"I had begged your grandfather to let you live outside this family for you to experience a different life. Why must you go and ask for more?" Nora sighed when she came in to check on Wynter.
After coming back and finishing her birthday "celebration" with the orphanages and charities, they chose to promote the Morgrave name even more. She stood in front of them and asked them for her 21st birthday wish.
She could not even remember when she last asked for a wish.
To disown her.
But as expected, why would they let her go?
A promising figure that could gain publicity no matter what she does.
A doll that can do whatever they want.
Someone who could excel and not excel as long as they willed.
She had known all along that this wish was impossible.
But she had plans.
Though her first plan would have a lot of flaws, she would have more setbacks.
Right now, she felt like her current plan had a better chance, that is if Shawn would help her.
She was betting everything on it and asked the one who was helping her all this time to wait a bit longer.
They will push through with the first plan if this does not work to the time limit she had set.
Though deep in her heart, she was hoping that he would come.
'I am quite devious as well. To want to use him after pushing him away, how dare I?'
In the end, as she had expected, she was locked up in the basement because of her wish and was told to think things through.
'Cool your head in this place for a month. After this stupidity you pulled, you will never return to that place again, and you will only go out when we tell you to. You will interact with the people we tell you to and when you try to defy us again, we will lock you up in 'that' place, instead.'
'I never wanted to get back to that place again,' she thought upon remembering their words.
"Are you listening to me? I am the only one left who is on your side. How difficult was it to speak with your grandfather for him to tell your father to let you enjoy the outside world?" Nora sighed heavily, seeing her not reacting to her.
"I did not need your sympathy," Wynter looked up at her grandmother from the cold floor.
Her eyes were not dead despite the brutality of the punishment she had received from her parents.
Of course, it would be brutal, she felt like she had some internal wounds with how much they tasked the maids to beat her for asking for such a wish.
"I did not ask you to do that. Nor did I desire to receive your sympathy," Wynter kept looking at her with the indifference she had practiced as Harmony.
Nora pursed her lips upon seeing her indifferent attitude.
"I know you can tell that I am the only one who has compassion for you," she couldn't help but repeat her words.
Wynter chuckled but ended up wincing when she pulled the wound on her lip.
"Compassion? You only have that small amount of compassion for me because I am more pitiful than you are in this household. Without me, you would be the most pitiful one. You yourself are even pitying your own pitiful life."
Nora's face darkened.
"You begged grandfather? More like you tried to get on his good side by telling him that I will learn of the harshness of the outside world if he lets Father make me study outside of those strict, prestigious homeschooling. And will realize that his way of raising me is the best. And coaxing him to leave me alone without guards, since I was also trained to feel them. That way I will know that they are there and that won't help at all."
This is the reality of their family.
The one who still holds the power in Morgrave Dynamics is Jonathan Morgrave, Charlie's father and Wynter's grandfather.
Even though Charlie was already leading it, the main decision maker is still Jonathan.
But Charlie's decision could also be influenced by her mother, Minerva. When Wynter makes mistakes or does something Minerva did not like, Minerva would tell Charlie, and Charlie would punish her.
Just like during Lenon's birthday celebration.
"And all those conditions to study outside of this mansion are all because of your suggestions. Because you wanted to see me struggle even more."
She could still remember the time Nora tended to her wound when the thing with Patricia happened, there was a frown on her old face as if she was worried, but her eyes were gloating.
She enjoys watching Wynter get hit because she feels that she is superior to her.
Wynter slowly got up from the floor.
"Don't think I did not realize the implications of your words when I spoke of leaving outside the family now that I am an adult. 'She was influenced by them, but she can still change. She finally got the chance to see and experience the outside world, something she desired, now she should be satisfied.'"
While everyone was berating her and shouting at her, Nora acted coy towards Jonathan and spoke of those words.
A mocking smile appeared on Wynter's lips.
"Influenced? Change? It's like telling him directly that they needed to change me because I was no longer the ideal daughter or granddaughter. This will make grandfather more infuriated. Seen the outside world? Something I desired? Satisfied? You are simply telling him that I was the one who asked you to ask him to let me study outside."
She shook her head, "That way, you can wash yourself clean from the fact that it was you who suggested it all on your own."