Chapter twenty-six

Exhaustion weighed heavily on me the next day, my body aching and bruises stinging even more than before. As the morning light spilled into my room, my weariness tried to pull me back into the embrace of my bed. But before I could find solace, Ms. Emma barged into my room, her face twisted with anger.

"Why are you still in bed, you lazy fool?" she screamed, her words like knives in my ears. Without warning, she grabbed a fistful of my hair and yanked me up, forcefully reminding me of my duties.

"Get to work!" she spat, her grip tightening, and I stumbled out of the room, pain radiating through my scalp.

Joining the other maids, I tried to blend in as we went about our cleaning tasks. But it seemed that none of them wanted to be associated with me. They avoided me, casting glances laced with judgement, as if my mere presence tainted their own reputation.

Silently, I swept and cleaned, the monotonous routine a bittersweet distraction from the persistent ache in my body and the heavines