I woke up to Clara's voice, sharp as a knife cutting through the early morning quiet. "Get up, girl! The floors won't scrub themselves!"
I forced myself out of bed, every muscle in my body aching from yesterday's endless chores. Aiden was still fast asleep, huddled under the thin blanket that barely kept the cold out. I watched him for a moment, his face peaceful in a way I rarely saw anymore. Leaning down, I pressed a kiss to his forehead, letting myself imagine, just for a second, that things were different—that he didn't have to wake up to the same nightmare I did.
I didn't have much time to linger in that thought. The moment I stepped into the hallway, Clara was already waiting, mop in hand. She thrust it at me, her lips pulled tight in that familiar look of disdain.
"The kitchen's filthy. You didn't finish last night."
I swallowed down the retort that rose in my throat. There was no point. I'd learned early on that arguing with Clara only made things worse. She would find any excuse to make me feel small, as if she thrived on reminding me that I didn't belong here. No matter how hard I worked, how much I scrubbed or cleaned, it was never enough for her.
"I'll get to it," I muttered, gripping the mop and heading toward the kitchen.
The tiles felt cold under my knees as I knelt down to start scrubbing. I hated this—the endless cycle of cleaning, the exhaustion that never seemed to leave my bones, and most of all, the way Clara looked at me. Like I was nothing. Like I'd never be anything more than the burden she was forced to take in.
My thoughts drifted, as they often did, to how things should have been. I should have been getting ready for school right now, worrying about homework or which book to bring to class. Instead, I was stuck in this house, a glorified servant, while Emily and Tessa—my cousins—had everything handed to them on a silver platter.
Speak of the devils. They breezed into the kitchen not long after I'd started scrubbing, chatting loudly about their weekend plans like I wasn't even there.
"I can't believe we're going to that new restaurant downtown," Emily gushed, her voice sugary sweet. "Mom said it's going to be packed, but she knows someone who can get us a reservation."
"Of course she does," Tessa replied with a smirk. "We always get the best."
They sat down at the table, not even glancing in my direction. Why would they? I was invisible to them—just the girl on the floor scrubbing away their mess. My stomach clenched as I listened to their conversation, the jealousy creeping in even though I tried to fight it. I shouldn't care what they had, but I did. They lived in a world of ease and luxury, while I had to fight for every scrap, every moment of peace.
"Are you going to serve us breakfast or what?" Tessa's voice cut through my thoughts like a whip.
I looked up at them, biting the inside of my cheek. Breakfast? Like I had nothing better to do than cater to their every whim. But I pushed myself up from the floor without a word. This was how it always was. I could clean and scrub all day, but it would never be enough for them. They'd always find some way to remind me of my place.
I started frying eggs, my back turned to them as they continued their conversation. I let their words wash over me, my mind elsewhere, thinking about Aiden and how I needed to get him some new school supplies. He was doing well in school—so much better than I'd been able to. At least that was something. At least he had a chance.
The sound of Clara's voice snapped me back to the present. She'd appeared in the doorway, arms crossed over her chest, her eyes narrowing as she took in the scene.
"You're burning the eggs," she said, her tone dripping with disapproval. "Honestly, Ivy, can't you do anything right?"
I quickly flipped the eggs, but it was too late—one of them was already charred around the edges. I set the plate down in front of Emily and Tessa, trying to ignore their disgusted looks.
"Next time, don't bother," Emily said, pushing the plate away. "I'm not eating that."
I clenched my fists at my sides, forcing myself to stay calm. I couldn't afford to lose my temper. Not here, not now. I needed this roof over my head, even if it came with Clara's constant criticism and Emily and Tessa's cruelty.
"Sorry," I muttered, though the word felt bitter on my tongue.
Clara huffed, clearly unimpressed. "You're lucky I even let you stay here, Ivy. You and your brother should be grateful for everything I've done for you."
Grateful? My mind screamed at the injustice of it. I wanted to tell her that we weren't lucky, that every day in this house felt like a slow suffocation, that the only reason we were here was because we had nowhere else to go. But instead, I nodded, keeping my head down. Arguing would only make things worse, and I couldn't risk that. Not with Aiden depending on me.
After what felt like an eternity, Clara finally left the kitchen, and I released a breath I hadn't realized I was holding. Emily and Tessa followed soon after, leaving their plates untouched. Typical. The food would go to waste, just like everything else they had.
I went back to the sink, scrubbing dishes that didn't even need to be cleaned, just to keep my hands busy. My mind was racing, the familiar weight of frustration and helplessness pressing down on me.
I couldn't stay here forever. I knew that. But where would we go? I didn't have enough saved to rent a place, and finding work was nearly impossible with no formal education. My dreams of finishing school, of having a life beyond Clara's house, seemed more distant with each passing day.
But I wouldn't give up. I couldn't. For Aiden's sake, if not for my own.
I glanced at the small clock hanging on the wall. Aiden would be up soon, and I needed to get him ready for school. That thought brought a small smile to my face. At least he still had that. And as long as I could keep him in school, there was hope.
I wiped my hands on a towel, steeling myself for the rest of the day. It didn't matter how many times Clara or my cousins tried to push me down. I'd keep getting back up. I had to.
Because this wasn't the end for me or Aiden. It couldn't be.