The Fallen Princess

The Eighteenth Fall

Chilling on the bed, the gloomy Eve leaned on Evan, who was playing with her hair and tried to hide her disappointment by opening a conversation, "You know, I found a lovely dress earlier." His hand stopped playing with her hair for a second before it continued again, and he commented with an undeciphered voice, "Really? That is good."

Hurt, watery eyes, Eve exclaimed with an eager voice, "Yeah, and I chose a tuxedo for him. It was a perfect match since it is a pair! I bet people will think I'm his date next week when I wear the dress!" The usually sharp Evan didn't detect her fake cheerful voice due to this irritating feeling embedded inside of him. He was silent.

"Evan?" There was no answer coming out of Evan. Only an indecipherable gaze, "Ah, yeah? What did you say? Oh, about the dress that matches him, right?" Eve nodded. He checked the time and continued, "Let's go downstairs to eat."

Hearing that, Eve stood up almost immediately and clung to his arm when he stood up. On their way downstairs, the two were silent, deep in their thoughts. Eve stayed quiet, clinging to his arm, thinking perhaps this was the last time Evan went mute. When they arrived at the dining table, Harriet, Evan's mother, and a man a little bit older than Harriet was sitting next to Harriet was present at the dining table, perverted screening Eve from her legs to her face before stopping at her C-sized breast.

Regardless of his happiness seeing her breast, Evan's father or Zack Louise was unpleasant seeing her clinging to Evan, his son, "I know you." There was no kind gesture while Eve took a seat next to Evan, who sat in front of his parents.

"You are Ryleigh's family daughter. Bankrupted because your father trusted his ex-employee and ran away with selling the information of the newest product to the rival company. Therefore leaving your father almost penniless because the shareholders are suing your father." Eve bites her lips, not knowing how to respond to Zack's mockery. She gripped her fork and knife on the dining table to compose herself. Inside her most profound mind, she might be able to tolerate the bullying at school from her classmates to a certain degree. However, An elder? She has no idea how to react to their mockery as she feels it is definitely a worse feeling than being mocked by her friends. Moreover, Evan didn't respond to his mockery and tried to eat silently.

"Ah, So, that was why I feel you look familiar. Did your family sell you to our son? To be a slut." Harriet joined the conversation. Without a pause, after she remembered something, she exclaims, "Ah, No wonder you slept that morning with my son's bed!"

TRANGG!!! Evan slammed his fork and knife together. Harriet and Zack both diverted their attention from Eve to him.

"You guys better shut up before I kick both of you out." Evan's parents shuddered because of his threat with his menacing voice. He never threatened them and endured their wicked personality. If it weren't because you both gave me life, I would have sent an assassin to kill you. He thought to himself while Eve felt so down that she could not look both of them in the eye as her eyes looked down at her plate. Evan stopped their mockery to late as her heart was torn, and she felt insecure. Even if the food was her favorite, she thought it was hard to digest the food, and her throat felt dry even after she drank a lot of water. Truthfully, she wanted to run away from that place. For the first time in her life, she felt she didn't belong there and felt trim. Maybe it is because she thought that Evan didn't hold any feelings towards her other than pity, and she developed feelings because he was there during her vulnerable moments. If she had never been in these vulnerable moments, she would never have fallen for Evan in the first place. When she realized his kindness was because of pity, her heart shattered, and thus, when his parents tried to taunt her, they succeeded in bringing her confidence down to the brink of darkness.

"I'm full. Thank you for the food." She said as she put down her utensils. Evan held her left arm to stop her from going and said, "You barely eat."

"I ate before with Ed and was just trying the food here." Lying, she touches her neck using her right hand. When Evan heard that she ate beforehand with Edmund, he felt enraged by the news. Thus, he let her go without saying anything despite knowing it was a blatant lie. After she left, both parents realized Evan's anger, so they stayed silent until the end of the dinner.

***

Inside Evan's room, she walks into the bathroom and locks it up. For the first time, she felt hopeless. Who is she to use Edmund's or Evan's helping hand to defend her from those bullies? Is it even the right thing to do? Using someone's kindness and pity to attain a lover? Her heart was swallowed by guilt.

Hence, deep down, she does know. If she doesn't use both, she can't continue her studies in that prestigious school due to the high bullying. Her parents, especially her mother, have high hopes for her to bring her a son-in-law who can restore their old life. The happy, prosperous, and perfect life. A drop of tears fell. She wiped it off and wondered if she wanted all of that. Or what she wants is only love? Pieces of memories unfold from the moment she received her father's attention to drive her to school, a kindness given to her in pity, and the sweet feeling she has when she is around Evan.

"I can't be this weak. Ed already liked me by the way he treated me, right? That means I'm near my goal. With that, those people can't call me things like a slut who sells herself. Because of how good Ed's family reputation is. Also, they would be giving me lots of love. Especially, that kind-hearted being, he would treat me as the only woman in the world." She whispered all the repeated words to herself, enchanting it as if it was a spell, 'Ed will save me' and 'I will be loved' repeatedly until she calmed down. Her pride is beyond hurt. For her, a slut is a harsh word. Especially from an elder. For someone who had been sheltered and suddenly called slut by an elder, not her schoolmate, she couldn't take it because she felt deeply hurt by their opinion. From the day she was born until now, she never got called a slut by an elder. Probably, some girls, yes, they did call her a slut. She constantly flirts with guys, and it is due to jealousy. However, the feelings differ from how she received the same word from a different generation. In her opinion, shouldn't an elder word be more credible than a teenager's word? Therefore, she took the elder insult by heart. Not to mention how she realized her parents never loved her ever since they kicked her out.

As soon as she stopped hiccuping, she sighed deeply and told herself.

I will finish all of this as fast as possible until I become Ed's girlfriend. Only then will I forget about this damned feeling.

Who knew at the time Eve was weak, wished to disappear, and was drowning in depression, yet trying to survive by using shortcuts? The young Ryleigh only wished to find love despite not knowing what love is.

Truly ironic.

***