CHAPTER 4: NOT GOOD ENOUGH

Stella huffed angrily. Then tears ran down her face. She laughed hysterically and thought of the past.

FLASHBACK

Stella was thirteen years old.

Eliza toss Stella onto the cold cement floor. She kicked Stella hard in the stomach.

“Gahh!” cried Stella as she felt the sharp pointy heel stabbing her in the stomach. Stella started to grunt in pain as she started bleeding.

“You bitch! If you ever tried to take any boyfriend of your sister again, I will kill you!” shouted Eliza.

Adrian was walking down the wine cellar’s stairs. “What’s going on?” he asked.

“Nothing,” said Eliza, folding her hands into her arms.

Adrian came down the stairs and looked at Stella. He tilted his head at the child as she lay there holding her stomach. Then she spotted blood down in her lower groin. He frowned and looked at Eliza. He sighed and asked, “Eliza, don’t you think your harsh treatment have gone far enough?”

“Humph. I don’t care.”

Adrian didn’t say anything but held his cold expression. “She’s not here for you to torture in replacement of her mother.”

Eliza swirl to Adrian and exclaimed “Why not!”

Adrian frowned at her. “She’s not here for you to vent your anger on.”

Eliza puffed and said, “I hate this child!”

“This child have nothing to do with your jealousy,” retorted Adrian.

“She has everything to do with my madness!”

“How?”

“She’s a spitting image of her mother.”

“And?”

“So, meaning she will also seduce all the boys and men that comes across my daughter’s path. Our daughter.”

Adrian frowned again at her words. He sighed and said, “This is enough. From this day forth you’re not allowed to come down here.”

“Why not?”

“Because I said so,” said Adrian, turning to look at Eliza.

“Don’t tell me that you’re going easy on this-this girl because you still miss her.”

Adrian didn’t say anything. He turned away from her and started to walk up the stairs.

Eliza in anger grabbed hold of Adrian’s arm and twisted him back to her.

“You still love her don’t you! After all these years!”

Adrian smacked Eliza’s hand away from him. “Stop talking about the past.”

“You-You were the one who killed her with your own hands!”

Stella’s eyes widened. “My mother,” she gasped. “My mother is dead. After all these years I thought that she was kept away and hidden by my father. For safe keeping he said. But instead, he killed her.” Tears stung her eyes as she was lied to by her father.

“Humph.”

“You took her away from here. You killed her. You murdered her.”

Stella grunted and groaned in pain as more blood were coming out and in between her thighs.

“Get the girl some help,” said Adrian, looking at Eliza with coldness.

“No!”

“Get her help or I will.”

Eliza clenched her fist tightly. “Why are you doing this?”

“Doing what exactly!”

“Why are you trying to help her?”

“Because she’s my daughter.”

“Half! Half daughter. She’s not my flesh or blood.”

Adrian scoffed and said, “Right. She’s my flesh and blood.”

“What about my daughter? Our daughter. Your true daughter. Your real flesh and blood.”

“She’s my daughter too.”

Eliza gasped. “Why-Why are you so cold! Why are you so cold to me?” asked Eliza, with tears in her eyes.

“I’m always cold.”

“No! No, you were not.”

“Since when?”

“When you met me, you were nice, kind, and sweet to me. But since my stepsister, you changed.”

“Pfft. It’s all in your head.”

“Then why did you do it!”

Adrian looked at her with annoyance. He ignored her and turned around.

“She seduce you. She stole you from me.”

Adrian continued to ignore her.

“You’re keeping your distance from me, because you’re blaming me.”

“I never blamed you.”

“Yes! Yes, you are. You’re blaming that I’m not good enough. Not good enough to be your wife. Not satisfying enough. Not as beautiful as my stepsister.”

“Sure,” said Adrian nonchalantly. “If you say so.”

Eliza’s tears dripped down her face. She screamed. “You’re still obsessed with her!”

“Sure,” said Adrian, turning his head to look at Eliza. His face expressed an “I don’t care what you’re saying, for I don’t give a fuck for any of your nonsense that is coming out of your mouth.”

“You’re-You’re so cruel.”

Adrian sighed and walked back down the stairs.

“It’s true isn’t it.”

“What is?”

“You still think that I’m the reason you're not with her. Separating you two! Separating that woman of yours! That woman that is stuck in your heart. Well guess what I am! And I will continue to do so! I will do anything to separate you from my stepsister.”

“You need to shut up.”

Eliza slapped Adrian across the face.

Adrian looked back at Eliza and grabbed her by the neck.

“Ah,” gasped Eliza. She was scratching Aidan’s hand to release her throat.

“You little bitch!” shouted Adrian.

“I’m-I’m sorry,” wheezed Eliza.

Adrian tightened his grip on her.

Eliza’s eyes started to roll to the back of her head.

Adrian loosened his grip and tossed Eliza to the floor.

“If it wasn’t for your father’s money, I wouldn’t stay married to you. And you know it. I would have left you a long time ago,” he said.

Eliza was huffing and puffing as she was gasping hard for air. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you angry. I didn’t mean to upset you. Please. Please forgive me. Please don’t leave me.”

“Humph. Good,” said Adrian, stroking the hair out of her face.

Adrian turned to look at Stella lying pale on the floor. “Now, fetch that elderly maid to tend to her.”

“Yes. I will,” said Eliza.

“Remember, you are not allowed to ever enter this wine cellar again. Leave her alone.”

“Okay. Okay. I will. Please-Please don’t leave me.”

“If you be a good girl, I will stay,” said Adrian.