Witchcraft runs in my blood. For generations, the Hamilton family has served the Devereauxs, the wealthiest dynasty in the country, performing an annual rite to alter their cursed fate. In this generation, the burden of the craft fell to me, and me alone. The moment my final exam ended on Friday, I was whisked into a waiting Maybach, heading for the old Devereaux estate. But as I stepped out of the car, a hand tangled viciously in my hair, yanking my head back. “You little slut! Isn’t it enough you’re seducing my fiancé at school? You had to chase him all the way to his family home? Don’t you know your place!” “I swear, if I don’t ruin that pretty face of yours today, my name isn’t Victoria Sterling!” A searing pain ripped through my scalp as I was thrown to the ground. Victoria’s friends descended on me, kicking and punching, their threats echoing in my ears. One of them stomped on my wrist. I heard the sickening crack of it breaking. The bone tore through the skin. But if I couldn’t perform the rite today, the entire Devereaux family would be consumed by a torrent of blood and disaster. 1 Both of my hands were shattered, crushed by a brick. The splintered bones of my wrists jutted out from the flesh, the agony so intense it stole my breath. Victoria’s friends stared, their faces pale with shock. They hadn’t expected their little “lesson” to go this far. They had no idea the real consequences had yet to begin. A thousand years ago, a curse was laid upon the Devereaux line. Every child, for generations, has been born with a fatal affliction. Only through my family’s witchcraft, an annual defiance of heaven’s decree, have they managed to survive. The magic was passed down, but I was the only one in my generation to receive its full power. Two years ago, the craft’s backlash claimed my parents, leaving me an orphan. Charles Devereaux, the family patriarch, was a man of modern sensibilities. He’d been skeptical that a young woman like me could rewrite his family’s destiny. During one rite, he deliberately altered the placement of several altars. The next day, his son, Caleb, was in a car accident that shattered both his legs. Doctors across the country were baffled by his condition. Simultaneously, several of his company’s largest projects were flagged for catastrophic errors. The Devereaux empire faced a crisis unlike any before. He had no choice but to hire me again, this time for a fortune. Only after I had completed the ritual did their fortunes begin to turn. From that day on, I became the Devereauxs’ most sacred protector. Barely an adult, I held more power in their house than anyone. To secure my loyalty, Charles had even transferred half of the company’s shares to my name. The lives and fortunes of over a hundred family members rested on my shoulders. And now, with my hands broken, they were all facing ruin. Victoria, oblivious to the gravity of her actions, was still preening over me. “Don’t think I don’t know what you’re up to. Seducing Caleb at school is one thing, but following him home? I’m here today as his fiancée to meet the Devereauxs’ special protector. You dare ruin this for me? I’ll make you regret you were ever born!” The pain was so blinding I couldn’t speak. The sheer stupidity of it all left me breathless. Caleb had only been passing messages from his father, showing me financial statements so I could see my own earnings and discussing the placement for tonight’s altars. The celestial alignments changed each year, and the rite had to adapt. How had that become me seducing him? I tried to explain, but just then, the estate’s butler emerged from the villa. The scene before him drained the color from his face. “Miss Hamilton! Who did this to you?” he gasped. “It’s over… it’s all over! What are you all standing there for? Call an ambulance! If anything happens to Miss Hamilton, the Master will have your heads!” Victoria, consumed by rage, ignored him completely. Hands on her hips, she jabbed a finger at me. “Are you blind? I’m Caleb’s fiancée, and I’m teaching a homewrecker a lesson. Who are you to interfere? You’re just a dog kept by the Devereauxs. Don’t you know who your master is?” She scoffed. “Save her? To hell with that. If I don’t tear her face off today, I’ll have wasted twenty years of my life!” I raised a trembling hand, trying to signal the butler for help. But one of Victoria’s friends stomped her heel directly onto my shattered wrist. “Stop the act! We’re not as easy to fool as Caleb! You’re always clinging to him at school, your skin is thicker than a pig’s hide. It’s time you learned a lesson!” “Tori is the one the Devereauxs chose for him! You’re just some charity case dreaming of marrying into a dynasty? You’re not worthy! I spit on you!” Cold sweat drenched my body. I fought through the agony to explain. “You’re mistaken! Caleb was talking to me about the ritual tonight. You’ve broken my hands… the entire Devereaux family will die because of this!” “Let me go! If you get me to a hospital now, there might still be time. If we miss the auspicious hour, the Devereauxs are finished!” Caleb was arrogant and looked down on everyone. If not for my pact with his family, I’d never willingly speak to him. But choosing a harpy like Victoria as his fiancée? The Devereauxs’ centuries-old legacy was about to be destroyed by her sheer ignorance. I thought my explanation might make her pause. Instead, she laughed as if it were the funniest joke she’d ever heard, her face a mask of cold contempt. “A ritual? Honey, what century are you living in? You think