Author's note: Once again, this chapter contains a trigger warning for domestic violence and this time, explicit abuse. As I said in previous chapters, I have tried to address this as tactfully as possible while not downplaying the reality of these situations. Unfortunately, there is no good way to avoid the relevant scenarios since there are important plot elements that are explained in this chapter. However, if you feel uncomfortable with the actual reading of the material, please contact me and I will be happy to provide a synopsis in a more concise manner.

Marinette felt nothing. She was past fear, she was past terror. She just felt her own body moving of it's own free will as Lila held her eyes. She felt her legs carry her to the wooden kitchen chair. She knew she was letting Lila see every emotion on her face, but she couldn't do a thing about it. Every memory she had suppressed of Lila's abuse - her jabs, her slaps, her shrieks and screams, every one of them came back to her in unspeakable clarity as she watched the expression on her stepmother's face.

Had she taken that long to run? Had her stepmother somehow not gone to the festival at all? She could have sworn it couldn't be possible for her stepmother to be waiting for her like this had she been in the carriage Nathaniel had tried to stall. But none of these questions had an answer, and they did nothing more than flash through her head as she looked back at Lila, terrified blue eyes meeting heartless olive green. Then Marinette looked away quickly, trying to hide a shudder as her stepmother laughed cruelly and walked away from her across the room.

"I thought so. You're just like your father, too weak to fight back."

These words hurt like a slap across the face, and Marinette jerked her head up, her own terror fading slightly, to be replaced with anger.

"How dare you!" she said, barely more than a whisper. "How dare you say something like that about him?!"

"I can say whatever I want about him, darling. He's dead." Lila said, slipping back into her sickly sweet tone before allowing her venom to break through again in full force. "And you. I hope you enjoyed your little trip to the castle, because it's the last time you'll ever leave this house again."

She moved forward menacingly, and Marinette knew she had nowhere to go. She was trapped just like every other time. Except, she knew instinctively, this wasn't like every other time.

Lila just kept walking toward her stepdaugher, anger in her eyes.

"Tell me. Did you enjoy it? Did you enjoy destroying my plans yet again? What a triumph for you, after all. The mysterious Ladybug, everyone just adored her - even the prince himself. All those years of work to get close to the royal family, all the connections I made, I even got a personal introduction to the king himself. All trashed by an ugly girl in a costume who decided to step above herself and get away with it."

Lila reached Marinette's chair and placed one hand on the back, leaning in threateningly.

"I hope you understand that your little stunt doesn't change anything. In fact, with a few conversations I could have Ladybug labeled as a dangerous lunatic, or even an assassin bent on killing the crown prince. After all, people believe what they want to believe."

Marinette finally spoke up.

"They won't believe you. The prince won't believe you."

"The prince?" Lila laughed sharply. "You think the prince is going to be the one to clear your name? Please. If anything, his testimony will just make it all sound worse. After all, you're the girl who turned his head so much that he pushed every other girl away, even his own fiance. Not that it would have mattered if the girl who caught his eye had been a nobleman's daughter, but… Did you really think he'd care about a servant girl? Did you think anyone would care?"

Lila grabbed Marinette's chin with one hand and forced it up.

"Did you think that nighttime visitor of yours would care?"

Marinette hadn't known her panic and terror could increase, but these words made every nerve in her body feel like it was on fire. It was several moments before she realized she hadn't breathed, that her stepmother was still watching her, a cruel laugh in her eyes

"How… how did you?"

Lila stepped back and laughed mirthlessly.

"You really think I didn't know? What kind of an idiot do you take me for? I have to say, I took great pleasure in destroying any chance you had with him. It was such a sweet note he left, too… and that gift he left for his "princess", quite something. How on earth did you manage to snare two different high-class boys with that fake humility of yours?"

The pit of her stomach was falling, but Marinette forced her voice to remain even as she said quietly

"What are you talking about?"

Lila just looked at her with a mix of condescension and derisive amusement.

