Unbroken hearts

"Why does he seem oddly familiar, where could I have met this cruel man"

I knelt down at the foot of the table holding what is left of my dignity as I obliged to his demand and crawled to his feet.

"Don't cry lily" "do this for mom" I kept chanting in my head as I kept crawling to him.

The urge to break down and cry was much, I bit down on my lips to drown the tears with pain but even I of all people have a breaking point.

I looked up at him and for a moment I wished he wasn't the wicked selfish son of his father that he is.

My eyes suddenly became blurry And I figured out that it was tears, Furious at myself, the world and at this handsome Egyptian god sitting at my front, I kept trying to wipe the tears with the back of my palms but when the tears wouldn't stop, I just let it flow.

I kept my face down as I cried out my heart hoping that he doesn't see me cry for him.

When I felt I could control myself again I looked up at him and found him peering at me with intense curiosity like he was trying to figure me out.

Slowly I muttered "ple.. please sir, I'll do it"

He grinned like he hasn't spent months trying to humiliate me.

"Stand up lily, you're gonna crease my shoes with your knee" he said all the while smiling.

He has the perfect smile, a shame he doesn't smile often.

"Sign here my love" he said and pushed a brown envelope to me with "CONFIDENTIAL" Boldly written on it.

With shaky hands I signed, working for this man wasn't on my list when I left Graceful Haven but somewhere in this building lies the next clue on finding my mother.

**Eleven years ago**

"Do you really think you'll find her name in the certificate?" asked Poppy while stirring the bowl of soup on the table.

I stared at the soup, I could see some vegetables floating in the soup, I scooped up some peas while thinking of what Poppy just asked.

"There has to be something there about her, I know I can find her" I finally replied to her.

"Why did I forget my coat?" I muttered while trying to rub my palms on my arms for warmth.

"I'll quickly go bring your coat, no one will see me" Poppy said

"No.. no.. no.." I whispered but she already left for the dormitory, I couldn't risk anyone noticing my presence in the dining hall,

I saw as he watched her run past then turned to search for me, but I was quick enough to hide under the table.

Laughter could be heard bouncing off the walls of the dining hall, this is the one time older kids and younger kids get to communicate and not even the freezing weather could steal this little precious time from them, most kids were together discussing all the events of the day.

It is a large dining hall but I've been here long enough to know everything happening even while under the table. I sat there staring at everyone's moving feet while praying and hoping that mother Darcy would show up before they found me.

Besides, mother superior that if you have been good then your prayers will be answered, I don't believe her but I just hoped that maybe a miracle could happen this one time.

*Thud.. thud..* I could hear the sound of their shoes as they were getting closer to my not so hidden hiding place, shivering I tried crawling to another table but I couldn't as he already had one of my pigtails in his grip and I heard myself letting out a cry for help and as always I was replied with laughter from everyone in the hall.

Face on the hard cold floor, curled up like a ball, I surrendered myself to them.

I always wondered what I did to Charles and his friends to deserve this but I know better than asking him that.

"Look at me, carrot" I heard Charles say as him and his friends kept kicking and punching me but I didn't dare look up nor remind him my name is Vanessa not "carrot"

*Snip.. snip..* was the sound of the scissors as they cut my hair, I didn't know what to do other than to hide my face as the wound I had from the previous day hasn't healed and going to clinic wasn't an option either, it's only going to get me into more trouble

"Charles! Stop it right now" I heard mother Darcy yell, I can only guess it was Penelope that called her, most times I wonder how life without my best friend (Poppy) would be.

(Poppy's pov)

"Nessa" I yelled from the table, I could see Charles and his friends also searching for her.

"Poor Nessa" I whispered under my breath as I kept searching for my best friend. The cold January in Vermont wasn't merciful, I stared down at the jacket I had in my arms, I was only gone for a second to get her a jacket.

"Where is she?" I kept asking myself but it was already too late when I heard her crying for help. I was familiar with the sight so I ran to get help.

I ran as my little legs could carry me to the hostel, "mother Darcy" I called while knocking on her door, I heard her trying to open the door "it.. it's..it's Nessa.. Charles.. in the dining.. p-punching.. her" I couldn't make a proper sentence as I was trying to catch my breath

"Sweetie, you have to calm down so I can understand what you are saying" mother Darcy replied with her sweet melodious voice.

I always wished mother Darcy could be my biological mother and not just one of the guardians in the orphanage, she has the most beautiful eyes I've ever seen, most times it feels like she's staring into my soul but

Not being able to form my words I took her hand and headed for the dining room while crying "Nessa.. Nessa"

VANESSA'S POV

"I want you all to sit down there and understand why bullying is bad" I could hear mother Darcy yelling at Charles and his friends.

She never yells, she's always sweet to everyone, this must have really annoyed her.

"I'm sorry mother" I whispered under my breath, but she heard me, hugging me she said "I'm so sorry dear, I left you kids unsupervised, now look what happened to you"

I winced as I could feel pains all over my body when she hugged me.

"I'll take you to the clinic" she said but I was reluctant to follow as my visits to the clinic don't always end well.

She had of course stared at some pieces of her flaming hair on the floor "this is the only clue I have to finding my mother" she thought.

Walking down to the clinic she thought that perhaps she's being bullied this way because she's the smallest in the orphanage.

"Her hair was like a massive red bush surrounding two wide, green eyes. Freckles faintly dotted her cheeks, but they were only really visible in the sunshine. Her long lanky body and large hair made her look a bit like a big red lollipop"

It was time for lights out in the orphanage but not for Vanessa and Penelope, still in pain from the incident in the dining room. She sat up after making sure every other person was asleep.

"Poppy '' she whispered while gently shaking her.

Still drowsy, Penelope kept muttering "huh.. huh.."

Penelope has always been a deep sleeper but Vanessa wasn't going to let her sleep for they had an important mission.

For months, the duo has planned, monitored and surveyed the Mother superior's office in preparation for the big night.

Getting into the mother superior's office meant getting her birth certificate which was in one of the many shelves in the office but she was going to risk it, that was her only gateway from the orphanage.