Wow… looks like it's only the woman that's a bitch, I thought to myself.
I shook the thought away and went on to complete my remaining duties for the day. As I turned a corner, I ran into Niffy.
"Hi, Kara," she said warmly. "So… how was your first day? It looked intense."
"It's fine," I replied with a small smile. "Better than I imagined, but I think I have a little back pain right now."
Niffy laughed knowingly. "Yeah… I heard what went down in the kitchen. Bad luck for a first day. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just try to avoid her."
"I will," I said. "Thank you. Let me quickly finish up."
"When you're done, come to the maids' quarters kitchen for lunch," Niffy added.
"Okay. Thank you."
I went on to carry out my remaining duties. The rest of the day passed smoothly, mostly because I did my best to stay out of Kira's mother's sight.
That night, I slept well. The bed was softer and more comfortable than anything I ever had at the orphanage. As I lay there, memories of Kate crept into my mind, and I hoped she was doing fine. I made a mental note to call her the next day.
Thankfully, I wasn't assigned to the dining room the following day. I felt relieved… yet oddly disappointed that I wouldn't see Kira.
Come off it, I scolded myself. She's not on your level.
Later the next day, while tending to the garden, I sensed someone behind me. I turned quickly and found Kira standing there.
"Hi," she said. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," I replied. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
"No," she said. "I just wanted some quiet time here."
"Oh," I said, stepping back. "Then I should leave."
"No, it's fine," she said quickly. "You can stay."
She hesitated. "And… I'm sorry about my mother. She's not always like that. She just has issues."
"It's okay," I replied honestly. "I expected worse."
She laughed softly. "So… how old are you?"
"I'm seventeen," I said. "What about you?"
"Same age," she chuckled. "So why are you here?"
"To do my duties," I replied.
She smiled. "I mean… what brought you here? To work here."
"It's a long story," I said quietly. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"That's fine," she said gently. "There's time. You'll open up when you're ready."
She paused, then added teasingly, "And I saw how you looked at me that day."
I felt embarrassed. "I was just admiring your dress sense."
Her eyes lit up. "Are you into fashion?"
"Yes," I said eagerly. "I love fashion. I want to work in the fashion industry someday. The moment you walked in, I recognized the brands. I read fashion articles a lot, and I try to keep up with new collections."
Kira smiled wider. "Then we have something in common. I love fashion too. I want to be a stylist."
"That's amazing," I said. "Fashion has always been something I loved. I hope I'm not boring you."
She laughed. "Not at all. I know how it feels when you meet someone who actually understands you."
For a moment, it felt like the world around us disappeared.
Then I glanced at the time and stiffened. "I need to finish my duties."
She nodded. "We'll talk later."
"Yes," I said, smiling. "Later."
After weeks of bonding with Kira, I finally felt like I had someone I could trust. We shared stories of our pasts, laughed over little memories, and even talked about fashion. She told me about shows, designers, and little tricks I'd never have known on my own. I couldn't help but admire her world—it was so different from mine, yet she made me feel included.
One afternoon, she pulled me into her room. I hesitated at the door, feeling a little shy.
"Kara, come in!" she said, grinning.
I stepped inside and froze. A small pile of luxury items lay on her bed—designer bags, perfume, even a silk scarf. My eyes widened.
"Kira, I can't—" I stammered.
"Stop that," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Take it. I've had enough of this lying around, and it's going to waste. You'll make better use of it than I ever could."
I shook my head. "I don't know… it feels too much."
"Too much?" she said, smirking. "Kara, come on. You've had nothing, and I've got plenty. Just take it, okay? Please?"
I bit my lip, hesitated, then finally smiled and accepted. The warmth in my chest felt like sunlight breaking through a cloudy day.
•••••
But the next morning, my happiness vanished. I had no idea that today would be the start of something much harder.
I had just finished the laundry when a voice like ice cut through the quiet.
"Come here, you filthy girl!"
I jumped, my stomach flipping. Kira's mother stood in the doorway, her eyes sharp and unforgiving.
"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled, hands fidgeting.
"You think working here is easy, don't you?" she said, stepping closer. "Let me make one thing clear. If you ever so much as cross my daughter or disrespect her in any way, there will be consequences. And I will not tolerate excuses."
I nodded quickly, wishing I could disappear.
"Now," she continued, her voice cold as ice, "I've assigned you extra duties for today. Clean the guest rooms, scrub the floors until they shine, and make sure everything is perfect for when my daughter returns. And stay out of Kira's way unless I explicitly tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"
"Yes… yes, ma'am," I said, trying to steady my trembling hands.
"Good," she said, her lips curling in a thin, cruel smile. "Because I'll be watching you… very closely."
I turned silently and began my tasks, muttering under my breath, Nice daughter… witchy mother.Wow… looks like it's only the woman that's a bitch, I thought to myself.
