Chapter 15: Painful Truth

N A O M I

"How are you?" I asked through the phone.

"I'm good. We are all good here. Elijah is recovering smoothly so we can all go there tonight." Alexa answered from the other end.

"Come soon. I missed everyone and I can't stay here anymore." My voice probably sounds like I'm begging but staying here is killing me. I need to escape from this cage, only to enter another one.

My cousins left yesterday morning so I was left with my cruel parents. My mom kept telling me that I'm just a tool and I shouldn't act all high and mighty. But my dad was worse. He brought me to the basement and tied me to a chair then whipped me multiple times until he was satisfied. This is my daily life within these walls.

"Alright. We will get you out of there tomorrow. Bye then, we still have classes today." She said then hung up. This is my last day in this house. I hope I don't have to come back here soon.

I sighed as I stare at the sky. I'm in our private garden, sitting in a bench. I am currently surrounded by rows of different flowers. Roses, tulips, sunflowers, and other flower varieties can be seen.

There are also some hedges and trees that are present here. The fresh cold air hugs me as the sun rises. What a sight. I still couldn't process that a breathtaking scene can be seen in a mansion of hell.

"Wish they were here. It's sad how I'm alone here, seeing this view." I said to myself as I stretched my arms. Alexa won by three points against Du Ho so I guess they are now focusing on taking me down when I'm back.

I stood up and started warming up. Even if I'm not fully healed, I can't slack off from my morning exercise. After warming up, I went to take a jog around the mountain.

This mountain is owned by our family. Our mansion is on the top and no one else lives here, other than us. There is a giant wall on the foot of the mountain as protection. We also have a bunch of guards, guarding the gates.

I went to my favorite route, the spiral route. There are different routes here for us to choose. They made some paths for us to be able to pass easily.

As I jog around, I passed by trees, bushes, and some flowers. Only the sound of the birds and wind can be heard. There are also some guards, butlers, and maids along the path who greeted me with a bow.

My thoughts went chaotic as I kept on jogging. I have three major problems. First is the fire 'accident'. Second is Adonis' attack. And lastly, the annoying couple.

I have to focus on the annoying couple for now and secure my position. Then I will investigate the fire. Adonis is my last priority since it is a personal problem. As the president, I have to prioritize anything that is related to the school and its students.

I was so lost in my thoughts that I didn't notice that I'm back at the garden. A maid and butler was already waiting for me. They gave me a water bottle and a towel.

"Master wishes for your presence after lunch. We will notify you when master is back from work," the maid said and I only nodded. He seldom eat breakfast and lunch here so I'm not surprised.

"Madam will wake up soon. Do you wish to take a bath first, Lady Naomi?" Another maid asked, I nodded as an answer and walked back to the mansion.

There is already a warm bath ready and some maids are also here to help me. After taking a bath, I just chose an oversized hoodie and black leggings. Even though I want to wear shorts, it is a rule not to wear something higher than the knees when eating. I don't really care much about rules but it's better to follow than to hear nonsense from my parents.

I arrived at the dining room first so I sat on the left side of the table. I waited for a while then my mom arrived. She was wearing a plain brown straight dress.

She just sat in front of me and started eating. I guess I'm invincible today. I then started eating and not even a word was uttered as we ate our meal. She left immediately once she was done with her food. Why in a hurry? I guess there is a problem in the company for her to ignore me and for dad to request my presence.

I went back to my floor and read some mystery books as I listen to random music from my own playlist.

Time passes by and I forgot to eat lunch. I guess my parents are out since I wasn't called. I was fixing my hair when I heard several knocks on my door.

"Lady Naomi, Master has arrived and is now waiting for you in the study room," the butler reported.

"Alright, I'll be there in a sec," I replied and quickly finished fixing my hair into a bun. I then took the drawing and hid it inside my hoodie's pocket. I should try what mom said last Wednesday.

I went up to the third floor where the study room is. I knocked twice and stated my name before entering. This study room has a dark interior and it's full of books and papers. Dad was sitting on his swivel chair, looking blankly at me.

I then seated on the sofa and he went to the one in front of me.

"Give up your stocks to me." He stated, making my eyebrows knitted.

"Why in the hell would I do that? I'm the biggest shareholder and I'm not giving my rights on the company I worked hard on. You already got all the credit of my hard work, and now you want to take it completely away from me? You're insane," I stated, frustration filling up my system.

"I can't blame you, but it's either you give it up to me or I might lose my position. We will be holding a shareholder's meeting two weeks from now. Give it up to me or I will force you."

I forced out a smile to control my frustration. I took out the drawing and shown it to him. "Father, be careful of what you're trying to do. Happiness is a curse." I stated, putting an emphasis on the last words as I stood up from the sofa.

I was about to leave when I heard something that created a chaos in my mind. I already guessed it, but hearing his confirmation killed me once again. Who the hell am I then?