Kill The Old Ones!

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The atmosphere within the Heartveil family was strange today.

The people who usually walk with their chins up, exuding arrogance belonging to someone coming from a large background and an outstanding reputation, were now completely subdued.

Their heads were level, their posture was rigid and stiff, and their eyes held a look of exhaustion and wariness while they tried their best to look as if nothing was wrong at all.

This was far from normal. The Heartveils were charitable on the surface but extremely proud and arrogant underneath. They were unapproachable because of their status, and their auras usually state that. But that’s not what they have right now.

They were behaving strangely. They noticed each other behaving strangely, but they didn’t, or more precisely, couldn’t, talk about it. All they could do was to look at each other helplessly and sigh in regret.

Oh, it’s different now, alright.

And they knew why. Of course, they do. They might be arrogant, but they’re not stupid. They knew who made them like this, who reduced them to this state, and who held the other end of the noose around their necks.

But, even if they knew who it was, were they able to do anything against that person? No. That much was clear. They’ve tried. Oh, heavens, they have certainly tried. But where did their efforts end up? Here. Leashed and subdued like they were some rabid dogs that needed to be tamed.

The worst part is that they know they’re not getting rid of this leash anytime soon. Probably not for the rest of their lives. That’s what truly pushed them to the brink of despair.

And they can’t even complain about it. Starting from the day that they were caught in this noose, it was already too late for them. Their freedom has been taken, and they’re not getting it back.

Who was it that held the other end of the noose? Well, she’s strolling around the compound right now, completely at ease.

Wherever she went, everybody bowed and greeted her politely.

"Good morning, Lady Lily."

"A pleasant morning to you, Young Mistress Lily."

"May I assist you with something, Lady Lily?"

"Good day, Young Mistress."

"I hope you’re having a pleasant morning, Young Mistress Lily."

That’s right. It’s none other than Lily Anne Heartveil, the heiress of the Heartveil family. The once weak, helpless, and lonely girl that was on the verge of becoming a plaything of her disgusting family now had them all leashed and kept in line.

She doesn’t show it, but Lily felt equal parts bothered and relieved of this current situation.

If somebody were to tell her that there will come a day when her family will be this respectful and fearful of her, she’d probably laugh at their faces, in an unladylike manner at that, simply because the mere thought of it seems impossible to her.

Even now that she achieved it, she still couldn’t completely believe it. But the results were right before her.

She wasn’t blind. She knew that their respect and politeness towards her were fake. They do it, not because they genuinely believed that she was worthy of their respect, but because she was their master now.

Not her father, her—Lily Anne Heartveil. She holds the other end of the noose, of the leash. They will bark if she tells them to, and they will shut up if that’s what she wants.

After three months since employing the shadow elites and careful planning and execution, Lily now held complete control over the family. All of its assets, businesses, deals, partnerships, resources...everything, even the very lives of the members themselves.

She doesn’t promise death for disobedience. She promised lasting pain and suffering, the kind that will make them wish, beg, and hope that they were dead instead.

Lily doesn’t hold a figurative leash. She has a very real one that she could tighten and use to choke them if necessary. It was the source of their nightmare, one that they unwittingly walked into while they still held their heads high, feeling proud and almighty.

Their attempts at resistance were met with pain and suffering. For the first time, the person they thought to be a damsel in distress, someone that they could bully and use for their personal pleasure, bared her fangs and brought them so much pain that it left them traumatized.

She was specifically harsh towards the men of the family—her martial uncles and cousins. They tried to defy her, to break her spirit, to subdue her with words of intimidation, but Lily just sneered and subjected them to inhuman pain and suffering, one that penetrated to their very soul.

Lily left them like that for hours. Even as they cried, wept, sobbed, begged, and promised to behave, she didn’t stop. She watched and burned the image to her mind of what she did to them and accepted the fact that mercy was no longer an option.

She made them wish they were dead, but she won’t kill them. What she did to them won’t kill them. It doesn’t even leave traces at all—that’s the beauty of it.

This was her method of taming them. She took everything they thought they owned. She left them with nothing to use against her. She memorized their habits and tendencies and learned so much about them that she could predict what they were going to do before they even thought about it.

And oh, they tried. They tried everything. But much to their horror, all of their reliance was gone. Lily had them all.

When they noticed that they were caged and dancing on top of her palms all this time, they only felt despair and hopelessness.

They tried committing suicide, but even that option was taken away from them.

She left them broken, beaten, and battered. And it didn’t take long before all of them knelt soullessly before her.

Now, even the thought of revenge was impossible because that will trigger the noose to react.

She enslaved them all and left them with no option to fight back.

The Lily of several months ago would’ve been horrified for this current Lily. She would probably look at her as if she had turned into a monster—or an existence she could no longer recognize, even though she’s wearing the same face and body as her.

But this Lily had been hardened by the ugly truths she had seen. Her mind has been opened to the ugliness of this world. She had been cornered and was left to fend for herself.

There was only one person who lent her help. One she trusted. And he didn’t fail her.

She knew what was going to happen. He told her the outcome of his plans, and whether to do it or not, he left that for her to decide.

And she did. Decide, that is. She followed his instructions.

She didn’t want to go this far, either. But they have. Threats will no longer work towards them; even the shadow elites told her that. The only options she had were either complete eradication of this family, save for her and her father, or enslaving them.

And she chose the latter.

It bothered her, of course; guilt was eating at her core. She knew that she had done something she thought she’d never do. One that she never even dared to imagine before.

But she couldn’t deny that, for the first time since she became aware of the world around her, this home felt safe for her. She was actually protected and comfortable.

She could walk around without feeling those disgusting gazes landing on her skin. She no longer hears mutterings about criticisms aimed at her. She doesn’t feel strings that are trying to control her movements. She no longer has to pretend, or put on an act, whenever she steps out of her room.

Those were things of the past at this point.

So, as much as she felt guilty doing this to them, she also felt very relieved that she did it.

**

[Step 3]: Soar

: You must be feeling conflicted about what you did. That’s valid. Don’t make excuses. Own it. You did that to them to save yourself and your father. Accept it, and move on.

: A true family will not be your shackles. They should be your wings. They should lift you up and allow you to soar. They should nourish you, raise you, take care of you, love you, and wish nothing but the best for you.

: If they can’t do that, then they’re not worth your time. You deserve better. Do not let them pull you down. Do not let them weigh on your conscience. Do not let them be your shackles. Because if you do, you will never leave their side. They will always remind you of your miserable past.

: So what if you break the rules? So what if your actions were immortal and questionable? So what if they resent you? So what if they will never truly acknowledge you?

Your actions are what kept you alive.

It’s what kept you safe.

Since they couldn’t give that to you, you did it for yourself and also for your father. That is not wrong. It will never be wrong. It’s an option. One that you chose.

: Soar, Cherry Anne. Be free. Be you.

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