𝐎𝐑𝐈𝐎𝐍

𝑡 𝑤 𝑜

•••

A long sigh of contentment leaves my lips as I make my way through my large home, the silence of the estate sounding like heaven in my ears.

I enter the kitchen and pore myself a glass of whiskey, my eyes scrunching shut from the harsh burn from the alcohol as I take a sip. Alcohol has always been something that I've used as a treat, or something to sip on during special occasions, for many different reasons.

The biggest reason is that the drunken father that I once had left me with a slight hatred towards the beverage. People that abuse the privilege to drink alcohol disgust me. It's like they're choosing intoxication over their own families and loved ones. It ruined my fathers chance at having a firm and solid relationship with his only son.

I despise him for the choices that he made, for what he put me and my mother through. The things he did and said to her were unforgivable.

But at least I got some good out of the situation as well. My fathers failures made me want to push myself to be a better man, to work hard and achieve greatness. And even the way he handled my mother...it was evil and heartless, but seeing that made me determined to treat my future love with delicacy and grace, whenever that may be.

My thoughts are suddenly interrupted by loud footsteps nearing the kitchen, and I already have an idea on who is gracing me with their presence.

"Sir, you're finally back." Zachariah says, walking over to me. "We thought you'd be back sooner."

I would have...if that woman wouldn't have kicked my ass and convinced me not to kill her.

I almost laugh at the thought of her tiny little body holding me down on the ground and her fragile hands holding my throat in a death grip that surprised me beyond measure. But I hold it back, knowing that Zachariah would question me.

"I decided to take the long route home." I mumble, taking another sip of my whiskey.

He nods his head. "So...did you make the little rat suffer?"

More like she made me suffer...

"Wish you would have been there to hear her screams." I smirk, masking the truth behind my eyes. I would never live it down if my men found out that a tiny little nymph almost choked me to death.

I still have no fucking idea how she did that.

He laughs, walking over to pore himself his own glass of whiskey. "I'll have Amber start dinner, and you can tell all of us what happened. I'm sure everyone would get a kick outta that!"

I nod my head, silently coming up with a story to tell them so that they won't find out the truth.

They wouldn't understand my reasons for letting that woman go.

•••

𝑂𝑟𝑖𝑜𝑛 𝐹𝑙𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑠

It's been hours since that retched man left, and I'm still confused. He was seriously willing to kill me over apples?

This is why I hate people. The selfishness that humans were bestowed to carry since the beginning of time sickens me. I'm an innocent woman, living in the middle of the fucking woods in a mud hut, and he thinks that he has the right to try and murder me in cold blood over fruit?