Chapter 5

They ate in silence, and Seraphina found out that she couldn't eat. While the whole family concentrated on their meals, she picked up her food. She was angry. She was upset and she was scared.

Even as her father ate in silence, she could see that her father was thinking. He was thinking about what he was going to say to her, she knew. He was ever so silent, so calm and calculative.

By the time everybody had finished eating and the plates were being cleared by the kitchen maids, he finally cleared his throat. He dabbed at his lips with his napkin, then proceeded to drink the white wine in his glass.

He stared at her, a long and hard stare, and she could see in his eyes the irritation, the hate, and the anger of a man she called a father. He wasn't happy for her, it was clear. Even if he was happy, he didn't show it.

The frown on his face was stagnant, not leaving, and he kept on staring at her until the plates were completely cleared. It made Seraphina think of running away. It wasn't the first time she had harbored such thoughts.

Why did she feel like a prisoner in her own home? Why was her father treating her like that? Why does he rate his job and the drug peddling business he engaged in over any other thing? Why did he never appreciate his children? Did he even think of them?

It was these thoughts that made her wonder if he was even her father. Because she wondered why a man was always trying to be cruel and harsh to his family.

“Seraphina Du Vanguard.”

“Yes, Dadd.”

She answered, watching him stare at her with eyes that said she was treading on dangerous waters. He sipped his brandy, then ate the cake that was prepared specially by her mother for him. He ate slowly, admiring the cake and staring at the fork he was using all the while.

Her father only called her name with Du Vanguard included when he was angry and wanted to say something important, and at that moment, she knew that what he was about to say was very important, way more important than she had imagined.

She knew it from his stares and the way he was eating his cake.

“Seraphina, I thought we already talked about this. Why am I sending you and your brother to Europe? Because I know you're going to be safer there. You know my reputation precedes me. You know how dangerous these parts are.”

He paused, staring at her, then staring at everybody in the room.

“You went ahead to still choose a school nearby. You won't go to that school, my wonderful daughter. You won't go to that school because I don't want you to die yet. Because I care about your safety.”

At that point, Seraphina lost it.

“Safety? This is my future, Dad! My future. What do you mean by safety? Let me die for all I care. How long are we going to wait for you to ship us off to Europe?”

When her father didn't reply immediately, she knew that she had crossed some boundaries. Her father was a man who prided himself on controlling his family and even his business with an iron fist. But she had gone ahead to disobey him, not even caring what was going to happen next.

But she didn't care, not at that moment.

“I'm not going to wait for you, father. I want to further my education, I want to take my life now that I am still young. I don't want to go to Europe, I don't want to be that far away from Mum. I want to stay here, and I want this admission too.”

Her father stared at her, then shook his head.

“You won't go to that school, Seraphina. You're going to do as I say. I control this household. I feed you, I clothe you. I give you everything you need. I provide it for you. The least you should do is respect me. Obey me. I won't punish you for shouting at me, I'll forgive you for it.”

He stood up, carrying with him the hat he had been wearing and had removed as he had entered the dining room.

“My word stands, Seraphina. You won't go to that University, and you're going to remain under my watch until I decide what to do with you.”

With those words, he left the room.

At that moment, Seraphina couldn't hold back the tears.

She turned to her mother who instantly reached for her hand, caressing it, holding it, and trying to console her.

“This is my future, mother. What does he mean by deciding what to do with me? Talk to him mother, he is your husband!”

“Seraphina, something would be done about this, I assure you. You just have to calm down, I'll talk to him. Now, stop crying, tears don't solve anything, you know that.”

Seraphina watched her brother, irritated as he left the dining room, smiling and chuckling to himself. She knew he was laughing at her, and what she hated most was the fact that she couldn't do anything because he was a male. After all, he was probably stronger than her.

“So much for having what to do with your life, my sister. So much for having a future of your own.”

Seraphina continued crying, and it intensified at that moment. She hated her family, she despised her brother and her father. And she hated the fact that her mother could do absolutely nothing to change her father's decision.

She was just his puppet, and she stood, disengaging herself from her mother's embrace.

“Every day, I wonder why I was born into this family, Mum. Such a messed up family. Let me go, mum, come on.”

And with those words, she left the dining room, sobbing quietly, her hands trembling in anger.