Chapter 1

More days, more problems.

“When will I be free and know peace?” A day barely passed without the beautiful girl, whose beauty slowly faded away, asking herself.

“You won’t know peace till you pack your stuff and get the hell out of this place!” Anita threatened her every day. 

Anita always wished she could send her out, but she dared not do that. All she could do was victimize her until she wouldn't be able to take it anymore, so she would pack and leave by herself. 

“I will make your life nothing but hell. To me, you are nothing but a cursed child.”

Living with her uncle, the innocent orphan knew nothing but pain. Bowyer, her uncle, Anita, her uncle's wife and their two daughters, Anya and Vera, were her sadness designers, and they sewed a garment of sadness that fitted her perfectly and she dwelled in its realm both day and night.

She wasn’t living with her uncle until five years ago, when her parents died in a car accident. She never saw Bowyer and his family till then, because she boarded at the school and barely came home. Her parents were rich, and she was a spoiled brat. She got everything she wanted at a slip of the hand even before she opened her mouth to make a request.

At seventeen, her parents died, and Bowyer signed the legal guardian documents so he could have her in his care because of the property. And for the first two months, they took proper care of her because her father’s lawyer lived nearby and he occasionally stopped by before he moved out of the country.

Three months later, Anita accomplished her mission. She convinced Bowyer, and they dropped her out of school, saying they couldn’t avoid three children’s school fees, and they couldn't stress themselves because Mila’s father didn’t leave any property. Besides, they won’t suffer because of a child that didn't have a bright future.

“What do you want to do if you go to school? Do you think you will succeed in life? My daughters deserve good things. They have a bright future and you will live your whole life being a slave to them!”

The house was big and had eight rooms, excluding the kitchen and toilets, but she slept in the boys’ cutter at the backyard, where they threw garbage, and her night partner were trashes in the room, because that’s where they threw spoiled things.

Anita made her did the house chores that were more than her age until she got used to it. They barely feed or clothe her. She wore the clothes that Anya threw away as rags. She barely ate two times a day. She only did it when no one was at home. And if they caught her, she would visit heaven and come back.

She was the same age as Anya, with a three-month difference. She was older than Vera, but they made her do everything they should be doing. They didn’t sweep or do any house chores. All they knew how to do best were eating, playing, pressing phones, and watching movies. Except if they lied against Mila, so her punishment tripled, or they abused her, like their mother.

Last night, she slept late because Anita insisted she must wash Vera and Anya’s clothes. She ironed them and prepared everything they needed for the weekend vacation.

The sun has already set, but she hasn’t woken up.

“Mila! Where are you?” Anika’s voice filled the whole house. She had a high voice, but didn’t use it on anyone unless she was abusing Mila.

She would shout at her till her veins showed and almost tear. Mila wasn’t deaf, but she loved shouting at her because she hated her. She found pleasure in abusing her, so it would get to a level where she couldn’t take it anymore and would run away from the house. Then, her mind would be at rest and Mila’s property would fully belong to her daughters.

She checked the kitchen, but Mila wasn’t there. She peeped at the laundry room, but didn’t see her.

“I hope Mila is not still sleeping,” she grinned through her teeth in anger. She stood for a second, thinking about what to do for her. “I know what to do to her…” 

She went to the kitchen and fetched a big bowl of water. She walked angrily to the garbage room that Mila was sleeping in. 

“Wake up!” She poured the water on her.

Mila was shocked and woke up shouting. “Who is that!?”

“Your dead mother in heaven.” Anita hit her forehead with the bucket.

Hearing Anita’s voice, she quickly stood up and rubbed the water from her eyes. She knew she was in trouble because the sun had already set and she hadn’t made coffee for Anya and Vera.

“I am sorry, mum.” She kneeled down immediately and Anita hit her with the bucket with full force, and she fell on the floor. 

“Who is your mum? Hun? Tell me. I am not your mother. Please, don’t kill me like you killed her. I know the number of times I entered the labor room. I entered it twice and, thankfully, my daughters are still alive and they didn’t kill me like you killed your own mother.” Anita riposted. This wasn’t the first time she would say that. She said it every time she called her mother.

“I am sorry, ma.” Mila begged and stood up. She wanted to run out because if Anita held her, she wouldn’t let her go until blood came out of her body.

“Where are you going? Do you want to beat me?” Anita asked.

Mila’s eyes were filled with tears and she took a step backward to Anita’s front. She went down on her knees. “I am sorry ma.”

