I gently lifted a bundle of water spinach to bring it home and store it in the food storage. I currently live and serve my stepmother, Mira, and her two children, Minerva and Myra.
My life story is similar to Cinderella's. I am also an orphan, but the difference between us is that my life story is much deeper than her life in the book.
My mother used to be a maid, she was young girl when my stepmother bought her to be her helper. Mira and Irelio, her husband, planned to start a family. They were married and truly loved each other, but my stepmother told me that her husband betrayed her while she was pregnant with her twin children.
She also told me that my mother, Rona, was a despicable kind of slave girl. Because she was able to deceive her husband even though she knew he already had a wife and children.
I don't know if I should believe what she told me, but I see so much sadness in her face even though her eyes blaze with anger whenever I make mistakes and break things.
She also sternly said that she suffered from a severe illness called depression ever since her husband shattered her trust. However, I'm glad she chose to take me in when she found out that my mother tried to kill me. This was her way of getting revenge on my mother, by making me her servant.
Right now, I have no idea where they are, whether they're still alive or not. I don't care anymore, and I never want to see them again.
I'm also getting tired because my stepmother and her daughter, Minerva, constantly remind me that I'm just the fruit of two despicable people's sin. However, there's nothing I can do but endure their hurtful words until I can save enough money and escape their control.
When I came home, I found Myra and Minerva practicing singing.
Minerva's gaze was prickly as I entered the living room to put away my groceries, while Myra was focused and determined, her attention on the rhythm she was singing from the book.
They were practicing to be a choir in the palace, because the "Singing of Melodies" festival was coming up next month.
It was enviable, but I understood why I wasn't allowed to learn, because I was just a servant and couldn't be part of their family.
I moved quietly to prepare the food I was going to cook, avoiding the noise that would distract them from their practice.
I cooked milkfish soup, my stepmother's favorite, and she loved it so much that she would secretly praise me by raising her white and gray eyebrows.
After a few hours, I finished my chores. I left the house around three in the afternoon and went to the entertainment house of my friend, Billy.
Whenever I went there, he always told me that I was a big help to his business because when Vincent wasn't there, I would fill in as a barista, a waiter when Cecil wasn't there, a janitor when old Ernie was sick, and sometimes I would look for clients, but I only got one, maybe I was weak when it came to deception, but I would try because I needed to do it for myself.
My stepmother had no idea about this. All she knew was that I was working for Billy because he was my friend, but the truth was, I wanted to save up and move out of her place. I was wearing my work clothes when I left the house, and inside my small bag were a few pairs of clothes and the beautiful dress I found in Minerva's closet. I also brought the jewelry I kept in my pouch.
I said goodbye to my stepmother before going to the entertainment house. She just nodded and reminded me to bring home her favorite liquor. Tequila, she was referring to the most expensive liquor sold in Billy's entertainment house.
I entered the entertainment house with my head down. I could see the noisy and lively atmosphere. There were people playing billiards, cards, some guests were doing sexual things, and others were having secret transactions and exchanging illegal drugs and weapons.
I went to the bathroom and was preparing to change when I noticed a small piece of paper beside the sink. Billy often left notes in the bathroom because we couldn't talk face to face, because his other clients might notice me, and I was probably posing as Rosa.
Rosa was the elegant woman they always saw in the entertainment house. I was picky when it came to clients, so I probably only had one client because I carefully checked those who approached me before I deceived them. I unfolded the paper and read it silently with my two eyes.
Your rich client, Rowel, has been bugging me since last night, so make sure you meet him tonight. Vincent isn't around today, but don't worry, I'll take over your work tonight, just don't let your client go.
"I didn't expect anyone to remember me." I crumpled the paper and threw it in the trash. I was already hesitant, it felt like I was the one getting tired of what I was doing.
I put on a seductive dress that revealed my back, then put on diamond earrings that matched the colorful necklace. I put on the long blonde wig that Billy gave me, it was sticky so it wouldn't fall off easily.
I faced the small mirror on the wall and looked at my reflection. I started to apply gray eye shadow before I smeared my lips with red lipstick. I put the ruby ring on my middle finger and sprayed lavender perfume.
I made sure I was presentable before I left the bathroom and looked at the people.
I was still standing there when an old man, probably in his fifties, approached me.
"Rosa, I'm so happy to see you again," he said with a smile.
He told me he owned a jewelry factory, so from the moment we met, I made sure he wouldn't get tired of me.
This was our fourth meeting, and every time we met, he never failed to give me jewelry. I endured his touch and kisses on the cheek because in return I got shiny things.
But he had no idea that every time he drank, I asked Billy to find him a woman who would strip for him, so I could tell him something was happening between us whenever we met.
Before he drank, Billy would put drugs in his alcohol to make him dizzy and blurry-eyed whenever he got drunk. The strange thing was, he didn't seem to notice, as if getting dizzy and blurry-eyed whenever he drank was normal for him.
We talked for a few more hours, then he said he didn't want to drink today and wanted something to happen between us without him being drunk. A cold shiver ran down my spine because I was nervous about what he said.
"Hmm, are you sure?" I asked while secretly glancing at Billy.
"Yes, Rosa, I've been getting drunk for days now, and every time I wake up, you're not by my side."
Billy noticed me glancing at him and immediately called me. I hurriedly grabbed the phone from him and pretended to be talking to someone on the other line.
"How's my sibling? What happened? Ha? I-I need to go home right away? Why? Okay, I'm on my way." I hung up the phone with a sigh and made sure he was looking at me before I showed him a worried expression and walked towards him, looking listless.
"I need to leave, I'm sorry, but can we continue this another time?" I quickly got his sympathy and he hugged me before I left the brothel.
As I walked away, I noticed the twinkling lights of a pawn shop and decided to go in. I was disappointed because the jewelry he gave me wasn't that expensive, some were only worth half a million, and not even one piece was worth a million. There was nothing I could do, I should be happy, especially since the endurance I went through paid off, allowing me to collect money.
The woman I sold them to was completely convinced, she was mesmerized by my looks and demeanor. But the only thing I could answer her question with was that I was the daughter of the man who owned the jewelry factory, and I promised to visit her and invite her out to eat, something that seemed impossible for me to do.
When I left the pawn shop, I hid and put all the money in a black plastic garbage bag.
No one doubted what I was carrying because I had already removed my makeup and fancy clothes, changing in a crowded place because it was night and there weren't many people around at that time.
When I got home, I put the clothes back in Minerva's closet and threw the wig in the trash. I didn't need it anymore because I had saved enough and could do whatever I wanted.
And now, I was done pretending to be Rosa, it was time for me to move out, I just needed to find a new place to live and prepare the things I was going to bring. I put the sack away in the storage room because they rarely went there and I was sure they wouldn't notice it. I placed the bottle of tequila on the table before going to bed. I hoped that would be enough to appease my stepmother.
As I lay down in my room, I realized why I sold the jewelry so quickly. I felt regret, maybe that would have been enough to make my dreams come true.