Chapter One: Dejection

I quietly walked down the long hallway, keeping my back against the wall. There was a big door in front of me, and I could hear them in the kitchen. I just need to go by it at the right time without being seen.

As I looked around the corner, I saw the group of women turn away from me. I take a deep breath and get ready to jump over the two-meter gap. I cursed inside as the dress I was wearing rustled as I stumbled and fell to the floor. I took a deep breath and waited, knowing I had been caught. I saw a pair of black sneakers right then and there.

I swallow hard and look up at Helena's snotty face. She pushed her long, shiny, straight black hair back, and her hazel eyes were looking down at me. She had her arms crossed, and her curvy hips were showing through a tight black dress. She was beautiful and a great role model for other women. But she hated me with all her heart. The two girls behind her felt the same way about me.

"What's up, Amelia?" She made a noise. "And where have you been, huh?" Her voice was gloomy.

I stayed on the floor and turned my head away from her to look at the floor.

"I-I... All I wanted to do was go to my room. I promise that I have done everything you asked of me. I rambled on about my words and didn't answer the question about where I was. She snorted and squinted at me.

"How about the guest rooms that I told you to clean?" Chloe, her older twin daughter, said with disgust, "Because I went up, and it was still the same way I left it."

Damn it. I thought that in my head.

The girls had a lot of people over last night and had a party. During the party, they drank too much and got drunk. Some of them stayed the night and left this morning from the guest room. So this morning, before they all left for work, they told me to pick up after them. Even though the loud music gave me a bad headache and I hadn't slept well, I cleaned everything. I didn't complain, but it was hard, and I did it.

I now recall that I didn't clean the guest room.

How was I supposed to remember everything she said when my head hurt so much?

"I-I-I w-was sick, and t-t-then I I was—" I let my words flow out while I held my breath, not knowing how to explain myself.

"I-I-I w-was. Sorry, but we can't hear you very well because of your dirty stutter." The other twin, Molly, laughed. They both have blonde hair, but their eyes are different colors. Molly's eyes are blue, but Chloe's eyes are green like mine. Both of them were beautiful, with pale, glowing skin and slim bodies that made me look bad. I just didn't have a chance with any of them.

"Molly, don't act like that. It's not Amelia's fault that her father died and didn't leave her anything in his will. Poor thing!" Chloe said, biting her tongue. Her sister's wicked joke made her other twin laugh gleefully.

I tried to wipe away my tears as they filled my eyes and broke my heart. I always wanted to know why Dad married another woman after Mom died. These people are very cruel. He could have looked after me on his own. I wish my dad were here with me. He was too nice and caring to see who the person he was marrying really was. I had always tried to show him her true colors, but he just wouldn't believe me. See where it has led me.

I looked up at them with anger because they were being disrespectful to my dad. When he was alive, they pretended to care about him, even when he was sick and in bed. They said they loved him, but I didn't believe them. I could always see through them. But Dad wouldn't, because he loved Helena too much.

Helena squinted at me and sneered back. Then she pointed her head toward the twins. They got it, and Chloe came over to me and squatted down. Before I could move back, she grabbed my hair and pulled me up. I stood up with her and winced when she pulled my hair. I groaned in pain as her fingers tightened around my scalp and then let go.

I had just let my breath out in relief when someone hit me in the face with all their might, making me fall to the ground with a gasp. I winced once more from the pain in my left shin. A hand pulled me up by the hair, and when I stood up, I saw Helena glaring at me.

"You little pathetic brat who doesn't add value to anything." She spat with rage. "I fed you, let you stay in my house, and took you in when the old man died. But you repay me with disrespect and disobedience. You dumb girl, no matter what you do, you will always be beneath me and my girls. Your parents left you, and no one in your family wants to take you in, but I'm sure the guys on the street would. I could throw you out right now and leave you on the street with no place to go. Do you want that?" She spat out and gripped my jaw tightly with her hand.

"No, I'm sorry." I hiccuped, and tears filled up my eyelids.

"Good. How about you go clean the rooms now?"

I nodded, my green eyes meeting hers with apprehension.

She snaps at me, saying, "Use your words."

"O… okay."

She held my jaw tightly for a moment before letting go. Then, I turned to run away, but a foot in a black shoe sprang out from under me. I tumbled and hit the floor hard, groaning. The girls laughed out loud, and when I turned around, Nicole was smirking down at me before walking away with the others.

