Chapter 1 Broken Ribs and Bleeding Thighs

The aunties and uncles and all the other relatives I hadn't seen in a while stepped away after paying their last tributes to dad. Dressed in black clothes,

I watched each of them bow their heads sadly as they paid their last respects while the rector Miguel had hired spoke about death and the afterlife.

Before now, I'd never seen much of these aunties or uncles. I used to hear that dad wasn't on good terms with them, but why are they here now?

I also didn't believe the rumors about dad not being on good terms with them because he was the sweetest man I'd ever known.

I'd never met my mom. She died while I was a baby, so my dad remarried my stepmother, Irene. Irene was not the perfect stepmother, but she tried her best to treat me like a distant relative and not as one of her children.

Miguel and Maria, her twins, always bullied me when my dad or their mom weren't home.

Now that both of them are gone, I know I am about to face the worst moments of my life living without them. Both Miguel and Maria are older than me. I am only twenty-two, while they're both thirty years old.

Irene passed away last year due to a dreadful illness, and my dad died last week due to an accident. It broke my heart when I heard the news.

"And may he rest peacefully," the rector finalized solemnly when the last set of my relatives paid their respects and went back to their chairs.

Miguel and Maria were standing on the left side of the seating arrangement. My gut told me they didn't want to be associated with me, which was fine. I hope I can gain my freedom before they turn me into a slave.

After everyone paid their respects, my relatives started to leave one by one. Dad's coffin was carefully lowered into the ground before they all left, leaving me alone with the awful twins.

"Well, well, well..." Miguel sang as he approached me slowly from the other side of the seating arrangement. As if on cue, the warm, sunny afternoon suddenly turned gloomy as the dark clouds blocked the sun.

Maria smirked behind her brother as they came to my front. "Guess it's just us now, dear sister," Miguel grinned mischievously.

I tried not to roll my eyes because I didn't want to provoke him. Miguel is an abusive person, and he's beaten me a handful of times when dad or Irene went out on a date. I'd cry myself to sleep whenever it happened because I didn't want dad to hate Miguel, who wasn't his biological son.

"I'm leaving," I said, turning my back to head back into the house.

I've always known it's a mistake to turn your back on your enemy, but I never understood why until now.

"Not so fast, gremlin," Maria tutted as she grabbed my hair and pulled with a force hard enough to pull a door off its hinges.

I felt ringing in my ears as my eyes became wet with tears. My scalp started to burn, but Maria didn't let go of my hair. Instead, she continued to tug and tug until I fell down backwards, landing on my back and facing the twins.

They stared down at me with a pitiful look that I knew wasn't genuine.

"Where are you going? I didn't say you could leave." Miguel's expression turned angry.

"With dad gone now, I am now the man of the house, which means that my word goes. You don't move without my permission. You do not eat, sleep, read, or do anything without my permission!" He shouted like a military commander giving out orders.

"Do you understand me?" He gritted out in a low voice.

From my angle on the ground, I could see the dark clouds behind his head.

It was as if the universe was trying to tell me that today was the beginning of the worst years of my life.

Miguel's eyes were dark with hatred and empty. I've never been fond of him, but at that moment, I knew I had every right to despise him.

How could he do this to me when dad had just died? Who did he think he was?

I wanted to shout back at him and tell him to go fuck himself, but I knew I'd only be signing my death warrant if I said that.

He was much older than me, and it would be stupid of me to make any trouble for myself when I had no money or job. Thankfully, I've graduated from university, which means I can always apply for a job whenever I regain my freedom, whenever that may be.

"Is he not talking to a cheap human like you?" Maria kicked my rib cage as she hissed.

"Yes, I understand!" I fired back in frustration as hot pain burst from my ribs and scattered around my body. Maria had kicked me with a Louboutin! Those shoes are as hard as rocks.

There would be a scar on my body by now, I am sure of it.

Wincing painfully, I turned away from them to massage the affected area. That was a big mistake on my part. As soon as I turned, Maria used the heel of her shoes to poke my thigh. She made sure to add enough pressure, causing the pointed, slender heel to make a small hole in my thigh, making me bleed.

"Ahhhh!" I screamed in anguish as more tears flowed from my eyes.

I heard Miguel laugh. I was blinded by my tears. I couldn't see, but I could hear how demented and evil his laughter was. I felt the blood trickle from the outside of my thigh to the center and down to my legs.

Even injection needles didn't hurt like this.

"I told you not to move without my permission, gremlin," Miguel snickered.

I cried silently so as not to provoke them any further. When my eyes couldn't hold any more tears, I opened them to find the twins sitting down and looking down at me with bored expressions.

"Are you done being dramatic?" Maria faked a yawn. She was turning her right hand this way and that, admiring her nails.

My throat was dry, and any slight movement made my ribcage hurt even more, so I didn't bother to answer. I laid still on the grass and just nodded weakly.

