Chapter 4 First Day in Hell
[Sera]
Marissa recovered quickly, her smile returning with venom. "Well, it doesn't matter anyway. What's the point of education for someone like her? Girls from the countryside are only good for one thing."
Before I could respond, I felt hands on my back. "Let's see if our scholar sister can swim!" Talon shouted, suddenly shoving me hard.
I fell into the pool with a splash, the cold water shocking my system. I tried to surface, but realized with horror that I couldn't swim properly. The ill-fitting swimsuit hampered my movements as I flailed desperately, trying to keep my head above water.
The chlorine burned my eyes and nostrils as I gasped for air. My limbs grew heavy, my lungs burning. I sank beneath the surface, panic overtaking me as I saw the distorted figures above, nobody moving to help.
Black spots danced in my vision as water filled my lungs. Just as consciousness began to fade, a loud voice thundered across the pool area.
"WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON HERE?"
The water around me suddenly churned, and strong arms wrapped around my waist, pulling me to the surface. I was dragged to the edge of the pool, where I collapsed, coughing up water and gasping for breath.
Through bleary eyes, I saw a tall man in his thirties standing over me, his expensive suit now soaking wet. His face was a mask of cold fury as he surveyed the suddenly silent teenagers.
"Who pushed her?" my father demanded. When no one answered immediately, his gaze locked on Talon. "Of course. It had to be you."
Talon shrugged, barely hiding his discomfort. "It was just a joke, Dad. How was I supposed to know she couldn't swim?"
"All of you, inside. Now." My father's voice was quiet but carried unmistakable authority.
To my surprise, it was Marissa who stepped forward, wrapping a towel around my shoulders with fake concern.
"You poor thing," she cooed loudly enough for everyone to hear. "Let me help you get cleaned up."
She led me inside, her grip on my arm painfully tight. The moment we were out of sight in the hallway, her facade dropped completely. Her lips curled into a smug smile that didn't reach her eyes.
"Open your ears, country mouse," she sneered, shoving me against the wall. "I know exactly why you came crawling back. You think you hit the jackpot, don't you? The pathetic little orphan returning to claim her birthright, marry into money, and live like royalty."
She laughed coldly at my confused expression. "Oh, that's rich. You actually thought Daddy brought you back out of the goodness of his heart? That you'd get some handsome young billionaire and a slice of the Ginger fortune?"
She tossed her perfectly styled hair, looking at me with undisguised glee. "Let me tell you the truth, little sister. You're here to marry that disgusting old man they arranged for me. Seventy-three years old, bad breath, wandering hands, and more money than God."
My eyes widened despite my best efforts to stay composed. A seventy-three-year-old man? My heart sank as I realized Hector truly saw me as nothing more than a commodity to be traded. I'd known I wasn't welcomed back as a daughter, but this... this was beyond cruel.
Marissa noticed my reaction and her smile widened with satisfaction, clearly misreading my shock as horror at the prospect of marrying an elderly man rather than the painful confirmation that I meant nothing to my own father.
"What's wrong? Not the fairytale you were hoping for?" she mocked. "However you imagined your fairytale playing out, forget it. You're here to be sold off to a man older than our grandfather."
She leaned closer, her voice dropping to a threatening whisper, eyes gleaming with malicious triumph. "And just so we're clear—stay away from Ronan. He's mine. If I see you even looking at him, I'll make your life here even more miserable than it already is. You're here for one purpose only—to be the bride in my place."
I stared at her blankly. "Whatever. I'm not interested in your boyfriend."
"You're pathetic," she finally said, studying my face for any reaction. "Standing there like a drowned rat. While I'm Daddy's princess, you're just his convenient little chess piece, shipped back home to marry some disgusting old geezer. How does it feel knowing that's all you're worth to them?"
She stepped back, examining my shocked face with satisfaction, practically preening with self-importance. "Now get changed. Your little swimming show is over."
At dinner, my father sat at the head of the table, barely acknowledging my presence, while Penelope presided at the other end. Marissa and Talon sat across from me, occasionally exchanging smirks at my obvious discomfort with the multiple forks and spoons.
"So, Sera," Penelope said, her voice dripping with false warmth, "I hope you're settling in well."
"Yes, thank you," I managed to reply.
"I heard there was some excitement by the pool," Penelope continued, her eyes gleaming with malice disguised as concern. "Hector tells me you had a little... accident."
"Talon pushed her in," Marissa volunteered cheerfully. "She almost drowned."
"I didn't know she couldn't swim!" Talon protested, looking bored rather than remorseful.
When the meal finally ended, the maid began collecting dishes. Penelope stopped her with a raised hand.
"That won't be necessary, Martha. Sera can handle the cleanup tonight." She turned to me with a saccharine smile. "You're used to household chores, aren't you, dear?"
Later, as I stood at the sink with my hands submerged in soapy water, I heard footsteps behind me. My father and Penelope entered the kitchen, both watching me with cold eyes.
"What were you thinking today?" Penelope started without preamble, her voice sharp. "Parading around with Marissa and her friends in that ridiculous swimsuit?"
"I didn't—"
"Are you trying to embarrass this family?" she continued. "Or perhaps you think you can worm your way into high society? Is that it?"
"No," I protested. "Marissa insisted I join them. She pulled me away when Walter was showing me to my room."
My father scoffed. "Don't blame Marissa for your poor judgment."
"But it's true! She—"
"Enough," Penelope cut me off. "That swimsuit. Falling into the pool. Was that your idea of making an impression? Showing off your body to those boys? How desperate and cheap."
I felt tears stinging my eyes. "The swimsuit was what Marissa gave me. And Talon pushed me in—I didn't fall."
"Listen carefully," my father said, his voice dangerously quiet. "In this house, you are essentially invisible. When guests visit, you will make yourself scarce."
Penelope nodded. "If absolutely necessary, we'll introduce you as a distant relative from the country who's staying with us temporarily. Nothing more."
"You're an embarrassment," Penelope added sharply. "Your presence could jeopardize crucial business and social relationships."
They left me standing there, hands dripping with dishwater, the reality of my new life sinking in like a stone.
Back in my room—a sparse guest room, not the kind of room a daughter returning home might expect—I finally let the tears fall. I curled up on the bed, my body still aching from my near-drowning, and cried silently into the pillow. I'd traded one cold home for another, only this one came with the additional sting of deliberate cruelty.
