Lilith
I wiped the tears that streamed continuously down from my eyes, moving some inches backwards from the monster that was once my parent.
A million questions stormed down my head, but I shrugged it.
He wasn’t worth it.
Pain seared in my heart, and it felt like a thousand needles stabbed my bleeding heart countlessly.
I had never been so humiliated.
How could my father reject me before Delilah and her mother?
How could he turn me into a laughing stock?
What about those moments we spent together?
Or was he even my father?
Has he been cloned?
How could he be so cold to me?
“You shall address me as Mr Parker as from today. You are no daughter of mine!”
I could hear the laughter erupting from the mistress and her daughter’s lips as they enjoyed the show.
“I warned you. You are nothing but a bastard,” Delilah stated with a proud smile on her face as she fell into my father’s arms, hugging him gently while her eyes remained on me.
I watched the stupid display of affection with horror.
It felt like salt was rubbed over my open wound.
How could he accept her and not me?
Delilah didn’t even belong to him, yet he defended her and placed her over me.
“Oh, Daddy, I hate it when you get angry,” Delilah pretended to sob, burying her head on his chest before turning briefly to give me a mischievous smile.
“You know that I get sad whenever you get angry,” she faked tears, cupping his face before wrapping her hands around his neck, and he embraced her warmly.
“My princess, I’m sorry for snapping. If only this bastard won’t know her place. You know how much seeing her irritates me. Stop crying, Daddy loves you,” he consoled her, patting her back lightly, before pulling her away.
His fingers glided through her cheeks, wiping her tears as he pouted his lips. “I told you to stop crying. You know I can’t stand it when you cry. You will smear your makeup, and it will ruin your beautiful skin.”
I watched the show of affection with pain erupting from my chest.
It felt like I was a mannequin before them.
It felt like I was invisible, swept off in the air.
Should I even be here?
“I don’t know, Daddy,” she sobbed harder, crashing against his body.
“Stop crying, I don’t want you to get sick. Okay, how about I give you my black card so you can go on an unlimited shopping, then credit your account with an extra $50, 000. Will that be enough to stop those tears?” he asked, looking deep into her eyes with affection.
“What is my daughter to you, a beggar? That money is an insult to her, I’m sure you can do better, honey,” the mistress snapped before hee countenance softened as she ran her slim fingers endowed with gold accessories against his chest.
A smile broke on my father’s face as he pulled both of them closer to him. “How about I give you an extra $20, 000 with the 50, 000 and give your mum $100, 000?”
“Now you are talking!” She chimed in, planting a brief kiss on my father’s lips before hugging him. “I love you so much.”
“I love you, Dad,” Delilah sang happily, smirking at me.
I froze on the spot, digesting their conversations.
I asked for a miserly $5, 500, yet he showered his mistress and his daughter with hundreds of thousands of dollars.
My mother and my sister have been in the hospital fighting for their lives, yet he squandered his money on meaningless things just because Delilah was sad?
Couldn’t he see how he was cherished only for his money?
A pang of emotions hit me hard, and at that moment, I hated him.
If I leave the house, that would be the last time that I would see his face.
“What is the thing still doing here?” The mistress’ voice echoed throughout the air, sending shivers down my spine.
I rose to my feet, gathering the remaining strength in me as I turned to leave.
“Where do you think you are going?”
I stopped in my tracks, turning to look at Delilah, who had a mischievous look plastered on her face.
“I am not needed here, so it’s best I leave. Especially when…Mr Parker won’t acknowledge me though I did nothing wrong.”
“Are you done with your boring speech?”
I rolled my eyes, looking away, but her palm hit my face, making me stagger backward.
Fury oozed through her as she dug her fingers on my chin. “You do not roll your eyes at me. Do it again, and I will. have it gouged out!” She threatened, pushing me backwards before wiping her hands on a napkin and throwing it to the floor.
A sad look spread on her face as she ran to meet my father.
“Look, Daddy, she stained me,” she faked tears, stretching her hands away from the rest of her body as if it was covered in garbage.
