Beauty and the Price

Chapter 25

The Fall

"Explain to me," my mother screeched as I stepped into the kitchen. My heart jumped at her tone and I stood still as she marched in my direction. I cowered into myself when she began hovering over me. Her sharp blue eyes flared with rage. "Why Julie thinks she saw you at the D'Amores with a criminal!"

Her words settled into my mind and I remained frozen by realization. The date. I blinked, my heart beating violently in my chest as I raked my brain for anything that would get me out of this. I swallowed in an attempt to calm the rattling fear that shook through me. "I-I don't..." I took a deep breath to ease my stuttering. "I don't know what you're talking about."

My mother pulled back and began to pace back and forth in short quick strides, her heels clicked loudly and my eyes wandered to the kitchen staff who quietly continued cleaning up for the night. Their heads down.

I felt a blush spreading along my cheeks.

Me being the subject of my mother's rage wasn't a secret to any of the residents of the estate. They never voiced it, but I could imagine what they were thinking. Sang the bad child, putting her mother through so much trouble. Needing to be disciplined every week or every other day. Will she ever learn?

Wil was the only one who stood up for me but he stopped when my mother promised a worse punishment. My mother didn't bluff.

She suddenly lunged for my arm, and she dragged me past the foyer. "Not only is he a criminal but he isn't worth a dime!" Her hand around my arm tightened with each word and I could feel the familiar prickle of a bruise forming. "Do you know what people might say?"

I swallowed the lump in my throat, diverting my eyes to the bracelets on her wrists. My body trembled at the anticipation of the punishment she had planned while my heart weighed heavily with the realization that she worried more about what people thought than her daughter being with a criminal as she called him.

I kept my gaze on her bracelets, hoping to distract myself with the diamonds that sparkled under the light. Her nails pierced through my cardigan and into my skin forcing a whimper from me.

I met her gaze and instantly wished to hide. Instinctively, my arm flinched and jerked but her hold was strong, and refused to let go. "It wasn't me—"

"Enough!" Her sharp voice caused another wave of trembles to travel through my body. "I've had enough of you, Sang!" she shook my arm and released my arm, and turned to walk further into the kitchen.

My Mary Janes squeaked against the floor as I stumbled behind her. My mother stopped at the center of the kitchen and in direct line of the door, anyone who walked in would spot me immediately. She snapped her fingers at one of the staff members who nearly dropped the rag he was holding at the sudden sound.

"Daniel," she snarled in his direction. "Bring a handful of rice. Quickly."

Daniel was Derek and Danielle's father and the estate's head chef. Without question or hesitation, he rushed toward the pantry.

I resisted a relieved sigh. I've knelt in rice before and while it was more uncomfortable than just kneeling directly on the floor, it was a punishment I knew I could handle. My mother was being merciful and I wasn't going to object.

I kept my head down and my hands clasped behind my back. Despite the relief, my eyes blurred from humiliation when Daniel stopped in front of me to sprinkle the rice inches from my toes. I didn't move when he pulled back and returned to his previous task.

My mother stepped behind me. I felt goosebumps rise on the back of my neck in fear and anticipation. I'm okay, I chanted in my head. Just kneel and get over it.