IN THE SHADOW OF THE MAFIA

Danie

ed that pain has a w

s no exception. My name is

yal, despair, and a dark

with my step fat

ell victim to a tragic car

n. While the world saw him

etter. He was a snake, coi

st oppo

ife took a sharp turn.

didn't waste time showing

dle every household chore.

ght. I wasn't even allow

a thin mattress in

ly one evening, a curtain

itself mourned my fate

he third time that week.

they needed to glea

the cleaning chemicals,

But I didn't complain. Co

with D

ut I knew it wouldn't be

my evenings, and I was su

fer

e front door slam. Damia

gh th

does it smell like a hosp

been cleaning all day,"

kitchen doorway, his ha

His suit looked fancy-wa

rely w

he asked, completely

t him. "What did you

know, for someone living

re have a s

pposed to be in charge, y

pl

ourse I knew I was pushin

one of the few things that

able

nner, I sighed heavily a

, but I ignored them. If I

at me, and I didn't have

tew I'd made earlier fro

ncy-just potatoes, carrot

it was food. Damian didn'

st the counter, waiting f

r ate without first findi

o

p the spoon, gave the st

down and leaned back in

What exactly is the proble

picked up th

ter the first b

ded, holding up the spoo

is

flatly. "You know, fo

viv

ot back, pushing the bow

uds eve

ou don't like it, you c

the potatoes with his spo

even use salt? Or is

eel my temper bubbling u

know, Damian, you could t

as someone to

brow at me. "Gra

ed, gesturing to the bow

hen? Do you think I like

, Damian: I'm not her

't say anything, just

"And yet, here you are,"

n his

ungrateful?" he yelled,

ive in my house, eat my f

e you're t

d I could feel tears of f

be here, Damian! If I ha

never lo

st rising and falling li

ing worse. Then, without a

om, slamming the

t, staring at the chaos h

lls, pooling on the floor

metaphor for my life-mess

lean

I grabbed a rag and

for the second time th

g Damian

se. My

of it was fair. But w

Danie

deserve it. I was no exception. My name is Hera Daniels, and this is

r accident, leaving me alone with my stepbrother, Damian. While the world saw him as the grieving heir t

ing his true colors. He ordered me to cook, clean, and handle every household chore. It was as if I had become his perso

world itself mourned my fate.. I was in the kitchen, scrubbing the floor for the third time tha

knees ached from hours on the cold tiles. But I didn't c

before he arrived. He always found a way to ruin my eve

t door slam. Damian's heavy fo

tal in here?" I rolled my eyes. "Maybe because I've

om the rain. He looked annoyed, as usual. His suit look

he asked, completely

t him. "What did you

meone living in my house, and Eating

sed to be in charge, you're

ck, but I couldn't help it. Annoying him was one of the f

ees protested every step, but I ignored them. If I didn't feed him soon, he'd

d some meat scraps I'd found in the freezer-but it was food. Damian didn't deserve more effort than that. I then leaned against t

the spoon down and leaned back in his chair, his arms crossed as he stares at the food. W

ter the first b

d, holding up the spoon li

tly. "You know, food? The

pushing the bowl away. "It's an

ou don't like it, you c

poon like they'd personally offended him. "Did y

stew I'd spent hours making. "You know, Damian, you could try bei

brow at me. "Gra

y slaving away in this kitchen? Do you think I like cleaning up after y

me with that infuriating smirk of his. "And yet, here

hoing in the small dining room. "You live in my house, eat m

n threatening to spill. "I didn't ask to be here, Damian! I

keep himself from saying something worse. Then, without another wo

'd left behind. The stew dripped slowly down the wa

phor for my life-messy, broke

I grabbed a rag and

second time that day, I thought

se. My

of it was fair. But w