THE ARRIVAL
Valerie's Pov
What the hell?
I don't understand what's going on. Why is there all this sudden talk of getting rid of me, whatever that means.
I walk closer to the open window, so I can hear better, my heart beating erratically in my chest.
“I’m I'm support, Daddy, she's definitely cursed,” Daphne says, dismissively, as if it's not my life they're talking about! "It was a good idea to lock her away, Daddy. She would have scared our guest away with that… that hideous face of hers.”
My chest tightens, anger and hurt twisting inside me, and tears gather in my eyes. It's just a scar, it doesn't mean that I'm cursed. It doesn't!
“Yes honey,” Father says softly, in a time he's never spoken to me with. “Once Mr. Hills proposes to you, and everything is finalized, we’ll deal with Valerie properly.”
“What are you going to do?”
“Our first idea of killing her has few flaws,” Mother starts. It takes a second for that sentence to actually sink into my brain. Her. . . is me! They're talking about killing me?
My breath comes out fast and hard as I imagine it. The sad thing is I believe it immediately, I know my parents are capable of it. A teacup has more value in their eyes.
Mother chuckled, the sound sending a shiver down my spine. “But there's too much we have to take into account because I know that stupid thing would just love to inconvenience us even in death.”
If I think about it, really think about the fact that I'm listening to my mother call my death an inconvenience, I might stop crying and never stop.
“So we'll send her abroad, far away from here. Somewhere no one knows us. Ship her there and have her start a new life. If she can't survive, then oh well,” Mother says, the glee in her tone loud, “too bad.”
I felt my stomach twist, bile rising in my throat as her words sunk in. They weren’t just hoping to erase me from their lives, they were plotting to erase me entirely.
Daphne laughed softly. “Good. One less embarrassment for this family. It’s about time she knew her place.”
“Yes sweetie,” Father cooed, “We need your wedding to be perfect.”
Wedding? Daphne is getting married?
“I'll be right back,” Mother says, “I'm going to talk to the guards, check in the refreshments and everything. I'm so excited to meet him!”
She leaves the room, and I hear her footsteps stop right outside the door to the storage room, where undoubtedly, my bodyguard was standing.
Father and Daphne weren't talking, so I came closer to the door to bear Mother. “Alright, listen closely. Nobody lets Valerie out without my explicit permission. Is that understood?”
“Yes, ma’am,” the guard replied firmly.
“Good.” I hear her take a few steps before she asks, “By the way, what room did you put her in?”
“This one, ma’am.”
“This one!” Mother yells. I see the knob of the door start to turn and I step back, narrowly missing getting hit in the head.
“That's too close! We're going to receive Mr Andrew next door and I don't want any noises from her.”
Her voice rises as she speaks, glaring at me like her out sand in her cup of tea. It's loud enough to bring my father and Daphne outside, staring at us quizzically. “What's going on?”
“I'm sorry ma'am, I didn't know you were using this living room,” the guard replies, as my mother's eyes turn to glare at him.
“For Christ's sake, fucking move her!”
The guard nods, walks in and grabs me by the hair. A painted gasp falls out of my throat and I grab onto his hand, trying to relieve some tension as he begins dragging me towards the stairs. “Stop it! You're hurting me!”
A maid rushes up the stairs, as I try to find my footing while being dragged like a ragdoll. She bows at my parents, a wide smile on her face. “Mr. Andrew Hills has arrived, Sir. He's waiting in the downstairs living room.”
“Shit!” Daphne curses, glaring at me like I brought him here during the inopportune moment, that is my suffering.
The guard stops his assault on my scalp and looks to my parents. I'm sobbing from the pressure on my hair as I clamber to my feet. “We can't drag her past him. What if he asks about who's making the noise?”
Father nods and turns around, Mother in tow. “Bring her back to the room.”
Through tears, I'm pulled back to the little storage room.
The guard dumps me on the floor and steps out of the way for my parents. They walk in with an air of authority, their faces cold and devoid of warmth.
Mother folded her arms and looked me up and down with disdain, as if just standing in the same room as me was beneath her. “Mr. Andrew Hills of Hills is propose to your sister, Daphne,” she said enunciating each word, as she smirks at me.
“After Daphne's proposal,” Father cuts in, his voice as hard as steel, “we will send you abroad. Somewhere far away. Somewhere we won’t have to deal with you or hear from you ever again.”
“Father…” I whisper, my voice breaking. My nose is filled with snot, and my head is hurting so bad I'm sure one more yank will cause all my hair to fall off. “Please—”
“If you behave,” he continues, bulldozing over my words, “we'll send you off with some money so you won't starve, for the first few days at least.”
Consider it a favor,” Mother snaps, staring at me like it was mercy she hated giving me.
“Mother, Father, please!” I plead, my voice trembling. “Don’t send me away.”
How would I be able to live? I had no skills, no certificates and the only work I've ever done was house chores. “I— I’ll go live with Grandma in the countryside. I’ll stay there for the rest of my life, I promise. You won’t even have to see me…”
“Stop whining, Valerie,” Daphne interrupts, her face contorted with irritation. “Don’t be stupid. You’re lucky to even be alive.”
Her words pierce through me, sharp and cruel. I swallow hard, my hands trembling at my sides. Yes, that's right. They wanted to kill me. To them I should be grateful, to them this was mercy.
“And for the record,” Father adds with a humorless chuckle, “it was that same grandmother who sent you back here. She doesn’t want you anymore. No one does.”
Mother turns to the bodyguard stationed by the door, who bows his head immediately. “Stay in there with her. If she makes a noise I want you to shut her up instantly, with any means necessary. If not, you lose your job and I'll make sure you never work again in this city.”
They turn and walk out, the door slamming shut behind them. I stand there, staring at the door, the echoes of their words swirling in my mind. They’re determined to erase me from their lives, and I’m powerless to stop them.
I slide down to the ground , sniffing, my legs unwilling to hold me anymore. I have until after Daphne's man leaves, Mr Andrew Hills.
I don't know much about him, but his name carries weight in the business world. Father talks about him sometimes, in awe. Hills Corporation is a giant enterprise and Hills is a man of immense influence and fortune.
After his momentous visit, I’ll be bundled up and tossed out, discarded like an old torn rag.
I place my ear against the door, listening distractedly as a multitude of footsteps echo down the hall, followed by murmurs of superfluous greetings. The excitement is palpable, even through the thick wood.
“Welcome, Mr. Hills,” I hear my father’s voice boom with practiced charm. “It’s an honour to have you here.”
The rich timber of an answering chuckle stirs me intensely, feelings that remind me of the only wild night I've ever had.
“The honour’s all mine, truly, Mr Patterson. Thank you for having me.”
That voice. . .
Every spare moment I've had since yesterday has been spent thinking about what happened between the I and the stranger. I have our entire interaction burned into
my brain; from the way his skin felt, to the press of his lips against my lips.
And I think that's his voice.