My Little Monster

Madam Emily gazed out the window, sipping her tea, looking more vibrant than she had in months. Her friend Elinda visited, feeling torn about Emily's transformation. While happy to see Emily out of her self-imposed isolation, Elinda was unsettled by the change in her demeanour, which reminded her of a traumatic event from 32 years ago.

"Are you okay, my friend?" Elinda asked, concern etched on her face.

"Never better!" Lady Emily exclaimed, her eyes sparkling with excitement.

"Self-isolation is suffocating. Look at the chaos in my household. Someone needs to take charge and bring order." Elinda nodded in agreement, and as they chatted, Daemon burst into the room, his face twisted in rage.

"Mother!" he thundered, his voice sending shivers down Elinda's spine. Lady Emily, however, smiled calmly, happy to see her son.

"Lilian Cartwright? You can't be serious! I'm still married to Eleanor. How dare you annul my marriage without my consent?" Daemon demanded, his voice raging.

Lady Emily chuckled, a cold, mirthless sound.

"Your marriage was annulled because you gave me consent when you begged me to end it. Don't you remember? You dragged your wife to me demanding an annulment, over a little herbal douche." She tossed a document at him, which he caught, his eyes widening in shock as he read.

Daemon's face turned red with fury, and he flipped the table, making Elinda jump.

"Calm down, both of you!" she pleaded.

"I'm perfectly calm," Lady Emily said, her smile growing wider as she threw her cup of tea on the floor and picked up a cane. The sight of it made Daemon take a step back, his eyes flashing with fear. Emily pointed the cane at him, her voice dripping with malice.

"You're my son, and you'll do as I say. Do you understand?" Daemon turned and fled, leaving Elinda staring at Lady Emily in alarm. Lady Emily's smile never wavered, and she whispered,

"Works like a charm." Elinda looked at her completely dumbfounded for a while.

"I thought he'd outgrow his fear of that stick," Elinda said, her voice barely above a whisper.

"My son is just like his father... I think," Lady Emily said, her eyes flashing with a mix of sadness and menace.

"I control him to avoid repeating the past. My beautiful boy...my boy...the monster I created." Tears welled up in her eyes as she stared at Elinda, who felt a chill run down her spine, wondering what Daemon would do next, and who he would hurt seeing how he is not getting his way.

Lady Emily's eyes welled up with tears as she sat close to Elinda, her voice overwhelmed with emotion.

"Did it hurt when you gave him to me? How long did it hurt? Did you really mean to give him to me? Would you have kept him if the circumstances were different?" she asked, with a whisper. Elinda took a deep breath, a sad smile spreading across her face.

"You lost your little girl, and I had my boy. I couldn't have loved him the way you do, considering... everything. We did what we had to do for the best. He grew up just fine," she replied with a sad smile, unable to maintain eye contact with Lady Emily.

Lady Emily had been pregnant with a baby girl, but she miscarried. Elinda was pregnant around the same time, but the father of her child was a mystery. She never revealed who he was, and he wasn't involved in their lives. Elinda had suggested that Lady Emily pretend to still be pregnant and raise her child as her own.

Their plan worked perfectly. Lady Emily left one day, heavily pregnant, and returned with a newborn, claiming she gave birth on the road. Daemon's father, Lord David Windsor was overjoyed, but as the years passed, he died under mysterious circumstances, with rumors of suicide.

But only Lady Emily and her loyal friend, Elinda knew the reality of his death. Elinda accepted her fate as a single, childless woman, while Lady Emily raised Daemon as her own. They kept this secret for decades. Unknowingly to them, Victoria was eavesdropping on their conversation.

She left feeling excited, knowing she had found a way to stay in the family and marry Daemon. Lady Emily would do anything to keep her secret hidden, and Victoria saw this as a golden opportunity to become the next Madam of the house.

