4

I drive my Lamborghini through my father's series of gates at past quarter to ten midnight. This place's security is awful! It sucks! One reason why I moved out a year ago was because of this.

I'll admit it: this place is a real heaven. The castle has consistently been stunning and glittering with so much beauty and liveliness with blooming flowers in shades of green and yellow decorating the lovely garden. As I became older, I stopped making it difficult for my mother to pursue me around the flowers the way she used to when I was a child. Instead, we spent our evenings here talking and occasionally, my father would join us. We would stay here for hours under the stars just talking and laughing only.

A beautiful yet painful recollection that makes my heart sink to more pain in remembrance of my beautiful mother. It's been years, but I am still not over her horrible and sudden demise. Presumably, there are pains that just never go away. The pain of losing a dear one.

As I sigh in remembrance of her, I divert my attention to the pool's turquoise waters. Oh, how I miss being in those waters—not necessarily swimming, but simply laying back and relishing the tranquillity of it while sipping my lemonade. That feeling is so tempting. The magic of the water always carried me away. It would still even now if I had time for such leisure. But work has made leisure a distant luxury for me of late.

I lived like a real Disney princess in this castle, flanked by a team of nannies and bodyguards everywhere I went - to the school, the malls, my father's gatherings, and even my outings with my friends. And I loved it at first. I enjoyed the sensation of being a real princess born in a royal family. Even though I was small, I had a lot of influence even ordering the guards who were supposed to guard me. But sadly, I never experienced such influence in making decisions about my own life.

As I grew older, that lifestyle began to suffocate me, and I realized just how much freedom I was being deprived of. I envied my friends who lived in modest circumstances since they were free to do and go anywhere without a throng of obtrusive bodyguards keeping an eye on them.

I grew more and more desirous of freedom as the years passed by. A personal life. I was curious about what it would be like to wake up on my own without nannies banging on my door to remind me that I needed to be at the table. Compared to the fixed mealtimes I had here, my ideal existence would allow me to eat breakfast at night and dinner in the morning. I ached to be independent. To make my own decisions about what to wear and what type of styling would look well with it, and to be able to handle life on my own.

And the life that I dreamed of back then is the life that I am living now. With my trousers, hoodies, T-shirts, and sneakers, instead of those annoying floral, and Cinderella gowns and heels that made my ankles ache like hell. Meh! I lead a simple, but flashy life. Being able to wear, however, I darn well like. I desired this kind of freedom. But, still, I have not been able to get out of my father’s control.

"You seem to be pondering something?” Talking of him, here he is. I turn withdraw my attention from the space I had been staring at for ages and look in my father’s direction. “My princess, what's the matter?" My father lifts my face and places his finger under my chin. I was so engrossed in my thoughts that I didn't notice his arrival.

My eyes fall on his face, the lantern lights giving me the pleasure of studying his features.

He has aged a great deal. Even his black beards are being dominated by the white ones. His face is starting to crease, and his chiseled jaws now appear more angular than they previously did. His eyes have a thin film over them that I have never noticed. When did my dad get so old? Considering that we see each other frequently at work, I wonder if we are really this distant that I missed all of his changes. He is still strong for a sixty-five-year-old man, but he has aged so much.

"Wait, you are not okay,” he remarks again, his eyes cruising around my face. “What happened? You were just fine when you earlier left the office?" He queries.

Everyone would be able to tell that I have sobbed uncontrollably even under the not-so-bright moonlight. Thanks to my crimson nose and eyes and the velvety eyeballs.

"It is nothing, papa. Let's talk?"

I stomp past him and lead the way inside, the serene aura welcoming me right away as the memories I have in this mansion come flooding in. Both good and bad. I was about to start savoring in the beautiful aura and let the memories flow over before my eyes fell on this piece of trash sitting down at the dining table next to her mother and acting as if she didn't just come from fucking my boyfriend. Now this rotten shithead just ruined the aura!

I should have brought the surprise I had planned for her, but I decided it would be more rewarding to see her reaction in the light of day rather than at night. I can already picture her face turning pallid and her big eyes popping out of their sockets. I'll so deal with this bitch! She can not screw me like that and go scot-free. Never!

"Let's go." This bitch tenses when she sees me as Papa leads me toward the dining area where she and her mother are perched. The witches! I doubt if she is even breathing.