So I just nodded and played along, keeping them off my back for the time being.
As soon as I nodded, Grace dropped her smile. "See, I told you this dead weight wouldn't dare say no. Brian, you're overthinking it."
My dad, Brian, added, "Right, she has cost us a fortune over the years. It's about time she paid us back."
Inside, I was rolling my eyes. I thought, "Cost a fortune?" Since I was little, I'd slaved away with chores. Grace always complained about the cost of hot water, making me wash dishes in freezing water even in winter.
Mealtime meant I got the cold leftovers, and I had to clean the plates or face a beating. I still carried scars from those beatings.
Whenever Logan had friends over, he'd point at me and say, "That's our little nanny." He even made me carry his friends on my back from upstairs to downstairs, just to show off how "obedient" I was.
If I refused Logan's requests, he'd complain to Grace, who would yell at me, "You little bitch, if you make Logan cry, you're out!"
Pretty soon, everyone in my class had heard about it, and they started calling me "Little Nanny." I spent my whole elementary school life swimming in shame and fear.
Whenever it was time to pay for textbooks, Logan and I would approach Grace together. She always dragged her feet with mine, only paying after the teacher had called repeatedly. Then she'd yank my ear and blame me for it.
The worst was when I turned eighteen. I'd just got accepted to college and worked all summer to save for tuition.
But just before the semester began, Grace and Brian stole the tuition money from under my pillow while I slept. They locked me up, saying they were going to marry me off.
They brought a man to see me. He limped, his face was covered in dark spots, and he had a mouth full of rotten teeth. He even demanded to spend a night with me.
There, on my knees, I begged Grace and Brian desperately. I promised them I wouldn't ask for a single penny while I was at school. And I even promised them all my earnings after graduation.
I was on my knees for what felt like ages before they finally nodded, acting like they were granting me mercy.
That whole ordeal ended up giving me depression.
After work the next day, I got home to find Logan's girlfriend, Flora Butler, hanging around. Given the bad blood between Logan and me, ignoring her was my default mode. We made eye contact when nobody else was watching.