chapter 1

"Why?" she exclaimed, rising and hurling her lamp against the wall. The room reverberated with the shattering of glass. "It's over, it's all over. Where do I even begin?" she wailed, posing questions unanswered, her hands entangled in her disheveled hair.

"They just left me with my little brother!" Her anguished voice betrayed the pain within. Barbie, a nineteen-year-old, once lived a blissful life with her parents and her three-year-old brother Michael. However, the fabric of her existence unraveled that fateful night. A phone call shattered her world, delivering the devastating news of her parents' demise in a car accident. She stood there, paralyzed, unsure whether to weep or scream, a maelstrom of emotions engulfing her. The realization that she had no one left but her toddler brother sank in, a daunting prospect for a nineteen-year-old. Her parents' death felt surreal, a nightmarish ordeal she couldn't escape.

The following morning found Barbie sprawled on her bedroom floor, the well-tiled decor offering cold solace. Dark circles under her eyes bore witness to the sleeplessness brought on by the heart-wrenching news. Clueless about how to proceed and inform her little brother, she cocooned herself in despair.

"Barbie, Barbie!" echoed a small voice, piercing through the heavy silence. Startled, she recognized it as her brother Michael's call. Alarmed by the sounds of shattered glass, she hastily descended the stairs, fearing the worst.

Panicking at the sound of broken glass, Barbie rushed downstairs, desperately hoping nothing serious was happening. "What's going on here?" she questioned, her throat dry, as she witnessed some men tossing their belongings outside. Her little brother ran to her, expressing concern. "Why are they throwing our stuff out? They even broke Mom's favorite vase," he informed her.

"What are you guys doing?" Barbie yelled, her voice echoing, making the men pause. "Sorry, Ma, but we have been ordered to throw your stuff out," explained a middle-aged man who appeared from behind.

"Throw my stuff out? What right do you have to do that? And who the hell gave you such permission?" she barked at him, her frustration evident.

"Lower your tone, silly girl. I see you don't know how to talk to elders!" a harsh voice retorted from the back. Barbie peered through the man's side, her eyes widening as a familiar voice reached her ears. Shock and confusion washed over her when her aunt, Aunty Ruth, came into view.

"Yes, Barbie doll," her aunt responded with a smirk. "I don't understand, what's happening?" Barbie questioned, referring to the men still tossing their belongings outside.

"I'm sure you got the news about your parents?" Aunty Ruth countered, Barbie nodding with a hint of obliviousness to where the conversation was leading. "Good, I need you to sign some documents," she ordered.

"What do you mean by... what the hell is happening here?" Barbie raised her tone, highly irritated. "You don't need to yell. Well, I'm not surprised an animal like yourself won't know the meaning of simple etiquette," Aunty Ruth bitterly reprimanded her tone.

"I will explain. These documents are property papers, and right now, it is in your name," Aunty Ruth declared. "So what does it have to do with all these?" Barbie frowned, referring to their belongings outside.

"Well, I'm selling the house. I already found a buyer," Aunty Ruth excitedly said. "Selling the house, what the hell!" Barbie screamed.

"Calm down, dear. I don't have the right to sell the house yet," Aunty Ruth beckoned. "What do you mean by yet?" Barbie carefully questioned, staring at her curiously, anticipating her answer.

"Well, I will be going against the law since the property papers are in your name, and I have no right over it," she uttered. Barbie mentally breathed out a sigh of relief. "But if you can sign these documents, I will have rights over everything," she added with a deep chuckle.

"Why would I do that?" Barbie scoffed with her arms crossed. "You see, you have no choice, or else you don't like your little brother," Aunty Ruth coldly stated.

"What do you mean?" Barbie chirped out as her eyes scanned the room for Michael, but he was nowhere to be found. "Looking for Michael?" her aunt evilly asked.

"What did you do to him?" Barbie said through her teeth as she was on the verge of losing control. "Oh, he is on his way to the orphanage home since you guys are now orphans and probably going to be homeless soon." The words of her aunt hit Barbie's chest as she couldn't breathe.

Barbie's heart pounded as the weight of her aunt's cruel revelation settled in. "Orphanage? Homeless?" she uttered, disbelief and fear intertwining in her voice. Her eyes darted around the room, searching desperately for any sign of Michael, hoping against hope that her aunt's words were just a sick joke.

Aunty Ruth reveled in Barbie's distress. "Yes, dear. Your little brother is on his way to the orphanage, and soon you'll be left with nothing," she sneered, relishing the torment she inflicted. Barbie's chest tightened, anger and despair mixing into a toxic cocktail.

"Why are you doing this?" Barbie's voice wavered, a sense of helplessness creeping in. Aunty Ruth, unfazed by the plea, explained with a sinister grin, "You see, I've had my eyes on this property for a while. Selling it will be quite profitable for me."

Barbie's mind raced, searching for a way out of this nightmare. "You can't just take everything away from us!" she protested, her fists clenched in frustration.

"Oh, but I can," Aunty Ruth retorted, enjoying every moment of Barbie's agony. "Sign these papers, and I'll make sure you get a small share. Refuse, and you'll lose everything, including your little brother."

"You are so evil," Barbie retorted, her frustration evident.

"I know, honey. Now, sign these papers!" Aunty Ruth demanded, shoving the documents toward her.

"No, I won't!" Barbie vehemently protested.

"I knew you were going to refuse. But you see, my dear, you have no choice... unless you don't love your little brother," Aunty Ruth stated ominously. Barbie, frowning, followed Aunty Ruth's gaze to a shocking sight – a gun pointed at her little brother's head.