anyone still believes that crap? If I hadn’t caught you today, I bet your ‘ritual’ would have ended up in Caleb’s bed!” “You little tramp, don’t you dare play innocent with me. Are you going to say the Devereauxs are only alive today because of you? Who the hell do you think you are?” The butler, frantically making a call, rushed forward to help me, but Victoria slapped him across the face. “I am the future Mrs. Devereaux! I’d like to see anyone here dare to touch me!” she shrieked. “If a single hair on my head is harmed, Caleb will have all of your miserable lives!” The guards flinched, not daring to move. The butler, afraid to offend Caleb’s fiancée, could only pace frantically. One of Victoria’s friends sensed something was wrong. “Tori, they don’t look like they’re faking,” she whispered nervously. “Maybe this bitch really is important to Caleb. He’s on his way here now, shouldn’t we wait?” Victoria shot her a glacial look. “Do I need you to teach me how to handle a slut?” “She’s just a tramp. Even if I beat her to death, Caleb wouldn’t dare say a word to me! He needs my father for that new project. You think he’d protect this bitch over that?” The friend fell silent, retreating back into the fold. A cold rage began to burn through my pain. “Your stupidity is your own problem,” I said, my voice dangerously low. “Don’t drag over a hundred members of the Devereaux family down with you.” “Every word I’ve said is true. If you don’t believe me, call Caleb right now and ask him.” “Today is the most important day of the year for the Devereauxs. You’ve made me bleed. They will not spare you. What good is a business deal when you’re dead?” Victoria didn’t believe a word. She swung her hand and struck me across the face, a hard, sharp slap. “To hell with your ritual! Do you think I’m an idiot? Call him? You’re not even worthy. You might fool Caleb, but you can’t fool me!” “Today, I’m going to teach you a lesson. Let’s just see if anything happens to the Devereaux family!” Suppressing my fury, I tried to use voice commands to have my phone call 911. Before I could finish, Victoria crushed it under her heel. “This is illegal! The Devereauxs won’t let you get away with this! Stop now, and you might have a chance. If the police get here, you’re finished!” She was unmoved, lunging at me again. Threats were useless. Using every ounce of strength I had left, I scrambled to my feet and threw myself at her. She tumbled to the ground, her face contorted with rage. I tried to crawl toward the butler, but a heavy blow struck the back of my legs, and I collapsed. “Beat her! Beat her until she can’t move!” Victoria screamed. “Some powerful witch, can’t even handle a single blow from a stick? You’re a fraud, a phony!” “I’ll teach you to act! I’ll teach you to seduce Caleb! If you walk away from this alive, I’ll change my name!” She climbed on top of me, pinning me down, her hands a blur as she rained slaps down on my face until it was a swollen, bloody mess. During a brief pause when her arms grew tired, I used my last bit of energy to scream at her. “Victoria, stop! The time is almost here! If I don’t go in now, people will actually die!” “Then it won’t just be Caleb, you’ll be an enemy to the entire Devereaux family! Do you think you can get away with murdering that many people? The backlash will destroy you!” Victoria’s fury turned to laughter. Another slap landed on my cheek. “A witch, are you? You perform rituals? Fine. Do one now. Let’s see if your magic can save you!” “Aren’t you so powerful? Aren’t you the one who can change fate? How come you couldn’t predict you’d meet with disaster the moment you stepped out your door today?” The pain was too intense for words. She took my silence as guilt. “No more excuses? What’s wrong, great witch? Done with the performance?” “You’re so amazing, I just have to let everyone see this. In this day and age, we still have superstitious trash like you! Performing your ‘rituals’ in other people’s beds!” “If it weren’t for you, Caleb wouldn't have canceled on me so many times. Bitch, I’m going to tear your face apart!” Blood and tears mingled, blurring my vision. I couldn't believe that scumbag Caleb was using me as an excuse for his own philandering. I’d run into him at restaurants several times with other women; he’d always paid my bill to buy my silence. I had even warned him not to cheat on his fiancée. And Victoria, completely unaware, saw me as the homewrecker. My body trembled with a powerless rage. “If you don’t believe me, ask the butler! He knows everything!” The butler rushed forward to explain, but Victoria’s friends blocked his path. “Miss Hamilton is truly the family’s benefactor! You can’t touch her!” he pleaded. “The Devereaux family owes its entire existence to her! I’ve already notified the Master, he’s on his way! If you continue, not even God will be able to save you!” Victoria spat in the butler’s direction and looked down at me, her eyes burning. “You’re more resourceful than I thought. You even managed to buy the butler. Is he the one who paved your way into the master bedroom?” “You’re no virgin, so why pretend? You’ve probably used this same act on countless rich men. Today, I’m going to expose you to the world. Let’s see how you seduce anyone after this!” With that, she took out her phone and started a livestream. The camera was pointed directly at my face. “Hey everyone, take a good look! A modern-day witch! So powerful she can dispel your family’s misfortunes just by sleeping with you. Ever seen a whore who does rituals? Well, now