CHAPTER 5:THE FIRST MALTREATMENT
337 Words
Rosie didn't waste any time. She knew her stepmother meant every word, so she grabbed the mop and the broom and got straight to work. The house was massive, and cleaning it all by herself felt like climbing a mountain. Her hands grew blistered and her back ached, but she kept going, wiping down every counter, scrubbing the floors, and dusting every single shelf.
By the time the sun began to set, the house was absolutely spotless. Rosie collapsed onto a chair in the kitchen, her body exhausted but her stomach growling loudly.
Suddenly, the front door clicked open. Emily and her mother walked in, carrying dozens of expensive shopping bags filled with new clothes and shoes.
"Mom, look at this place," Emily whined, kicking her shoes off right in the middle of the clean hallway. "It actually looks decent for once."
The stepmother walked into the kitchen, her sharp eyes scanning the room for any single flaw. Rosie stood up, holding her breath. There wasn't a speck of dust anywhere.
But her stepmother just smirked. She walked over to the kitchen counter, picked up a glass of orange juice that Emily had left behind, and deliberately tipped it over, letting the sticky liquid puddle across the clean floor.
"Oh, look at that. You missed a spot," the stepmother said with a cold, heartless laugh.
"But I just cleaned that!" Rosie cried out, tears of frustration finally spilling over. "That's not fair!"
"Fair?" her stepmother hissed, stepping closer until she was towering over Rosie. "I told you, if the house wasn't spotless, you don't eat. And clearly, this floor is filthy. Go to your room, Rosie. No dinner for you tonight."
Emily laughed from the doorway as Rosie, heartbroken and starving, ran up the stairs to her bedroom. She locked the door and buried her face in her pillow, weeping silently, wondering how she was going to survive a whole month of this.
To be continued.........................
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