A Miserable Love

"Stellar?" My voice faltered in confusion.

She showed up, heaving furiously.

"You damned klutz!" She spat, her hand stiked my face with a sharp crack. Her lips curled into a sneer, "You and that insufferable little rat..."

Her attention snapped to Eleanor, the young maid trembling on her knees. With a cruel grip, Stellar seized her hair and yanked her forward like a lifeless doll.

"Guess what this b*tch did to me!?" Stellar snarled, dragging Eleanor further as the young girl whimpered in pain. "She dared to humiliate me— spilled drinks on me in front of my friends!" Her voice rose to a shrill pitch as her foot stomped violently against the floor.

"Stop!" I cried, my exhaustion weighing heavy on my chest, "Why are you doing this?"

"Why?" Stellar scoffed, her voice dripping with disdain, "Because this little maid of yours thinks she can make a fool out of me!" Her grip on Eleanor's hair tightened, wrenching another cry from the girl's lips. "This rat and you, a useless, pathetic b*tch, really are perfect for each other!"

I tremble, frozen between rage and helplessness. Eleanor's breath grew shallow, her body slumping against Stellar's merciless pull.

"S-Stellar.. please stop." I begged, "She made a mistake. Let her go. That's enough, yeah?"

But my pleas only seemed to spur her further. With a twisted grin, Stellar began tearing through the room knocking over vases and shattering glasses in her wake. Shards littered the floor, sparkling like ice as Eleanor's fragile body was dragged into the chaos.

"Stop... please."

"Stellar Alana Leone..." I murmured weakly, the sharp chill of winter seeping into my bones. My health had been waning since the winter set in, and my body felt like it could give out at any moment.

Still, I forced myself to speak.

"Stop... this, at once." My voice wavered.

For a moment, she stilled. Then came the laughter— low, cruel, and echoing with mockery. It chilled me far more than the frost ever could.

"Ah. Well, aren't you just pitiful?" She hissed, finally releasing Eleanor, who crumpled to the ground in a heap.

I gritted my teeth, clasping my clothes lightly.

"Winter," She began with icy disdain, "you know very well your place in this house, don't you? A lapdog, surviving only because Saint allows it. You don't get to command anyone here. And you espcially don't get to command me."

"You don't get to command anyone in this house. Most importantly, not when I'm the one you're talking with!" She grips my hair.

Her hand shot forward, tangling in my hair. I gasped, struggling against her harsh grip.

"Stellar Leone," I bit out through gritted teeth, "you'll regret this."

She paused, her gaze narrowing as a mocking smirk spread across her face. Silence enveloped the room, broken only by Eleanor's faint sobs. Stellar's eyes flicked to the broken shards gathered around us, glinting with malicious intent.

Without warning, she seized a jagged piece of glass from the floor and turned it over her hand. My breath caught as she brought it closer to my face.

"Let's see," She mused, "Do you think Saint will still love you if this pretty little face gets scarred?"

The glass hovered dangerously close to my cheek as her grin widened. "What do you think? Do you think he'd cry for you? Or may he'd finally see what you are—worthless."

I met her gaze, my body trembling, but my voice steadied with resolve. "Do as you like, Stellar. And when Saint finds out, it won't be me he despises."

Her smirk fell just slightly. But the shard didn't lower.