Her Mother's Sin

Teresa stood up— all of a sudden from her sitting position, facing her grandmother with burning eyes. Her whole world came to a sudden halt when her grandmother told her the unthinkable.

"You are leaving this house, never to return!" Her grandmother's voice resounding in her ears.

"What! Why?"

 "You are going far away, in the country side to serve a certain man, Sir Benedict. He is a reputable state man. Is your grandfather's wish, my hands are tight" her grandmother said, not taking responsibility for the hash decision of her husband. 

Teresa never thought her grandfather's hatred for her and her mother will burn this far.— Is be 18 years her mother passed away, and all Teresa ever did was do all within her power to please her grandparents, perhaps it will atone for her mother's sins of having her out of wedlock.. 

But Teresa could put a knife on her throat and bleed to death, nothing will change her grandfather's view about her. 

"She's not family" Teresa heard her grandfather talking with a man who keeps looking at her from the corner of his eye.— 

To her grandfather, Sir Denison, she's as good as dead, a bastard!— who is not fit into the family tree … 

If only her mother did not wipe the family name to the mud by getting pregnant out of wedlock, she would have lived the life of a Princess. 

The Denison's are no small family, they have their own fair share in state affairs, they are considered one of the top families in town.

But however, Teresa's grandmother's view about her recently changed the day Teresa save her dying puppy and brings it to her.

That was the first time her grandmother ever spoke to her in all of her 18 year's of living with them. "You are my granddaughter after all" She said and put her arms around her.

Tears almost drop of her pretty face, but grandfather don't like his wife coming close to Teresa, let alone consoling her.

He commands her to go to the country side to serve Sir Benedict, a close friend of the family who's son needs a nanny.

 "Am sure Sir Benedict will treat you more fairly than you have ever be treated in this house" her grandmother said with a cracking voice as if not too sure of the words coming out of her own mouth. 

Teresa's face dropped, her heart pounds, she has never left the house ever since she was a child, she has always been lock away in her room until she turned 14, now that she turned 18, they want to send her away completely.

"I don't want to go" Teresa finds her voice— making a sound, she quickly held her mouth to shut it up or the look from her grandfather would do that for her.

"Do you think you have a choice?" grandfather's voice echoes in anger.. "Your Mother was giving all the privilege in the world, but what did I get for been so nice to her?.... A bastard!— you are a bastard!!" his voice echoes in anger, uttering those dreadful words that Teresa hates so much to hear.. 

Covering her ears with both hands, she wishes she was never born, If she hasn't heard those words "bastard!" from her grandfather, she has heard it a thousand times and she thinks it will only get worse.

"Why does her grandfather hate her so much?" Teresa heard the maids whispering among themselves.

She once heard from one of the house helps that her mother was the only child of Mr. Denison. They showered her with so much love and care, and all they ever did was loved her to the point they won't let her out of their sight… 

Time came for them to marry her off to the man they thought was heaven for her, but she ran away and get pregnant to a mysterious man whom identity is unknown till this day.

Teresa learned that she would later pay for what seems to be her mother's sin for the rest of her life.

"Is time, you have to leave" Her grandmother whispered, afraid to speak up for fear of her husband who don't want her talking with Teresa..

A car was waiting outside, it just arrived to take Teresa to her new master's house. Her nanny helped her with her luggage and wave her goodbye..

The journey was a long one, at night fall, Teresa arrived at her new home. Fear grips her little heart as she has never left her house before and to think that she's been throw away to a place she has never been before makes her feel like dying.

Two girls hurried out of the house to help Teresa with her luggage.

"You are welcome to my house, Miss Teresa " Sir Benedict said smiling wickedly at her and his two daughters standing by his side smirking at her too..

Teresa gulped, her eyes popping out in fear, she didn't think those smiles on their faces are welcoming enough, they all look suspicious to her. 

"This way" she heard a maid said, and Teresa bows before Sir Benedict and his daughters before hurrying away with the maid.

Teresa settled into her new bedroom, the walls where painted a rich shade of baby pink that seems to glow and sparkling in all directions.

Teresa could not help but feel a sense of uneasiness as if someone was watching her every move. She prays a silent prayer, making a cross sign on her forehead before unpacking her bags. 

Just as she was about unpacking the last one, the wicked smiles on Sir Benedict and his daughters faces flashing through her mind. The uneasiness she felt before becomes increasingly visible as the hair on her body stands on end.

A hard knock fell on the door, bringing her back to present.. She hurried to the door and carefully opened it..

"Am sorry, Miss Teresa, but the master wants you at the dining table" A maid informed her..

"Just a minute" She hastily went with her, afraid to anger her new master if she keeps him waiting..

"Have a sit, and let's eat" Benedict offered with a polite tone, but that wicked smile refused to leave his face making Teresa more tense .. 

She manages to take her seat beside Benedict daughters, the smile on their faces look more scary and fake than their father.

"Did your mother really commit suicide by jumping of the balcony?" the first girl ask Teresa, interrupting the peaceful silent as they eat their dinner.

"What?" Teresa's eyes pop at the red headed girl, some wrinkles forming on her forehead. 

Teresa had dislike her the very moment she saw her. Her spoon fell out of shock, she has never heard anything of such about her mother except that she died.

Her grandfather has always forbid anyone talking about her mother, not even her name should be mentioned in that house, how does this red-headed girl want her to tell how her mother died huh??? 

The tension around the dining room starts to rise…