CONTRACT ROMANCE BETWEEN ICE AND FIRE

The screaming alarm stirred up Ivory from sleep, she rubbed her eyes tiredly and yawned, turning off the alarm, she fell back on the bed and began slipping away again.

Feets shuffled into her room and pulled up the shutter, Ivory groaned and turned over.

"Get up, you stupid girl!" A voice thundered and Ivory's eyes flickered open. She sat up in a start and found her Mom glaring at her hatefully.

"Mo....mom....."

Julianne, Ivory's mother, landed a heavy slap on Ivory's cheeks earning a wince from Ivory.

"I told you to wake up before 3 a.m., clean up the house, prepare breakfast, and take the dirty clothes to the laundry!" Julianne yelled at her and Ivory widened her eyes remembering the instructions that were given to her last night, her eyes widened the more when she found out that this was her first day of College.

"Do need another slap to reset your brain?!" Julianne snapped and Ivory quickly scampered out of the room, she rushed into the kitchen and leaned on the kitchen counter, letting the tears fall from her eyes.

"Why is my life like this, Lord?" she muttered, looking up.

Ever since her father died, her mom hated her for no just reason, the only person who gets the love is her twin sister, Irene. Her Mom refused to even send her to college but she was determined to go to college so she enrolled for a scholarship to the highest, richest college in New York City.

She got the scholarship and was pretty nervous about how the rich kids would treat a scholarship student but she was prepared for the worst, she won't take that shit thrown at her in high school. The only fear she had was her twin sister.

After preparing breakfast hurriedly, she set off to clean up the house, she ran up the stairs and barged into Irene's room and found her sleeping quietly on the bed, she pulled up the shutter, and sun rays escaped into the room, shining directly on Irene's face. Irene turned over to the other side of the bed, groaning lightly.

Ivory leaned on the window, smiling wryly as she remembered when she used to sleep at that hour.

'Perhaps if Dad hadn't died my life wouldn't have turned upside down,' She thought and sighed sadly.

She glanced at the clock resting on Irene's wall and gasped.

"I'll never make it to school on time," She muttered and shuffled her way to sleeping Irene, tapping her slowly, Irene groaned angrily and yawned.

"What is it?" Irene muttered sleepily.

"Get up Irene, a new dawn has come," Ivory whispered

Irene opened one of her eyes and scoffed upon seeing the person standing in front of her,

"What the hell are you doing in my room!"Irene yelled and Ivory swallowed at her sister's rudeness.

"I came to wake you up," Ivory said quietly.

"I don't wanna wake up yet besides I don't have a lecture until 12," Irene queered and closed her eyes, covering herself with the heavy duvet.

Ivory knew she was in trouble this morning, she couldn't leave the house without cleaning all the occupied rooms and she was running late for school. She glanced at the clock again and sighed frustrated, if she dared leave for school without cleaning up Irene's room, she would receive a life-threatening beating when she got back.

Glaring at Irene secretly, she walked out of the room and headed to her mom's room for cleaning.

Shivering slightly at the door, she knocked timidly on the door and a frightening voice ushered her in. Walking into the room, she stared at the beautiful artifacts made by her father while he was still alive, she grinned widely as she looked at a particular one made by her and her father.

"Are you here to tour my room or to clean it up?"Julianne's husky voice jolted Ivory out of her illusion.

"I'm..... I'm sorry, "Ivory stuttered and moved to clean the bed.

"Have you cleaned Irene's room?"Julianne asked and sweat broke out of her back mysteriously.

"She.... she's still asleep," Ivory said and Julianne faced Ivory with an angry face.

"I told you to clean her room first!"Julianne said

"I'll clean it after yours, "Ivory replied and a resounding slap met her right cheek, she gulped as tears welled up in her eyes making her vision blurry.

She never thought it would be a problem if she cleaned any room first, what mattered was the fact that she cleaned the rooms but Julianne being a troublesome woman always uses even unimportant things to exercise her authority over Ivory.

"Go and clean up my daughter's room!"Julianne bellowed in a mocking tone that made Ivory feel illegitimate. She glanced at the clock again and began to walk out of the room, Julianne saw her action and smirked.

"So, this is the reason why you are behaving stupidly today," she said and Ivory halted. Julianne walked up to her and held her chin. "Don't forget that I could terminate your scholarship with just a snap of my fingers," Julianne muttered, grinning evilly, Ivory widened her eyes and fell to the ground, clasping her hands together.

"Mom please, don't do it, this is the only means of furthering my education," Ivory pleaded as tears ran down her cheeks, Julianne scoffed and sat on her divan.

"Get up and stop trying to make me look like a bad mother," Julianne said and Ivory scampered up to her feet.

"You know I have the connection, right?"Julianne said and Ivory nodded severally. "Be a good girl and do whatever I tell you to do if you wanna go to college," Julianne said and Ivory nodded.

"Get out and go finish up your work," Julianne said and Ivory dashed out of the room.

>>>>>>>>

Evelyn walked down the stairs slowly, she met her siblings having breakfast noisily, she cleared her throat and they kept quiet.

"Good morning sis," Derek said jovially and Evelyn nodded.

"Good morning sis," Deborah muttered and Evelyn scoffed.

"When you are ready to become respectful then I will respond to your greetings," Evelyn said and Deborah rolled her eyes.

Evelyn sat down and the maids served her.

"Seems like someone has repented," Deborah said sarcastically, Evelyn ignored her and picked up her fork.