"Welcome back, Miss."

Aurora nodded at the young maid, her name was Gwen...or was it Glenn? She couldn't really remember and right now, she didn't want to either. Her legs slowly trudged against the marble tiles, her tired eyes fixed on the stairs ahead.


"Umm...Miss?" She paused, drawing in a sharp breath, "Mrs Rochester, your mother asked for you to see once you came in."

She was tempted to ask why but knowing her mother, it was probably about the engagement ceremony that was fixed to hold tomorrow. She bobbed her head once and swerved in the direction of her mother's room.

Another flaw in her parent's marriage, they slept separately.


"Mom?" She called, knocking lightly on the door. Her mother answered from inside and she pushed the door open, walking inside.

Her mother was seated in front of the large vanity, looking at her face. She was dressed in a pink silk robe and her hair was done in a small ponytail, under the low lighting, Miriam Rochester actually looked years younger.


"Where have you been?" Miriam asked, her gaze still fixed on her reflection.

Aurora sighed as she drew closer, "Out," She muttered.

Her mother dropped the brush in her hold, the sound causing Aurora to jump slightly. Miriam shifted to face her, pinning her with a dark glare,

"Your engagement is tomorrow, we can't afford any scandal," She drawled in a monotonous voice, "You've been allowed too much freedom." She clicked her tongue against the roof of her mouth.

Aurora sighed, "Is that why you called me?" She made to leave when her mother rose to her full-length, narrowing her eyes at Aurora.

"I've picked out your dress and the venue has been set already-"

"Why are in you in such a haste to get us married?"

Miriam's lips curled, "I wedded your father much more earlier."

"And you two have never been happy for once," She blurted out, instantly regretting it when her mother's smile faltered, "I-I'm sorry, I didn't mean-"

Miriam raised a hand, cutting her off, "It's fine."

But Aurora knew it wasn't, not when her hand was trembling as it was, "Mom-"

"I said it's fine, Aurora!" She cut in sharply but her fingers were still quaking.

Aurora took a step forward, her forehead scrunching in nervousness. Her mother turned towards the drawer, reaching for the knob with shaky hands.

What was going on?

It was almost like she was seized with a powerful termor, both her hands kept shaking and it frightened Aurora to the core. She watched as her mother hastily pulled the drawer open and took out a small case.

"Water," Her mother croaked softly, "Get me water."

She rushed to the pitcher on the other side of the drawer and poured a full glass, hurrying over to hand it to her mother. Now that Aurora was close, she could clearly see the sweat beads dotting her forehead and how badly her hands were trembling.

"Are you okay?"

Miriam didn't answer, she turned over the case into her palm, revealing different coloured pills. She made to pop it into her mouth but because her hand was shaking so much, one of the pill slipped away and dropped on the ground.

Aurora instinctively bent to retrieve the pill, her thumb and forefinger wrapping around the oblong shaped drug. When she straightened, bringing the pill to a more visible light,she froze,

"Throw that one out, I have another," She heard her mother say but it was dulled due to the heavy ringing sound in her ears.

This pill...This pill.

She clapped a palm against her mouth, trying to keep the bile from rising up. Aurora moved before she thought more of it, darting across the length of the room and racing out the door. She ignored the yells of her mother and didn't even stop when she bumped against one of the maids.

Aurora kept sprinting until she was inside her room, only then did she slow down to slam the door shut and then proceeded to lock it securely.

Her chest rapidly rose and fell as she walked towards her own vanity, pulling one of the drawers open. The familiar green and white pack smiled back at her and with shaky fingers, she reached down and pulled it out.

Her heart was drumming so loudly, she could hear it through her eardrums. Her fidgety fingers unlatched the cover and she pulled out the slender capsule from inside.

Aurora held her breath as she popped one of the pills open and laid it on her open palm. Dread coursed through her veins, eyes widening at the two pills that lay next to each other,

"Oh my god," She wheezed out, her chest tightening, "Oh my god."

They were the same, exactly alike. The pills her mother was just about to swallow and the one Evan had been purchasing religiously. They were the same.

Her legs gave out from underneath her and she crashed to the ground, clutching at the edge of the vanity for some support. The pills fell from her grasp, tumbling to the ground with a soft crumpling sound.

She understood now why Evan was doing this, he wasn't interested in her pictures or her relationship with Ryan. No, everything was to seek his revenge on her mother and there was only one thing Miriam Rochester valued the most in this world,

Her.

It made sense now, everything was coming to her but it only made more trepidation wrap around her chest. But the question that kept hitting at her was;

If her mother had been taking this, then just how much damage had it done to her?