. But what I received was the resounding clap of thunder.
I stared into the night sky, void of stars and moon, filled with grey clouds. Lightning struck, and I flinched, shielding my eyes. I shivered, my teeth chattered, and I wrapped my arms around myself as the wind picked up, hurling things out of its way.
I glanced back at my father. He was returning inside. Did he seriously want to leave me outside here? In the rain?
Another thunder rumbled. My heart palpitated, and the nausea I had pushed back earlier surged upward. I gripped my stomach as it clenched, attempting to stand, but my knees buckled and my ankle gave way. I fell, landing on my butt.
"Father!" Camilla shouted above the howling wind.
I turned to the door to see her running towards him, with her hair flying in different directions while she tried her best to hold onto it so the wind wouldn't drag her along with the debris.
"Get back inside," Father said, gripping her hand.
"What about Harper? It's going to storm, Father. And you know she has Umbra…Orbro…whatever. She's scared of the rain. We don't want her dying."
"Better dead than being alive then," He answered. "You need to return inside. You can get sick."
Tears rolled down my cheeks, and I gripped the hem of my dress with quivering hands. He cared about Camilla alone. I was his daughter, too. But he didn't mind if I was dead. Was I brought into this world to suffer? Why bother even making me draw my first breath if this is the punishment for the sins of my mother? Why God?!
A moan escaped my mouth as a hand gripped my hair from behind, and with a powerful force, I was sent into the pool! I splashed wildly, trying to keep myself afloat while the wind got even crazier. I blinked through hazy vision, seeing the person who had thrown me into the pool.
"Camilla?!"
"I thought if you'd be dying, why not make it sooner? This will save us and you the stress." She beamed, her eyes twinkling.
"I'd better get inside. Nobody wants the princess to get sick."
I watched with horror as she started running back inside!
"Wait…Camilla!" I screamed, splashing. "I can't swim!"