Monalisa stared steadily at her reflection in a broken mirror in front of her in the shabby small basement she stayed in. Peering into her clear blue eyes, she could not help but wonder why life was treating her differently unlike the rest of the people living in this city, especially girls her age, who are all loved by their family members, friends and neighbors. She is only sixteen but had gone through so much trouble that she now thinks she has suffered more than Cinderella whom she had read about in books.
She loved reading stories about girls who had suffered unjustly but had happy endings at last instead of reading stories of vampires, witches and werewolves which was the most preferred among the people in her city because she does not believe in its existence as most of the people do, she found such stories scary and preferred happy ending books like Cinderella's.
Monalisa slowly lowered her gaze to a book in her hand which was still about Cinderella, this was the only Cinderella book she had left because the others had been burnt by her aunt Lila and her daughter Annabel who was about the same age as she was. “Cinderella and the seven dwarfs,” she muttered, running her fingers tenderly at the letters of the book. This was one of her favorites and wished her life would become a fairy tale like the one the cinderella in her book had only there were no dwarves in this city, at least none that she knew of.
She had fantasize a lot about meeting a prince or been found and kissed by a prince like the ones in her books but up until now she was yet to see such a person or even someone close to being called a prince because everyone around her always made fun of her and saw her as a tool to mess with instead of a human that she is.
She lifted her gaze again to her reflection in the mirror, “what is the use of having a pretty face and a beautiful body when you cannot even find yourself a prince or even a man?” she asked inwardly, peering at her reflection and still wondering what was wrong with her or if her aunt Lila was right when she called her cursed.
Monalisa suddenly became furious as her aunt’s abusive words resounded in her thought that she unconsciously threw the book in her hands away without even looking where she was throwing it as she suddenly felt like she was being deceived by her book. She gasped immediately, lifting her hands to cover her lips as she turned her gaze to the direction she had thrown the book to and found her aunt’s daughter, Annabel standing by the door, her pupils dilating, stunned by what Monalisa did.
Annabel, a tall white skinned slender girl, about the same age as Monalisa, had just returned home with her Mum. They had left their house a few minutes ago to go see a show but returned home sooner than they should because the show was canceled. They were disappointed because of the show and had called on Monalisa to try and ease their frustration on her but she hadn’t answered their call which led Annabel to come and find her in the basement where she stayed. “How dare you throw your stupid book at me?” Annabel snapped almost immediately, now glaring from Monalisa to the book on the floor close to her feet.
“I am sorry Annabel, I didn't mean to throw that at you…” Monalisa muttered frightfully, knowing what would happen to her if her aunt Lila heard about this, she lifted her hand to try and plead with Annabel not to let her aunt hear about it but it was already late.
“Mum… she is in here…” Annabel shouted, her angry gaze still fixed on Monalisa.
“Oh no,” Monalisa muttered frightfully again, peering from Annabel to her book on the floor as she heard Aunt Lila’s footsteps heading to her room. She did not know that they were going to be back this soon and wondered how she allowed herself to be carried away like this by her emotions. She quickly rushed towards her book on the floor to try and save the only book she had left.
“Don’t you dare,” Annabel said in an angry tone, stepping her feet on the book as she peered down at Monalisa who was on one knee in front of her as she tried to pick her book up.
“Annabel please, I didn't mean to throw it on you…” Monalisa said pleadingly, lifting her gaze on Annabel whose white face had turned red from anger. She had hid this book well for so long now and was mad at herself right now for being careless with the only thing that brought a smile to her face knowing that she was about to lose this book too.
Annabel saw the fright in her eyes but cared less about her feelings, she has despised Monalisa from when they were little especially since she looked more beautiful than her and her mum does not fail to remind her of that whenever they were alone, she even had to be on diet to remain skinny in order to be attractive as her mum had told her and what angered her the most was how Monalisa could remain beautiful even with all the suffering they have put her through.
