Chapter 3

"Hey, Sluggish, hurry up!" Miranda called out to Lillian who was mopping the floor. "I just told you to get my sandals, what's so hard?"

Lillian rushed to bring wool sandals to Miranda who was on her hips in the doorway. Phillip looks from the outside, he was busy doing his usual duty of chopping firewood.

"Here it is, Mommy."

“How many times have I said, don't call me Mommy! I'll only be your mommy when my husband at home! ” She snapped with bulging eyes. "Besides, why do I have to be a mother of stupid and lazy things like you?"

Lillian listened with her head down and couldn't do anything about it. They have been living together for five years as a family, but instead of getting affectionate, Miranda seems to hate her stepchildren every second. She saw the Grace siblings as stupid buffalo who should be slaughtered for minced meat.

Phillip was fifteen years old now, but he still wasn't brave enough to fight Miranda. That two-faced woman was always protected by Harold. Phillip did not want to be prejudiced against his father, but he hated to death every time he saw the intimacy of the husband and wife.

Seeing how they hold each other on the sofa and make out. Not to mention imagining what they were doing in the room every time the door was closed. The father's main priority is no longer for children.

"Step aside!" cried Miranda, slapping Lillian on the shoulder.

"But be careful, Mom! The floor is still wet .... "

That woman continued to walk in without paying attention. Sure enough, just a few steps, she had fallen on the hard wooden floor. Lillian spontaneously shrieked, while Miranda got up with a grin holding her back, and immediately turned to glare at Lillian.

"You hurt me on purpose, huh!"

"N - no ... I told you the floor is still wet ...."

“Nonsense, you must have mopped with a lot of water on purpose, so that I could get hurt! You insolent child! " Miranda raised her hand, then landed a heavy slap on Lillian's right cheek.

Phillip's eyelids widened, suddenly dropped the ax, and ran over to his sister. Her cheeks look red. When Phillip approached, the girl immediately hugged him.

"What are you doing! You hurt my sister! "

"Your stupid sister just hurt me!"

"You slipped due to your carelessness!" Phillip guided his sister to sit down, “I swear this time I'll tell my dad everything! I don't want to play anymore! ”

"Tell him what? All this time you two are stupid kids? Please, I'm not afraid. You think you can influence your father!" cried Miranda.

"No need to bother influencing him, dad will definitely trust me more!" Phillip shouted back.

Miranda smiled dismissively. “Don't be arrogant, you idiot. You have no power over your father. No longer. We'll see who is in charge of this house now!" The woman limped along still holding her back.

"Are you all right, Lill?" The girl nodded in response. “That woman is too much, I can't take it anymore! I make sure she gets out of our house, tonight! "

Even Lillian, who is usually patient with anything, and strongly rejects the 'get people out of the house' act, didn't seem to want to argue with the call.

“I'm going to tell dad, we already have evidence of violence on your cheeks. She didn't have a chance to deny it. "

Phillip meant what he said. When Harold came home, the boy immediately complained about the bad thing that Miranda had done to his sister, even though the man had just entered the door. Miranda was beside him to take off his coat, his eyes belittling as he watched Phillip chatter away, but Harold didn't notice.

After Phillip was satisfied complaining, Harold paused, trying to digest the child's story, which was not very clear. Phillip was pretty sure his father would defend him, but tonight, only for tonight. Phillip's guess was wrong.

"You two hurt Miranda, even though Miranda only asked for a little help."

“But Dad, he hit Lillian because of his own mistake! Lillian has warned the floor is wet, but she doesn't want to listen! "

"I think what Miranda doing was right, she taught a little lesson because Lilly wasn't meticulous. After this, Lilly will understand not to mop with too much water. "

Phillip of course gasped with his father's casual answer. "Really, Dad?" he snapped later. "Telling us to work without resting all day, without eating and drinking is a good thing for us?"

"Don't talk nonsense, Philly…."

"All this time she's always treated us like slaves," said Phillip fiery. “She's always been nice to us in front of you, but when you go to work, she turns into a cruel wolf! Did you see the bruise on Lillian's cheek? Miranda slapped her. " Finally the word came out of his mouth.

All this time Phillip had been holding back, pretending he and Lillian were fine, only to see his father's smile, but after what happened this afternoon, it seemed that this whole thing had gone too far.

Harold was surprised, stared at his son's face for a long time then turned to look at Miranda for an explanation. The woman ducked deeply with closed lips and teary eyes. Harold didn't flinch, then looked back at his son, this time with a rage of anger.

“Phillip, your temper is so harsh! Do you often act rudely like this to Miranda? "

"Dad!"

“Phillip, Miranda is not that kind of person! Now go to your room and think about what you've done to her! "

"But Dad ...."

“Phillip, I'm so tired! Please don't argue too much! ”

Phillip paused, his guts shrank as his father raised his voice. Inevitably the child obeyed, deliberately staring sarcastically at Miranda before leaving, and he swore he saw a very faint smile on the left corner of her lips as if announcing her victory.

If it weren't for the mother's teaching to always respect her parents, he would not hesitate to hurt her. When Phillip opened the bedroom door, Lillian's beaming face was already welcoming him. Having not had time to ask, his brother had fallen on the bed.

"Father is affected!"

Lillian frowned, then walked over. “Affected? Is Miranda going out of this house? "

“No, Lill! Dad has been influenced by Miranda, that woman is a wolf in sheep's disguise and Dad has been deceived by her! " He replied angrily, "instead of defending, Dad accuses all kinds of things, as if we were the ones who did evil to Miranda."

Lillian lowered her face in disappointment. They were silent for a few seconds at each other, until the girl started hooting again. "Phill, is it possible that Dad doesn't love us anymore?"

Phillip looked at the sad face of his sister, it had been his guess since the first time his father introduced Miranda. However, he continued to deny that prejudice and didn't want Lillian to suspect the same thing. Only father they have now.

"It is impossible ...," replied Phillip immediately, he approached his sister and sat next to her, "After all, he is our Dad, he must love us, Dad is just being blinded."

"Blinded?"

"Yes, he is being blinded by something called love."

Lillian looked at her sister in surprise, "Since when did you become this poetic?"

Phillip smiled, grateful that Lillian did not complain much, even though her cheeks turned blue as a result of Miranda's actions this afternoon. After this incident how could his father still defend Miranda? Didn't the blue stain on Lillian's cheek prove enough? Do they have to lose a limb, or even life for the father to realize?

Phillip shuddered at the thought. If even fathers are indifferent, it means they only have each other. They had only had each other for the past five years, but back then they had hope, and now hope is no longer reliable.

All these worries make it difficult for Phillip to sleep. Miranda lightly slapped Lillian, and his father thought it was okay. Now, it's just a matter of time until he dares to do more. Phillip glanced at his sister's bed, after making sure the girl was asleep, he took something from under the bed. An old frame that shows the figure of a woman with dark eyes and hair smiling sweetly. Phillip stroked the frame carefully.

"Look what happened to us, Mommy," he muttered, "if only you didn't go."

Phillip kissed the frame before putting it back under the bed. The boy tried to close his eyes which kept him awake, it was very difficult to sleep in this condition. Faintly, the sound of the flute sounded in his ears. The tone was so melodious, it made the child's eyes heavy. Slowly Phillip closed his eyes, at least for tonight they were still safe.

***