Chapter 1

• “Alicia.” a loud shriek could be heard from one direction of the office.
• Everyone that was outside gulped nervously. Their boss was at it again. They all looked at each other, fear visible in all of their eyes. Alicia rushed through the line and ran into the office.
• “Y..yes ma’am.” She said in a shaky voice as she entered the office.
• The empress dowager was seated in the spinning chair, a black-rimmed glasses sat on her face as she read the document in front of her. She did not bother raising her head to notice Alicia.
• “What is this?” she asked as she raised her head.
• She flung the document to Alicia, removing her glasses and placing them carefully on the table.
• Alicia nervously picked them all one after the other, tears forming in her eyes. She could not bring her head up to look at the empress's eyes. She shivered internally, waiting for the abuse to follow.
• “Get out.” she heard the empress say.
• Alicia's hand became sweaty all of a sudden. Was the empress sacking her? She mustered all of her courage and looked directly into the empress's eye.
• “M..ma.?” she stuttered.
• The empress looked up, her eyebrows raised.
• “Didn't you hear me? Or do you just like me to repeat myself? I said, ``Get out of my office, you bloody piece of thing!” the empress shouted.
• Alicia took two steps back. She had no idea what she had done. She had spent hours working on this document, checking possible errors and even plagiarized content just so it wouldn't be rejected by the empress but the reverse was the case for her.
• “You know Alicia if you would like to daydream throughout the day, you can pack your things and leave. Or do I need to call security to get you out of my office? Get out to the printing press and make copies of those documents for me. I need you to have photocopies of these documents with you while I keep the original. So you should get out now and do them for me, or you lose your job. Are we cleared?” the empress rambled.
• Alicia could not believe her ears. Her heart started jumping up in success.
• “Yes, ...ma’am.” she stuttered before scurrying her feet away before the empress changed her mind.
• “Alicia, what did the empress say?” a colleague asked as she tried to make a way out of the office.
• “Alicia, was the document rejected?” another one asked.
• “Alicia, what did she say? How is she feeling? Is she in an empress mood today?” another colleague asked.
• Before she could even reply to all of them, a loud voice echoed through the building.
• “Next person,  please. You all should not waste my time!” the empress shouted.
• They all looked at each other in fear, no one wanting to go next. Alicia quietly excused herself amongst them, not wanting the empress to punish them with her. Her heart grapes with joy. It was a joyous feeling for the empress to pass your document, not seeing anything to talk about or to correct it.
• “Would you all answer me or do we need more people in the office!” the empress threatened.
• One of them scurried into her office immediately, deciding in himself that he could bear anything she talked about.
• •••••••
• “Ahhh, my feet hurt badly.” a young lady murmured as she took off her stilettos.
• The empress had just gotten out of the office and was now in her house taking off her clothes. She had moved around all-day, monitoring the office and everything she could do. It was the only thing she knew how to do best as they all said. She could manage a business, make it flourish, and take it to higher heights. Her name was known in the business industry, both by the men and the females.
• She was the number one businesswoman who was not to be trifled with. She took off her last piece of clothing as she marched into the bathroom. The tub was already filled with warm water by one of the maids, she soaked directly into it allowing her head to delve more into it, leaving her face only.
• In the business world, she was known to be the empress. But in reality, her name is Fallon Hampson, a conniving woman some would say, and some a hard-working woman. Anyone that they all think she is, she had left it to their hands.
• She shut her eyes as she allowed the water to engulf her feelings. She had a long day already and what was left for her now was to sleep and take some rest. But she knew better than to ask for it. She had run all her life away from it and was not ready to go back into it. She started dozing off in the tub, trying to keep her soul awake. She tried to stand up but could not. Everything was just so refreshing to the mind that she could not leave it. Alas, she delved into the dreamland.
• ••••
• “Fiona, come here this instance!” someone shouted from afar.
• A chubby six-year-old child raced into the room, her eyes filled with tears as she bowed before the woman that called her.
• “Fiona, why is this place still dirty like this?” the woman shouted at her.
• She looked up at the woman, with hatred visible in her eyes. She opened her mouth to talk when a loud slap took a place on her cheeks.
• “I told you, we are expecting visitors! Must you spoil everything for me! You want to kill my business just like..” the woman started but was abruptly cut off by Fiona.
• “I'm sorry Ma, I'll get to it immediately.” little Fiona said as she rushed to take the broom.
• A stinging pain made its way to her back again. Little Fiona closed her eyes tightly, biting her lower lips.
• “Ella, bring me the rope over here.” the woman shouted.
• She faced Fiona's back before throwing a slap on her back again.
• “Do I have to remind you not to cut me off when I'm talking? You always have a death wish right! And I'm always here to show you what it is.” the woman shouted at Fiona with widened eyes.
• Loud slaps echoed through the building. Soon, Ella brought the rope and the woman started to wipe her with it. Fiona clenched her jaw tightly, her eyes shut as she muffled the tears in herself. She could feel the aftereffects of everywhere she touched on her body. She could hear the silent giggles of two children from afar.
• “Stop,” she murmured.
• This annoyed the woman that was beating her. The girl never cried. All she did every time was say stop immediately her children laugh out or giggle. And today she was going to make sure a tear slid from her face, whether she likes it or not.
• The beating continued, the force at which she was being beaten increasing. Fiona went down on her knees at some point, the tears threatening to spill.
• “No,” she thought to herself.
• She was not going to give the woman the satisfaction she wanted. She heard the girls giggle again, making her shout out.
• “Stop.” she shrieked aloud.
• The woman halted her hand immediately, her eyes widening as she quickly packed the rope away.
• “Ella, take this back to the room. Yvonne, arrange this place immediately and you..” she said pointing to Fiona.
• “Go to your room and take your bath. You dare not say anything when he comes in.” the woman threatened.
• Yvonne and Ella took their duties immediately, their feet moving at a fast pace in the house while Fiona just knelt there, scratching her body and wallowing in the pain.
• “Is your ear not working properly or do you just want him to see how bad you are looking!” the woman shouted at her.
• Fiona dragged her feet slowly as she stood up from the ground. She clenched her jaw tightly as she made her way to her room. Not specifically her room, the attic where they all call her room.
• She got to the room, banging the door closed.
• “Ouch..” she murmured.
• Her hands were battered with strokes of the rope. The tears that she had been holding since morning, poured down from her eyes like a spring. She swore in her heart, that they were all going to pay for it. One after the other.
• ••••••
• Fallon opened her eyes abruptly, still soaked in the bathtub. Her breathing was ragged as she inhaled sharply.  A tear slid from her face. She shook her head slowly, chanting some words in her head. She was not going to delve into her past anymore. It had brought her more pain than joy. No, she was not going down that lane anymore.
• “I'm not more than little Fiona. I am now Fallon.” she chanted to herself.