Into the woods

“Hurry! Get them ready as soon as possible,” my aunt growled at me while pointing at chopped vegetables that were sitting on the counter, uncooked. She walked up to the pot, smelling the meat that was prepared by me for the Christmas party. “Where are the starter?”

Shit!

In such a hurry, I forgot to prepare the tomato and broad bean salad that was her favorite.

“Where the hell is the starter? The guests will be here at any moment. What’re you doing!” She yelled into my face.

I bowed my head down, fixing my gaze to the floor. “S-Sorry…” I mumbled. “I forgot to prepare.….”

Before I could complete myself, she slammed her hands against the counter, jolting me. 

“What did I tell you? I warned you that this is your last chance. Your single mistake may take you and your useless brother out of this house!”  

“Please, ma’am…” I whispered, clutching the fabric of my apron because of the terror that was gripping my chest. She was my father’s stepsister, but she had never allowed me and my brother to call her Aunt. She behaved to us like we were her pets. “It….It will be ready in time.” I couldn’t stop myself from stuttering.  

“You better prepare it as soon as you can, or else you’ll be out of this house!” She warned and stalked off the kitchen.

I glanced at the door where she had disappeared a moment ago. She was violent and often grabbed me by the hair and slapped my face, but she broke me every day through her harsh words, calling me ugly and fat. She was greedy because she wanted to get her hands on my father’s fortune, but I never let it happen and since then her resentment grew for me and I became a robot. I didn’t respond to her taunts and her hits.  

Our life was destroyed completely after the death of our father two years ago. He died of cancer. And we moved to California for a better future but who knows that we would end up in hell. She and her two sons never accepted me and my brother as a family. They treated us like dirt in their house. We didn’t get proper food and clothes. Sometimes we go to bed starving. Marina White would rather throw food in the trash than offering us. She had been holding grudges against us since the day we stepped into her house.

“Noelle!” Marina screamed my name from upstairs. “Where the fuck is my red dress?!”

Shit!

Abandoning everything in the kitchen, I ran upstairs and went to my room to fetch her dress. I forgot to put it in her closet. I picked the red velvet dress carefully from the dresser. It must have cost her fortune. She was a braggart with an ego.

Shaking away her thought, I headed to her room, but someone bumped into me.

“Watch out, Noelle!” Edgar White, the first son of Marina, said and grabbed my shoulder to balance my body. I immediately tore myself away from him and stepped back, maintaining an appropriate distance between us. He was a prick. I didn’t like being around him because he always made me feel uncomfortable with his eyes and touch.

I tucked a strand of my hair behind my ear before apologizing, “Sorry.”

He smirked and reached out to me, but I instantly stepped back. 

“It’s okay,” he said, coming closer to me.

I hate his touch!

Swallowing hard, I got out of his way. “Excuse me.”

But he grabbed my hand and pulled me back to the wall. “Seems like you haven’t considered my offer yet?” He smirked and let his eyes run down my body. “I want my answer, Noe.”

Raw anger shot through me as I bared my teeth. “I’ll never accept your dirty deal!”

His brows snapped together as his lips twisted into a sneer. “Really?” He ran his hand over my face, and I flinched. “You’ll have to accept it sooner or later.”

“I’ll never!” I snapped, glaring right into his eyes.

“Then be ready for punishment,” he hissed.

“Noelle!” His mother called me out.

“Excuse me,” I said, and pushed him aside before heading to Marina’s room.

Edgar White was twenty-four, two years older than me. Since the day I stepped into this house, he had never taken his eyes off of me. He had a deal with me about my virginity. He knew that I was a virgin, and he wanted to be my first and in return, he would help me to get the job in Spraggins Corporation. Even though we were not blood-related but thinking of having him on my bed disgusts me.

When I approached Marina’s room, I knocked on the door. “Come in!” She shouted from inside.

I walked into her room and found her in front of the vanity, curling her hair. “Put it over the bed and get out,” She said without sparing a glance. I walked over to the bed and placed her dress and walked out of the room.

I went to the kitchen and continued my work. Since I couldn’t accept Edgar’s offer, I had to look for another job so that I could provide financial support to my brother. I quit my college two years ago shortly after my father’s death because of the financial problem, but I arranged enough money for my brother’s studies. Ned, my brother, was a shining student, and I didn’t want him to quit his studies just because we didn’t have enough money. I was ready to put everything on the line to make his dream come true. He wanted to be a surgeon and he would be a surgeon one day. Now, he was pursuing his studies at one of the best colleges in the country.

Since our father’s savings would not last long, I badly craved a new job. I didn’t know how I could find a new job!

“Noelle!” My aunt screamed again.

Ugh!

**********

“Noelle!” Someone called me out from the crowd. I hurriedly grabbed the drink and went to the person who had ordered the red wine.

“Could you please bring me a glass of scotch?” Another woman ordered me. I forced a smile and gave her a curt nod before walking to the counter to get her scotch.

I walked back to her and handed her scotch. It was not more than a second after another group of people ordered me to bring bourbon. It went on for two hours at the party. Noelle, bring me wine! Noelle, bring me snacks! Noelle, bring me juice! Noelle, bring me that and bring me those…!!!

They were ordering me around one after another.  

After a long five hours of Christmas party, finally, I got time to let out a peaceful breath. I slumped down the couch and closed my eyes, breathing calmly. Not even a servant would be treated like this. I had been working since morning, despite that, Marina found me a useless bitch.

I shook away her thought and grabbed my cell phone and punched in my brother’s number. I had been missing him for two days and I didn’t get his news since then. In two rings, he picked up my call.

“Hi, Noe,” he said, his voice was soft and alluring as always.

“Hey, Ned,” I smiled, “how are you doing?”

“Good,” he spoke. His voice sounded hesitant. “I’m good.”