"Good. It's almost time for dinner, but you won't be joining us. Use the time to pack the seats into the truck. The driver will be here in the next hour. If you don't finish before the driver comes, no dinner for you," Miguel instructed.

To show him that I got his message, I nodded once more, being careful not to let out any whimpers.

"Let's go, brother dearest, and leave the maid to work."

When they disappeared into the house, I let my thoughts wander aimlessly as I stared up into the cloudy sky.

So this is my life now. Dad was my only protector, but he's gone now. I have no friends because they all moved out of the country after graduation.

A few of my relatives don't really care about the family because they didn't believe dad's business could take off, so he cut them off when he finally made it as an entrepreneur.

The twins hate me because I am the only one in the family who has dad's blood running through my veins.

They only have his name, but I have both his name and his blood.

But sadly, I can't use any of that to my advantage. I have no power here.

As I thought about how miserable my life had turned in the blink of an eye, I felt a drop of water land on my cheek. Then I blink, and it begins to pour. It was raining.

Fuck.

The universe isn't on my side, I guess. I am a slave to my step-siblings, and I am lying in wet grass after my dad was buried. There is a hole in my thigh that is bleeding, and my rib cage feels like it has been smashed to pieces with a hefty rock.

Nothing could be worse than this. Remembering Miguel's instructions from earlier, I closed my eyes and counted to ten. It was the only way to distract myself from the pain of the violence Maria had inflicted on my body.

On the tenth count, I jumped to my feet without overthinking it. When I landed, it felt like I made it, but then a sharp pain pierced from my thigh and shot right up, through my ribs, connecting with the nerves there and strengthening their bonds, bringing me more pain.

I let out a scream as the rain fell harder. At least no one could hear me.

I am all alone.

After screaming, I tore the hem of my black gown and tied it around the hole in my thigh to stop the bleeding.

"Just endure it," I tried to console myself as I made a move to start packing the chairs.

I checked the time on my watch as I rounded up the last chairs. I had thirty minutes to spare, which means I'll get to eat tonight. We didn't serve the relatives any food because everyone was in a hurry, so Miguel and Maria hadn't bothered to tell Catherine, our cook and live in househelp, to cook any meals.

A short, muscular man who looked to be in his mid-forties rounded the truck as I pushed the remaining foldable chairs into the back.

"Oh, sweetie, this was supposed to be my job."

"It's fine; I'm already done." I smiled wearily.

"But it's raining so hard, you shouldn't have bothered," he reproached kindly.

"I really don't mind," I lied through chattering teeth.

The man argued with me for a while before warning me about the dangers of being in the rain for too long.

Then he gently told me to dry myself and have a hot cup of chocolate once I returned to the house. I thanked him for caring about my health and bade him goodbye as he drove off our street.

Then I walked back to the house with my heart in my chest, wondering what else the twins were going to tell me to do.

When I stepped into the foyer, I could smell the faint aroma of Catherine's famous egg-tomato soup. It's a recipe she learned from one of her favorite cooking shows.

She'd fry eggs with a bunch of spices and carrots, then pour them into shredded tomatoes and stir fry until the juice from the tomatoes turned sweet with the addition of soy sauce and vinegar.

Even though I was practically a slave now, I couldn't wait to eat her food and temporarily forget my problem with the twins.

I made a beeline for the kitchen once I was sure my gown wasn't dripping muddy water onto the floor. I met Catherine turning something into a pot, with her back turned to me.

"Hi Catherine," I said cheerfully, so she wouldn't detect any hint of distress in my voice.

She startled before turning to look at me as if she'd seen a ghost. Catherine's eyes, which were always warm, were now cold. She looked me up and down like I was a spoiled brat, then resumed stirring the pot, not bothering to spare me another glance.

"Catherine..." I called in a small voice, as if I were a child afraid of the dark and calling out to her parents.

Catherine ignored me. The sweet aroma of spicy fried eggs and sour tomatoes no longer wafted into my nostrils. The pitter-patter of the rain and the earthy smell of wet grass and soil were all I could hear and smell.

Even though the universe wasn't on my side, it was there to remind me that I was now alone.

The earthy smell was a harsh reminder that nature was all I had. I don't know what Miguel and Maria told Catherine, but it was obvious it was something bad enough to make her look at me like I was the child of the devil.

I heaved a tired sigh as I trudged out of the kitchen. I passed through the dining table, which was adorned with dishes of beef stew and shredded potatoes. I could hear the faint laughter of Maria in her bedroom upstairs.

Oh, dad, I wish you hadn't died so soon. I whispered to his portrait hanging on the wall of the dining room.

He wasn't always present, but his presence was enough to keep the twins away from me. Now he's gone, and they've revealed their true characters. I am trapped in this house with them, just like a fairytale princess.

But unlike the fairytale princess, there would be no prince charming coming to save me. Only I can save myself, no matter how long it takes.