I shook the thought away and went on to complete my remaining duties for the day. As I turned a corner, I ran into Niffy.
"Hi, Kara," she said warmly. "So… how was your first day? It looked intense."
"It's fine," I replied with a small smile. "Better than I imagined, but I think I have a little back pain right now."
Niffy laughed knowingly. "Yeah… I heard what went down in the kitchen. Bad luck for a first day. Don't worry, you'll be fine. Just try to avoid her."
"I will," I said. "Thank you. Let me quickly finish up."
"When you're done, come to the maids' quarters kitchen for lunch," Niffy added.
"Okay. Thank you."
I went on to carry out my remaining duties. The rest of the day passed smoothly, mostly because I did my best to stay out of Kira's mother's sight.
That night, I slept well. The bed was softer and more comfortable than anything I ever had at the orphanage. As I lay there, memories of Kate crept into my mind, and I hoped she was doing fine. I made a mental note to call her the next day.
Thankfully, I wasn't assigned to the dining room the following day. I felt relieved… yet oddly disappointed that I wouldn't see Kira.
Come off it, I scolded myself. She's not on your level.
Later the next day, while tending to the garden, I sensed someone behind me. I turned quickly and found Kira standing there.
"Hi," she said. "I didn't mean to scare you."
"It's fine," I replied. "Do you need me to get you anything?"
"No," she said. "I just wanted some quiet time here."
"Oh," I said, stepping back. "Then I should leave."
"No, it's fine," she said quickly. "You can stay."
She hesitated. "And… I'm sorry about my mother. She's not always like that. She just has issues."
"It's okay," I replied honestly. "I expected worse."
She laughed softly. "So… how old are you?"
"I'm seventeen," I said. "What about you?"
"Same age," she chuckled. "So why are you here?"
"To do my duties," I replied.
She smiled. "I mean… what brought you here? To work here."
"It's a long story," I said quietly. "I don't really want to talk about it."
"That's fine," she said gently. "There's time. You'll open up when you're ready."
She paused, then added teasingly, "And I saw how you looked at me that day."
I felt embarrassed. "I was just admiring your dress sense."
Her eyes lit up. "Are you into fashion?"
"Yes," I said eagerly. "I love fashion. I want to work in the fashion industry someday. The moment you walked in, I recognized the brands. I read fashion articles a lot, and I try to keep up with new collections."
Kira smiled wider. "Then we have something in common. I love fashion too. I want to be a stylist."
"That's amazing," I said. "Fashion has always been something I loved. I hope I'm not boring you."
She laughed. "Not at all. I know how it feels when you meet someone who actually understands you."
For a moment, it felt like the world around us disappeared.
Then I glanced at the time and stiffened. "I need to finish my duties."
She nodded. "We'll talk later."
"Yes," I said, smiling. "Later."
After weeks of bonding with Kira, I finally felt like I had someone I could trust. We shared stories of our pasts, laughed over little memories, and even talked about fashion. She told me about shows, designers, and little tricks I'd never have known on my own. I couldn't help but admire her world—it was so different from mine, yet she made me feel included.
One afternoon, she pulled me into her room. I hesitated at the door, feeling a little shy.
"Kara, come in!" she said, grinning.
I stepped inside and froze. A small pile of luxury items lay on her bed—designer bags, perfume, even a silk scarf. My eyes widened.
"Kira, I can't—" I stammered.
"Stop that," she laughed, rolling her eyes. "Take it. I've had enough of this lying around, and it's going to waste. You'll make better use of it than I ever could."
I shook my head. "I don't know… it feels too much."
"Too much?" she said, smirking. "Kara, come on. You've had nothing, and I've got plenty. Just take it, okay? Please?"
I bit my lip, hesitated, then finally smiled and accepted. The warmth in my chest felt like sunlight breaking through a cloudy day.
•••••
But the next morning, my happiness vanished. I had no idea that today would be the start of something much harder.
I had just finished the laundry when a voice like ice cut through the quiet.
"Come here, you filthy girl!"
I jumped, my stomach flipping. Kira's mother stood in the doorway, her eyes sharp and unforgiving.
"Yes, ma'am," I mumbled, hands fidgeting.
"You think working here is easy, don't you?" she said, stepping closer. "Let me make one thing clear. If you ever so much as cross my daughter or disrespect her in any way, there will be consequences. And I will not tolerate excuses."
I nodded quickly, wishing I could disappear.
"Now," she continued, her voice cold as ice, "I've assigned you extra duties for today. Clean the guest rooms, scrub the floors until they shine, and make sure everything is perfect for when my daughter returns. And stay out of Kira's way unless I explicitly tell you otherwise. Do you understand?"
"Yes… yes, ma'am," I said, trying to steady my trembling hands.
"Good," she said, her lips curling in a thin, cruel smile. "Because I'll be watching you… very closely."
I turned silently and began my tasks, muttering under my breath, Nice daughter… witchy mother.