Chapter 4:Broken vows mended hearts

Anna  held the crumpled  letter in her hands till she got home. Her voice trembled  with frustration.  “ They said if I don't  pay the balance, I  won't be allowed  back in class next week”, She said, forcing herself  to meet Aunt Regina's cold gaze. Her aunty sitting on the velvet  couch with a cup of tea in her hand, barely looked up. She let out a slow, mocking laughter. “ So you thought I sent you to that school because I actually  cared?”. Her lips curled into a pouted line. “ That was temporary, Anna. Just something to keep Dr.collins quiet”. Anna's  chest tightened. “But

I love the school,” She said calmly. “ I'm  learning”. “ You?” Aunt Regina  interrupted  dropping  down the cup of  her tea immediately. “ You think you belong to a school meant  for children of wealth and prestige? You think you deserve  to wear the same uniform  as my kids?” She laughed mockingly. “ Keep dreaming”. Tears filled  Anna's  eyes but  she held them back. Crying in  front of her aunt never helped, it only made things worse for her.  “ I  will find a way to pay”, She said firmly.” I'll  work for it”.

Aunt Regina  changed  her facial look. “ Oh? You think you can earn that kind of money?”. She leaned forward, her voice  dropping  to a   low warning. “ You're  under my roof, Anna. You eat because of me. You have a bed because of me. If you think you can suddenly become independent, then maybe  I  should  stop wasting my time feeding a girl who doesn't appreciate  what she has”. Anna didn't say a word. She knew that tone.  It meant worse things were coming. “ Be grateful I've  let you stay as long as I have,”. Aunt Regina  continued. “ I will find you a public school, one that fits your  status. Until then you will not embarrass me by paying by going back to that wealthy school with unpaid fees”. Anna felt like  the air had been knocked òut of her chest. This wasn't  fair. For the first time in years,She  had felt like  She  belonged somewhere . And now, just like that her aunty was taking it away.

She tried to speak. “ Dr.collins–”

“ I  don't  care what Dr.collins said!” Aunt Regina cut in, her patient running  out. “If he's  really  concerned, Let him pay for your  fees himself”. Anna  opened  her mouth and closed it . Could  She ask Dr. Collins for help? Would  he? Aunt  Regina's  voice broke through her thoughts. “ Get out  of my  sight ,Anna. And don't  bring this up  again.” With a heavy heart, Anna turned and walked away.  That very night,  Anna lay awake in her small, windowless room, staring at the cracked ceiling.  The school had been her only hope. And now, it was gradually  slipping  in  a tip of an eye. She thought  of the way the teachers had praised her, how they had told her  she had  potential . She thought of the  library, the books she had  barely begun to explore.  The feeling of sitting in a classroom,learning  and  growing. It was the closest thing to freedom she  had  ever known.  And it seemed  Aunty Regina  was taking it all away. But what choice  did she have? Even if she worked, even  if she begged, the amount  she owed was more than she could  ever hope to earn on her own. A soft knock  on the  door scared her. She sat up,wiping her eyes quickly before the door opened widely.  It was Lisa,one of the housemaids. Lisa stepped  inside  quietly  with a small plate of food in her hands.  “ I saved this for you”, She whispered, setting it down beside  Anna.Anna  smiled  happily. “ Thank you”. Lisa hesitated. Then, in a softer voice, She asked, “ I  heard what  happened… Are you okay?”. Anna swallowed the lump in her throat . “ I  don't  actually know," she admitted.” I  don't  know what I'm going to do”.

Lisa sighed, sitting beside her .” It's  not  fair”, She murmured. “ You deserve better than this”. Anna  bit her lip.” But I  don't  have  a choice, do I?”. Lisa was silent for a while. Then, She  dipped her hand  into her pocket and pulled  out some money. Anna's  eyes widened.” Lisa?” “ It's not  much”,Lisa whispered. “ But it's  something”. Anna stared at the money,her heart aching and beating fast.She  knew how little the  maids were paid. This was probably  all Lisa had. “ I  can't  take this”, She whispered. Lisa gave her a soft  smile. “ I  want you to have  it . If anyone  deserves  a chance, it's you”. Anna's  throat  tightened.  For  the first time that day, a single  tear rolled down  her cheeks.  She wasn't alone. And maybe, just maybe  she could  still fight for her future.

