Chapter one

Thick red liquid trickles down my forehead as a groan of pain leaves my lips. 

 

“Ahh, doesn't she look so beautiful?” Annie, my sister, sings out. Her voice filled with clear mockery. 

 

I squeeze my eyes tight shut, expecting the next hit. 

 

“Aw, does she want her mommy?” She taunts, causing her two minions to laugh. 

 

“Please, Annie, just stop.” I pleaded, my voice weak as I tried to gain some strength. 

 

My back feels heavy against the cold tiles of the restroom floors. 

 

My eyes fall droopily against my top cheek as my body aches in different places. 

 

“Why are you doing this?” I wheeze out, tears stinging my eyes, but I refuse to let them drop. 

 

Letting her see me cry only adds to her joy. She slowly goes down, reaching my level before wrapping her dainty fingers around my hair in a tight hold. 

 

My vision blurs, but I can still make out her honey-coloured hair paired with those lifeless dark black orbs.

 

 Annie Christian has the body of a goddess, slender, curved hips, average height, with lipstick that I am sure is a part of her already. 

 

“It's simple. I hate you,” she whispers, then strikes me in the face. My head rears back with the hit, biting my lips. I push back the groan of pain threatening to leave my lips. 

 

“Girls grab her.” She orders her minions. 

 

Sandra steps forward, grabbing my arms as Sophia joins her in pulling me up. 

 

Sophia and Sandra West, twins from a rich home with rotten attitudes, and worse simping, are two of their many useless traits. 

 

This time around I don't fight or struggle, as it will lead to only more pain. 

 

Annie pushes one of the stalls open, then steps aside for her minions to do the dirty work. Sophia shoves my head into the toilet sink. 

 

My breath hangs in my throat as I go under, wiggling in their arms for some air; finally, I am pulled back up and tossed to the side. 

 

My head hits the cold floor, making me see stars. Headache rises as my head pounds seriously. 

 

All I want to do is scream; I want to pull Annie by her disgusting hair and give her a taste of her own medicine. 

 

Yet I can't. 

 

Because if I do that, our brother will give me hell to pay when I get home. It will be so much worse, so I just swallow and take the pain. 

 

The door to the restroom burst open as two figures rushed in. 

 

“Oh my goodness, what happened?” My friend’s voice is distant as my eyes flutter close. 

 

“Reena, open your eyes now.” I hear a deep, commanding voice. 

 

The voice is so strong I open my eyes immediately. 

 

Rafael and Rose are besides me, trying to help me up. I follow their moment and raise my body, allowing them to take me to the nurse. 

 

“You need to report this, Reena; it's getting too much.” Rafael growls, his chest rumbling as he walks. 

 

Rafael and Rose have been my friends for so long. We met in fifth grade and have been pretty much inseparable since then. 

 

I had no choice but to take whatever treatment she gives. I let them treat me like a slave. 

 

But, 

 

No matter what they do, I won't fall down. I won't let them break me. 

 

 

****

 

 

The night air whistled as I breezed past in the street; the air on my body rose as goosebumps spread across my skin. 

 

I walk fast, my head snapping to every little sound that I hear. 

 

I really don't know what I did to be cursed into a family that wants nothing but my death. 

 

Having my sister hate me is something I have always been used to. People always speak of how their family always comes through for them. But not me; my family never does that for me. 

 

My family hates me with so much passion, and I am just wowed. 

 

Reena Christian, born into a very wealthy home, yet I am treated like a slave. 

 

My parents are one of the richest billionaires in the whole of New York. 

 

No one knows I am my parents child, as I am always cast aside. It's painful, but at the same time it's training. 

 

But the fact that they hurt me so much. 

 

I really don't know what I did to make them hate me so much that even my presence repulses them. 

 

A sharp pain slices through my body as I try to keep it together. 

 

It's precisely after eleven, yet they think it's still ok to walk about at such an ungodly hour.

 

The streets are still busy, but the roads, like the one I am currently taking, are not so busy. 

 

People linger around only in bits and pieces, but I can still feel something weird looming around my head. 

 

A nudge that something is about to happen. 

 

“Hey there, pretty lady!” A dark, thrilling voice calls out to me, causing me to snap my head so fast it almost falls over.

 

Three men stand at the end of an alley with thick smoke coming out of their lips. Without thinking, I dash into a quick run. 

 

Heading straight for the busy road, I don't know what on earth possessed me to take such a road today. 

 

Because I am on so much speed, I can't tell if they are still after me or if they stopped chasing, but I don't stop. 

 

Curse my family. I curse them with so much pain and tears. 

 

Taking a sharp turn, a bright light pierces into my eyes as an incoming vehicle veers towards me with great speed. 

 

What the hell? 

 

I dive for the other side of the road; the car speed increases, barely brushing past me before heading straight into a nearby pole. 

 

The car crashes as fire consumes the entire front immediately, causing a scream to tear out of my lips. 

 

“OH MY GOODNESS!!!”