"Make sure you watch her every move and make sure she's back before 5pm"
Anna sighed, hearing the orders her step mother gave to her bodyguards and personal maid, she was already used to the restrictions but it didn't stop it from hurting, it didn't stop her from hurting.
She wheeled herself to the door and stared at her legs in annoyance, if she could walk she would've left, no one would know when or how…or why, they never cared to know about her feelings…it hurt, her whole existence hurt.
"And you…" she heard her step mother's voice from behind her, she didn't bother to turn around though. "Don't try anything stupid"
.
.
They were distracted, her personal maid Janet was chatting with her bodyguards, they seemed to have forgotten Anna was there with them…she was used to it.
Anna wheeled herself to the main road, it was busy, dangerous and also exactly what she wanted.
A black jeep sped towards her and she sat there with her eyes closed, waiting for the impact, it never came though.
She heard the screeching of tires and then hurried footsteps.
"Are you okay?" A masculine voice asks, Anna opens her eyes and stares into his…his green eyes were so warm and they felt familiar.
He had a small smile on his lips, he patted her head and sighed.
"Even if the world doesn't give you hope, you have to create it yourself…don't give up so easily" he pushed her wheel chair to the side of the road that was safer.
He gave her a much needed hug that Anna appreciated, it brought tears to her eyes.
She didn't say a word, the man had left, walked back to his car and sped away.
She stared at the strange man as he got into his car after keeping her by the side of the road.
A self depreciating smile appeared on her lips as she watched the man's car drive quite a distance away.
He had told her to create hope for herself, told her not to give up on life but Anna knew better than to have hope, she did once and look where that got her.
She had decided to just end it all today, but as it turns out she isn't even allowed to die.
Anna stared at her lifeless legs and sneered, she hated the sight of them but what could she do?
All of the specialists that had seen her have all being saying the same thing for the past three years. There was nothing she could do about the words ringing in her head everyday.
'It will be impossible for you to ever walk again' they say
'You can't bear children' they say.
Anna closed her eyes, her tears fell asleep she kept listening to the sounds of passing cars. They seemed to calm her down, to make her forget her pain, just for a little while.
"Young Miss!" a young girl called out to her, the girl's brown hair cascaded down her back to her thighs making her look extremely beautiful
Anna stared at the girl, she had always been jealous of her looks.
'Even my maid is way prettier than me' Anna thought inwardly as she forced out a smile
"Janet" Anna said softly, Janet looked at Anna, the worry evident on her face
"Young miss you scared me! the bodyguards searched everywhere for you in the park"
Anna looked behind the girl glaring at the bodyguards behind her, they always restricted her freedom. Her father had made that any form of excitement in her life would never be allowed…she wasn't even sure she was allowed to be happy.
She was only allowed to go to places her father approved of. All because she couldn't move on her own, she is practically a prisoner even though she was out now.
"Let's go home" her soft voice rang out, she never considered it her home though but she had no where else to go, she gave one last glance at the three men in black before pressing the button on her wheel chair and wheeling past them.
Of course they all followed closely behind her closely while Janet kept expressing her worry.
.....
Anna stared at the mansion, just sitting there looking at the entrance made her scared, she didn't want to go back in there
she was not very smart to begin with but then that accident just had to happen making her completely useless to her family.
The only person who kept her going and showed her any form of love in her life was her mother and now....she was no longer here, she was no longer alive.
"Well, where did you run off to?, I heard the bodyguards had a hard time finding you at the park"
The woman speaking was dressed in red, her heavy make up and graceful demeanor hid her real age perfectly
Anna clenched her fists secretly, she never really knew how to stand up to this woman or look her in the eye, or she could do was keep quiet and let the woman continue speaking
"I am talking to you...as expected, you really are like your dead mother in every way.
Just too stupid and useless!" The woman said with disdain, the sight of this girl always disgusted her.
Anna didn't blame her step mother for treating her the way she did, this was no Cinderella story…her mother was the other woman…she had no right to talk back to the real madam of the house.
Anna silently wheeled away ignoring the woman, she was still mourning her mother, she had no strength to defend herself.
"Madam Clara just please pardon her, you know the young miss has been going through quite a lot and...."
"Who gave you the right to speak?!" Madam Clara immediately shut Janet up.
Janet apologized and quickly followed behind Anna.
After assisting her to her room and putting her on the bed, Janet tried comforting Anna, she always did and it made Anna always grateful to her help and only friend.
Although Anna was absent minded, she was thinking of her mother, she first came to this house as a mistress's daughter; apart from the fact that she was not like normal girls, she cared nothing about dresses, hair styling, skin cares.
With average looks the whole family looked down on her but only her mother kept encouraging her to just endure it.
Despite the bullying and the insults from her sisters and brother, she never once tried to stand up for herself her mother always advised her to avoid trouble and that was what she did.
Anna was tired of life, she had no one else in this house and she cannot go back to her mother's birth town because of everything she had left behind, a past she didn't want to remember.
All she could do was be silent and endure everything.....but for how long? How long would it be till she snaps?
Noticing Anna's lack of response, Janet decided to change the topic.
"Miss Anna"
"Hm?" Anna answered absent mindedly.
"Do you know there's an event tomorrow here at the mansion?"
Anna's interest was piqued as she looked at Janet.
"Oh? Is there?"
Janet nodded "The Duan family are coming over to visit"
Anna was slightly surprised, the Duan family was also known as the Major general's family
Mr. Duan had achieved so many great feats with country's army and his sons rule the business empire.
Although the Lus, Anna's family, were very influential, it was known that the general didn't like to socialize with business tycoons unless it was for the sake of the army.
But her father was not even in the country at the moment, what would bring the entire Duan family here?
"Do you know what they are coming here for?"
Janet shook her head "Only madam Clara knows"
Anna nodded and tried to adjust her position.
After placing her head on her pillow she said in a low voice
"It doesn't matter anyways, it's not like I'm part of this family. I couldn't care less" Anna closed her eyes, she wasn't sleepy but she just wanted Janet to leave, she wanted to be alone, she hated it when others saw her crying.
After covering her properly with a blanket, Janet left the room with a sad expression.
She still hoped for the day when her young miss would finally be free from all of her problems.
After hearing the door close, Anna opened her eyes, she didn't feel sleepy, she hadn't felt sleepy since her mother died. She knew the lack of sleep had been affecting her health for days now…she felt so weak.
It had only been a month but she was already going through hell without her.
She had not been given the opportunity to mourn, to feel sorry for herself or even break down in tears, it has only been a month but this was the longest month of her life.