you have!” “Today, you’re all in for a real education!” The stream instantly flooded with over a hundred thousand viewers. The comments were a torrent of vitriol. “OMG this girl is insane for money. Is she that desperate for a man? There are homeless guys on the street, why not sleep with them?” “Anyone who resorts to this 'ritual' crap must be at their wit's end. This girl uses her body to climb the ladder and still has the nerve to act all high and mighty? Shameless.” “These homewreckers will come up with any excuse. Nanny, maid, witch… what’s next? Mortician? Sluts like her should be struck by lightning! Girl, you hit her hard, I’m a lawyer, I’ll represent you in court for free!” The support from the viewers emboldened Victoria. She turned to the camera and proceeded to slap me dozens of times. I was fading, barely conscious, tears streaming down my face. Victoria, however, was triumphant. She moved the camera closer. “See, everyone? A few slaps and she’s acting like this. You’d think I was killing her! Is this how you play the victim for men? You’re nothing but a manipulative bitch, and I’m the one who’s going to fix you!” I knew nothing I said would change her mind. I had to save my strength and wait for the Devereauxs to rescue me. My lack of resistance only enraged her further. She grabbed my hair, forcing my head up. “What? Done with the act? Can’t keep it up anymore? Speak!” “Admit you’re a slut who seduces other women’s fiancés. Admit you don’t know any magic, that you just sell your body for money. Do that, and I’ll let you go today!” I bit my lip until it bled, refusing to say a word. Just then, a comment floated across the screen. “I heard roosters can ward off evil spirits. They can probably handle a slutty fox-spirit too. Why not let her get it on with a rooster? That would be an education for all of us!” Victoria’s eyes lit up. Her friends grabbed me and began dragging me towards the old manor. Realizing what they planned to do, I fought with all my might, collapsing to the ground and trying to crawl away. Victoria stomped on my back, and I coughed up a mouthful of blood. “Trying to run? Not a chance!” “You like men so much, don’t you? You’re so lonely, aren’t you? Today, I’ll be the witch. I’ll grant your pathetic wish!” The butler and guards followed from a distance, flinching with every move Victoria made, looking as if they might faint. “Please, stop! I’m begging you on my knees!” the butler cried. “Miss Hamilton is the family’s very soul! You’re destroying the Devereauxs!” He abandoned all decorum and lunged forward to save me, but Victoria’s friends slammed the door and locked it, trapping them outside. “Watch closely,” Victoria’s voice echoed from inside. “This is what happens to homewreckers. If any other shameless bitch tries to get near my man, this is how you handle them!” She dragged my broken body towards the room with the altars. The sounds of the butler’s desperate pleas faded into the distance. My heart turned to ash. There was no escaping this. The Devereaux family was finished. Victoria scanned the room, her eyes finally landing on the black rooster prepared for the ritual. I took the opportunity to break free, but I only made it a few feet before her friends dragged me back. Victoria grabbed a golden ritual bowl from an altar and smashed it over my head. “You bitch! Still fighting! I’ll teach you to run!” “Break her legs, too!” They swarmed me, their feet stomping down on my body relentlessly. Soon, I didn’t even have the strength to scream. I lay there, a heap of broken flesh. The viewers in the livestream cheered, proclaiming how satisfying it was to watch. Victoria then ordered, “Strip all her clothes off! Let everyone get a good look at what a real slut looks like!” Even my underwear was torn away and thrown aside. I was completely naked. Victoria approached, holding the ritual blade from the altar, its yew-wood handle dark in her hand. She tapped the flat of the blade against my chest. “This is what you use to seduce men, isn’t it? These two lumps of flesh? Let me help you get rid of them.” The consecrated blade touched my skin. The pain was a line of white-hot fire. I instinctively twisted away, trying to escape. The blade raked across my body, tearing through skin and muscle, carving a deep gash from my chest down to my stomach. I lay in a pool of my own blood, on the verge of collapse. Victoria aimed the camera at my mutilated body. “See that? This is what happens to sluts! All your witchcraft and rituals are useless against my knife!” As she spoke, she had her friends pin me down. There was no escape. I could only watch as she pressed the blade to my chest again, carving two deep, cruel circles over my breasts, pressing so hard it felt like she was trying to pierce my heart. The livestream was flooded with gifts and donations. Finally, Victoria threw the knife down in frustration. “Too bad the blade is too dull to cut them off. You’re lucky!” “The warm-up is over,” she said with a grin. “Time for the main event.” Her friend threw the rooster onto my body. Its sharp beak instantly dug into my flesh. “Tori’s ideas are the best! This bitch will never dare to go near Caleb again!” “Serves her right for not knowing her place. The Devereauxs? As if she could ever dream of being one of them.” “Forced to mate with a rooster, and broadcast to the whole world… If I were her, I’d kill myself right now.” Still not satisfied, Victoria grabbed the rooster, preparing to force it onto me.
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