Chapter 3

“How dare you, Anny?” Dad’s words came with a resounding slap that landed me right on the floor. The train of my dress was now tangled with my toes and I was struggling to free my leg from the cluster of the dress.

My gaze went up instantly as I heard a familiar voice that held so much mockery, “Dad, she’s a total shame to this family,” Zoe was standing right in front saying what I couldn’t understand. She should be ashamed and not me, what was she saying then?

With all the strength I could garner, I tried standing so I could ask what was going on, but another slap from my father glued me to the ground. “Why are you standing, you criminal?” 

Second painful slap in a few minutes without the knowledge of what I had done. “Dad, you can’t keep slapping me, what have I done?” I found myself asking amidst sobs.

“Why are you pretending Anny? I’ve already informed everyone of your shameless acts. How you have been sleeping around with different male members of the park, including how you were caught by my mother who threatened to expose your deeds,” Zoe scoffed.

Who caught who? I was in such a big dilemma and my mouth was opened without a speech. The weight of what she was saying was so heavy, that I was struggling to bear it.

“You have hated my mother because of your secret, and even when she promised to keep your secret, you still derive pleasure from hating her. Just because you are damn jealous of her and because I have a mum while you don’t…” she was cut off by May who covered her mouth.

“You should not say things like that to her, Zee, she’ll be hurt,” May said as if she cared about how I was feeling and not only wanted to be seen as the ‘caring stepmother.’.

Murmurs and fingers were pointing towards me. These people had respected me in numerous ways, but now they were doubting if I was worth all the respect. I wasn’t ready to lose all that for some baseless lies.

“Dad, I haven’t been sleeping around. Why do you believe her when you’ve not heard my part of the story?” there was agony in my voice. I wanted him to know I would never bring him shame, he was all I had left.

He promised Alex not to be abusive, this made Alex release him from his grip. He had been holding him to prevent him from slapping me. He came closer and with his gaze fixed on me, he asked in a calm but dangerous tone that sent fear to my being, “How about telling me why you poisoned May’s cup?”

I was shaking my head vehemently as I was too stunned to say the words hanging alongside the huge lump that I pushed down my throat. “Poison? I didn’t poison anyone, Dad!” how could he think so little of me?

More than the accusations, I was hurt by how my father was addressing the whole situation. “I didn’t do it, Dad, I didn’t!” I kept shouting trying to make my words sink into him and everyone looked at me like a plague.

“Annabel would never do such a thing! Poison me?” May’s voice came all over, and for once I was glad she had supported me.

“A maid had reported her poisoning your cup, Mum,” Zoe said. I looked at her over and knew she must have been part of this scheme or even the mastermind behind it since I had caught her and Alex.

“Zoe, don’t say that. She’s your sister, you should trust her and not a maid,” Did I just hear Alex correcting Zoe? I couldn’t believe my ears.

My father was now in his seat and looking into his eyes, I couldn’t read his emotion. He had always loved to keep his reputation clean; all of these meant one thing, I soiled that reputation.

“Anny, my last question is this, did you reject Alex when you are supposed to be joined together tomorrow?” How did my father learn about me rejecting Alex? My plan was to leave the park and leave him a letter secretly, but it was ruined.

I stuttered “Ye… yes Dad… I did, I rejected him cause he was cheating with Zoe, but I didn’t poison anyone” A loud murmur emanated from the crowd. I had denied two allegations and confirmed the last to be true, they could as well believe I was lying about the other two.

“Anny, there is an eye witness, just confess to poisoning my mother!” Zoe was fuming up and down and I was confused about the eyewitness she mentioned. Right amid of my confusion, a maid stepped forward.

“You? I… saw you earlier right?” I silently thanked the moon goddess for sending help my way. “Dad, she can testify I didn’t enter the kitchen,” I shifted my gaze to her.

I had leaned over the last step of the stairs trying to gain strength to help walk me to my room. I needed a shoulder to lean on, but I was all alone. No shoulder, no mate.

Gradually, I began to drag myself clumsily to my room. I wasn’t paying attention to my environment and there I had collided with a fleshy wall, except that it was made of human flesh. I had bumped into one of the maids.

Sorry, I muttered and didn’t wait to get a response, action, or inaction. I was not in the mood to act like the good and respectful girl they knew. But now, my fate was in her hands, her testimony would set me free and I was glad.

“Be free to speak the truth,” Alex’s hand was on the maid’s shoulder and I was glad he was urging her to say the truth. “I… I… saw her, she had added a substance to Luna May’s cup,” she finally shot me a stray bullet.

Everyone gasped and sent me gazes that burned my body and soul. Who and what was she scared of to say such a thing? I didn’t get it. 

“Anny, I believe you are innocent. But, as much as I do,” she pointed to the people standing “these people need to be convinced you didn’t do it, this maid needs to be penalized for her deceit” May’s voice was calm, and for a moment I thought she loved me.

I could see the people nod to Zoe’s word “Innocent? If you so much believe she is, why not let her prove her innocence?” My father supported her suggestion while May insisted I couldn’t poison her. She agreed to me proving my innocence.

Proof? Innocence? How did we get here? Before I knew what was happening I saw the maid handing over May’s cup to Alex.

“Anny, I believe this is a mix, but for these people to believe with me, you’ll have to drink of this cup,” Alex said with all sincerity and I felt hopeful that he was on my side.

I collected the cup and drank from the content of it. I was fine, but before I could say so, darkness kissed my sight, and all I could hear were mumbles and murmurs as my sight switched off.