A Contract Affair

Chapter 2 Cold Treatment

"Hey you, get over here!" A raised tone echoed in the basement and a female close to the washing machine turned to the voice.

"Didn't you hear what I said? Are you playing deaf or you are just too dumb?,come over here ASAP" the younger lady snapped in anger and the girl close to the machine moved towards her but in slow strides.

"What do you want Ysabel??"She uttered lazily as she walked towards the angry Ysabel.

Ysebel snorted at her "Why are you trying to act all cool? my laundries?" She asked and Maya lowered her head a bit in order to suppress the anger within her.Raising her head to face Ysebel,Maya said:

"Umm I'll be done with it in few minutes, I'm yet to do everything because of how many they are"

"You cheap girl, you can't afford to ruin anyone and make sure they don't mix with other colors of fabric....Selling you won't be enough to buy any of the cheapest clothes there so be done with it soon" Ysebel snarled with hatred brewing in the depths of her eyes and Maya just swallowed hard without uttering a second word.

She knew better than refuting so she just remained collected.

Ysebel Walked out of the basement while shutting the door with a loud bang.

Maya Smith let out a deep sigh, her eyes gaze landed on the bunch of clothes that belonged to the mother and daughter pair.

When her father, Mr Brock smith remarried, that day was marked as the beginning of her suffering especially when her stepmother, Mrs Lisa birthed this small witch who was a lazy nag, Ysebel Smith,her half-sister.

Maya was an average girl,she was nineteen years of age while Ysebel was seventeen.

Maya didn't linger on the thoughts as she quickly went back to doing the laundry.

Just then, her stomach groaned as it pleaded for her to go have something to eat, she just shut her eyes for a while as she bit her lower lip to suppress the hunger.

It was close to noon before she finished doing the laundry, washing the dishes, and cleaning the floor of the house including Ysebel's room.

At this point, she felt all her energy was drained out with a straw, her stomach was so hot due to hunger, her head was fuzzy and her limps were about to pass out.

She couldn't hold it in anymore as she made her way to the dining room where the family of three excluding herself, were having a chat while having tea from their mugs.

"Oh yeah, it's not going to be a problem after the deal has been finalized " Mr Brock smiled leisurely with his glasses on, while holding a daily newspaper in his hand, his mug on the transparent glass table.

"I hope it works out well so that we can register Ysebel for the classes that will be commencing soon" Mrs. Lisa smiled cheerfully as she turned to look at her daughter with a smile and Ysebel just shyly looked down at her mug with a blushing face.

"You'd pass the class Ysebel" Mr Brock appraised before sipping from his mug.

"That's a fact" Mrs Lisa backed up with praise.

Just then, a clear of the throat made the trio snap their head to the side to see the intruder and there she was...

The smile on their faces immediately dropped and the whole mood was dampened at that moment.

Mr Brock was too disinclined to hear her out so he just continued with the newspaper on his hand.

Mrs Lisa glared at her "What's the matter, Maya?"

Ysebel couldn't withstand Maya's presence so she just snorted while drinking from her mug in disinterest.

Maya gazed at her father who once showered her with so much love before he became like this.

"Umm, ma'am I am done with the chores for the day, I-I am famished and need to eat something, " Maya said with a small tone.

Lisa raised a brow at her "You're hungry?"

"Ye-yes ma'am " Maya stuttered as she folded both hands close to herself while holding the helm of her dress in distress.

Ysebel had the urge to spit on her face but she masked it with a smile and said instead "What about my room? Are you done with the laundries?"

"Yes!"

"The dishes?"

"Yes ma'am " Maya nodded as she replied and Ysebel eyed her before grabbing her phone to check the internet.

Mrs Lisa couldn't hide the disgust in her eyes as she stared at the fruit of the woman she despised the most, she was so angry whenever she set eyes on Maya's filthy self.

"Your breakfast is on the kitchen counter" Mrs Lisa spat out and Maya immediately thanked her.

"Thank you so much ma'am" She bowed altogether before rushing to the kitchen with the little strength she had to quickly get her breakfast.

Mr Brock couldn't concern himself with the conversation that just issued as he flicked pages on the newspaper.

Mrs Lisa grinned as she sipped her mug before putting on a disgusted face "Lost my appetite...Argh"

She groaned and the same with Ysebel who also groaned "The dirty hag just had to pop out of nowhere and went back with our appetites"

"Too Gross" Mrs Lisa second as she gazed at her husband who hadn't said a word, that was just his habit.

He didn't refute their words, he didn't side with Maya nor did he join in bullying her alongside his wife and daughter.

He was just neutral and chose to turn a blind eye to everything going on.

Meanwhile, the happy Maya got to the kitchen and directly walked towards the counter and there was a small ceramic plate there that was covered with another flat ceramic plate as well.

She grinned before opening the plate and her happy expression fell as she screamed in shock.

Frogs jumped out of the plate, some plastered on her clothes and she screamed, due to fright, she fell on the ground and frogs filled the kitchen.

Perspiration filled her forehead as fear gripped her as the frogs jumped on her on the floor, her eyes shrieked in fear, her face was flushed as she couldn't move a limp, and she was too numb to scream again, she was lying on the ground with a pained expression as a tear rolled down from the side of her eyes.

The starvation had weakened her to a point where she couldn’t even cry out loud due to fear of losing her voice to the hunger.

She was tired!

Just then, a mocking laughter echoed through the kitchen and Maya couldn't utter any words as she raised her eyes to see her stepmother and stepsister.

"How do you like your breakfast?"

Maya closed her eyes to bear with the pain when a frog stood on her shoulder. The disgust crawled up to her skin.

"Are you just ignorant or stupid? By now...you should have known better that you are a NOBODY in this house, why can't you go die?!" Ysebel gritted her teeth in anger.