“What is going on here?” Lila asked as soon as she stepped into the basement that was Monalisa’s room. Lila is a chubby fair skinned lady in her late thirties, she is Rosy’s elder sister who is Monalisa’s mum. Rosy had left her daughter Monalisa in her care a year after her birth and had run away leaving only a letter to her sister requesting that she should not bother looking for her. Lila had hated to care for Monalisa since then because of her hatred for her sister Rosy but only had to keep her because of her husband Willey who was now late and she blamed his death on Monalisa, she had despised Monalisa more after her husband's death.
“Can you tell me what is going on here?” Lila asked again, peering hard at Monalisa who had stood up from the floor where she was kneeling, especially after seeing the furious look on her daughter’s face.
“She threw her stupid book at me, mum,” Annabel said before Monalisa could even speak, pointing at the book on the floor which she had stepped on.
“What?” Lila asked, turning from her daughter Annabel to Monalisa and then to the book on the floor.
Monalisa shook her head sideways unable to find her voice to speak up and say what had happened, her eyes filled with terror as her gaze followed her aunt Lila as she bent down and picked her book off the floor.
“Your stupid Cinderella book again?” Lila said after seeing the title of the book, glaring from the book in her hand to Monalisa whose heart started drumming in her heart as she felt that burning her book would not be the only punishment she would get from her careless mistake, wishing she could turn back time and undo what she had done.
“She had the guts to throw this stupid book at me mum,” Annabel said, sounding so bitter as she pointed her finger to Monalisa.
“You are not even a princess and yet you read these stupid books and you even had the guts to throw it at my daughter,” Lila said angrily and almost immediately swung her palm across Monalisa’s face, giving her a resounding slap.
Monalisa lifted her hand immediately against her cheek that had just been slapped, tears suddenly streaming down her face. “I am sorry aunt… I did not mean to do that…” she muttered, feeling her face hurt from the slap her aunt just gave her and her body trembling a little from fear.“You are sorry…” Annabel snapped, still glaring furiously at her and feeling nothing at all by the slap she just received from her mum. She was thankful for one thing though and that is the fact that her mum always protected her interest and showed her so much love and care especially in the presence of Monalisa and even though she taunt her whenever they were alone about how she need to maintain her physical body, she loved that her mum always did not hesitate to hurt Monalisa whether she did something wrong or not. “How dare you do a thing deliberately to me and pretend to be sorry about it,” she added, still glaring at Monalisa, wishing her mum would slap her again but saw that she was not ready to hit
“Then where is she? Tell me, is she here?” Lila asked, as she scoffed a little, making fun of Monalisa and glancing around her too. "Your mum is dead, Monalisa, she is dead… that is the reason why she has not shown up these past fifteen years or perhaps you are worthless to her, that was why she left you to me anyways, she knew how much I hated her but she still left you in my care, to be my slave…" Lila told her spitefully this time, peering hard at Monalisa who peered at her, tears flowing from her eyes down her cheeks.Lila and Annabel were the only family she had known and no matter how much she tried to please them, they still treated her badly and now she could see that they even wanted her dead and this hurt her even more."Leave my house this minute Monalisa," Lila said authoritatively and spitefully, gesturing for her to leave the house. "You have to stay outside tonight, I guess that would make you learn that you are nothing but a slave," Lila told her again, recalling how
“Monalisa…” a male voice called out to her, startling and making her turn around immediately too to see who had called her name.“Bret…” Monalisa muttered, sounding a little out of breath because of how frightened she was a moment ago and surprised to see him standing in front of her like this. He had also called her name which was awkward to her because he normally would not have called her name and wondered why he did. "Sorry Monalisa, I frightened you," Bret said apologetically, seeing the fright in her face."What?" Monalisa muttered again and this time glanced around her, wondering what was going on at this moment and why Bret was talking to her and so politely too. No one was polite to her before and that includes Bret, in fact he has never spoken to her before, not that he has any reason to, he was way above her class. Bret is the son of one of Aunt Lila’s wealthy friends, who often visits the house with his clique of friends and sometimes drops by alone to see Annabel who wa
