Chapter 1 her stepmother

Chapter 1

There are many things in this world that people can easily reach for - wealth, happiness, love, and even power. But for Reverie, it was different. She was never able to grasp even a single one of those things. No matter how much she struggled or how hard she worked, the world seemed determined to deny her even the simplest form of peace.

She worked tirelessly just to survive in the cruel world she was born into. She worked odd jobs, skipped meals, and sacrificed sleep. But no matter how much effort she poured into everything, fate always found a way to pull her down.

"what's this nonsense about you not having any money?" her stepmother sneered at her, her face twisted into a mocking grin.

Reverie had just arrived home, exhausted from a long day, only to find her stepmother rummaging through her cabinet. In the woman's hand was her wallet - containing all of her savings.

"Give that back, Tita," Reverie said in a calm yet firm voice as she reached out for the wallet. "I still need to pay for my tuition fee."

But her stepmother quickly pulled the wallet away from her grasp and narrowed her eyes.

"Tuition fee? What tuition fee are you talking about? Your stepbrother will be the one attending school, not you," she spat before stuffing the wallet into her pocket. She stepped closer and rudely shoved Reverie aside. "You're blocking the doorway."

Reverie clenched her fists tightly, her whole body trembling with anger. She had endured so much from this woman - countless insults, shameless theft of her money, and endless belittling. She had held it all in for years, convincing herself that it wasn't worth fighting over. But now... her patience was wearing dangerously thin.

Without thinking, she followed her stepmother to the living room where the woman was already counting her stolen money. The audacity of this woman knew no bounds.

"Aunt! Give that back to me! You keep calling me worthless, but you have no shame stealing my hard-earned money to spoil your own child!" Reverie yelled, grabbing for the wallet and engaging in a tug-of-war.

Her stepmother's face darkened with fury. "You ungrateful brat! You live in this house for free and you have the nerve to act like this?!"

"What do you mean I don't contribute?! I pay for the electricity, the water, even the rice we eat! And you?! All you ever do is act like some lazy socialite, lying in bed all day while I break my back trying to keep us afloat!" Reverie screamed, yanking the wallet harder, determined to reclaim what was hers.

"You insolent girl!" The woman raised her hand, intending to slap Reverie, but this time, Reverie caught her wrist mid-air. Without a second thought, she pushed her stepmother with enough force to make the woman fall back onto the sofa.

For a moment, everything went silent. Reverie stood her ground, staring down at her stepmother, whose face twisted in shock. For the first time, Reverie had fought back.

But the moment of victory was short-lived.

A harsh slap landed on her cheek, so powerful it knocked her to the floor. A numbing pain spread across her face, and for a few seconds, everything spun. Reverie held her cheek, feeling the sting as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

When she looked up, it was her father standing there - his face twisted in anger.

"You ungrateful child! Have you forgotten that it was me who took you into this house? You better fix that attitude of yours!" he shouted at her, his voice like a whip against her already wounded spirit.

Instead of breaking down in tears like she usually would, anger surged within Reverie, hot and unstoppable. She rose to her feet and met his glare with her own.

"Did I ever ask you to take me in? Who told you to bring me here? Lola didn't want to give me to you because she knew you were worthless! And she was right! You're nothing but a useless father!" she shouted back, her voice breaking with fury and pain. She didn't wait for a response. Reverie stormed into her room and started packing her belongings. There was nothing for her here.

Within minutes, she was out of her room, bag slung over her shoulder. The two people she despised most were still in the living room, glaring at her.

"Get out of here if you want! You're useless, anyway!" her father yelled again, his words venomous.

"Tsk." Reverie clicked her tongue and pushed past them, ignoring the hateful stares. She didn't need them. She never did.

She walked fast, barely paying attention to the people she passed. Some gave her pitying glances, while others whispered behind their hands. She sighed and boarded a jeepney without even knowing where she was headed. It didn't matter. There was nowhere for her to go anyway.

Time passed quickly. It wasn't until she realized she was the only passenger left that she snapped out of her thoughts.

"Where are you getting off, miss?" the driver asked, peering at her through the rearview mirror.

She glanced around, unfamiliar with her surroundings, but it didn't matter.

"I'll get off here," she said quietly and stepped out, handing her fare to the driver.

She found herself in front of a church. Perhaps it was fate - or maybe just coincidence. Either way, she walked inside, her steps heavy and weak. She sat at the nearest pew, her body sagging as exhaustion and hopelessness consumed her.

She was completely alone now. She didn't know where she would sleep tonight. Maybe on a park bench or, if the church would allow, somewhere within its grounds.

She tilted her head back to keep her tears from falling.

"You're a strong woman, Reverie," she whispered to herself. "This is just another trial. You can get through this. You always do."

When she felt a little calmer, she knelt down and began to pray. She asked for strength, for courage, and for a little bit of luck - something she was always denied. And just as she was about to finish her prayer, her cellphone buzzed.

"What now?" she muttered, fishing out her phone. It was a notification from the web novel she had been reading. With nothing else to do and nowhere to go, she opened it and began to read.

She lost track of time, completely absorbed in the story. But as usual, her blood boiled in frustration when her favorite villainous character died an unjust death.

"Tsk. If I were in that world, I wouldn't let this happen," she grumbled to herself, shutting off her phone. She stood up, grabbed her bag, and left the church.

Her heart was heavy - problems stacked upon problems, and now even the story she'd found escape in had betrayed her. Still, despite the way it pissed her off, she kept following the novel's updates. Sometimes, she wondered if there was something wrong with her.

"Miss! Watch out!" a voice shouted.

She turned toward the voice, and her whole body froze when she saw the massive truck hurtling toward her. In that split second, it was as if time slowed down. She couldn't move, couldn't scream. And then - darkness.

She felt herself fly, her body crashing painfully onto the road. Voices screamed around her.

"Call an ambulance!"

"Someone's been hit!"

"The brakes failed!"

"Hurry up, she's still breathing!"

Sounds grew distant, her vision blurring into nothing. Her eyelids grew heavier, and finally, everything went black.

.

.

.

"Lola, who is he?" a trembling little girl asked her grandmother.

"That's your father, Querencia," the old woman replied quietly.

The child kept her head down. She knew this man. He was the one in her dreams - the one who would bring her nothing but misery.

"Come now, Querencia," the man said, extending his hand with a fake smile.

She shook her head repeatedly. "I don't want to go with you."

The man's smile twisted into something terrifying. "But you have no choice." He grabbed her roughly and pulled her away from her grandmother.

The child screamed and cried, calling out for her grandmother. "Lola! Lola! Lola!!!

"Lola!" Querencia gasped as she jolted awake.

Her head throbbed, and sweat clung to her skin. She took a deep breath and sighed. It was that dream again.

It felt bizarre, but she remembered her past life - her old name, her death. And she knew now... she was in the world of the very novel she used to read.

"Milady, the Baron is summoning you," a maid called from outside the door.

Querencia sat up and spoke. "Come in."

The maid entered, her head bowed low.

"What does the Baron want?" she asked.

The maid hesitated before answering. "I-I heard... it's about the Crown Prince, milady. But I'm not certain!"

Querencia sighed. "Fine. You may go. And send for Marina as well."

The maid nodded and left.

Querencia stood from her bed and stared at her reflection in the mirror.

"The Crown Prince..." she muttered.

It seemed the story was finally beginning. But she wouldn't let it unfold the way it did in the novel. This was her life now. And she would make sure her fate would be different.

She needed power. She needed protection. And there was only one man in this world who could give her that - the most dangerous, untouchable, and feared figure in the empire.

The Archduke Castriel de Wolreign.

To Be Continued...