Well, the day is about to end and I have a pile of work to finish. I sighed and started gathering all the dirty dishes from the dining table and started washing them. After about an hour all the dishes were cleaned up. I pick up my broom and mop and start cleaning the floor because if somebody wake up tomorrow and finds any particle of dust then my punishment will double up and I can't bear any more punishments.

After finishing all the work I checked all the pots but there are no leftovers today. Tears welled up in my eyes and my stomach started grumbling because of hunger. I rubbed my stomach with my hand and drank a glass of water and headed towards my room.

It was basically an attic-like storeroom and after my wedding, they gave me this room because I deserve it as it is the most comfortable room in their eyes for a sold slave cum wife like me.

I put my hand on the door knob and the door opened with a creek sound and then I closed it and slumped on the thinnest mattress ever but I feel a comfort in it after all I have at least a place which belong to me and where I can come after all the hectic work of the day.

I start thinking about all my life and hardships and tears start rolling down my cheeks like a waterfall.

Why god, why? What did I ever do wrong to deserve all this? Why did you write my fate so cruel? Why can't I live in happiness like my other siblings? Why do they make me a scapegoat to get rid of all their problems?

Am I not their daughter? Or did I not deserve to be happy in my life? Tell God why? Answer me.

I know there is nobody to answer all these questions and I couldn't help and started sobbing. It is almost my daily routine of life to ask questions about my life to God who wrote me the cruelest fate and then start sobbing. After sobbing about God knows how much time finally sleep engulfed me.

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Well, I'll tell you about myself a bit. My name is 'Catherine William Collins' and I am the eldest daughter of my family. I am of 7 years and I have two siblings. A sister Jennifer who is 5 years old and a brother Fredrik who is four years old. We were living like any other normal family but one day father told us that his partner was caught in an embezzlement and his company had a huge loan to pay off. He started a small dress designing company and the company was doing well. Father wanted to expand it and for this purpose, he included a business partner and asked for a loan from the bank. Mom didn't agree with him to ask for such a huge loan but they ended up in a fight and father submitted an application for the loan because of all the previous

Performance bank granted the loan and father started working on the expansion of the company and totally handover the present one to the new business partner.

His business partner cheated and transferred a sixty percent amount in his own account and flew to another country and now father tries very hard to pay off all the loan but it is next to impossible now and then our little company closed.

I was barely ten at that time and my father started drinking. After drinking, he came back home and started taking out his frustration on my mother and started beating her.

Mom bore it for some time but then she decided to leave my father in his miserable condition and ask father for the divorce and custody of the child’s.

Father refused to give the custody of the child’s to her and said to mom that if she wants a separation then she have to live alone. He thought mom will never leave her children but he was so wrong and she went away alone and left us here to bear all his tortures.

At that time I was of 10 years old and I was a brilliant child but now I have the responsibility of studies, my siblings and as well as of house chores. I started lacking in my studies because now I barely got time to do homework and assignments but what I can do? I have to do all this.

Sometimes, Father drank too much and start throwing up in the home, I cringed at all the mess he create but I had to clean all the mess even if I want it or not. Some time, it got worse and he start hitting me and in the morning I had to hide all the bruises before going to school. I start praying to God that I got my high school degree soon so, I can start a decent job and then I will leave this stupid excuse of a life and support myself by my own.

I gave myself motivational lecture daily at night that there are only 6 years left and after that I will be out from this hellhole. My younger brother and sister start arguing and hitting me because they had no respect for me after they saw the behavior of my father with me. I didn’t understand the reason that why father didn’t allow us to go with mother when he clearly couldn’t raise us well.

At the age 16

Finally, I am of 16 years old today and I am very happy because I am of legal age now and I will apply for the jobs. I applied for many jobs online before going to school and then I happily prepared breakfast for the whole family that I didn’t get enough time to eat mine.

I am happy from the core of my heart and start walking towards the school. I start searching for my only friend in the whole school. Her name is ‘Cora’ and she have a very bubbly personality she is a bit chubby girl with hazel eyes and blonde shiny hairs although, some student call her ‘shortie’ due to her 5’1 ft. height but she is the most beautiful person in my eyes.

Someone hugged me from behind and I am about to yell when she start singing loudly “Happy birthday to you, Happy birthday dear Catherine, Happy Birthday to you” Tears of happiness welled up in my eyes and I thanked and then she came in front of me with a gift in her hands.

I opened the gift and it has a beautiful leather box. I touched the leathery surface with my finger and slowly opened the box and my eyes became wide with astonishment.

It contains two lockets and together they make a heart but half of the heart is covered with of sparkly baby blue color stone and half of the heart covered with sparkly light violet color stone and I start touching the stones with awe.

“This is the most beautiful gift I ever received Cora, Thank you so much dear” She giggled at my words.

“No need to thank me because this gift is not all yours but half” She informed me and I start looking at her questioningly.

She lift the locket and break the heart in two parts which looked connected a second ago.

“Here is your locket and here is mine” She put a locket around her neck and tied the second one with light violet stone around my neck.

“Now, whenever you looked at the locket or in the mirror remember you are not alone and I am with you at every step of life”, I hugged her at her words and now I understand the meaning behind her gift.

She looks so bubbly and carefree and who can guess that she have such a seep and thoughtful mentality.

You have to spend your whole day with me. I nodded at her statement although, I know that I have a pile of work in home but I can take a day off as it is my birthday and officially it’s my day.