Monalisa’s lips parted slightly too as she peered into Bret’s face, her heart starting to race inside her, wondering what this was about. Bret had been a regular visitor in her Aunt’s house but he had never spoken to her before, it was like she never existed and now he is standing in front of her in this awkward moment saying this to her."Oh my goodness, Monalisa, I do not know how to get this out, please could you come with me, I am freezing out here and I bet you are too," Bret said, reaching out and taking her hand, making Monalisa’s pupil widen as he took her hand. She tried to pull her hand away from his but he held on to it."Come with me Monalisa, I am going to explain this to you but I cannot do it out here or we are going to freeze out here before I make you understand this." Bret told her and without wasting time he started leading her to his car. He opened the car and helped her to step into it while he walked around to sit on the driver's seat."I am taking you to my hous
Bret drove Monalisa back to her house a few minutes before the day became bright like he had promised he would, “take care of yourself Monalisa,” he said, wearing a sad face as she was about to step out of his car.“Thanks, Bret, see you…” she said in response and then stepped out of his car, feeling a little sad to be back to Lila and Annabel, as she watched Bret drive away again, she pressed her lips together hoping that it will not take long before Bret comes to take her away from here like he had promised her he would. She quickly went to sit down close to the front door of her aunt’s house, pretending to have stayed out there all night. It was still cold outside but she would stay warm with the thought of Bret, she told herself, feeling like the Cinderella who had gone out to meet her prince and had just returned home.About two hours later the front door went open. Monalisa quickly stood up from where she was seated to see her aunt Lila standing in front of her. “You are still h
"Get the door Monalisa," Lila shouted from the dining room, calling out for Monalisa who was heading back to the basement where she stayed. Monalisa paused abruptly, feeling angry as soon as she heard Lila call for her, she was thinking this is a time she would go back and have a little rest after serving them food and have her own food quickly too before she goes back out to clear the dining table since they usually do not allow her to stay around them while they ate. She was starving too, especially after what went down between her and Brett."Monalisa… I said, get the door," Lila's voice came again, sounding very angry this time as if she had done something very bad to her."Oh, for God sakes…" Monalisa muttered, and then turned around heading back to the living room wondering who had come at this hour. It is still morning, she said inwardly as she walked back to the dining room and out into the living room ignoring aunt Lila who's angry gaze was on her. It would only be a matter
Annabel giggled like a little girl, sitting back beside Bret as she waited for her other friends to show up at her house. "Why are you so excited?" Bret asked, wondering if she felt nothing at all after seeing that he made out with Monalisa, he thought that she had feelings for him but seeing her like this, made him wonder if he had been misled by her attitude and attention for him."You will never know Bret," Annabel said, smiling broadly like she has won some kind of award. "I cannot wait to see the look on Monalisa's face where she would realize that all this was just a plan that I had initiated," Annabel said, flipping her hair that had fallen over her face backwards, her gaze on Bret. She failed to see how disgusted he looked at her for a moment."Come on, why are you not telling me how it happened in detail, you know, I would like to hear about it," she said again, still giggling as she spoke."Well there is nothing to tell, Annabel, I have won the bet, that's all I think there
Monalisa carried on with her life, putting what had happened between her and Bret aside and taking every abuse that came to her, especially from Annabel who would not stop taunting her about being a cheap wh*re.Bret on the other hand had put Monalisa out of his thoughts and had gone back to being the way he was before with Monalisa, and acted a little worse than he was before especially when he was with his friends as he didn't want them to see him as a weakling and his friends praised him more for that.Monalisa decided within her that she would try and avoid Bret so she sorted out for more cleaning jobs that would keep her away from home even though her aunt Lila still got the wages from her work. It felt better that way for her than to constantly run into Bret who seemed to pay more visit to their house than before. She would wake up very early and prepare things for Lila and Annabel and leave for work before they even woke up and would return at night to clean up after Lila and