Broken Petals

Daisy's POV

I never could have imagined a life as bad as this. Since I lost the only person who understood, loved, and cared for me, my mother.

Barely a few months into the mourning period, my father remarried, and I have never had a moment of rest. I thought deeply about myself.

Just then, Vileta stepped in quietly, and she reached to grip me by the brims of my hair. She yanked it so wickedly that I didn't know when I let out a loud scream that brought me back to the reality that I was stuck in a world filled with hate and suffering.

"Here you are, doing what you only know how to do best. All you do is laze around, eat, and sleep like a log of old wood." My stepmother's words pierced deeply into me. It got me wondering what she really wants from me. I work my ass out to please this same woman, but she never sees the effort I put in.

"No, please, I'm sorry." I heard myself saying it with a couple of teardrops escaping down my cheeks. I thought I had done all there was to do, but she would still complain.

"You silly child! Khlouwey has been in her room ringing the bell, but you decided to pay attention to it. I definitely have to teach you an unforgettable lesson." Vileta said this with anger fuming from her eyes.

I could not tell for sure if Khlouwey really needed me or if she just wanted to stress the hell out of me. She has been doing this for as long as I can remember, since her father married her mother. I do hope I don't die serving my stepmother and her children.

"I was in her room a few minutes ago, and I had..." I replied, but I was rudely interrupted by Vileta.

"And who cares if you just left her room, you silly girl? She needs you now; that's the point. Take note; if this nonchalant attitude of yours ever repeats itself, I would be forced to throw you out of this house." She barked at me as she landed a loud slap on my left cheek, which was not the first time.

"I'm sorry, please. I will attend to her right away." I begged.

"Run along; you are good for nothing, elf of a girl. I wonder why my darling husband has not given your hand in marriage to the old, ugly dwarf that lives in the old town. You would have been better off with him, and then you two would make ugly-looking babies." She said this as she laughed hysterically.

"Yes ma." I responded calmly as I made my way to Khlouwey's room.

If I had the slightest clue as to what I was about to see, I would have avoided Khlouwey's room at that very moment.

After a few knocks on her door, Khlouwey finally replied. "Come in."

She continued, "You beast of indescribable form, why did you keep me waiting, huh?"

"I'm sorry, Khlouwey. I had a few things to do in the kitchen, and besides, I did not hear you ring the bell." I defended myself.

"You must be very stupid and sick in the head. So are you calling me a liar?"

"No, I only..."

"Shut up your tramp, you fool!"

"But I really didn't hear you ring the bell."

"Shut up, I say. I can clearly see that you're sick in the head and need urgent medical attention. But the problem here is that you can't afford it."

"I'm sorry." I said defeated.

"You should be, you bloody tart." Khlouwey let out a sigh as she basked in the euphoria of her victory.

Just then her bathroom door opened and a young handsome man stepped out with just a pink towel wrapped around his broad waist.

It's obvious he had just finished taking a shower. But I couldn't help but notice he looked familiar.

"Harry?" I called out to him from the side of Khlouwey's bed, which made Khlouwey give me a disdainful look, while Harry looked away expressionlessly.

"When did you come? And what are you doing here?" I continued to feel like I had lost him too to my wicked stepsister.

As if trying to clear the air, Khlouwey ordered me to leave her room. "Leave my room this minute!"

I stood there motionless, feeling betrayed, until she loudly ordered me to leave, literally dragging me out. "Out! Out! Bloody fool!" Khlouwey shouted, pushing me out.

"Ye. Yesss, ma." I mumbled as I moved to the door.

As I stepped out, she angrily banged the door in my face.

I could not stop the tears from flowing as I hurriedly headed for the basement. That was the only place where I could find solace and some form of peace and quiet—my room. At that moment, it was me against the world.

I could faintly hear Khlouwey and Harry argue over what just happened.

Is he now into my stepsister?

Is he no longer in love with me?

Was it all a lie?

Did he really love me?

Is she the reason he stopped talking to me?

How long has this stupid act been going on between them?

What was he doing in her room, half naked with just a towel on?

Not just any towel, hers!

Harry's family and mine used to be very close. His dad and mine were childhood friends, and I had always fantasized about him and me getting married and having a happy family. But it all came to an end when my mom died. We hadn't heard from his family for years until I saw him in my stepsister's room.

I got lost in my world of thoughts, but the big bang on my door yanked me back to reality.

"Open this door, you nitwit!" Khlouwey barked angrily.

Before I could make for the door, I heard Vileta's footsteps towards my door; now it's Khlouwey and Vileta at my door. My heart started racing fast and unsteadily. I could sense I was in trouble now.

"What's the problem, my darling?"

"Mum, I'm sick and tired of this stupid girl. She has really got to go. Why did he not give her to the dwarf in the old town? She's a big threat to my relationship with my boyfriend.

"Boyfriend? When did this even start? How did she even meet him, and when? But Harry and I had something going for ourselves. We were in the talking stage when they cut us off. Why does the worst always happen to me?" I weep silently.

Vileta was confused at this point; she just tried to be calm, then she turned to knock violently on my door.

"Open this door, you evil child." She ranted.

At this point, I just knew I had no other option but to open the door and take whatever punishment I would be getting for whatever crime they thought I must have committed. Not that I have ever done anything good in their eyes.

"I'm sorry." I said this as I turned the knob to open the door. I got a heavy slap on my face, which made me fall to the ground.

I could barely see clearly with my eyes as they were filled with tears, pain, sadness, and sorrow.

"Ouch...!" I groaned in pain as I got kicked in my stomach. I was having a gory vision at that time, so I couldn't tell who kicked me or who was now on me, throwing me blows from one side of my head to the other. I was left to ponder what I could not really understand.

"Stay away from my man, you fool!" Khlouwey screamed at me and stormed out of the room angrily.

"I guess you heard her clearly, right?" Vileta questioned.

I was too weak to respond, so I only nodded to what she said.

"What? Did a cat cut your tongue? Oh, the nerves of you to try stealing my daughter's man."

"But Harry is my man. He is my man, and we were supposed to consummate our love by getting married until our families suddenly stopped talking." I inaudibly said in my head. I dared not say it to her hearing; if not, I would only be digging up my own grave.

"You had better not spoil things for my daughter and me; otherwise, you would regret it the very day you were born. You are good for nothing, elf of a girl. You're just as pathetic as your mother, as ugly as she was too, and even more useless." She gloried in her hateful and angry state, not minding how hurt I was.

Vileta moved to the door, and in a minute or two, she gave my weak and lifeless-looking body an unconcerned look. As she barged out of my room, she flung the door wide open behind her.

"Of all the insults in this world, why involve my dead mom in all of this?" I thought to myself as pictures of my mom played out in my head. I saw myself beside her sick bed. Her father never really had time to check on her; it had always been work before family for him.

All of this was his fault; he brought this wicked woman into our lives all in the name of feeling lonely. He didn't for once stop to think of my opinion or the consequences of his action on our lives. He just wanted to satisfy his insatiable desire, and to realize this, he brought a beast into our home, and this beast in turn brought her children.

I begin to think of my father as the cause of my mother's death. If she were alive, I wouldn't be in such a state.

I came back to reality as I feel the warmth of someone's presence in my room, but I can't clearly make out who it is.

"Who's there?" I faintly questioned.