Chapter 2: The Decree
“How dare you beat my wife! Do you also want to kill her just like you killed your mother!” Mr. Nicholas yelled angrily. His eyeballs were glowing green.
“She is lying. I did nothing of such.” Ortega replied. Tears were already streaming down her face.
Mrs Lisa lied against her so that she would get punished by her father.
Mr Nicholas walked closer to her with the belt dangling in his right hand. Ortega shivered in fear as she shifted backwards.
“You still have the guts to call my wife a liar, huh?” Mr Nicholas said and lashed the belt on Ortega’s arm.
“Ahh!! I didn’t beat her! I swear!” Ortega cried as her father continued to lash the belt on her body.
He stopped beating her after some minutes. Ortega sat down on the floor with scars all over her body. Tears flowed down her face as she sat weakly on the floor.
“The next time you try to harm my wife or disobey her orders, I will make sure I kill you with my two hands!” Mr Nicholas said, then he walked off to his room.
Ortega continued crying as her father walked away. This was not the first time her stepmother would lie against her.
Anytime Ortega made a slight mistake, Mrs Lisa would lie to her husband in order to get Ortega punished.
As Ortega continued crying, the door opened and Vanessa walked in. She laughed loudly when saw Ortega seated on the floor with tears on her face and scars all over her body.
Vanessa was just coming back from her boyfriend’s place. She stood in front of Ortega with her hands folded under her breasts.
“Seems like someone just got beaten by her own father!” Vanessa mocked and bursted into another round of laughter.
“Who gets beaten in her house by someone she calls her father?” Vanessa asked rhetorically.
“Of course, a bastard like you. This is just a warning Ortega. The next time you try to act stubborn, consider yourself dead.” Vanessa said harshly, then she went to her room.
Ortega stood up weakly from the floor. Her face was swollen and she felt pains in every part of her body as she walked back to her room.
She got to her room and locked the door. Then She walked slowly to her dressing mirror and stared at her reflection in the mirror.
More tears streamed out of her eyes as she stared at the pitful condition her body was.This content is © NôvelDrama.Org.
Although, she had a beautiful face and a fresh olive skin but the tortures and punishments she received each and everyday affected her body.
Ortega touched the scars on her body then she wiped the tears off her face with her hand.
She left the dressing mirror and walked to her bed. She laid on the bed and took a picture which was on the table beside the bed.
Ortega stared at the picture with a sad smile on her face. The picture was her mother’s and it was the last picture she took before she gave birth to Ortega, which led to her death.
“I wish you never gave birth to me. You would still be alive today, living happily with your husband.” Ortega said sadly then she dropped the picture on the table.
She switched off the table lamp and covered herself with the duvet. Then she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep.
[The Next Morning]
The blaring sound of the alarm woke Ortega up from her sleep. She sat upright on the bed and checked the time on the alarm.
It was just 5:30am and the sun was yet to rise. That was the the she woke up everyday.
Not that Ortega chose to wake up by 5:30am everyday. But her stepmother, Mrs Lisa, ordered her to always wake up by that time so that she would prepare breakfast for the family and also do all the house chores.
Ortega still felt sleepy because she didn’t sleep well all throughout the night. She was feeling a lot of pains in her body, which made it hard for her to get a proper sleep.
But she had no other choice than to get down from the bed and commence her morning routine.
She brushed her teeth and took her bath, then she dressed up in a casual wear and walked out of her room.
Everyone in the house were still sleeping. Ortega prepared breakfast then she started doing the house chores as usual.
[At night] [10:54pm]
Mrs Lisa and her husband, Mr Nicholas, were watching a movie together in the living. Vanessa went to visit her boyfriend while Ortega was busy washing the plates in the kitchen.
A loud knock was heard on the the door in the living room. Mrs Lisa and her husband diverted their gaze from the TV screen to the door.
“Who is knocking on the door at this time of the night?” Mrs Lisa asked her husband.
“It could be Vanessa.” Mr Nicholas replied.
“Ortega, come and check who is at the door!” Mrs Lisa shouted.
Ortega rushed out of the kitchen to the living room. She opened the door and four men walked in. They were the kingdom’s security guards.
They stepped fully inside that living and faced Mrs Lisa and her husband.
Mr Nicholas stood up from his seat when he saw that the men were guards. Mrs Lisa also stood up and they both wondered why the guards came to their house.
Ortega closed the door and then she walked back to the kitchen.
“Good evening sir!” One of the guards greeted Mr Nicholas.
“Good evening. May I know the reason why you are here?” Mr Nicholas asked in reply.
“We are here because of your daughter.” The guard replied.
“Which of them?” Mrs Lisa asked.
“The human.” Another guard replied.
“Why?” Mr Nicholas asked.
“The councils of Brimestone has made a decree that no human should be allowed to live among we werewolves in this kingdom.” The guard replied.
“And when was this decree made?” Mr Nicholas asked again.
“Thirty minutes ago.” The third guard replied.
“Thirty minutes ago? Why?” Mr Nicholas asked, with an hint of anger in his voice.
“We are not in the position to answer that question. We are here to take the human the councils ordered us to bring.” The first guard replied sternly.
“And where are you taking her to?” Mr Nicholas asked.
“The councils ordered that any human, living in this kingdom should either be killed or banished away from this kingdom.” The guard replied.
“What!” Mr Nicholas exclaimed in utmost shock.