I got up and ran to my room with tears in my eyes. I weep again for the individuals who made my life so hard as I fall into the bed.

A few minutes later, when I felt I couldn't weep anymore, I got up and went to the bathroom to use the toilet. I washed my face and left the bathroom after I cleaned up, I had no interest in looing  at the mirror. This time, I was able to slip up to the guest room without anybody noticing. After I was done with the location, I went to my room and fell asleep on my bed. I drift off to sleep expecting that things would be better tomorrow.

*******

The loud sound of an alarm woke me up, and I wiped my eyes and looked at the clock. It was seven o'clock in the morning. I slowly make my way to the bathroom, where I clean my teeth before taking off my clothing and getting in the shower. The cool water splashing on me makes me feel good. I cleaned my hair and then rinsed it.

After that, I came out of the bathroom with a towel around me. I put on some black pants and an extra-large sweater. I sighed as I combed through my sticky, damp hair because my scalp stung from the knot. Even though the bruises on my face would heal in a few minutes, I let my hair down to hide them. I threw on some shoes, got my phone and purse, and silently left my room.

It was a Saturday, so the maids who were in charge of breakfast were already up. I said hello to several people as I walked by them on my way to the kitchen. I saw two females looking at me with curiosity, but I didn't pay attention to them.

Some of them have been here since I was a kid and know what I went through. I simply didn't want them to feel sorry for me.

He was their employer before he died, and he was quite kind to them. It wasn't until two years later that a persistent malignancy that was becoming worse took him away. I took a deep breath and proceeded to the fridge in the corner of the kitchen. I picked out a sandwich and some fruit juice that I had cooked the night before and put them in the microwave to warm them up. I looked at my watch and saw that it was 6:35. That means I have approximately 25 minutes to go to work.

I grabbed my breakfast and left the house. When the chilly air struck my face, I took a deep breath and bit into my sandwich. Then I walked to the bus station.

******

I went up to Danny and handed him a card. He seemed somewhat apprehensive as he gave me a dish of food in return.

"Amelia, are you okay?" he said, looking at me closely.

Danny was a friend and coworker of mine. We attended to the same high school, yet nevertheless we both ended ourselves working at the same restaurant. When he was six years old, his aunt took him in when his parents died. But by the time he graduated from high school, they didn't have enough money to send him to college since they also had to take care of three kids. They simply let him reside with them and provide him food. Danny understood, but he argued that he needed to work and save money for education.

He found a job at O'NEILL'S Food diner, where he has been working for more than three years. He finally became a manager, which is something he's happy with for now.

Anyway, after Dad died, he said I might work here when he got the news. I was really thankful and took it since it was hard for me to get work at the time.

Not everyone wants to hire a high school graduate who has never worked before.

I smiled a little and nodded at him since I remembered that he had posed a question.

I went over to table six and put the tray with the hamburgers, chips, and yogurt on it for them. I look at the clock and see that I only have 15 minutes left in my shift. After work, I have to go someplace.

"Your food." I murmured something to them and then moved on to the next order.

I went to the storage, took off my uniform, and put on my regular clothes. When I take my luggage, I notice Danny coming up to me.

"Are you ready to go, Amelia?" He says this with a big smile on his face.

I pondered why he was always so happy, even after a tough day. "Yes, I am," I said back with a grin.

"I'll see you on Monday." I say.

He made a pouty face, and I laughed and pulled on his nose with my fingers. He crossed his arms and looked angry when his expression altered. I always giggled at how he reacted.

"Come here." I say, hugging him with my arms around him.

He answered it, and I heard him let out a long sigh, which made him feel better.

"You'll be fine." He mumbles something and then pulls me aside to look at my face. "I know you are strong, Amelia, and I know you are special. Don't allow anybody tell you you're weak or don't deserve to be happy. Everyone does. You deserve to be happy, and you'll be OK. You can always count on me to be there when you need to chat or complain. Okay? Just call me."

I blinked away the tears that were nearly making it hard for me to see and nodded at him. Danny understands what I'm going through, and even when I don't say anything, he still gets me.

"Thanks." I mouthed a word to him, and he smiled back. I say farewell and go to the door that leads outside.

As soon as I went outside, the chilly air made me shudder and I wrapped my arms around my body.

I should have worn a thicker shirt.