"Oh, this is too good. You really thought he just left you! That's so naive. Darling, no man will just give up on a woman, no matter how much you may want him to. That boy was so desperate to impress you and make up for whatever that shouting was about that he found and bought back those earrings you risked so much for last week. I hope you enjoyed that little surprise, by the way. Chloé was utterly delighted to wear your earrings, and I'm assuming she did manage to catch your eye with them?"

Marinette nodded mutely, knowing her stepmother wouldn't take no for an answer. Lila's insincere smile just broadened.

"That, along with that stupid love note. He left a sickeningly saccharine apology note for you, practically begging you to take him back. And now he'll never know why it was that he lost you."

"W-what did it say?"

Marinette couldn't look at her stepmother, but she knew from her tone that Lila was enjoying this moment, gloating at her stepdaughter's obvious emotion.

"Oh, just the usual. He was so sorry to have upset you so much, and he was leaving a gift for you, and if you loved him at all or even wanted to see him again, you'd use it."

"The earrings." Marinette breathed, and Lila's laugh was cold and hard.

"I know how much those earrings are worth. No country bumpkin would be able to afford anything like them. Now I want you to tell me something."

Lila once more put one hand on the back of Marinette's chair, the other resting on her chin. Once more they stared into each other's eyes.

"Who is he?"

Marinette blinked. This question wasn't at all what she'd expected, but she quickly realized the ramifications of Lila's question.

"Why do you care?" she said, trying to sound brave despite her thundering pulse and quickly encroaching spot in her vision. Lila just glared harder at her.

"I don't think it's any of your business. Now tell me who he is."

"I don't know!"

Lila slapped her across the face and stepped back, eyes blazing again.

"I would have thought you'd learn to do this the easy way. Let me put it this way. There are two options, and it all really depends on you. You can either tell me his name and I'll be able to take care of my own business with him quietly and privately, without any fuss, or you can refuse. But if you refuse to tell me, I'll have to go to the authorities and report that a strange man has broken into our house several times. And since I don't have a description of him, they would have to get one from the only other person who saw him."

Marinette was finding it harder and harder to swallow as her stepmother looked steadily at her, sweet venom in her voice.

"So really, it's your choice. Tell me, or tell the authorities. And I recommend you choose quickly."

"You can't make me do anything!"

She knew as soon as the words left her mouth that it was the wrong thing to say. Lila froze, then a smile came over her face.

The kind of smile that made Marinette's entire frame seize up with fear.

"I don't think you quite understand this situation. Just because you seem to be the one person who doesn't follow the rules of the game doesn't mean you're not playing it. You don't have a choice. Because the more you fight against me, the more you're going to suffer. It's really quite simple. Just do as I say. I don't care if you believe me or not, because it doesn't matter. You can take all the time you need to realize that, because there's no getting away from it. All that matters is that I have total control. And there's nothing you can do about it."

Marinette felt her eyes glued to those of her stepmother. She felt, but she didn't physically do. Her mind had begun its slip into the subconscious, and only Lila's laugh brought her back.

"I can't believe you were so naive! Why on earth would you bring this back to me instead of returning it to the shop you obviously must have robbed?"

Marinette returned to earth and saw that Lila had moved away from her and was stooping to pick up the shoe still lying at the door, holding it up to examine. It glittered in the dim light of the lamp, and Marinette could almost see the plan in her stepmother's mind half a second before she saw her grasp it by the heel and smash it into the doorpost.

It didn't break. Lila looked at it in disbelief before smashing it once more. Still it did no more than clink against the old wood, and Lila snarled as she threw it down on the ground as hard as she could. It just skittered across the floor toward the fireplace Marinette lunged for it, only to scream out in pain as the furious older woman grabbed onto her hair and threw her onto the floor. Marinette could only watch as her stepmother picked up the precious shoe and stood up, towering over her menacingly.

"I may not be able to break this, but I'll sure as hell break you." she spat, before kicking out at Marinette, who shielded her head with her arm. The blow landed directly on her ribs, and Marinette clutched at the spot, crying out in pain and terrified that more would follow. But instead, she just heard the sound of derisive laughter and footsteps fading away down the hall.