Get back here, you silly bitch! I'm not done with you!"
The voice cracked through the hallway like a whip, slicing through the stillness with precision. Every corner of the long, narrow corridor seemed to shiver at Ashley's anger, the sound ricocheting off the walls like glass breaking. "Daughter of a slut. A cheap prostitute."
"Maizy! Bring those clothes. Make her wash until her hands bleed. And if any of you dare help her—you're fired!"
Hina stared at the floor, her gaze fixed on a scuffed tile as if it could shield her from the storm of cruelty. She'd learned to make herself small, to fold into herself like origami in Ashley's presence. The stepsister's venom was routine now, a ritual of torment she had come to expect, and perhaps survive.
Ashley pivoted on her heels, the heel of her shoe scraping across the aged wood like a warning. She spat one final venomous line over her shoulder: "And if you don't scrub harder, I'll double your punishment. Maybe then your useless mother will learn to keep her filthy legs shut instead of chasing other women's husbands."
Silence fell like dust, thick and suffocating. The corridor smelled faintly of old soap and varnish, mingling with the metallic tang of Hina's fear.
What could she say? Words felt meaningless in a place where her mother's sins had carved a permanent scar into her life. If Maria Magita hadn't slept with her sister's husband, maybe Hina's world wouldn't have been this hellish.
But Maria had. And then she had jumped. The town called it shame; Hina called it abandonment. A bitter truth lodged itself in her chest. If there was one person she hated more than anyone, it was her mother. Born in fucking hell, mother, she thought, bitter and private, her jaw clenching until her teeth hurt.
Every November 17th, the day her mother had died, she went to the cliffside grave to drop scorpions upon it, praying for them to sting and punish the woman who had abandoned her. I curse you. Born in hell. May the scorpions eat you, bitch. Today wasn't special—it wasn't the anniversary—but the impulse lingered, a quiet ritual of her own making. She was supposed to be in school, sitting her final-year exams, but here she was, scrubbing floors, a prisoner of past sins she hadn't committed. Each time she looked at her father, she wanted to scream—why did he still walk freely when her mother had died for their scandal? He was so… average.
Maizy's face hovered near the edge of the corridor, a strange blend of pity and anger. But Ashley's shadow loomed over them both, suffocating and deliberate. Hina felt a familiar, long-suppressed fire flare inside her—a dangerous desire she had once entertained as a fifteen-year-old: to poison her father. Maizy had urged her on back then, whispering plans and risks, but Hina had stopped. The thought of slipping Threnax into his coffee had tantalized her in secrecy, and she'd even gone to the hospital once, heart hammering, only to flee when the pharmacist asked questions she couldn't answer.
Her hands clenched around the basin until her nails bit into her palms, a self-inflicted punishment that mirrored her daily life. She walked down the corridor, the smell of soap and old dust clinging to her, and her shadow stretched long against the walls.
"Come here, Maizy," Ashley called, sharp as broken glass. Maizy left Hina to her torment, and Hina stood frozen for a heartbeat, then slowly moved to the nearest corner to continue.
The basin water was warm and scented with lemon, but it did little to wash away the bitterness in her soul. She hummed softly as she scrubbed, a tiny thread of defiance woven into the rhythm of her labor. Maizy sat beside her, picking up a garment to help.
"Sometimes I wonder why you take her nonsense," Maizy whispered, eyes flicking around to ensure no one overheard. "You're family too. You're supposed to have a revenge plan. I brought out tons of plans, but you refused. Sometimes I wonder… do you just like suffering or what? Run away with me, you said no."
Maizy was an orphan, discovered on the edge of the mansion years ago. Five months older than Hina, she had become her closest companion, the only light in a house that thrived on cruelty.
"No," Hina said quietly, wringing a shirt until the fabric stung her hands. "My mom and useless father are the ones who should pay. I wouldn't do what they do to me now, but I can't blame them. It's my dad who deserves it. Silly villagers blame my mom but spare my dad. Masagonyst."
"By the way," Maizy continued, voice low, "I heard Ashley telling Catherina, saying your evil step-witch and ur loser of a father Will be back tomorrow. Why can't they just stay away? I hate them. And your exam—how do you plan on doing it? She said you'll wash the curtains tomorrow."
Hina's eyes narrowed, a spark of defiance igniting. "Wash what? Mtchew. She must be delusional to think I'd leave my precious exam and wash those curtains."
"What are you gonna do?"
"I'm sneaking out tomorrow for school, what a silly crazy bitch she is . "
" Mtchew. What can her ass do tomorrow besides insult my stupid dead mother and give me more punishment? Crazy bitch ."
The last shirt left her hands red and raw, but she ignored it. They had maids and a washing machine, yet she suffered these petty punishments because of her mother's choices. She had thought about Threnax again, not for revenge, not yet, but as a reminder of the injustice she endured. How could she be the one to suffer for their sins while he, her father, enjoyed life freely? Ashley or no Ashley, she was leaving tomorrow, heading to school to write her exams and reclaim her future.
"Maizy, I need your help. It's almost night. Help me iron my uniform for tomorrow, please."
"On it," Maizy said, rising gracefully. Hina watched her go, gratitude pooling in her chest. Without Maizy, she would have been utterly alone, swallowed by the darkness of this mansion.
Laughter echoed down the hallway as the maids straightened, murmuring greetings to Olivia Kent and Marcus Jonathan. "Dad! Mom! Welcome!" Hina called softly, though her voice carried a steel edge. The maids bowed their heads, while Ashley sprinted toward her parents with an eager hug, one after the other, oblivious to the silent storm brewing in Hina's chest. The butler, Chen, motioned to the maids to take the newcomers' belongings, the clatter of luggage punctuating the air.
"What's going on?" Hina asked, spotting Maizy in the hall.
"Step-witch and loser dad are back," Maizy replied, a mixture of disgust and amusement in her tone.
"Really? I thought you said tomorrow."
"I said tomorrow because I heard Ashley telling her friend Catherina, but apparently they arrived early."