Becoming The Devil's Bride

Nuella sat in her room, staring into space. The thought of her father clouding her mind.

She missed him so much and yet, there’s nothing she could do to ever see him again.

She was still deep in thought when her stepmother unlocked her room door and made her way inside.

“Nuella dear,” The voice of her stepmother snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Oh mother, when did you come?” Nuella asked, feigning a smile. She didn’t want her step mother to be worried about her.

"Just a few minutes ago," her stepmother replied, a look of concern etched on her face.

"You seemed lost in thought. Are you alright, my dear?" Emilia asked, staring intently into her face.

Nuella smiled weakly, the memory of her father still lingering in her mind.

"I'm fine, mother," she said, though her voice lacked conviction.

"I was just thinking about... about the past."

Her stepmother's eyes softened, and she sat down on the bed beside Nuella, placing a hand on her knee.

Emilia smiled gently, her hand still resting on Nuella's knee.

"The past can be a heavy burden to carry, my dear," she said, her voice low and soothing.

"But remember, the future is yet unwritten. We must look forward, not back."

Nuella nodded, though she still couldn't shake the feeling of loss that weighed heavy on her heart.

Emilia reached into her hand bag and pulled out a document, handing it to Nuella.

"This is an important document that needs your signature on it," she said, her voice solemn.

“Document? What is it for? Can I read through it?” Nuella asked, staring from her stepmother to the document held in her hands.

“No, No Nuella. There won’t be any need for you to go through the stress of reading it. All you need to do is sign, right here and leave the rest to me, okay?” Ms Emilia uttered, having a small smile on her face.

Nuella nodded reluctantly. She trusted her stepmother so much thus, she had no reason to doubt her.

Emilia watched as Nuella signed her name on the document, her face a mask with a feign sympathy and reassurance.

"That's it, my dear," she said, taking the document from Nuella's hands.

"Now, I can take care of everything for you. You just focus on getting better, okay?"

Nuella nodded, though the knot in her stomach only tightened.

"Thank you, mother," she said, forcing a smile. "You've been so good to me. I don't know what I would do without you."

Emilia patted Nuella's hand, a look of feigned warmth in her eyes.

"Don't worry about a thing, dear," she said, tucking the document into her purse.

"I'll handle everything for you. After all, that's what family is for, isn't it?"

Nuella nodded again, though her mind was racing. Was it just her imagination, or had her stepmother seemed a bit too eager to take the document away? And why hadn't she let Nuella read it first?

But Nuella pushed those thoughts aside. Emilia was right.

Emilia stood up, smoothing out her dress with a satisfied expression.

"I'll be heading out now, Nuella," she said, her voice as smooth as silk.

"I have some business to attend to, but I'll be back before dinner. And don't worry, I won't mention any of this to your brother. I know you want to surprise him with the news."

Nuella's brow furrowed in confusion.

"Surprise my brother?" she asked. "What do you mean?" She added, staring intently at her stepmother.

Emilia waved a hand dismissively, her smile never faltering.

"Oh, you know," she said, her tone light and airy.

"The news about the will. I'm sure Carlos will be so pleased to hear that his sister is taking care of their father's affairs. It's just one less thing for him to worry about, isn't it?"

Nuella's confusion only deepened. Her stepmother seemed to know more than she was letting on, but why wouldn't she just tell Nuella the truth?

Emilia turned toward the door, her heels clicking against the hardwood floor.

"Don't worry, Nuella," she said, her voice barely more than a whisper. "Everything will be taken care of. Just leave it to me.

"And don't forget, you can't tell anyone about this, not even your brother. It's a secret, just between us. Can I trust you, Nuella?"

Nuella nodded, though she wasn't sure why her stepmother was being so secretive.

"Of course you can trust me," she said.

With a final smile, Emilia turned and left the room, leaving Nuella alone with her thoughts.

As the door clicked shut, Nuella felt a chill run down her spine. Something wasn't right here, she could feel it in her bones.

But what could she do? She didn't want to upset her stepmother, and she certainly didn't want to risk betraying her father's trust.

She sighed, her head swimming with uncertainty. Maybe she was just being paranoid. Or maybe her stepmother was hiding something from her.

Nuella decided to put her concerns aside for now and try to focus on something else. Maybe a walk in the garden would help clear her head.

As she made her way down the hall, she passed a small table with a framed photograph of her father.

She paused, running her fingers across the smooth glass.

"What would you do, father?" she whispered, her voice choked with emotion.

"Would you want me to trust Emilia? Or should I be more cautious?"

But the photograph didn't answer. It was up to Nuella to decide what to do next.

Nuella shook her head, pushing back the tears that threatened to spill over. She had to be strong, for her father's sake.

She left the house, breathing in the fresh air of the garden. It was a beautiful day, and the flowers seemed to be blooming brighter than ever before. But even in the beauty of the garden, Nuella couldn't shake the feeling of unease that had settled over her.

As she wandered through the maze of hedges and blooms, she caught a glimpse of a familiar face.