DIE BITCH!

Today would mark the resolution of her engagement, and Aurelia's only wish was for the smoothest possible entry into married happiness.

Ever since her mother passed away years ago, she has not felt truly cared for by anyone.

"You should stop worrying, Miss. I'm certain that he would like you," her maid Nella said.

"It's not just about worrying. I mean, I sure have been looking forward to this, but I cannot help but wonder, What is he like? Apart from what we saw at the family dinner, would he be really cool? I mean, you saw him that day, didn't you? He was rather stiff," Aurelia said, and the two of them began to giggle.

"Ahem." Nella croaked what seemed to be a warning sign, and Aurelia straightened up as she turned to stare at her father's wife.

She was not her stepmother, as far as she was concerned. Her father might be married to the distasteful Lady Florence, but she would never come to accept her.

"You're not ready?" the woman demanded sternly.

"Like you care?" Aurelia demanded.

"Miss..." Nella began to warn her, but the older lady stared her down, and she swallowed hard.

"Leave us," Lady Florence said to the maid.

Hesitantly, the maid walked out and shut the door behind her.

Now, it was just the both of them in the room as Lady Florence went over and picked up a hairbrush. She approached Aurelia, where she sat and reached for her hair.

"What are you doing?" Aurelia inquired, perplexed.

"Stay, child," Lady Florence said to her.

"I will not have..." Aurelia said when suddenly she grasped her by the shoulder and pulled her right back into her chair.

"I said stay, and now you're going to listen to everything I say, and you're going to do exactly as you're asked," Lady Florence remarked in a raspy voice.

"And if I don't?" Aurelia stubbornly demanded.

She was clearly testing the older woman.

Suddenly, Lady Florence grabbed her by the hair quite painfully, despite her frantic attempt at freeing herself. It would seem the older woman had a firm grasp on her hair and would not hesitate to pull some more.

"You have no say in any of this," the woman reckoned.

"You're hurting me!" Aurelia stubbornly responded as she tried not to wriggle so much as the pain was quite unbecoming.

"It could get worse if you do not stay put and listen," the older woman said to her.

Aurelia decided to take the hint and cease her struggle, despite the pain. She could have sworn that a couple of her hairs were already off their roots.

"Fine. Let go," Aurelia said.

The woman waited a moment before she gave one last painful tug at her hair and let go. Next, she picked up a fistful of her hair and started to brush like nothing had happened just now.

She clearly was a psychopath, and she should go see a shrink! The way she had always been able to switch her emotions from time to time was not totally surprising. If she could have switched her way from her dad's secretary to his wife, then anything would be possible with her.

"Now, you would have to make certain that you play all your part in this marriage. You see, your father made a bad investment," Lady Florence was saying.

"Obviously, she's standing behind me," Aurelia responded. A deep dig at the hairbrush cut her off. "Ow!"

"Listen!" Lady Florence insisted.

"Fine," Aurelia responded, folding her arm across her chest stubbornly.

"Your father, as I had been saying earlier, made a bad investment, and now it might be coming for him. The only way to salvage this entire feat is this marriage. It's a mutual support union. That way, finances your father, and that way, our family does not get dragged through the mud," Lady Florence explained.

"And I'm the prized cow that should be sacrificed? What happened to your daughter?" Aurelia demanded.

"It would interest you to know that Isabella is not your father's daughter but from my late husband. Besides, you should not dismiss your husband as being bad. Think of getting to know him." The woman said to her and dropped the comb as she was now done brushing her hair.

Aurelia paused and then turned to face her.

"And if I don't agree?" she demanded.

"Then you would have killed your poor father, who has been nothing but kind to you," Lady Florence responded.

"Same way you killed my mother?" Aurelia demanded.

Her mother had been murdered in the midst of the heat of her father's affairs with Lady Florence.

"Suite yourself, child. You're expected down as soon as possible." The woman responded and turned away. At the door, she paused. "I really wish you would see me beyond a murderess."

With that word, she was gone. Aurelia paused and then called for her maid, who came inside looking worried about her.

"Are you okay, Miss?" she asked Aurelia.

"Never been better. Now, fix my hair. We have a wedding to attend," she said to Nella.

It was hard to say, as Nella seemed a little ruffled up at the moment. Her hands were quite shaky, but alas, that definitely could be a result of her worrying about her encounter with Lady Florence.

Eventually, the last pin was put in place, and she stood up, looking quite gorgeous at the moment.

"I think I look like my mother, Nella," Aurelia responded as she stared into the mirror.

"Huh?" a startled Nella responded.

"I was saying that I..." She started to explain.

"Oh, yes. You certainly look like your mother, Miss. Even now that you're wearing her dress," Nella responded as her eyes fell quite sadly.

This was far too much for her to understand, and Aurelia turned to look at her.

"Is everything alright with you, Nella? You seem a bit ruffled up," she asked the maid.

"Um, I'm just missing you already. After your mother, I have been quite fond of you. I cannot imagine how I would cope without you in the mansion," she said to her.

Aurelia smiled and reached out as she embraced her tightly.

"Come here, Nella. You know I will always come see you. I'll haunt your dreams if that's how you get to feel my presence," she said jovially.

Nella shook but controlled her emotions.

"I understand. Which reminds me of this, Miss," Nella said as they broke the hug.

She started reaching into her pocket and fished out a note, which she handed to Aurelia.

"What is this?" Aurelia asked her.

"It's a note for a surprise that was prepared for you by your father. He said to hand it to you before the party. You should open it," Nella said.

Aurelia smiled at her and tore it open. It was obviously typed in bold letters.

SEE YOU AT THE ATTIC, DEAREST.

Dearest? That's what her father always referred to her as.

"I guess I should start going there," excited Aurelia said and started off.

Nella nodded respectfully as she watched her leave.

The attic had been closed since the incident, and Aurelia had always wanted to go in there and see. It was only reasonable now that her father should let her see before getting married.

She entered.

"Dad?" She called out to him, but there was no answer.

She went in further, and then she saw what was written on the wall.

'DIE BITCH! '

Just then, she heard it from behind her as the door closed. Soon, something like a pipe was let in as smoke was being let inside the room.

Aurelia ran to the door and started banging, but just then, the violinists started to play below along with other instrumentalists.

She kept banging until she started to feel faint and slumped as she gasped for air.

There were only a few who knew about her asthmatic condition. Her father, her late mother, and Nella.

Why would her father want her dead?

Aurelia fell onto the board as she felt life squeezing out of her.

It was in this room that her mother was also murdered. The irony of that hurt, and the fact that she never solved the mystery of the woman's death hurt even more.

Then her eyes started closing, and suddenly she was sucked into a whirlpool of darkness and starlight.

Was this her end?