"Madam Windsor" she whispered to herself with excitement, visualizing her marriage with Daemon. Meanwhile, Daemon visited Richard, hoping to get information about Eleanor's whereabouts. But Richard was unwilling to help, his anger tangible.

"You abandoned her, I don't know where she is. Go back to your whore and your bastard," he spat, his words felt venomous. Daemon's eyes narrowed, his gaze piercing as he stared at Richard.

"You're hiding something. I know you know where she is," he accused, his voice low and menacing.

"Ah, yes, that look in your eyes. You do know where she is. I can tell." Richard burst out laughing, his face red with defiance.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" he insisted, but Daemon's eyes flashed with anger. The argument escalated, with Daemon grabbing Richard's collar and Richard punching him in response. The two men crashed to the ground, punching and kicking each other.

Joanne, Richard's wife, watched in horror as the fight intensified. Just as it seemed Daemon was gaining the upper hand, he pulled out a gun and pointed it at Richard. Joanne screamed, rushing to her husband's side and begging Daemon not to shoot.

"Go ahead, coward! Shoot me! You'll never find her!" Richard taunted, his eyes blazing with fury. But Daemon's eyes shifted to Richard's son, and a sinister grin spread across his face. He grabbed the boy and pressed the gun to his head. Joanne's eyes went wide with terror as she begged Daemon to spare her son.

"Please, she's in Yarnton! Don't hurt him!" she screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"She is in Yarnton," she said again with a shaky voice. Daemon handed the boy back to his mother, who snatched him away and ran back into the house.

"Let's never see each other again, and when I bring my wife back, I forbid you from speaking to her." Daemon spat at Richard before mounting his horse and riding off. Richard knew he had to act fast to warn Eleanor. He rushed inside to gather his thoughts and come up with a plan to warn Eleanor.

He looks at Joanne with scorn.

"You have no sense of loyalty." He said to her with disappointment.

"Loyalty? He had a gun to our son's head. What did you expect me to do? I owe no loyalty to Eleanor." She said with rage and bitterness

Meanwhile, Lady Emily walked Elinda to the gate, unaware that Victoria was waiting for her in the garden. Victoria knew Lady Emily's daily routine and had planned her ambush carefully. As Lady Emily entered the garden, Victoria greeted her with a smug smile. Lady Emily, trying to make light of the situation, said,

"This house is so big, I didn't even notice the parasite was still here." But her tone quickly turned serious.

"Get out of my garden, whore." Victoria, feeling triumphant, laughed and said,

"Oh, mother, you're so funny." Lady Emily's expression turned stern.

"For the last time, do not call me mother. I did not give birth to a whore. I find it insulting that you call me that." Victoria took a step closer to Lady Emily, her eyes gleaming with confidence.

"You didn't give birth to your son either, but here we are." Lady Emily's eyes widened in shock, unsure how Victoria knew Daemon's true parentage. Lady Emily regained her composure and asked,

"If I didn't conceive my son, then who did? Was it the whore who birthed you?" Victoria's face darkened.

"Do not speak ill of my mother! She is a better woman than you will ever be." Lady Emily chuckled, unfazed.

"Careful, girl. Be very careful. A butterfly shouldn't consider itself an eagle just because it has wings." Victoria crossed her arms, her voice firm.

"Marry me to Daemon, and no one needs to know the truth. That is the only way your secret will be safe with me. We both have something to lose. My son, and yours." Lady Emily laughed loudly, confusing Victoria.

"I will tell everyone the truth. Do not think I'm being unserious." Victoria repeated her threat, but Lady Emily remained fearless.

"You lived in the pleasure house all your life. It's disappointing that you're not as smart as a whore should be. Your mother would be disappointed. I have better things to attend to, the blackmail of a whore is of no importance to me." With a sly smile, Lady Emily turned and left the garden, leaving Victoria standing alone, still convinced she had the upper hand.

After all, Daemon's marriage to Eleanor had been annulled, and Victoria believed she had Lady Emily right where she wanted her.