Chapter 2: THE HELL I LIVE IN

This hell I live in

Chapter 2

★★BELLA★★

  I carried my bag and walked out of the shop. I'm done with work for today, My days are always hectic,  "Open up!" I yelled, My step sister Kelly came to open up, She opened halfway not letting me in, she gave a scornful look, before yelling her mother's name, "Mom! Bella is back." And there came the disturbing voice of the witch, "You?!" She rushed out,  "why didn't clean my room before going out?" She glared hard at me,

 "Aunt, am sorry. I didn't know it was dirty, I cleaned it this morning... I, Sorry." I lowered my head, she won't listen, she never listens.

   Kelly snared at me before going inside, I followed my stepmom to her room. This whole place was a mess, with offensive odors coming from the bathroom, as I would've guessed, she didn't flush after messing up the toilet, as usual. I picked all her dirty clothes which were lying on the floor and took them to the washing machine, cleaning every part of the room, it took some time before I was done with her room, I stood in front of the door, with the bucket in my hand and a sigh escaped from my lips, "Haa... hard work." I exclaimed with the amount of effort I've given, hope she doesn't ruin it. Again...

I went to my room, not mine alone, the room me and my stepsister shared.

She laid on the bed, spreading her hands and her legs with her eyes opened, gazing at the empty ceilings, "Ah...!" She yelled, she ruffled her hair, she looked so confused. She's always like that, not that I care so much, I decided to ask "What's wrong Kelly?"

She stared at me for a while before replying, "You know the empty house next door?" I nod slightly, She always had stories to tell, and I wonder why she decided to tell me this one, she never spoke to me, like having good conversations, nuh-uh.

"Someone's already occupying it. Wow, he looked so handsome, I can still see his face when I close my eyes. Ah... God" she closed her eyes and pressed her hands on her chest, In some fantasy world of hers, 

"Is he so handsome? Is he the one making your heartache" I asked In sarcasm, "Shut up and get back to work Bella. I wonder why mom keeps you here, hemp!" She turned her face to the other side.  

After making the bed, I had my bath and went to the kitchen to make dinner for everyone.

By the evening, my father came back, it was a routine that I had to attend to him every time he came back, no matter the work I had at hand, I stood at the door to collect his work bag. Kelly ran to him "Dad, your back, what did you get me?" And this time, he went for a trip, and it was another episode of hell for me, Lisa was always on my trails.

  He looked at me for a while before handing her the gift bag, but I acted as I cared less, I've longed for the love of this father for so long, for him to get me gifts, call me princess like he called Kel.

   I hate my father so much but I can't do anything about the fact that he has to be related to me, I have no home except this one, that's why I still live with him and his new family, They all make my life like hell.

   When I was little, my Dad and my Mom always had fights. He would always hit her, probably to show his strength, little things spark them up. I grew up watching them fight every day with my Mom crying over the things he did at the late hours of the night. sometimes, they fought over Money, other times they fought over the fact that my father was a womanizer,  a man who had no control over himself.

one day, my Mom carried all her things and decided to leave the house. I begged her so much to let me go with her but she didn't agree. At that time, I was ten, She didn't want me with her. "Bella, stay with your Dad OK, mommy would be back to pick you up." She kissed my cheek, stroking my hair before going back to pack her things, I stood at the corner, heartbroken, 'this would be the end of my family,' I thought.

She arranged all her things, ready to leave when my Dad came back, he saw her leaving, 

 "Megan, where are you going?" He asked in a hoarse voice.

  She gave him no reply, she pulled her luggage bag and made her way to the door, my father stood in her way, they both struggled with the knob, while she was trying to open it, he continued forcing it close, till he pushed her so hard that her head hit the small Table before crashing on the floor, I Ran to her, "Mother, Mom? Get up." Red liquid started flowing on the floor,

      "Bella... Pls wake your mom up" he was shaking, He knew what he had done at this point.

  "Mom! Momm...!" I pulled her arm, "Mommy wake up" she didn't, she laid cold on the floor, her open eyes were looking empty like she had been drained from all the life.

    "I did not kill her... I did not kill my wife... Megan, your child needs you, please wake up." He was defending himself, even though he knew he was guilty.

   In a while he called Lisa, she came over and started consoling him. "Don't worry Edward, she died by mistake. Don't worry."

       "Lisa, what do I tell the police? How can I explain her death?"

 She suddenly pulled his face up to meet hers, "Were you at home when she fell?" My dad shook with fear "no... No! I wasn't"

     "That's a lie! Mom and dad struggled with the door!" I yelled, "He killed her, he killed her!"

     She pulled me to the corner, raising my chin, "Such a sharp mouth Aye! do you want to be in the condition your mom's in? Your mother slipped, and you blame your father? What sort of a girl!"

     Tears stream my eyes "mom is dead, mom is dead" I sat on the floor close to her cold body and repeated, soon the body started to produce an offensive odor, neither my father nor my stepmom had thought of what to do with it. Someone from the neighborhood called the police.

    

  My father was taken to court, Even though the neighbor came to testify about my parent's habits of fighting, Dad still won the case, Lisa did all that so she could be with him.

 From that day things at home never remained the same, and soon Lisa brought her Daughter with her to my house. She was about my age. I never knew my dad had an illegitimate child.

    She became the princess of the house, while my status changed to a lower one, I turned. I was never given any rights in the house, Lisa buys stuff for her children and me, I'm left to rot when my time came.

    My father looked at me, I turned my face to the side, Why pretend to have pity when he only gets gifts for her?

Kelly hugged him quickly, "thank you Daddy" before going back to the room.

  "Bella, where's my husband's dinner?!"

   

 "Coming aunt!" I yelled, I almost forgot about dinner. I have to make the food perfect or she'll start yelling at me or even hit me.

  

  I carried the food to the dining, they were both chatting. "Aunt, the food is here," I said with a false smile on my face, which was already making my cheek ache.

  

  She looked at me and hissed "Edwards, I can't bring myself to stop hating this girl, she's just like her whore mother." She was insulting my mother again, I tried to hold the tears which were about to fall while staring at her with blurry eyes."

"And you what are you looking at? Get out!" She yelled.

    I ran outside, to the back of the house, the only peaceful place around. Covering my mouth with my hand to stop the noise about to escape my lips, I felt a pair of eyes on me, and looked around to see who it was, it was a guy, wearing a darker hoodie, he was watching me from his window, It could be the new neighbor. I covered my face, to avoid him from seeing me. I look hideous, with the freckles on my face, anybody would run away. Kelly always pointed these out as the first proof of my ugliness.

He was still there, not saying a word, It was rude, I ran inside as he wasn't moving from the position he was, I switched on the light, searching for my things. "Bella, switch off the light, I want to sleep" Kelly murmured,  I carried my books to the lobby with a small candle. Lisa hates me so much that she doesn't want me to attend school. 

   I sat on the floor to read when sleep came to take over, I get so tired quickly, I have to work tomorrow.

 "Pls Mommy, don't do this! I can't eat it" I cried. It was the day I was forced to eat my vomit by Lisa, The nightmare continued...