“I need a manicure so badly. It cost $20000.”
“Anything you want, angel!”
“You are the best!” She squeaked like a rat.
“You want money, right?!”
I gulped as she grabbed a plate of food.
My brows narrowed, wondering what she was up to when she poured the food on the floor, using a spoon to spread it so that it could mix with the dirt.
Wiping her fingers, she grabbed her phone camera, raising it so that it could capture my face on her video.
“You want money, right?” she demanded, gritting her teeth before a mysterious smirk plastered on her face.
“Just let the girl go.” My father said boredly before cupping his face in his palm tiredly.
“No, let’s see what she is up to. You know Delilah can be full of surprises,” The mistress, chipped in, watching us curiously with a smile plastered on her face.
“Thread carefully, you do not belong here,” she warned before relaxing into the chair.
Delilah was evil, just like her mother.
“What do you want from me, Delilah?” I asked boredly, resisting the urge to roll my eyes.
I was not afraid of Delilah slapping me.
I was afraid I wouldn’t be able to hold back the anger and might beat her to a pulp, which would result in grave consequences.
Her mother wouldn’t hesitate to lock me up for the rest of my life, and I would lose Rose and my mother.
“You do not question me, you dog!” she fired, gritting her teeth as her brows shot up furiously.
“A dog is even more valuable than her.” The mistress said while my father nodded in agreement.
I wasn’t surprised.
“Let’s just pretend she is a dog for now, mum.”
Her terrifying eyes snapped at me before she grinned hard. “I will give you $5500 if only you eat from the floor…like a dog!”
A gasp tugged at my chest as I stared at Delilah with disbelief.
Overwhelmed by shock, my jaws dropped to the ground, and I was too stunned to speak.
“Eat from the…floor?” I repeated when I found my voice.
“Time is counting! Tick-tock!” she responded, initiating the sound from the clock.
“I told you, Delilah is full of mind-blowing ideas,” the mistress giggled, wrapping her palm on my father’s palm as excitement flooded her veins.
“You should be grateful for eating our food,” she added, a deep frown spreading on her face.
“And also stepping your contaminated feet on our floor.”
“But the food is on the floor!” I lamented, staring at them as if they’ve lost their sense of reasoning.
But then it occurred to me. It was on purpose.
They wanted to humiliate me.
Not anymore!
I turned to leave, taking a few steps before reality hit me.
There was nowhere else I would get money from.
The deadline to repay the loan was already near, and Ricky wouldn’t hesitate to kill me and my family.
Left with no choice, I slowly walked towards the food, squatting on all fours like a dog.
“Fine, I’ll do it.” I declared, tears streaming down my face.
Gritting my teeth hard, I hardened my face, taking a deep breath and looking past her camera.
“Don’t delay my followers!”
Lowering my head to the ground, I pushed my hair aside, scooping the cold food mixed with sand into my mouth.
I shut my eyes painfully, swallowing it and repeating the process until I was done.
“There are stains on the floor, lick it until it’s squeaky clean!” The mistress ordered, kicking me.
I rose from the floor embalmed with shame when I was done licking the stains while Delilah recorded me on her phone.
“Can I have the money now?” I demanded in a low voice, below a whisper with my head lowered to the ground shamefully.
“What money?” The mistress demanded. “It was a trick, and you fell for it!”
“No, I was promised $5, 500 if I eat the…food.” I was on the verge of bursting into tears, knowing my act was in vain.
I couldn’t believe I was stupid to fall for Delilah’s tricks.
“I’ll give her the money, mum. Follow me!”
Like a puppet, I followed Delilah to the huge swimming pool outside the house.
Her mother wouldn’t stop cheering for her. It filled me with anger, almost making me push her into the pool.
Delilah dipped her hands into her pocket, counted the sum of $5500 before scattering it into the pool, and releasing a mockery laughter.
“There is your money, bitch!”
“But I can’t swim. I could drown!”
“Who cares?”
“But-”
I hadn’t completed my words when I felt a hand push me, making me lose balance and fall heavily into the large body of water.
“Help!”