Chapter 1

BELLA

I was suddenly woken from my deep slumber. Damn! it's so cold. I opened my eyes only to notice that it's none other than my dear 'brother' holding an empty bucket in his hand. I looked down and noticed that I was fully drenched with ice-cold water, my teeth started chattering and goosebumps surged as the cold air came in contact with my skin. I gazed at my stepbrother, Lewis Alby.

"Belwhore! You did not wake up on time again. I went down to the kitchen expecting my breakfast to be ready, but I found that the place was as it was. You didn't even clean the house yesterday after my party! Now get up and clean the entire house before seven o'clock. Before my parents come, the house should be as clean as it was the day before they left," Lewis shouted.

Nodding my head, I got up from the bed and stood in front of him with my head bowed down in submission.

"Hmm..and one more thing, you are going to suffer consequences for disobeying me. You will be punished soon and I am not the one who's going to punish you because I believe, I give you much simpler punishment than that of my parents. So see you, belwhore."

My eyes widened at what he said.

I was now scared of thinking about my consequences. If my stepmother, Angelo will know that I disobeyed her son, she will put me again through near-death experiences.

I didn't want to get admitted in the hospital bed again with all those tubes and machines around me. I really felt sick there. And the bruises she gave me were as if she was giving me tattoos on my body. The scars that cover my body, each one tells a different story. Oh God please help-

I was cut out of my thoughts when I felt a stinging feeling on my cheek. I let out a hiss before looking at Lewis. Why did he slap me?

"You didn't acknowledge my question. You didn't even answer me with a simple head nod. You-you again disobeyed me. Let me make your day memorable today."

He moved slowly towards me. His eyes were shining with rage and lust. Lust?

Our chests were almost touching each other. I tried to move back, but he put an arm around my waist and pulled me closer. His right hand went to touch my lower back. I knew where this was going now, I understood by the way he touched me. I didn't feel it be right. So, I did what first came to mind. I stomped on his foot causing his grip to loosen around my waist. I used it as my chance to get away from him.

"Ow! You slut, how dare you do that?!"

I had to get away from him and this situation.

"Sir, sorry to speak out of my turn. I mean no disobedience. But you asked me to clean the kitchen and living room before mother and father return."

He narrowed his eyes.

He pushed me down with a force that made my head to throb immediately after it hit the ground. He squatted down next to my figure on the floor.

"You might have escaped this time but I'll complete what I started, you useless piece of shit!" He spat at me before walking out of the room.

I sat up straight on the ground before lifting myself up. My muscles felt sore because of getting beaten continuously. My head was hurting so badly that I just wanted to remove that part from my body. I looked around my 'room' which was an attic; the only spot where I can sit and cry my eyes out.

I looked at the time at my broken wristwatch which was sitting on the nightstand beside my 'bed' which was made up of cardboard. My eyes nearly popped out of their sockets. I had only one hour left and so many works to do.

I had to work fast in order to avoid punishments. I thought with a frown.

I went to the side of my room where all the cleaning equipment was kept. After I took out a vacuum cleaner and a mop, I ran downstairs to the kitchen.

When I reached, I paled. I wasn't expecting them this fast. Oh no. I thought panicking.

At the entrance stood the evil couple. Both of their faces were soothed with scorn. Anger was swirling in their grey orbs.

"Why haven't you finished your work and why the hell is the house dirty as if there was a huge party? I thought the house was going to be in the same way as before." A dark chuckle escaped from my father's mouth. "Well bitch, speak."

I nodded my head.

When I was about to explain to them about their son's misbehaviour in this morning and that the house was clean until yesterday's party that he held, I was interrupted by Lewis.

"She disobeyed me, mom. She just simply slept in her room. Can you believe it? She slept in her room happily for a whole day! She even ordered me to make a cup of tea for her yesterday morning. This morning when I woke up I noticed that the house was looking dirtier than before. There were glass bottles everywhere and our house reeked of alcohol, but I covered the smell of it by using the lemon spray as I didn't like the smell."

