Chapter 2 : Trouble calls

The ladies were busy chattering amongst themselves, and it did not leave Veronica as an exception, she was able to talk to a few of the kind ladies and stayed far away from the one she didn't know or didn't want to get herself accustomed with. Soon one of the ladies raised up a glass cup and clicked it with a metal spoon to gain the attention of the ladies around before she spoke,

"Attention please I would want to get everyone attention," a smile was plastered on the lady's face that spoke she was the one who wore the sea blue fitted gown, lady Lucy, "I would want to raise a toss to our lovely Sebastia, it is an honor being here." She went ahead to click the cup of wine with her as she was already standing up and raising her cup of wine, and soon others followed, and with a gentle click of the two cups that touch each other the people would go on and continue their chats that had been suspended a while ago, it was time for Veronica to place her toss but being the evil person Evelyn was, she placed one of her foot in front of Veronica making her trip on it and spill the red content of the wine on Lady Sebastia's dress.

"Oh, my I'm really sorry."

"Don't you know how to hold a simple glass of wine, look at how spilt your wine on my golden dress it was a gift given to me by my father."

"I'm really sorry please forgive me."

"Oh, please stop that shit!" the vampress boiled with anger to the tip of her head, and with the same anger she left the room. Soon there was murmurs that occupied the silence in the room.

"My apologies for my sister clumsiness it has been in her for years now and I never expected for her to embarrass me in such a way." And with that Evelyn dragged Veronica out of the room.

 When they got back the house was heated as the news had already reached their father's ear,

"Veronica!" he screamed with anger boiling to the tip of his head, their mother rushed downstairs as she saw Veronica shivering and trembling while Evelyn had on her acting face.

"Father, she destroyed the tea party, she had also embarrassed me in front of all my friends and here you expect me to act kind with her when she keeps on spoiling my name." Evelyn said with fake drops of tears falling off her eyes.

"Evelyn my dear why are you crying" her mother rushed towards her with a grin expression.

"Mother is her fault she embarrassed me, and she also disgraced me."

SLAP!

A loud slap was heard as it landed on Veronica's cheek making her stumble backwards, she felt her cheek tinge and she tasted blood on her lips, her ears vibrated and resounded as her father had partly slapped her on her ear.

"Father a slap is not enough, beat her, make her cry the same way she made me cry." Her father took the whip from the slave hands that he had sent. Veronica looked scared her eyes brimming with tears as her body trembled uncontrollably.

"Father please, please!" she cried out loud as her father whipped her in front of everyone, he kept on landing the long rough whip on her delicate skin as it turned it bright red leaving a very painful scar.

"AHH! Father, please make it stop I can't bear please" she screamed twisting her body.

"Keep that mouth shut." He said with one last painful whip making her body bounce.

"Father it is either you take this girl out of this house or I will leave this house myself." Evelyn said before storming out of the room. The man and his wife later left the room leaving her in her own silence of whimpers.

"Veronica!" her personal maid rushed towards her as she helped her to get up and took her out of the room.

 Later in the night the two couples came to talk to each other in their room,

"Honey, you know very well that we can't be able to keep that girl in our house any longer" Evelyn's mother spoke first.

"And what do you expect me to do about her.''

"I don't know, you are the man of the house, and you know very well that our daughter would actually leave if you don't oblige to her request."

"I know but it's not like I would sell her off to the slave establishment, people would get a scent of it and the whole stress of trying to raise my daughter would become useless, you know how bad and sweet a rumor could get over time right?"

"Yes, I know so what next is the plan?"

"I think we should get Veronica married off quickly to any noble even a low-ranking knight would do as long as she is out of the household."

"Yes, you are right," she came close to George and placed her head on his shoulder before she continued, "Why are we still disturbing ourselves with this I will take her to a ball, and we will see if she catches anyone attention."

"But you know how clumsy she is what if she just disgraces us the more."

"Don't worry honey like I said before I will watch her every move and if she caught no one attention I would set out a proposal for her to the whole kingdom, okay?"

"Hmm" George agreed, he laid down on the bed with his wife by his side before going to sleep. Outside their bedroom, Veronica padded through the corridor to get off the torments that raked through her body like a storm.

She didn't know that her life will reach to the point of being a mere tool that could be used and discarded when the purpose was lost, today she was disgraced in front of the noble ladies, and she didn't know how she would face them again. Veronica's mind was slightly lost as if she was in a trance, a trance of her own mindset.

 As she was walking through the dark passage, she saw a figure approaching her making her snap out of her thoughts, the figure didn't really look like any of the maids or even the family members because it had patches on its clothes and as she got closer, she saw blood on its body, it looked like a disfigured body. By the time she could retrace her steps, the figure rushed towards her but before it could reach her someone grabbed her hand making her stumble.

"Milady what are you doing here in the passage at this hour?'' her personal maid asked her.

"Th-there was someone, a monster."

"Monster? There is no monster here milady," She said, Veronica looked around her surroundings again to see nothing but the dark empty passage that the wind passed through sending a shrill down her spine, it felt like the scene she had saw before now was a whole illusion, "it looks like milady is still going through her tremor." She signed.

"Milady please follow me you still have to sleep as the sorcerer will be coming tomorrow." The maid said before dragging Veronica back to her room. Veronica kept looking backwards to see whether the figure would appear, but it didn't, so she gave up and went to her room, but she still had that feeling that someone was watching probably she had lost her mind when her father was whipping her.

 The next day, Veronica woke up with the maid calling her, "Milady wake up the sorcerers are here to numb the pain of your wounds." Veronica opened her eyes and got up before she went to bath and dress, when she was done of dressing up, she went downstairs to the dining hall.

"Good morning, mother and father." She said before taking a seat at the end of the table.

"Good morning to you too" the couples greeted before continuing their breakfast soon Evelyn joined the table.

Even though Veronica felt weird when she ate around them, she was forced to join the table as it was a tradition normally done in the household.

"Veronica you will be going with us to the ball tonight." Francis; Evelyn's mother spoke. Veronica looked shocked as she wanted to reject it after what had happened when she went to the tea party.

"But I wouldn't want to…"

"It was not a request but an order you are following us to the ball tonight."

"But why does she have to follow us to the ball mother?" Evelyn asked.

"Isn't it you that said you wanted her out of your life I am helping to fulfill your request." Veronica chewed hard on her food as to what she heard.

"Veronica remember to do all your activities for the day on time and get ready for the ball." Francis said in a stern voice to have her nod.