For three months,Anna waited at  home. Three months of waking up before dawn,scrubbing floor until her hands were raw,enduring Aunt Regina's  constant insults,and holding up to the hope that she will be sent to school soon.  Each day that passed felt like  a  cruel trick, a reminder that She was at the mercy of a woman who had no intention of  ever giving her freedom. But on the morning Of January 15,something  was different. Anna  awoke to the sound of her aunt's  sharp voice glooming the staircase. She hurried downstairs  in  fear, trying to know  why exactly  she screamed  her name. The house was unusually  silent, as though  holding its breath. When she entered the breakfast room, She froze. A tall imposing man stood by the window, dressed in a severe black suit.  His expression  was unreadable, his hands clasped behind  his back.   His entire presence commanded authority, and Anna knew immediately  that this was someone  important. Aunt Regina  sat stiffly in her chair, her lips pressed into a  thin line.Anna  swallowed,suddenly  feeling as though she was walking into a trap.

“ Jane,’ Her  aunty  said coldly. “ This is Mr Peter, the principal of the  boarding school where you will be enrolling”.  Jane's  heart leaped happily. So it was finally happening. She turned to Mr. Peter expecting  warmth or at least polite interest. Instead,his dark eyes  studied her with an unsettling  intensity.

“ I  have  heard a lot about  you”, He said in a voice  as firm as stone. Jane hesitated.  “ I  hope good things ,sir”. There was a pause and a silence so thick that it made her uneasy. Then, Aunt  Regina  let out a sharp laugh.” Good things?” She repeated  mockingly.” Oh, Anna you are truly  a dreamer. Why don't you  tell him the truth about  yourself?. Jane stiffened. “ I  don't understand”.

Her aunt folded her arms and turned to Mr. Peter with a sigh, as if exhausted by Anna's  supposed deception. "You must be aware, Mr. Peter, that this girl is a liar."

Anna's stomach dropped. No… not this.

"I beg your pardon?" Mr. Peter’s gaze sharpened.

Aunt Regina placed a hand on her chest, playing the role of the concerned guardian. "Oh, she may look innocent, but she has a dangerous habit of deceit. She fabricates stories to gain sympathy, twists the truth when it suits her. I thought it best to warn you before you take her under your wing."

Anna's mouth went dry. "That’s not true!" she blurted, her voice trembling with anger.

But Mr. Peter’s expression darkened.

Aunt Regina shook her head, feigning sadness. "You see? She contradicts even me, her own guardian. I only hope you won’t have trouble with her at school."

Mr. Peter sighed. "This is concerning," he muttered. "If there is one thing I do not tolerate, it is dishonesty. I will be sure to inform the staff about this matter."

Anna's  breath hitched. No, no, no.

Her aunt’s words were like chains wrapping around her, pulling her down into a pit she could not escape. She had spent years being silenced, but this… this was worse. If the principal believed she was a liar, it would follow her into school. No one would trust her. No one would give her a chance.

Aunt Regina smirked slightly, her eyes  filled  with triumph.

Anna  felt her hands curl into fists at her sides. No. She would not let her win.

She turned to face her aunt, her entire body trembling—but this time, it wasn’t from fear.

It was from rage.

"You are the liar," Jane said, her voice low but steady.

Aunt Regina’s smirk faltered. "Excuse me?"

"You heard me."  Anna  lifted her chin. "You have lied about me my entire life. You have told everyone I am worthless, that I am a burden. But I am not. I am not a liar. I am not nothing. And I will not let you poison my future the way you poisoned my past."

Mr. Peter’s eyebrows shot up in surprise.

Aunt Regina’s face darkened. "How dare you speak to me that way—"

"How dare you?"  Anna interrupted. "You have done nothing but treat me like a servant while spoiling your own children. You tried to keep me out of school, and now, when I finally have a chance, you are trying to ruin it before it even begins."

Her aunt’s jaw tightened. "You ungrateful little—"

"I am glad we are not really  related,"  Anna cut in, her voice rising with raw emotion. "I will never call you ‘aunt’ again. You do not deserve that title."

Aunt Regina’s eyes widened slightly—not with anger, but with something else.

Shock.

Because for the first time in her life, Anna was fighting back.

The room was deathly silent.

Even Mr. Peter seemed at a loss for words.

Anna felt her chest rising and falling rapidly, but she refused to back down. She had spent years being told she was powerless. That she should accept her place. But now, standing here, she realized something.

She was not powerless.

Not anymore.

Aunt Regina stood abruptly, her hands trembling with suppressed fury. "Get your things," she snapped. "You are leaving today."