Revealed [UNDERGOING EDITING]

Prologue

"Seph...Sephora wake up," Elaine Baxter said, gently shaking her daughter awake.

Eight year old Sephora Baxter rose up on her bed, rubbing away the sleep from her eyes.

"Mommy, why are we getting up? Are we going out?" her daughter said, bouncing up and down on her bright pink bed sheets at the thought of a trip.

"No sweetie, we aren't, but I am. Your father is taking me on a little trip," Elaine replied. A sour taste filled her mouth as she thought of her husband.

Sephora stopped bouncing and looked at her with wide, concerned eyes.

"So why aren't you happy? You don't want to go?" the little girl asked.

Elaine was suddenly filled with great sadness. In all her thirty-four years she had felt so many emotions. Pain, regret, despair, longing and joy.

Joy

She embraced the feeling as she remembered holding a little, blue eyed girl with a shock of blond hair.

But these thoughts always led to another feeling, hate. Hate, deeply rooted in her from that day, the day she found out...

"Mommy, are you sleeping?" a little voice said, bringing her back to the present.

"No sweetie, I'm awake," she replied.

This was no time for reminiscing things past. There was still much to do.

"Sephie, I have something very important to talk to you about. I need you to listen carefully to me," Elaine said, looking deep into her daughters eyes.

"Okay, mommy."

"Sephora, some people are going to say very bad things about me, things that might change what you think about who you think I am. Never listen to them. On your eighteenth birthday I want you to open this letter and read it. It will tell you everything you need to know. Now take this and go into the closet. Inside, you will find the third floorboard loose. I want you to put this letter under the board and hide it. Don't tell anyone where it is. Promise me you will protect it with your life. Promise me!"

Fear filled the little girl's eyes as Elaine grasped her shoulders.

"I promise, mommy," Sephora whispered.

At those words, the tension seemed to drain from Elaine. Her previously tense expression smoothed out and her eyes closed briefly.

When she opened them, a sort of peace filled her and she drew Sephora into her arms, cradling her as if she was still a baby. She started to sway slowly, rocking Sephora to sleep as she whispered a soft lullaby to her.

"Hush my sweet, go to sleep. I will take care of everything. All your dreams shall be sweet. Go to bed and lay your head. Your destiny is already set,"

At that moment, the bedroom door flew open and slammed against the walls. Elaine faced away from it, hoping to delay the inevitable.

Duke Baxter stormed in with three men behind him and fire in his eyes.

"Elaine, it is time to go. Say goodbye," he said in a strange, unfamiliar tone.

Little arms wrapped tightly around Elaine's waist, causing her to look down.

"Mommy, don't go. Please don't leave me," her daughter screamed, tears streaming down her face.

"Please don't cry Sephie," Elaine said, her own tears matching that of her daughter.

Duke let this go on for a few more seconds before casually raising his arm and pointing at them.

"Men, please escort my wife off the premises."

At his command, the men moved forward and tore Sephora away from her mother, tossing her to the side. Sephora hit the cupboard with a sickening thud before sliding to the floor.

Elaine screamed and rushed to tend to Sephora but before she could move, Duke grabbed her arm and wrenched her close to him.

Elaine stared at her husband with barely concealed terror.

"Does your family not mean more to you than your status?" she asked. Her arm was shaking from the pain of his grip.

Duke looked over her briefly before answering.

"If you give me what I want, all this will be over."

A surge of anger filled Elaine, covering all traces of fear.

"I would rather die," she spat, glaring at her husband.

Duke stilled for a moment and before Elaine could say another word, he raised his arm and slapped her across the face.

Elaine's head whipped to the side and she fell to the floor.

"Take her away,"  Duke said.

*****

The men dragged Elaine's limp body out of the room as Duke turned his cruel eyes to a whimpering Sephora. He walked up to her and crouched over her shivering body.

"Go to sleep, Sephora. I will send someone to make you presentable. Tomorrow is a new day. A new beginning for you and me," he whispered.

"What about mommy?" Her voice trembled with fear.

"Mommy is going to be busy for a long while," he said, smiling softly to himself.

He reached into his back pocket and brought out a handkerchief and wiped the top of her face.

"Go to sleep, Sephora. Go to sleep."