Possession [ JK version ]

= 16 = PLAN

Author's POV

"Does it hurt, Mama?" the little girl asked, touching Della's cheek where a handprint was visible. It seemed as though someone had slapped her. Della looked down with tears glistening in her eyes and nodded.

"Yes, I'm fine, my baby girl," Della said, hugging her daughter tightly. They were sitting on a bench in the park, with light snow falling during the winter season. The cold breeze brushed against their bodies, and Aziel immediately sought warmth by nestling against her mother's chest. Della tightened the hug.

"There's a saying that a daughter always lives the life of her mother. A daughter's fate is often a shadow of her mother's fate. She's likely to go through the same things her mother faced. And today, I don't want my daughter to live the life that I despise the most. I don't want her fate to follow in the footsteps of my fate," Della thought, looking at her 7-year-old baby girl.

"I love you, Mama," Aziel whispered.

"I love you too," Della responded.

"Mom!" Troy screamed at his mother when Rose suddenly struck Aziel. The force of the slap was so strong that Aziel fell to the ground, instinctively using her hand to protect herself and inadvertently exacerbating her wound. A hiss escaped her lips as her loose hair covered her side profile.

"What the hell is wrong with you? This is my house, and I can choose anyone to do chores!" Troy said, pushing his mother against the wall and standing between the two women.

"Anyone but her. She's a bad omen. Her mother was a whore," Rose yelled at her son, and Troy clenched his fist.

"Her mother used to work in our house. You used to like Aziel, so what suddenly changed, Mom?" Troy said in frustration, looking at Aziel as she tried to compose herself.

"Your father selected her mother. He was seduced, that's why he chose her, even though there were plenty of workers in the house," Rose said, her eyes welling up with tears. "Did she seduce you too?" Rose asked, causing Aziel to gasp. Her heart tightened.First, people called her mother by derogatory names, and now they were referring to her with different names. The corner of her lips was bleeding.

"For God's sake, Mom, stop it. She's just a kid. She doesn't even know the meaning of seduction, and you're saying this nonsense," Troy said, and when his mother tried to approach Aziel, he gently pushed her back, ensuring she wouldn't get hurt.

"This is reality. She isn't just a kid. She is the child of a monster. Wherever she goes, she brings misfortune, just like her mother. Her mother destroyed many relationships, and now she is doing the same. You can take us as an example. She is just like her mother—a bad omen, a whore," Rose said angrily.

"Enough, Mom, enough!" Troy said, stepping back in disgust. "You're not only demeaning her character, but you're also demeaning me." His face turned red as he struggled to maintain control. "Please leave my house," Troy pleaded, but his words only fueled Rose's anger. Mother and son stared at each other with resentment.

Suddenly, a loud sob echoed through the hall. They both looked down upon hearing the cry and found Aziel crying uncontrollably. Goosebumps ran down Troy's arms, and even Rose was taken aback. Aziel's cries held a power that could shatter everything. She had never cried in front of anyone except Jungkook and her mother, Della.

"My mother wasn't a bad omen. I am not a monster's child. I didn't seduce anyone," Aziel cried out, standing up while clutching her injured hand. Tears welled up in Troy's eyes. Her crying was different, not like that of an ordinary human.

"We are not whores," Aziel declared, looking directly at Rose. When Rose saw Aziel's tear-filled, reddened eyes, something changed within her, and she stumbled back.