“Sorry for yourself.” Anita yelled. “If anyone sees you crying now, they will think I am wicked. What have I done to you? Have I touched you?” Anita slapped her.

“No, ma.” Mila shook her head in negativity.

“I have always tried to treat you nice, but you always prove to be an animal at every slight opportunity,” Anita’s voice was so cool that anyone that heard her at that moment would think she was nice. 

“Have I ever beat you since you have been living in this house?” She raised her eyebrows.

With tears, Mila shook her head in negativity. “No, ma.”

“Stand up!” Anita ordered, and Mila’s body quickly reacted to the command.

“Come here.”

Mila slowly took her step after the other, covering her eyes with her hand. She couldn’t predict getting beat, but she could save her eyes.

As Anita raised her hand up to beat her, Bowyer called, “Dear, please come. It seems like we have a problem.”

Anita left Mila and quickly ran after her husband. “What happened?”

Bowyer wanted to talk, and his eyes caught Mila. She might be listening to their conversation. “Let’s go in, please.”

<IN THE BEDROOM>

“Never! That’s not possible!” Anita crossed her hand across her chest as she shook her head heavily in opposition.

“But Anita…” Bowyer wanted to say a word, but she cut in. “Don’t say words more. My daughter can’t be used to settle a debt. You open the bee's yard with your head, so you should bear the consequences and let it bite you.”

“We are not using her to settle a debt…” he tried to explain, but she wasn’t interested. “Then what’s this call? Hun? Answer me,”

“You gambled a lot of money and lost, you borrowed money from the Leo family and now that you can’t pay it back, you dare come back to me that one stupid Mrs. Nadia, or what is she called, wants my daughter in exchange.” 

Anita snickered. She didn’t believe her husband could say that. But no matter what he says, she won’t change her mind.

“But you forced me to do it.” He poured out.

She giggled. “So? You are the husband. You should know how to sort things out and not use your own daughter for your interest.”

“If we don’t do this, Anita, I will be jailed.” Bowyer hit the back of his right hand on the left-hand palm. He wished Anita would understand him. It wasn’t something he would want to do if not for what the situation demanded. He loved his children and wouldn’t trade them for anything.

“And so?” She set her gaze on him. “There are many of your sets there.”

“Hun?!” He was surprised to hear her say that.

She widened her gaze. “There are your mates, those you are younger and older than in jail. So going to jail is not something you can use to threaten me. Besides, I won’t let you stay long,”

“Within eight to ten years, Anya would have graduated and gotten a good job. So, fifteen years to this time, she would have gathered enough to bail you out and settle your debt.” She analyzed.

While the argument was still going on, Mila knocked on the door.

“Who is that?” Bowyer asked.

“Who will it be more than the unfortunate child of your family?” Anita said. She directed a question to Mila. “What do you want?”

“I want to ask what we are eating.” Mila answered.

“Just make…” 

Before Anita could complete her statement, she loosened her hand from her body. She ran to the door and opened it. She looked at Mila from head to toe, toe to head, right to left and left to right. She grabbed Mila’s shoulder and turned her around. 

“Why haven’t I thought of this before now?” She whispered.

“What’s it?” Bowyer threw a question.

Anita smiled. “I found a solution. Thank God my daughter won’t have to spend her hard earning money on debt and bail.”

“What’s the solution?” Bowyer asked.

“Mila.” Anita answered with simplicity.

“Make rice with chicken stew.” She ordered Mila.

“Okay, ma.” Mila walked away.

He frowned his face in confusion. “How does this concern Mila? What does she have to do with Anya marrying Dimitri?”

“Thank God, Mrs. Nidia didn’t recognize Anya. We will just replace her with Mila.” She explained.

“Are you okay?” He asked. “What are you thinking? Dimitri is the Leo family’s heir. If we let Anya marry him, it will help our status and we will be more bound to the Leo family and their partners.”

Anita walked to bed and sat down. She picked a glass of wine on the table and sipped it. “Believe me, I have plans. Mila will suffer, and our daughter will live a happy life.”

“What are you planning?” Bowyer asked.

“Dimitri is an illegitimate child of Leo’s family.” Anita answered.

Bowyer opened his mouth in awe. “How did you know!?” 

“Don’t ask me too many questions,” Anita sipped the wine again. “I will make the legitimate child of the Leo family, Nikolai, fall for Anya. So when Mrs. Nidia favors her real son, Anya’s share will be huge…”

It impressed Bowyer. “Wow! Bravo!”