Her brown eyes gleamed with unbridled rage and contempt as she sneered at me, grinding her teeth with malicious intent. My heart raced in terror, leaving me paralyzed, unsure of what to say or do. But one thing was certain—she was preparing to subject me to another round of abuse, and as always, my father would stand idly by.

"You ignored my call?" Her tone dripped with disdain, her hatred for my very existence palpable.

"I'm sorry, I..." My voice faltered as her sharp slap scorched my cheek, the pain searing through me as if a thousand needles had pierced my flesh.

"You turned off the alarm and went back to sleep after it rang, didn't you?" She gnashed her teeth, refusing to grant me an opportunity to respond before delivering a punishing kick to my stomach, sending me tumbling heavily to the floor.

"No, I...I..." I struggled to articulate through the searing pain in my abdomen.

I whimpered, clutching my belly with one hand and rubbing my sore rear with the other, tears streaming freely down my cheeks.

"Please, ma'am, spare me this once," I pleaded in a quavering voice, my gaze shifting back to her just as she advanced menacingly once more.

The excruciating pain coursing through my body left me trembling uncontrollably. I gasped for breath, my pleas reduced to mere eye movements and quivering lips, robbed of my ability to speak due to the searing agony.

"If you've had enough of life, why don't you just end it yourself?" She snarled, delivering a brutal kick to my head with her boot, sending waves of pain reverberating through me. It felt as though life itself was draining away as my head rang like a bell. I closed my eyes, tears flowing unchecked as the pain intensified.

Her footsteps drew closer, and I sobbed harder, fully aware that my cries would elicit no help. Instead, they would likely unite to punish me for disrupting their sleep.

She squatted in front of me, her face contorted with resentment, and then uttered words that sent my heart plummeting to my stomach.

"I wonder how you managed to escape your demon-possessed mother's attempt on your life. Remember what she told you about the demons, don't you?" She inquired, a smug smile playing on her lips.

Confusion swirled within me, my limbs heavy, and I could only stare with parted lips, unable to voice a response.

What was she talking about?

"Gemma, are you...a demon?" I stammered loudly, a tremor in my voice, my gaze locked on her, bewildered and contemplating her recent revelation.

My mother, possessed by demons that fateful day, had mentioned that I had to die for the demons to reign. How on earth did Gemma know about that?

Gemma's eyes scrutinized my face for a few moments, and then she chuckled before rising to her feet.

"Who did I hear you call a demon? My Luna? Are you accusing my mate of being a demon, just as you accused my destined mate, as a pretext for her death?" My father's voice boomed as he descended the stairs, jolting me to my feet, the hairs on my skin standing on end in fear.

When had he arrived?

His countenance contorted with anger, accentuating the scars on his face that lent him a menacing appearance. His dark green eyes gleamed with hatred and repulsion as he glared at me.

"I... I... didn't... I was just ask...ing..." My lips quivered as I stuttered out each word, cowed by the menacing intensity of his gaze.

"She called me that because I told her to start her chores. Can you believe I found her still sleeping even after the alarm went off?" Gemma complained, wiping her eyes, which had suddenly welled up with tears.

This woman was utterly incredulous!

My father, however, seethed with anger and lunged at me like a predator, oblivious to Gemma's possible dishonesty. His imposing figure drew nearer, casting a shadow of terror that loomed over me, shrouding my world in fear and desolation. I instinctively shut my eyes, bracing for the impending blow.

As expected, a searing slap landed on my cheek, sending waves of burning pain coursing through it, like an unrelenting inferno. I cried out, clutching my throbbing cheek, crimson droplets trickling from my lips. My body quivered as I whimpered and grew numb from the heart-rending agony, yet he showed no signs of satisfaction, poised to strike me once more.

"I will break you until you plead for death, you evil murderer! I despise the air you breathe. Your shadow, even the ground you tread upon! I detest that I can't strangle you to death with my bare hands just because you have royal blood. Kill yourself so I won't ever have to see you again!" He bellowed, his heavy foot stomping forward, his voice laden with sorrow, fury, and sheer loathing. Fortunately, Gemma intervened, grasping him firmly.

"Don't exert yourself by striking her. The previous sorcerers I brought along have already neutralized all her demonic powers. Another one might come today to assess her condition," Gemma whispered, casting a reassuring smile at my father.

Dread clutched at my heart upon hearing her words. I couldn't endure any more torment from her sorcerers, who appeared to do nothing more than feigning the exorcism of demons from within me.

"Get up there! Start your household chores, you wretched creature! My daughter shouldn't be delayed for school because of you!" My father sneered at me, his gaze filled with disgust, and it cut deep, especially since he no longer regarded me as his daughter.

He had just referred to the Beta's daughter as his own.

They both walked away, his arm encircling her waist as she leaned on his shoulder. Halfway, she glanced back and flashed a mocking smirk in my direction, churning my stomach as I struggled to hold back tears.

...

"Mum, Dad, I'll be late for school today because of that useless girl, Hattie. I don't know why..." I heard Betty, the Beta's daughter, complain, but she halted her words upon noticing my entrance into the dining room.

The three of them were seated around the table, and the scene triggered a rush of memories. It reminded me of the times when I would sit with my mother and the father who had once been loving.

Things had changed so abruptly. Now, I was the servant who served them, replacing the place I once occupied at the table. The Beta's daughter had taken my spot.

"Here are your meals..." I muttered with a slight bow as I began distributing their plates, silently praying for the peace and quiet to persist until I could leave.

