Mistreatment

Maya was startled awake by a man's raging voice.

"You stupid bitch!" the angry voice yelled at her. Her eyes widened as she saw her brother, Terrence, standing at the foot of her bed.

"Terrence?" she said, rubbing her eyes to clear her vision. "What are you doing here?"

"You're asking me what I'm doing here? It's 8 a.m.! I still haven't eaten breakfast because you decided to be lazy!" His voice was extremely loud.

Oh no, Maya thought to herself. She had overslept. She always wake up at 5 a.m. It had been months since she had woken up this late.

Terrence's anger made her want to flee and hide.

"Maybe this will help you wake up better." Terrence suddenly opened a bottle of water and splashed it on Maya's face.

She screamed as the cold water hit her skin, awakening all her senses.

"Alright, now you're awake. I want my breakfast served in thirty minutes!" Terrence exclaimed as he stormed out of the basement.

Maya lay in bed, frozen and stunned, her heart pounding heavily in her chest. She cried silently. Although she was accustomed to her brother's mistreatment, it still hurt when he treated her this way. She had overslept because she had stayed up late baking pastries to sell at a diner and a few coffee shops in town.

Maya has not earned any money from her junior chef job because all of her earnings go to her stepfather. Additionally, she does not make any money from her waitress job at the Gentlemen's Club, as she works for free. To cover her essential expenses as a young woman, she sells baked goods to make some income.

Her best-selling pastries include chocolate chip muffins, biscotti, and doughuts. She stayed up all night making them and went to sleep at 5 a.m, instead of waking up at that time. She thought she would be able to stay awake and have enough energy to prepare breakfast for her siblings. Then, she planned to deliver her baked goods to her customers before returning home for a peaceful sleep. However, her body betrayed her, and she fell asleep before she realized it.

Maya suppressed her cry, pulled on her big girl pants, got out of bed, took a shower, and quickly got dressed. She emerged from the basement and hurried to the kitchen to prepare breakfast for Terrence.

She prepared waffles drizzled with maple syrup and orange juice to serve as breakfast for her brother. She placed the plate of waffles and a glass of orange juice on a tray and walked to the dining table.

Terrence sat at the table with a sullen expression on his face, typing rapidly on his laptop. He is a software engineer employed by one of the country's leading tech companies. Although he is a genius, he has a bad temper.

"Here you go," Maya said, placing the tray on the dining table directly in front of him.

She waited for his comments. Terrence moved his laptop aside. When his eyes fell on the tray, his expression soured. "Are you out of your mind?" he shouted, slamming his fist on the table.

Maya shuddered as her heart raced with fear. She wished the floor could swallow her up and make her disappear. She was terrified of what would happen next.

"I wanted pancakes and coffee, not waffles and whatever this juice is!" he exclaimed, brewing with anger like a hurricane.

"Go make me pancakes and coffee!" he shouted, flinging the tray at her. Maya quickly raised her hands to shield her face. The tray, which held the waffles and orange juice, hit her hands before falling to the ground.

The plate of waffles fell to the floor along with the serving tray. Unfortunately, Maya was unfortunate; the glass of orange juice struck her left foot. The glass shattered into pieces, cutting into her skin.

Blood began to ooze from her foot, mixing with orange juice. A tremendous pain shot through her leg. She bit her lower lip to keep herself from crying out in agony.

Terrence cast a cold glare at her foot, showing not an ounce of concern. "It was your damn fault!" he barked, causing her to flinch. "Go take care of it. I can't stand the sight of blood."

"Don't forget my pancakes, and don't keep me waiting."

Maya's fist clenched at her side, and her lips trembled with anger. She wanted to tell him to go to hell, but she felt too cowardly to do so. She dared not speak back to him. Terrence is violent, just like his father. If she stood up for herself, she knew she would get punched in the face. He had hit and slapped her numerous times since they were kids.

She has grown tired of the black eye and bruised lips inflicted by her brother's violent punches, so she kept her head down. Maya gathers her strength and returns to the basement. She finds a first aid kit, treats her wound, and bandages it.

