Chapter 4
Chapter 4 Margot
"Hurry up. We haven't got all night." Stepmother prods me down the hall with a jabby, almond-shaped fingernail in my back.
"Mother, how are all the chores going to get done if the puppy is gone?" Ashley whines like the brat she is. I hold back an eye roll as she continues. "She didn't even finish what she was supposed to do for me tonight." "You'll have to take that up with your father. He didn't ask my opinion before he decided to sell our little Dalmatian off."
"How selfish of him," Kristen pouts in her high-pitched, screechy voice. "I need my room cleaned. My friends are coming over tonight."
"I'm sorry, my darling. We'll have to get another servant just for you. Don't you worry about it." Stepmother comforts Kristen and Ashley by bringing them into a group hug. "I would never let either of you suffer.
"Besides, I wouldn't be surprised if whoever buys Margot wants a refund after their drunken run with her body. Who would keep her when there are so many other options? She's a maid, but not even a good one. I shouldn't have kept her around all this time. Yet, my heart, it's so kind...I took pity on the girl. Hopefully, whoever buys her takes pity, too."
My eyes glaze as my stepmother leads me into a guest bathroom. She waves her hand for me to remove my dress, then shoves me into the shower. It isn't one of the nicer showers like some of the others. As the blistering hot water hits my skin, I yelp. Stepmother smiles and adjusts the knob.
"Oops."
She doesn't mean it.
As the water cools, the warmth feels like heaven. I can't remember the last time I got to bathe with warm water, and I relish the moment.
She seems irritated by my apparent happiness and snaps, "Shampoo and condition your hair, puppy. There's a razor and soap on the ledge. Remove all hair on your body."
"All of it?" I glance between my legs.
She raises the corner of her upper lip. "Your father said you must remove all body hair. I would assume that indeed means all of it, idiot."
I lather my body with the lightly vanilla-scented soap. I wash everything as slowly as possible without drawing attention to my delay. Next, I run my fingers through my freshly shampooed long blonde hair and work the tangles with lilac-scented conditioner.
I carefully shave my legs and armpits, taking care not to nick anything. I don't think making myself bleed will be looked upon very highly by my stepmother, much less my father.
She scoffs. "Aren't you done? We haven't got all night. You have to leave in an hour, so stop dilly dallying around."
I finish up quickly, wrapping myself in the fluffy white towel Stepmother thrusts into my hand before stepping out of the shower. I dry off in record time.
"Lotion everything." She points to a bottle on the counter. "We're hiding your flaws the best that we can."
The smooth cream slides across my body, and I delight in the soft texture it leaves behind. A handful of clothing is shoved at me, and I dress as quickly as possible in the flowing white sundress. It bunches in toward my waist, and I look like a woman
instead of a maid for once.
I run a comb through my hair as I slide my feet into the white ballet flats on the floor. I didn't realize how tan my time with the animals made me until I see the contrast against the slippers.
Stepmother whips the comb from my fingers, raps my knuckles with it for no reason, then yanks my hair with a brush as she uses the hair dryer to style it. It's a wonder I have any hair left when she's done.
I almost gasp at the person staring
back at me as I glance into the mirror. She's...pretty? I'm so used to raggedy T-shirts and hand-me-down apron dresses. I'm shocked by the way Hook in the spaghetti strap dress, my hair clean, long, and blown out.
Stepmother ties a pink satin ribbon into my hair, and I feel like a brand-new girl. I twirl a little, the hem of the skirt flaring ever so slightly. I freeze when I notice my father in the doorway. His eyes flash with disgust and it brings me back to reality.
I'm still...me.
"It's time to go," he snaps as he turns away and storms down the hall.
I follow quickly behind, rushing to keep up with his long strides.
When we reach the front door, Stepmother, Ashley, and Kristen are standing in the entryway. My half-sister's have apparently gotten over the fact that they are losing their servant because they look positively gleeful. RêAd lat𝙚St chapters at Novel(D)ra/ma.Org Only
"Bye forever, puppy," Ashley says, sneering at me.
Kristen can't let it go without chiming in, too. "Hope whoever gets you breaks you in real nice, puppy."
My stomach sinks. Either they know more details, or they are trying to scare me. I don't want to think about the first option.
Stepmother eyes me as my father opens the front door and walks out, not looking behind.
I'm not prepared for her next words.
"Like mother like daughter. Maybe you'll see her in whatever hole you end up in."