CHAPTER 4: MAKE ME A LOT OF MONEY, RADA!

I stared at the leftovers on the table. A deep sense of curiosity filled my mind. Usually, they only leave me a tiny bit—and often, they don’t leave me anything at all. But look at this—Darion even left me a whole chicken thigh.

Have they suddenly turned nice?

It seems impossible, considering how often they’ve treated me unfairly all this time. Especially since the chicken thigh is Ines’s favorite part. If she found out I got the thigh, she’d definitely fly into a rage and snatch it right out of my hands.

But why have they changed now? Especially Darion. That man usually always takes Ines’s side and never hesitates to hit me if his spoiled little girl makes up some nonsense.

Never mind, I shouldn’t dwell on it too much. Right now, I need to eat to recharge my energy. They might go back to acting like their usual selves later tonight.

I finished off that fairly substantial meal. A faint smile played on my lips. After washing the dishes and cleaning the kitchen, I even managed to grab an apple I’d already washed and stashed it in my room.

The room at the very back, crammed with piles of stuff.

This isn’t really a room—it’s a storage room they’ve been using as my bedroom for as long as I can remember. Even though there are other decent rooms in this house, I’m still left to sleep among the piles of stuff. I only have a tiny bit of space left to lie down. Ines always comes over with piles of her old stuff, then deliberately puts them on top of my worn-out mattress. Even though they know I barely have any space, they still put them there, making the room even more cramped and suffocating.

Is my work done just like that?

Of course not. Even though they’ve all left, I can’t relax. The laundry is piled high, not to mention I have to sweep and mop. I have to finish all these household chores by myself. They’ve never hired a maid and have simply turned me into an unpaid slave in this house.

With slow, dragging steps, I made my way from room to room, carrying my cleaning supplies. I thought I was alone in this house, but it turned out I was wrong. As I stepped into the living room, I saw Darion sitting calmly, reading the newspaper.

He set the newspaper down as soon as he noticed me. Once again, fear washed over me as I felt his gaze scan my entire body.

“Rada,” he called.

“Y-yes, what is it?” I replied nervously. To be honest, I was terrified—especially now that it was just the two of us in the house.

“Don’t you have any nice clothes?”

I swallowed hard, feeling strange about the question. Since when had he been paying attention to my clothes? Didn’t they never buy me any clothes at all? The clothes I’d been wearing all this time were just hand-me-downs from Mariana or Ines.

I shook my head slowly in response.

Darion nodded. He immediately stood up and walked away just like that, leaving me in confusion that was growing more and more intense.

I tried not to let it bother me, even though curiosity kept gnawing at my mind. I continued my work, because if Mariana came home and the house was still dirty, she’d fly into a rage.

As I was diligently sweeping the floor, I suddenly sensed someone watching me from behind.

I turned around, and it was Darion. My steps stopped immediately when I saw him start to walk toward me.

“Use this tonight,” he said, handing me a dress.

With trembling hands, I took the dress. It was one of Ines’s dresses.

“This… belongs to Ines. She’ll get mad,” I said softly.

“She won’t get mad if I’m the one giving it to you. You have to get dressed up, Rada. You have to look beautiful tonight.”

A sudden wave of anxiety washed over me. What exactly were they planning for me?

“Why are you just standing there?! Remember, you owe me a favor! I’m the one who saved you, Rada! If I hadn’t saved you back then, you’d be dead at the bottom of that ravine!” he snapped suddenly.

“But… I’ve been a maid in your house for years. Is all that still not enough?!” I replied, mustering my courage.

Darion smiled cynically. He stepped closer, then his hand suddenly reached out and gripped my throat with tremendous force.

I was startled. My eyes stung, and it felt as though the air had suddenly been cut off. I struggled to breathe because of his rough grip.

“You dare to talk back, huh?! All that isn’t enough to repay me, since you’re just a maid in this house, Rada!” he growled harshly, then simply flung me aside as I coughed, gasping for air.

I gasped for as much air as I could after the grip on my neck was released. My hands trembled as I touched my neck, which felt extremely sore and hot.

“Remember, you have to wear that dress tonight! You have to look beautiful, Rada. You have to repay your debt to me!” he declared firmly before finally turning and walking away, leaving me alone.

I stared at his back as it grew increasingly distant. Tears streamed down my face; my chest felt incredibly tight, and I was overcome by an overwhelming sense of fear.

Where was he taking me that night?

My eyes shifted to the dress lying on the floor. The neckline and shoulders were slightly exposed. Did Darion really intend to sell me?

That evening, I remained silent in my room. I was already wearing the dress Darion had given me. I stared at my reflection in the worn mirror—this was the most expensive dress I’d ever worn. Would Ines be angry if she found out I was wearing it?

My heart pounded even harder as I heard footsteps approaching. Soon after, the door was flung open roughly. It was Mariana—I didn’t even know when she’d come home.

She smiled smugly at my appearance. Then she stepped inside, pulling out her makeup kit.

“This… what’s this for?” I asked nervously.

“Don’t ask so many questions, Rada! Remember, you have to be an obedient girl. My husband and I are the ones helping you, so no matter what happens, you must remain obedient!” she snapped as she grabbed my chin and began roughly applying powder to my face.

I could only stand there frozen. My hands clutched the fabric of the dress I was wearing tightly as a growing sense of foreboding surged through my chest. Especially when Ines joined us in the room. Instead of getting angry at seeing me wearing her fancy dress, she actually smiled slyly and smugly.

After Mariana finished applying my makeup and stepped out of the room, Ines walked over to me. She leaned in and whispered something in my ear in a cold tone that sent shivers of fear through my entire body.

“Make a lot of money for me, Rada!”