A maid arrives to clean up the mess, easing some of Maya's burden. She returns to the kitchen as if nothing has happened and prepares pancakes and coffee for her brother. With a slight limp, she makes her way to the dining table and serves Terrence his breakfast.

• •

It's time for Maya to make breakfast for her sister. Unlike her brother, her sister is harmless. She can be annoying at times, but Maya can handle that. Additionally, her sister showcases the dishes she makes to her Instagram followers, providing free marketing for Maya, which has been extremely beneficial.

Thanks to her sister, Maya is occasionally hired to cook for parties, dinners, and other social gatherings.

With great enthusiasm, she decided to prepare a fancy breakfast for her sister and her followers to admire.

Maya decided to prepare a classic Greek omelet with asparagus and feta cheese. She organized her ingredients on the kitchen counter, which included fresh asparagus, cherry tomatoes, spinach, creamy feta cheese, butter, milk, eggs, olive oil, pepper, garlic, basil, and oregano.

Maya relaxed and took the time to prepare an elegant breakfast, enhanced by the amazing flavors of fragrant Greek-inspired spices and a perfectly fluffy texture. She was adding the finishing touches to the meal when a beautiful young woman with long, wavy chestnut brown hair entered the room.

"How is my chef doing today?" she cheerfully sang.

"Hello, Valentina," Maya said, her face lighting up with joy as she looked at her sister.

"Oh my God, breakfast is here! I love you!" Valentina exclaimed, planting a kiss on Maya's cheek.

"I present to you a Greek omelet with asparagus and feta cheese," Maya said, bowing gracefully.

Valentina clapped with excitement. "It looks so perfect! It fits my Instagram aesthetic!"

"Where would you like to eat it? In the dining room or at the kitchen island?" Maya asked.

Valentina chewed on her lower lip. "The kitchen island! It's time we show off our beautiful kitchen, don't you think?" She fluttered her long eyelashes at Maya, making her smile.

Maya glanced around the kitchen, which was certainly fancy. Unfortunately, she is only allowed to use it to prepare meals for her stepfather and siblings, not for her personal use.

Her stepfather caught her baking the pastries she sells. He slapped her, leaving her cheek swollen for days. Since then, she has never attempted to use the kitchen for personal purposes.

"Kitchen island it is," Maya said as she placed the plate of Greek omelet with asparagus and feta cheese on the countertop.

Valentina took photos of her meal and stopped when she captured the perfect shot, which she then posted on Instagram. Maya brought over a stool for her, and Valentina sat down to enjoy her breakfast.

"Eww, what happened to your foot?" Valentina exclaimed, staring at Maya's bandaged foot with sheer disgust.

"It was a kitchen hazard," Maya lied.

Valentina clutched her chest. "Please be careful, okay? Stop being so clumsy. I need you to stay alive. Who will make me fancy dishes if you die?" She pretended to sob.

"I will be more careful from now on," Maya replied, amused. She found her sister quite entertaining.

"Anyway, please say hello to my followers," Valentina requested as she went live on Instagram.

Maya leaned in and waved at the camera. "Hi, everyone!"

"This is my sister, Maya. She makes all the food you see on my page. She is the best chef in the entire world!" Valentina said cheerfully to her followers.

A comment emerged, calling Maya beautiful, which made Valentina feel jealous. She shot Maya a glare. "Don't let that go to your head," she warned. "I am more beautiful than you," she sulked.

"Alright, you can leave, you ugly duckling," Valentina said, dismissing Maya with a snap of her fingers.

Maya didn't get upset; she knew her sister act bitchy when she was feeling envious. Maya refrained from standing up to her, knowing that if she did, Valentina would run off to, daddy dearest, and Maya would end up in trouble.

Maya could only chuckle. At least today, Valentina didn't call her a bastard child, which she often does when she is extremely angry. And that's what she was, a child born as a result of infidelity.