Chapter 6 - 06- fate
No matter how much Anila had objected back then, Harold was determined to bring that child into their home. He treated her like she belonged, while in young Janet’s heart, she always knew she didn’t. But her mother—warm, soft-spoken, and full of love—had told her once,
"No matter how hard life gets, you survive. You live. And you live well."
After that, though Anila begrudgingly acknowledged Janet’s place in the household—and even, at Harold’s insistence, allowed Janet to call her "Mom"—she never treated her like a daughter. Not truly.
From the age of ten, Janet had to learn how to take care of herself. She didn’t get the beautiful clothes Elvira wore, nor was she ever cradled in a warm embrace or spoiled with kisses.
Everything Elvira had was a dream Janet could never touch.
The only warmth she ever received in that cold, immaculate house was when Ternence, the eldest son of the prestigious Louis family, came home during college breaks. As Janet grew older, she blossomed into a striking young woman, but rather than gain affection, she became the target of her stepsister’s bitter jealousy.
Elvira would secretly slash the clothes Harold bought for Janet, then tear her own clothes and lie to him, blaming Janet.
And when Harold wasn’t home, Elvira would go even further—locking Janet in the storage room overnight without food, slapping her, kicking her, pinching her until she bruised. Janet endured it all in silence. Whenever she tried to tell Anila, she was scolded and told that Elvira had every right to "discipline" her. She was even threatened not to breathe a word to Harold.
The more Janet resisted, the worse Elvira’s cruelty became—ranging from stolen meals to full-on beatings.
So, over time, the girl who had once been gentle but strong-willed learned to endure, to hide. She concealed every part of herself that might provoke jealousy—every talent, every compliment, every sign she might shine brighter than Elvira.
Only then could she avoid the punishments of the past.