Chapter 3

Catherine panicked the moment she saw Claudia in a terrible mood. Fear gripped her as soon as Claudia came close to her. However, she went ahead to stammered her greetings

"Go o d m..morning.

As if the greeting provoked the demon in her, Claudia grabbed her clothes and pulled her closer.

"How dare you spend the night out? You are good for nothing daughter of a bitch. Do you want to turn into a harlot like your useless mother? Answer me huh" she yelled jerking her body hard.

"If you don't tell me where you spent the night I will deal with you harshly. Where did you spend the night?" She asked again.

Catherine's eyes were soaked with tears that she refused to talk. When Claudia saw that she was not talking, she slapped her twice on both cheeks and pushed her hard on the cold floor in wrath.

Catherine's head hit on the wall and she fell immediately. Cathy let out an awful cry and blood started gushing out from her wounded head. She held her head and wept in pain.

Claudia's bitterness increased even more. She kicked Catherine so hard that she screamed in pain again. Cathy gasped her body and curled like a ball on the floor. That position enraged Claudia the more and she brought out her long cane and flogged her up. Catherine's body was bruised. Claudia felt satisfied because she had no strength to beat her again.

"You better get up from there and do your chores," she said and left the house in anger.

Catherine dragged her painful body inside to do her chores. She regrets attending the party. Feeling too exhausted to weep, Catherine let her tears flow down her cheeks. Regrettably, she picked up her broken phone which Claudia damaged while beating her up, and went inside.

***

James was very excited as he recalled what transpired between him and Catherine the previous night. He could not believe that he finally found a woman. He spent his night dreaming about the girl who seductively lured him into sex. He had never planned to have his first sex in the restroom. However, he was trying hard to control himself but his body was saying otherwise.

"That girl was really beautiful everything about her aroused me," he muttered.

"Her beautiful and elegant look. The way she carried her curvy hip and swung it carelessly towards me last night makes it hard for me to be in control of myself " He mumbles again.

"Well, I can't blame myself for that wild sex, she got what she wanted"he whispered and smiled mischievously

"I can't wait to see her today at the park," he said.

"I didn't even get to know her name or where she came from. I am going to ask her today when we meet " he said feeling overwhelmed with joy and satisfaction.

Within a few minutes, James has already left his house for the park. He got there a lot earlier than he should be, but that doesn't matter. What matters is that soon he will see the girl that stole his sleep the previous night.

James waited until dusk, yet Catherine didn't show up. He left in frustration and pain. However, Catherine dares not to talk about going to the park not after what Claudia did to her.

She took her bath after her chores and dressed her wounds then she went into the kitchen to prepare dinner.

Claudia has made her life miserable but she was still grateful for the food and shelter she was provided with.

"One can't get it all from life" she reassures herself.

She was almost done with dinner when her father arrived. Claudia had left him and boarded a flight back home. Justin who depends on his wife Claudia for almost everything can't afford a flight back home. He took a bus to return home which made him stay longer on the road.

Sulking in the bad way Claudia treated him he passed Catherine without responding to her greetings

Catherine knows better, she did not utter any word to him again. So she kept quiet and didn't ask him what the matter was.

Catherine served her father's food and went inside to call him.

"Dad your food is on the table" She didn't wait for a response, she tried to get away from him before he poured out his anger on her. However, Justin caught Catherine by her hand before she could get out of the room.

"Where is Claudia? He asked tightening his grip

"I... I don't know" she answered.

"Where were you last night? He asked

Claudia had called him several times last night, saying all sorts of things about Catherine. That was not the first time she talked ill about her, but he was mad when he learned that Cathy spent the night outside their home.

"Where were you last night" he shouted aloud, still holding her arms. He shook her violently while shooting her with his angry eyes

Tears flood down her already tired eyes

"I am asking you where did you sleep last night. He asked again ferociously

"At Mira's " the word came out so quickly that she did not know when it came out.

"I was afraid to sleep alone. I had to spend the night with Mira" she replied with trembling lips.

He ferociously shoved her away and went inside his room. She sat on the floor crying when Claudia came back.

Claudia kicked her hard with her leg

"What are you still doing here come on get up from here" she scolded.