Echoes of Manipulation
1808 Words
Bianca
“Bianca, what do you think about what I told you yesterday, my dear daughter?” she asked, pushing the door open. My eyes widened in shock as I saw her smiling.
She stood in the doorway, her auburn hair framing her face. I slowly sat up in bed, my heart pounding in my chest. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her. I moved back as she approached me.
“M—Mother,” I stammered. Her expression was filled with malice. She stopped in front of me and looked at me. Her lips parted, and her eyes narrowed.
Everything about her seemed sinister, including her aura. I curled into a ball, trembling as if a snake were crawling inside my soul. She raised an eyebrow, looking deep into my eyes, and I immediately dropped my gaze, unable to withstand her intense stare.
“Why are you shivering like this?” she asked, reaching out to stroke my hair and sniffing it. She then stroked my face with her fingertips. “Am I that scary?”
“No, Mom,” I replied with a forced smile.
“Really?” she demanded, her tone sharp.
“Yes, Mother.”
She sat down beside me on the bed, making herself comfortable.
“So tell me, have you thought about it?”
“About what, Mother? I don’t understand what you’re saying.”
“Stop acting dumb, honey,” she smirked. “It doesn’t suit you.”
“Hmm,” I whispered, shutting my eyes. I hadn’t bothered to think about what she had said yesterday. All I could think about was her last statement. What did she mean? Would she get annoyed if I asked her?
“What are you thinking?” she questioned, jerking me out of my thoughts.
“Look at me,” she commanded. I slowly lifted my head up in fear. She glared at me with a threatening expression.
“What were you thinking about?” she asked. I stuttered, trying to come up with an excuse. She grabbed my face, forcing me to look up before digging her claws into my flesh.
I whimpered as pain shot through me. It hurt so much, but I dared not complain. “Nothing, mother.”
“Whatever,” she sneered. “What’s your answer? Did you agree to marry the prince?”
I gritted my teeth, suppressing the anger and frustration that threatened to spill out. The tension in my jaw reflected the internal battle between staying composed and giving in to the urge to explode.
“Answer me, Bianca?”
“Yes, Mother,” I uttered, giving in. “I will do what you say.”
“Hahaha!” she chuckled as she rose to her feet, running her fingers through her hair before speaking. “Good. Good, my darling. You make Mother happy. I’m sure you won’t regret your decision, honey.”
I looked at the woman in front of me, feeling a mix of fear and resentment.
“Mother,” I called, summoning my courage. “I will marry the prince on one condition.” Immediately after I said this, the smile on her face vanished. She looked at me with a stern face, scoffing and burning her evil gaze into me.
“You already made me happy. Why did you choose to make me unhappy, Bianca?” she howled. “I don’t know what I will do to you if you make me angry.”
I trembled at her words and averted my gaze, unable to bear the intensity of the emotion in her eyes.
“I didn’t mean to make you unhappy, Mother. It’s just that I was bothered,” I whispered.
“Do you think you’re in a position to negotiate with me?” she smirked, eyeing my trembling form.
“Well, what do you want to ask? Ask away.”
“Mother, what did you mean by what you said yesterday?” I inquired in a whisper.
“About what?”
“If I didn’t want to lose the position of Beta’s mate, I should behave. I didn’t understand what you meant, Mom.”
I waited for what felt like an eternity for her to speak, but she didn’t. Everywhere suddenly felt cold, as my room was completely silent. I couldn’t help but wait until she felt like speaking.
“Not everything you need to know, darling,” she smiled. “You should take that off your mind since you have agreed to marry the prince. You will be the queen and all my worries will be over.” She sat down again. “You are my lifesaver, Bianca, and you can’t imagine how happy I am. Thank you for fulfilling this mother’s wish.”
She pulled me into a hug. I was shocked. I couldn’t believe it. This woman was hugging me just because I accepted to marry the prince. I shook my head as the prince’s cold face crossed my mind.
I would never find happiness with my mother by my side. Should I tell Daniel that he is my mate? Would he believe me and run away with me? No, he wouldn’t. He could think I was crazy.
