1 Prologue

"You're worthless like your father!", my cousin exclaimed before he threw me the rug he's holding.

I just keep my head low as tears is now approaching. 'I can't cry, not now, not ever!' I thought as I bit my lip.

I lowered myself to reach out the rug on the floor. But before I get up of my feet, water is splattered all over the place. I looked at my cousin who is now smiling smugly to me.

"Clean that up and don't you ever leave any mark of it in here. Then clean the bathroom next because I will take a bath because I need to go to the school." He said before he left me here in the kitchen, holding a rug while kneeling down on the floor.

I am just seven years old, but no one in this world showed care about me. No one, even my father.

After my mother and my father got seperated when I was still three years old, my life turned into a mess. In a young age, I didn't experienced those things a normal kid do. I don't even know what is patintero, jack n' poy, hide and seek and what is the meaning of true friendship.

I am a prisoner here in this house, I am a young maid that is more likely serving my masters to pay all the debt of my family. But the truth is, I am their cousin, their relatives that is currently a victim of slavery by my own blood and flesh.

As I wipe off the water on the tiled floor, I am starting to catch my breath, I am now starting to cry as my asthma started to consume me once again. I bit my lip before I opened my mouth to breath in by it. I made sure that no one can here my sobs because for sure, they will just scold me and hurt me for the thought that I am making this sickness of mine an excuse for me to stop cleaning.

But I failed when my cousin saw me whimpering at the corner, catching my breath by my mouth, tears on my eyes while I am holding onto my chest.

"What is happening to you? Trying to escape with your chores, again?" He said with his bored voice.

I shook my head as I tried to smile to him, "I-I am o-okay, big brother R-Richie." I said as the pain in my chest and in my back got worse.

He looked at me once again before he left me alone in the kitchen. I bit my lip as I reached out for a plastic cup with water in it. I drink it all in a gulp and took another cup of it. The pain is still there, but I need to endure all of this because tomorrow, my father is coming.

"You can do it Sachi. You can do it." I said with heavy breathing.

I contined wiping and cleaning until I reached the bathroom. I went inside to clean it up but the door suddenly closed. I tried to open it but a powerful grip is keeping it shut. I tried my best to pull it and I saw my cousin, laughing with what is he doing.

"Open it up. Please." I cried but he did something to lock it from the outside.

I sit dowm on the bathroom's tiled floor and cried there. I am really upset and sad right now.

"What did I do to experience this kind of life? Why me?" I asked myself.

I get up and started to clean the whole bathroom. And when I am finally done, I took a bath to clean myself and to lessen the tiredness I am feeling for the chores I did. And when I'm done, the door slightly opened with my cousin who is looking at me with a smirk.

"What a shameless kid are you, huh? You took a bath before me?" He asked with irritation in it.

But I feel something that isn't right with the way he speak. It isn't right.

"S-sorry." I said and as I tried to get out of there he suddenly closed the aluminum door in my face.

I tried to pull it to open the door but he just laughed at me while hearing me cry and asking for other's help though no one will help me nor care for me with this kind of situation.

My cousin Richie is a Criminology student and he is one of my Auntie's son. He is a well-grown man with a childish acts. He is always making fun of me and I admit that his jokes and tricks isn't funny at all.

I have other cousins too, but among all of his siblings, the one who cared for me is in Dubai right now, working hard to help their youngest sister for her studies.

"Richard! What is that noise?!" I heared my Auntie Azon's voice.

"Auntie! Help me!!" I screamed as I kept pulling tje knob to open the door. But an accident happened when my cousin let the knob go. My feet slipped on the slippery wet floor that results for my head to bump on the tiled bathroom sink.

Before I went black out, memories rushed through me like a waterfalls. I smiled bitterly as my consciousness slipped away.