Catherine got Raine a tutor when she turned nine. It had taken her sometime to cope because she missed a year. Her tutor, Miss Doyle was okay. She didn't make Raine feel worthless and she tried to hide her disgust for Raine's body.
She was the only person that was allowed to speak to Raine but they had never conversed about anything other than her academics.
"Raine, did you finish the tests I gave you?" Miss Doyle inquired while packing up her study handouts.
"No. I, I've b-been bus-sy. I'm s-sorry." Raine mumbled but Miss Doyle managed to hear her.
"What were you doing?" Her eyes widened in surprise, Miss Doyle had never cared to ask why she missed classes or didn't do assignments.
"S-stuff."
Raine couldn't tell her that Catherine had her locked in the room for the past month. Catherine would end her if she ruined her reputation.
Miss Doyle's eyes softened and she held her hands out to Raine. Her face kind of glowed and for a fleeting moment Raine wondered what creams she used. "You can tell me what's going on. Raine," She whispered. "I can help you."
Raine looked her dead in her eyes and saw sincerity, true concern. She could trust her but Raine was more concerned about the consequences on Miss Doyle.
"I- I'm all r-rght." Raine broke eye contact right before she caught the sight of a fleeing maid. She was instantly sad, it was probably the last time she would see Miss Doyle.
After the tutoring session, Raine had a long lunch in the kitchen. She always preferred to eat in the four-person dining table set up in the corner of the kitchen. In the main dining room, there was a nine-person dining set up but no one ever used it not even Catherine.
While Raine was engulfed in a calm lunch, a figure approached her in purposeful strides. The figure, a woman in her late twenties was dressed in a way that said a lot of her financial status. She reached the table, pulled out a chair and sat herself down.
The woman carried an air of superiority but received no attention from Raine, who was very engrossed in her meal. She scoffed then cleared her throat which did the trick because Raine with a strand of spaghetti hanging from her lips, jerked up, startled by her presence.
Mitchell, the woman, was curious as to why a maid was having a meal in the kitchen.
"Aren't you supposed to be working?" She demanded. "Why are you lounging here?"
Raine was confused with her questions and could only let out, "I, I um…"
"At least try to help yourself. I mean a diet, look how fat you are. I wonder why Catherine hired you." Mitchell huffed. "I bet you can't even bend sideways."
Hearing those words, shame filled Raine and she bent her head to hide her watery eyes. "I'm n-not a-a ma-maid."
"What? Then why are you in here?" She gave Raine a once over. "You aren't related to Catherine, right? But you do kind of look like-"
"Mitchell! What are you doing here?" Mitchell whipped around to see Catherine walk into the kitchen with a wide smile.
She let out a shriek of excitement and stood to engulf Catherine in a tight hug while Raine sat, her spaghetti abandoned, confused by the scene before her. "Surprise! I came immediately after my shoot with Vogue." Mitchell's smile was so wide that Raine thought her cheeks would split.
"I wish you had told me, I would have cleaned things up." Catherine's gaze drifted to Raine. Raine didn't need to be told, she moved quickly, emptying the contents of her plate and hurrying down the stairs, through a dark hallway until she reached the Room.
She hurriedly stepped in then took a deep breath to calm her nerves. Catherine was surely going to come after her later so she sat and waited for a very long time. Then finally the door swung open with such force that an earthquake would envy.
Raine's breathing picked up as fear coursed through her veins. Catherine was dressed in a silk nightgown with her hair pulled back in a messy bun. If not for the murderous look on her face one would have said she looked pretty.
"What did you say to her?" Her voice was venomous. Chills washed through Raine as she tried to formulate a sentence.
"I, I d-didn't s-say a-anyth-thing. Sh-she w-was ta-talking-"
"Shut up! What are you good for? Nothing! What if she found out? What would have become of my reputation? I would have become a laughing stock!" Catherine screamed with every step she took towards Raine.
Catherine's reputation was everything to her and everything about her was perfect, except Raine.
She and Mitchell had a photo-shoot planned, one that would bring her millions of dollars. If Mitchell found out that Raine was her daughter everything would have been ruined.
"Just because of you, I could have lost a very important contract." Her voice dropped volume and she spoke slowly. "Locking you up won't do. I'm going to starve you, maybe after that you'll learn how to behave."
Raine paled at her statement, she wouldn't survive without food, and it was more than a necessity to her. "N-no, no. P-please. Pl-please… You c-can't d-do th-this t-to m-me. I, I'll d-do anyth-thing el-else, I'll ev-even-"
"Honestly, you are so disgusting, such a fatty." Said Catherine slowly running her eyes down Raine's body, the girl looked even more bloated in a gown.
Raine felt self-conscious with how her mother was staring her down, she wanted the ground to open and swallow her whole. "I'm doing you a favor, you'll lose a few pounds. You really need to." Catherine shot her a nasty look but her eyes twinkled with glee at Raine's distress. Then she walked out and slammed the door.