Obsession || Sebastian Sallow x Reader

Chapter 18

POV Author

Five years ago. London. Jolene Fletcher's Orphanage.

It is not easy to manage an orphanage – everybody knows it. What is harder – is to manage an orphanage and make profit from it, and that is what Jolene Fletcher had been doing for ten years.

She was a heavy woman with little, nasty eyes. She always wore the same burgundy coat, long black skirt and a black hat, that conveniently hid her almost completely grey thin hair.

Jolene never had a husband or, God forbid, a child. In fact, she hated children with all her heart. But they gave her money. She established a system – strong boys are 'sold' to work at the factory, unofficially, of course. It was cheaper for a factory to 'buy' a boy, than to hire him, and more profitable to Jolene. Strong, beautiful girls were 'sold' to be maids, cooks, governesses – the scheme is the same, all for the profit.

The system had only one disadvantage – there are not many strong boys and beautiful girls among orphans. Most of them were thin, apathetic, constantly hungry, all in all – not an option for sale.

Joey wasn't one of them. He was an active boy – always running errands, doing chores, chasing pigeons. And bullying his peers. The last thing didn't matter – just in two days he would be bought, and for a good price!

"Nothing can make a day like a successful deal!" Ms. Fletcher thought to herself, while looking through mail. One letter caught her eye.

It was addressed to Penelope Rosalin Parker – a girl who arrived two years ago and was a constant pain in the ass since then. She didn't like the food, she didn't like the bed, she was bullied – and that caused whining and crying and all other sounds that Jolene hated.

So she was whipping the girl. Gently, on her back – she didn't want to damage her face, one of the few that could go for sale.

The letter didn't have anything written on it apart from girl's name and orphanage's address. Curious, Jolene Fletcher broke the red seal and read the letter.

It was inviting the girl to some boarding school...of magic?

"These kids must have too little work on them if they have time for such pranks" She thought.

At the same time children were playing in a small courtyard, or so anyone who didn't pay enough attention thought.

"Joey, these coins were in horse manure and you added them to my food! Do you think that's funny?" A blonde-haired girl shouted at the boy, who was sitting on a tree.

"Oh, I think that's ridiculous! Just think of it – you are a dirty coin, lying on the street. Your mother is a dirty bitch who died because of some shit she put in her veins! It all comes together, doesn't it?" The boy responded.

"Don't you dare call my mother a dirty bitch! Your mother was probably a whore who didn't even care about naming you!"

That seemed to have angered the boy. He thought a bit, and then started to scream for everyone to hear.

"Penny's mother is a dirty bitch! Penny's mother is a dirty bitch! Penny's mother...AH!"

A wave of some unknown force had lifted the boy and slammed him into the ground. His legs and arms appeared twisted in an unnatural way, while the boy himself was screaming from pain.

The girl stared at him – just like she did when he was lifted and slammed. Her blue eyes gained back their natural color when she noticed that the whole orphanage ran down to see what had happened, including the teacher, Ms Fletcher.