Six months later, I was taken to an orphanage while my aunt sold my parents flat on the black market.
When I turned five, I became an orphan. Responsibility for me fell to my aunt, my fathers sister. While my parents were alive, we wanted for nothing. They held high-ranking jobs, and we had a spacious flat in London as well as a cosy cottage in the countryside. After their deaths, everything changed.
My aunt cared for her own daughter, Emily, but we never got along. Even though she was younger, my cousin constantly mocked me. Aunt Margaret, though pleasant to strangers, was petty and calculating. She never missed an opportunity to take advantage of a situation. I never received kindness, support, or a single warm word from her.
From a young age, my duties included cleaning the house and washing dishes. I wasnt allowed to watch telly, and sweets were bought only for Emily. Soon, Aunt Margaret sold my fathers car. My mothers clothes and jewellery disappeared, while my aunt and cousin dressed more elegantly every day. They dined in cafés and restaurants but never took me along.
As a child, I didnt realise Margaret had sold everything, claiming the money was for my upbringing. A few years later, we moved into her tiny one-bedroom flat on the outskirts of town. Six months after that, I was handed over to the orphanage, and our family flat was sold off.
It was hard adjusting to the new conditions, but I quickly adapted. I got a decent education and, after finishing school, rented a small flat. I worked as a cleaner at a supermarket, though I was promised a promotion. One day, the owner came in.
When Mr. Thompson saw me, he asked me to his office after my shift. When I arrived, he was alone. He asked me to tell him about my life and what my parents had done. So I told him everything from the beginning.
The owner smiled and said he remembered me from when I was little. Hed been friends with my parents. Years ago, hed started a business and opened a chain of shopsnow he was building a new shopping centre. Once construction finished, theyd need a manager. He offered me the position, but I lacked the qualifications.
I was about to refuse when Mr. Thompson promised to help me get the necessary training. Under those circumstances, I couldnt say no. The course wasnt easy, but it was interesting. I passed without trouble and, in the end, received the promised jobwhich, best of all, paid well.
Years passed. I bought a two-bedroom flat. Then one day, my cousin knocked on my door. Ive no idea how she or Aunt Margaret found out where I lived, but Emily demanded in a haughty tone that I let her in and help her find a job.
Since my cousin had no higher education, I offered her temporary work as a cleaner. Outraged, she refused and immediately rang her mother. Aunt Margaret screamed over the phone that I owed her for my upbringing, that if not for her, who knew where Id have ended up. She threatened revenge if I didnt help Emily.
Mixed feelings washed over me. All those years without contact, and she hadnt changed a bit. But I had. I wasnt a helpless little girl anymore. I decided I didnt need an aunt like thator a cousin.