My stepmother, Angelo stood there looking at me with narrowed eyes. "You were holding a huge party at my house, didn't you? You made my sacred house reek of booze. You know I didn't allow you to bring alcohol inside my house. This incident about it has happened before, remember?"

I didn't answer but looked at them with disbelief. How can they believe whatever their son said? Do they believe that I consume liquor?

"He tried to touch me inappropriately this morning. Ma'am, will you at least believe me in this?"

She started laughing before pulling me towards the kitchen. She pushed me hard against the yellow wall.

My father, Nathan was nowhere to be seen. I guess he had some urgent work or an important phone call. He always bet me blue-black whenever he got an opportunity. I was like his stress reliever by being his punching bag.

Angelo threw punches after punches on my stomach.

I was going to have new bruises formed. I thought sadly.

She pulled me by my hair and dragged me to the other side of the room before throwing my body against the opposite wall. I didn't know from where she got that much strength that she could just pick me up and throw me as if I weighed nothing.

I hit the wall pretty hard and fell down on the hard rough floor. I tried to get up but before I could, I felt a jolt of shiver run through me. She started kicking my stomach and I felt my rib bones getting damaged because of the strong blows I was receiving. She pulled me by my hair to make me stand on my feet. Tears were rolling freely down my cheeks. I gradually started feeling numb because of getting beaten unendingly.

The back of my head was hurting because of today's hit by Lewis and now she was throwing me almost everywhere in the kitchen like a rag doll. I didn't know why they treated me like this. I did nothing to them. The fact that hurt the most was my blood-related father supporting them. I suffered mental pain more than that of physical pain.

"I think you must have learned your lesson." I heard Angelo telling loudly with arrogance.

My father or should I say Nathan entered the kitchen with a bright grin plastered on his face. When he saw my condition his grin was replaced by a satisfactory smirk.

"Well, I am going to share the good news. I got transferred to this small town called Wolfville. With a higher salary level than before."

As soon as my father some those words, Angelo ran towards him with a bright smile. "Congrats Nathan, I have heard of that small town before. And by many people, it's a very nice place. I am very happy for you." She turned towards me."Aren't you happy After hearing such great news?"

I nodded my head indicating that I was happy too. However, I knew wherever I'll go, my life is going to be the same. To this day, I never had a friend. At school, they thought I was some kind of gum stuck under their boots.

I'll get bullied and abused wherever or whichever place I go. There will be no change in my life. I'll never get a chance to live normally like others of my age.

Soon after Lewis entered the kitchen. When he got to know the news, they all joined together in a group hug telling that everything was going to be better. I just stood there watching them. They were holding each other in their warm embrace. I wanted a hug too. I wanted someone to reassure me that everything is going to be better. I wished for someone who will protect and love me.

Tears blurred my eyes realizing that no one was ever going to love me. In this generation, People looked at our appearance and judge us. No one saw our personality.

I ran back into my room not wanting to interrupt their family hug. They seemed like a perfect family at that moment. I was just a servant who didn't deserve any love from this world. I took out my first aid kit and started cleaning my wounds.

"I want you to pack all of our bags and extra things which will be required!" My father demanded.

I wiped my tears and looked at myself in the broken mirror which I kept hidden under my bed so that I could use it for checking up my bruises.

Greyish-blue eyes, dirty blonde hair and a lightly paled complexion. A sigh left my mouth. I was still in my yesterday's now drenched clothes.

I grabbed my brush and soap and made my way towards my 'bathroom' which was actually built for pet dogs to pee. Fluffy and I used the same restroom. As he was no longer alive, I was the only one using it.

After I was finished with my morning routine. I wore a black sweatshirt and blue jeans. I winced whenever I strained my abdomen while wearing my jeans.

Though I was treated badly, I was expected to look presentable as I lived with them. They preferred me to look tidy. I wasn't mostly bruised on the visible parts of my body as they didn't want anyone to find out about it. Otherwise, their reputation of a good family would crumble.

After I got ready, I started packing things that needed to be taken along with us to Wolfville.