At the funerals.

It was a rainy day. The cold raindrops were mixed with the tears and the heavy breaths of the people.

All the crowd was making the little Arietta to feel unwell but she couldn't have escaped that scenario. She had to follow the cortege as a good daughter from a wealthy family.

Her adoptive father, Lord Anthony Dwellan just passed away in a sudden car accident and today was his death's funerals.

Everyone was closely following the car with the Lord's coffin through the cemetery.

It was a gloomy atmosphere.

Suddenly the cortege stopped and the priest started the funeral service.

"....let's pray today for our dear Anthony's soul, a kind man who was early called by God to serve in the Heavens.

(The pray continued while many women were loudly mourning the defunct.)

"...and at the end the priest spelled the words: Rest in Peace!"

The coffin was slowly descending into the grave and Arietta felt her legs softening. It was the last time she could see the man who took her from the orphanage at the age of five years and gave her a warm meal and proper education, the last time she could see her benefactor's face.

Sir Anthony was always telling her not to cry or feel ashamed of her background, he was always caressing her. He offered her more attention than he gave to his biological daughter, that's why her sister was very jealous on her and her adoptive mother, Lady Elizabeth, wasn't loving her too much.

All her life, she only had Lord Anthony on her side to defend her.

The funeral ended and the crowd retreated to the Lord's mansion.

Lady Elizabeth was busy with welcoming the attendants who came to present their condolences to the family, while Arietta retreated in her own room after arriving at the mansion.

A far relative of the lord asked Lady Elisabeth about Arietta.

"Good afternoon, Madam! My sincere condolences for your lose! I hope that you and your daughters will recover soon from this shock. God bless you!"

"Thank you Sir Mc'Lion, your kind words are very comforting in this moment! We will try our best to overcome this crisis."

"By the way, where is your second daughter, Arietta? I don't see her anywhere!"

"Oh...Arietta? I don't know, she must be around here, somewhere! She was always a difficult child!"

"I see, I see! Well, take care Lady Elisabeth, I wish you good health!"

The man went to converse with another group of people.

After some hours, when the funeral's reception came to an end, Lady Elizabeth went to the east wing of the house to search for Arietta. Now that Lord Anthony was gone, she could do watherver she wanted with Arietta's fate and position in the house. Lady Elizabeth barely accepted this girl's adoption, because she already had her own daughter.

Miss Harriett Dwellan was the biological daughter of Lord Anthony and Elizabeth Dwellan and the legal heir of the family. Because of his sudden death he couldn't leave behind any testament and all his wealth would automatically be inherited by his wife and daughter. Now little Arietta was at her mother's mercy.

(Lady Elizabeth enteres Arietta's room....)

The seventeen years old girl was crying in a corner.

"What are you doing there, Arietta? Why haven't you come down stairs? Everyone started to think that an adopted child wouldn't care about her parents when he grows up. You're such an embarrassment! This is how we educated you, especially your father who cared about you the most?"

"I am sorry mom but I wasn't feeling too well! I assure you that I am really grateful to both of you because you rised me untill this day. I will never forget your kindness!"

"Well, sure! I believe that you have already forgotten it. You know what? I never wanted you but Anthony insisted on adopting you and I couldn't refuse him. That's why you are here today! You have stolen all the attention that should have been directed toward Harriett and my poor girl didn't even spend enough time with her father. Now is too late! Simply too late. All these years!"

"Mom, I am sorry, it wasn't my intention to do that but I think that father never neglected Harriett! He always cared about her! He cared about everyone, every single man from this house, from servant to family."

"You little bastard!

I am glad that at least you know that and you're grateful for the food received but starting today you won't call me mother. I am not your mother and you know it well! Anthony is dead, there is no point in pretending to be your nice mother anymore."

"Mom....,no....., madam please forgive me if I ever offended you in any way. I had no intention to do it! I am sorry."

"Fine, at least you are sorry! If you want to continue living in this house you must obey the new rules. Starting today you are not Miss Arietta Dwellan anymore, you're just Arietta. You're going to turn eighteen years in two weeks and starting that day you'll work as a servant in the Anthony mansion. If you can't accept your fate, you are free to go out in the world and do as you please. I have no obligation to help you anymore or to give you anything form the family's wealth. Working as a maid in this house is the only help I can offer you right now. You're old enough to stay on your own feet. Do you understand?"

"Yes, I understand! Thank you for everything you have done for me until today. I am very grateful and I will always remember it. After my birthday, I want to leave the house and live on my own. I will create my own future!"

"Your own future? Easy to say, hard to do! Look at your own past! You don't even know who brought you in this world and you still insist to be independent. Well, that's fine with me! As long as you won't bother me and my daughter again, you can do what you want and go where you want. We don't owe each other anything!"

"I know. I am sorry that it has to be this way, Madam. It was a difficult day for everyone so I am very tired. I would like to go to sleep now."

"Fine, that's all I wanted to say to you Arietta!"

Lady Elizabeth turns around and walks out of the girl's room.

The poor Arietta Dwellan had to choose between being a servant in her adoptive father's house or leaving the mansion forever and never came back. It was a difficult choice but she already made up her mind and decided to venture into the world. She wanted so much to find out who are her real parents or if they are still alive. Arietta had a beautiful and quiet life at Lord Anthony's house but now that he died, the things won't be as easy as before. She realized some years ago that Madam Elizabeth dislikes her and her sister Harriett can't stand her but back then Sir Anthony was still alive.

Now the times have changed and the people with them!

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