How could he believe me? I had been his sister for years. How could he suddenly believe that I was his mate and accept me? Maybe it would be good if I married the prince, and my brother would find another girl as his mate.
“What about Daniel, Mother? Will he find another girl?”
“Yes,” she responded. “He will definitely find another girl to marry. You don’t have to worry; calm yourself.”
“Okay, Mother. I will do as you say.” Since my brother would be able to find another girl as a mate, I will follow Mother’s advice to protect both of us.
“Don’t you dare entertain another thought, or else I will deal with both you and your dear brother,” she warned.
“I won’t, Mother. Trust me.” She eyed me and stood up.
“I will be going,” she informed me. “I will go and inform your father about your wishes to marry the prince.” She smiled gently. “Your wish will be done.” She reached the door, opened it, and turned around. “My future queen.” With that, she left.
I fell to the floor, frozen by her words. What wish? Did I ask to marry the prince? What would my brother think of me if he heard this? I hate this. My brother could think of me as a b***h. I screamed at the top of my lungs as I cried my heart out.
As I screamed and cried on the floor, I couldn’t help but feel overwhelmed by my fears and doubts about marrying the prince. The thought of spending my life with a man who didn’t love me, while my true mate Daniel remained unaware of our connection, filled me with a sense of despair and loneliness.
I was still crying when someone pushed the door open. I quickly wiped my tears away. I trembled as she walked towards me. Why was she back again?
“Mother, why are you back again?” I asked. Fear laced my voice.
“I know you are not someone I can trust,” she yelled. “I know I cannot trust you. You are not satisfied with my arrangement.” She picked me up and threw me on the floor. I groaned. “You really want to be with him, don’t you? With the way you are behaving right now, my secrets won’t be buried forever. Drink this.”
I struggled as she opened my mouth and forced me to drink the medicine she was holding. “Ha. Mother,” I gasped, looking wretchedly on the floor.
She stood over me, triumphant. “You can’t escape,” she added, her voice full of malice. “You belong to me now.”
She turned me around, forcing me to face the mirror hung on the wall.
“Look at you, looking so ugly and wretched,” she mocked. “The prince won’t be pleased with your look, or can you date yourself looking like this?”
She pushed me away. “Starting today, you will be taking this medicine to cover your scent,” she muttered. “If you dare to defy me, your brother will suffer the consequences.” My breath caught in my throat. “Get up, clean yourself, and come downstairs. Your father has returned.”
I stood up and stripped off my clothes before walking to the bathroom. I started scrubbing my body while crying. The emotions I had been keeping at bay came crashing down.
Her threats were not something I could dismiss, as Daniel’s life would be at stake since I knew she wasn’t his birth mother. After bathing, I dried my body before applying cream and choosing my dress. I selected the long blue gown and put it on before opening the door and walking out.
The more steps I took, the more scared I felt. Each step was a silent acknowledgment of the tangled web of lies that bound me. I could hear my parents chatting as I neared them. I stood on the stairs, watching as they both laughed and talked. She was smiling happily at my father.
As if my father knew I was there, spying on them, he turned around.
“What are you doing there, my darling?” He asked.
“Father,” I smiled. He and my brother were the only ones who were kind to me. I walked down the stairs, and my father pulled me into a tight hug.
“Good morning, Father,” I greeted, bowing my head.
“Good morning, my beautiful daughter,” he answered. “How was your night?”
“Good, Father,” I retorted. He took my hand and guided me to the dining area, where he seated me as the maids started serving us.
“Let’s eat,” he murmured.
I dug in and started eating, rushing through the food to leave the place. I needed to get back to my room, so I stood up after finishing my meal.
“Where are you going?” my mother demanded.
“To my room.”
“We need to talk,” she revealed, stopping me in my tracks.
“What do you want to talk about?” my father asked, setting down his spoon. I glanced at his plate; he had finished his food. We all moved to the sofa, took our seats, and my mother began.
“Peter, your daughter is interested in the prince.” She broke the news.
“What?” Father exclaimed.
- Writer
