KATALINA
Squinting my eyes, I raised my left brow in contempt.
“So, if she were your mother, you’d ask her to stand behind you while you eat her food, and clean after you?”
“Katalina!” He growled, gripping his fork tightly. “I can see you haven’t learned your lesson.”
My heart shivered as the memory of the past few hours flashed in my mind. Really, I should shut up, but…
I stood up again and glared down at him.
“Anything else?”
“Apologize, Katalina!”
“For what?”
“Master Huracio. It’s alright. The Young Miss is just upset. She didn’t mean it.”
“What? I didn’t mean what?” I turned to the woman.
Confused and infuriated, I moved towards the woman, glaring into her annoyingly innocent-looking eyes.
“Have we ever spoken to each other?”
“No.”
She shook her head and took a step back.
“So, how did I offend you? Why is he asking me to apologize to you? What lies did you tell him?”
“KATALINA!”
“What?” I sharply swirled around and faced him. “She gets to tell talk tales behind me but I can’t even defend myself?” I yelled right back at him.
“Ma’am, I didn’t accuse you of anything. Maybe the master is just angry that you didn’t show appreciation for the meal. But it’s okay, as long as you like it.” Rosa quickly explained, looking genuinely worried. “Master Huracio, please, let it go. It’s okay. She ate the food. That’s what counts, right? See, she even finished a bowl.”
The pristine woman seems like she would crumble at any time.
Hearing her words, I snorted and rolled my eyes. Who asked her to come to my defense? So nosy.
“Is that all?” I turned to him, looking even more puzzled. “Is that what I did? Did I ask her to cook for me?”
“In that case, from today, you will do all the cooking and cleaning. Rosa, your only job is to supervise. Make sure she does it right!”
He dropped his cutlery and briskly walked away.
Cooking? Is that even a big deal?
Cleaning? Why should I be afraid of that? But if he thinks he can intimidate me like this, he should better prepare for war! I will be nobody’s slave!
My mind was churning with rage. Deep down, I knew that I was going out of control, but I simply couldn’t calm down. I have never been one to start trouble, but I have never backed down from a fight either. I just don’t know how to.
“Ain’t you scared of getting poisoned?” I sneered aloud, making sure he could hear me. But he continued to ignore me.
That son of a bitch!
Infuriated, I grabbed the glass-top dining table, channeled all my strength into my arms, and lifted it.
It was heavy as hell, but my routine exercises must count for something. Gritting my teeth, I growled and pushed harder.
“Miss, what are you doing?” Rosa shouted.
“Shut up!” I growled and continued.
Just as Huracio’s gone figure reemerged, I gave the push everything I had, and the table toppled to the other side.
Everything on it came crashing down. The noise was loud and satisfying. The shock on his face was the most satisfying thing I have seen in a long time
“Oh, my gawd!” Rosa covered her mouth with her wrinkle-filled hands and hurried over to take a look at the disaster.
“Miss, why? Those were precious sets.” She lamented.
Looking over, I nodded and smirked. None of the dishes made it. But unfortunately, the thick glass survived.
“KATALINA!” Huracio yelled. His eyes were red and he was literally shaking.
A cold sweat broke out on my back, yet, I glared back at him, challenging him to do his worst.
“Yes?” I tilted my head sarcastically.
He briskly walked over, grabbed me by the knees, and swung me over his shoulders.
As he made his way upstairs, Rosa’s gaze clashed with mine. I snorted and looked away. A slight guilt colored my eyes. Braking those dishes really hurt hee.
Well, who asked her to be working for a monster?
When we got to his red room, he flung me on the bed. Because it was just a standard, three by six feet, hospital bed, I landed and rolled over, crashing on the floor.
“Arrgh!” Pain shot through my legs and hands.
Sitting up, I watched as he started preparing my punishment.
Using one of those foldable ladders, he fixed two iron chains to some iron hook-loops built into the ceiling. After that, he came over and carried me as if I were a piece of luggage. I first wanted to struggle and argue, but I felt too tired, so I just went limp, and let him do whatever he wanted.
He fixed leather bands to my wrists and fixed them to each chain. I remained limp, refusing to stand up.
He then went to the other side and started adjusting the chains until I was completely pulled up.
Right after that, he simply left.
“That’s all?” I snorted. I expected him to whip me, but he just changed me up and left. … What a clown.
The first to hurt was my arms.
It wasn’t even up to an hour after they were released that they got tied up again. Within minutes, I started feeling the strain.
I was still trying to beat it when I realized that I was feeling very warm.
After about five minutes, I realized that the air around me was thin. I was struggling to breathe. The room had become as hot as a sunny day,
and getting hotter. The dress I was wearing was completely soaked. My breathing was uneven, and I started to feel dizzy.
Huracio, that bastard! Is he trying to cook me alive?
While I had no strength to open my mouth, I was vehemently cursing him in my heart.
Twenty minutes later, a sharp, cold wind, suddenly descended on the room. It was so sudden that it felt like someone stabbed me with a sharp iceberg. The chill spread all over my body, giving me goosebumps. Every hair on my skin stood up and started drawing in the cold air. I instantly started shivering, and my teeth chattered nonstop.
Not long after, I started feeling dizzy. By then, even my bones were cold and creaking. I was breathing in gasps, and my throat hurt. At this point, I wasn’t even feeling my hands. Though my feet were on the ground, I was limp and fatigued.
I regretted it.
I shouldn’t have pushed Huracio. Will he let me die here? How can someone be this evil?
As regret flooded my heart, so did grievance…