They should spare me from any beatings now. I sent a silent prayer to the moon goddess, and it felt as if she answered when I had served the plates and turned to depart.

"Hattie!" My father's voice, cold and menacing, called out my name, causing me to freeze in place, on the verge of tears. I wished I could just ignore him and walk away. I detested standing in front of Betty, bearing all the humiliations and beatings.

With hesitant steps, I turned and approached them.

"Come and eat this food first. I don't trust you anymore," he ordered, my cheeks reddening as I sniffled away my tears.

I had forgotten that it had always been like this. They perpetually suspected me, while the true culprit – Gemma – sat right next to them. Even though my father had assigned bodyguards to closely monitor me while I cooked, he still found it necessary to humiliate me and break my spirit.

I took a spoonful of my father's food, then some from Betty, and as I reached Gemma, she shot me an icy glare that made my hands tremble.

Shivering uncontrollably, I dipped the spoon into her plate, taking out a spoonful as well. But the instant I moved to put it in my mouth, she slapped the back of my hand with her palm, causing the stew-laden spoon to splatter on my face and into my eyes.

"My eyes!!!" I screamed in agony at the fiery pain, which stung so intensely that I lost my balance and collapsed onto the floor.

My eyes clenched shut as I groped in pain and screamed for help, desperately pleading for water to rinse my face. Instead of assistance, I heard laughter echoing around me.

"Can you believe she's trying to fill her belly with my food?" Gemma chuckled, and they all laughed heartily while I felt as if my eyes were being gouged out, tears flowing uncontrollably.

"I'm going blind! Please, someone get me some water!" I cried out, trembling violently, my hand trying to wipe away the pain, but no one paid any attention. All I could hear was the clinking of cutlery and plates, indicating they were happily eating, utterly indifferent to my agony.

I struggled to open my eyes, thinking I could bear the torment and make my way to the kitchen sink, but it was futile. I only succeeded in allowing the tears clinging to my eyelashes to fall into my eyes, intensifying the excruciating pain that convulsed my body.

My eyes involuntarily shut again, and this time, I couldn't force them open; my world descended into darkness.

My eyes burned as I groped blindly, frantically scrubbing and calling out for help. The pain seared through my eyes, causing them to feel as though they were being seared in a fire, while also rendering me unable to open them.

"Please, someone, fetch some water so I can rinse my eyes! The pain is unbearable!" My anguished cries reverberated through the walls as I attempted to rely on my other senses to find my way to the bathroom, but everything was a hazy blur in my mind, adding to the excruciating agony my eyes were enduring.

"Stay like that until we're finished eating, and stop making a fuss. None of us will leave our meal to get water for you!" Betty yelled without the slightest concern for the excruciating pain I was enduring.

"She brought this upon herself. I was going to smack her face, but she tried to act clever by using the spoon as a shield! She shouldn't have dared to take a spoonful from my plate!" Gemma grumbled as they continued to eat, while I was losing my vision.

My tears had soaked the front of my dress; my entire body was drenched in sweat as I gasped and sobbed in searing pain, crawling helplessly on the floor.

"I hope she goes blind after this! Perhaps that will be the punishment from the moon goddess for killing my mate," my father chimed in, and I recoiled in shock.

The coldness in his voice cut into my heart like a dagger, causing me to burst into a desperate scream.

The hatred was raw and seemed endless. I had known how deeply my father loved my mother, cherishing her like a precious gem. I was aware he would despise me for taking her life, but I had never imagined it would manifest in such a profound and enduring manner.

I had hoped that with time, his resentment might fade, but instead, it grew more intense with every passing day.

"I believe she's learned her lesson; let's have the guards give her a bath," Gemma sneered, her words cutting through me like a knife, echoing in my ears and hammering my brain with their implications.

I heard her words clearly, yet I couldn't convince myself that my ears weren't deceiving me.

"Yes, that's a fitting punishment for a witch like her!" Betty chimed in, and I heard my father summon the guards.

"Strip her and take her to the bathroom for a bath," he commanded, and I gasped, shaking my head while whimpering, tears flowing uncontrollably.

My lips quivered, and I wished I could open my eyes and escape; running was my best option, but I was blind. The thought of these guards seeing my naked body sent shivers down my spine.

"Daddy, please, don't do this! Don't listen to Gemma! She..." My voice cracked with fear. I couldn't bear to utter Gemma's true identity to him again.

My father was dead serious when he said he would make my life a living hell. I had foolishly believed that being his daughter would lessen the torment. Now I faced the horrifying prospect of standing naked before these mere guards, individuals I had once ordered around.

The royal blood coursing through my veins seemed to crawl on my skin, leaving me trembling beyond belief. All I prayed for was that it wouldn't happen! How could I face these men after they had seen my nakedness?

"Are you all deaf?! Follow my orders to the letter!" My father roared, slamming his fist on the table. My mouth went agape as I gasped for breath. The searing pain in my eyes was nothing compared to the agony in my heart.

"Daddy, please, spare me," I sobbed, clutching myself, my location in the room unknown to me.

"She still calls you daddy even after you've disowned her! That's inappropriate!" Betty complained, her words piercing my heart. Then my father added his voice.

"That's why she deserves every punishment in the world! So stubborn and heartless!" he snorted, his tone devoid of pity or compassion, leaving me no room for further pleas. The sound of heavy footsteps approached, followed by four strong hands gripping my arms and legs, sealing my lips in silence.