Chapter 11: Chapter 11

“Why are you really answering ah!” Sis Kelly approached me and gave me both slaps on the cheek.

Mom immediately stood up and approached me. She suddenly choked me. I backed away and suddenly felt like I was leaning against the wall already.

“I guess you also forgot that I’m your dad’s wife, Alyana?!” I grabbed her hand and tried to push it away.

“M-Mom, I-I can’t b-breathe!” I barely said I can feel my eyes hurting and my tears are dripping.

She let go of my neck, and I can finally take a deep breath now.

“Tomorrow the man who bought you will pick you up here. You’ll live with him starting tomorrow, but that doesn’t mean you won’t come here sometimes. Now...” Mom smiled as if she was going to do something bad to me again.

“I’ll punish you because kids like you who have no manners should be punished.” My tears drip onto my cheeks when Mom pulled my hand to the bedroom.

“Kelly, give me the salt that I just bought early. Keil, let me borrow your belt.”

“Okay, ASAP.”

“M-Mom,” I begged.

“Okay all right, Kelly doesn’t just salt it.” I still can’t breathe easily because mom will still hurt me with the belt.

“Lie down.” Mom’s gentle promise. I cried even more than I looked at him.

“I said lie down Alyana!!” I close my eyes tightly and slowly lie down.

I screamed when I felt mom hit my leg using that belt she was holding. I just covered my mouth so that I wouldn’t scream too loudly because of the pain, but I can still hear Sis Kelly and Keil’s laughs.

‘You can do it Alyana, you’re strong, you can handle that.’ I keep saying in my mind and endure the pain.

_

I feel the weakness of my body; I groaned with every step I take.

I sat on the floor and just cried because of the pain.

The three of them were in the living room, eating. They don’t want to let me out here and they don’t want to let me eat. My life is getting more hard than I expected. I didn’t wish to be in this situation. Does anybody want this kind of treatment? Of course, no one, no one would ever wish to be like me.

Who wants to be like me, anyway? I don’t fight for myself, I can’t defend myself. It’s like I am trying to be good all the time, trying to understand them all the time. And love them even though they treated me this way. Well, this is me.

I rubbed my eyes because my sight was getting blurry again.

Since my dad died, I haven’t been able to get my eye check.

Just a second later, I heard my stomach growl. I want to eat right now but mom might scold me. I just lay down and tried to close my eyes until drowsiness visited me.

_

I open my eyes and notice that it’s already morning. I groaned because of my leg; I don’t know if I should just cry when I saw this bruise on the back of my legs.

This will be hard if I am going to school and work with this bruise on my leg, I probably can’t walk properly. Thankfully, I don’t have any classes today and also tomorrow so, all I need to do is work... I suddenly remember what mom told me last night.

When I came out of the room, I saw the three of them eating.

Did they cook? I enlarged my eyes so that I can see more of what they were eating. Looks like they just ordered.

“Oh, you’re awake! Are your things ready?”

“Ready? For what?”

“You’re really stupid, Yana! Mom already said last night that you’ll live together with that old man!”

“Wow! Maybe Aly wants us to pack her things instead.” Keil laughed.

I didn’t say that I wanted them to pack my things instead. I just forgot because I fell asleep.

“Tsk, lazy!” sis Kelly rolled her eyes on me. Lazy? Is she talking about herself?

Isn’t it funny? She’s calling me lazy, so what is worse than being lazy? What is it called so that I know what to call her? I do all housework here; I work at the same time studying... was that lazy for them? Wow, I didn’t know that it’s called lazy instead of hardworking.

“Mom, can I eat too?” I asked. She slowly turned her gaze to me.

“Just pack your things and just eat at the house of that old man. He’s rich, so he can give you everything you want. You should be thankful because you can now taste rich dishes.”

Rich dish? What’s the difference between a poor dish and a rich dish? I think the important is that we can eat three meals a day.

My stomach suddenly hurts, last night I had no food. I took a deep breath before returning to the room. I was looking for a big bag to put on all of my things.

I saw a bag; it was big so my clothes will fit perfectly. I also don’t have many clothes and other things because sis Kelly took some of them. She didn’t ask permission from me, she forcedly took it from me. I just let her be, even though I really wanted to get angry... but I just can’t be mad at her for so long. Why am I so good and nice! It sucks sometimes, you know.

My father and mother bought all of them for me. Everything they bought for me is special and I treasure it a lot.

I was shocked when Keil entered my room. “There’s a car parked in front of our house. It looks like it’s him.”