Tangled With The Fated Mates

Wounded Heart

"Claudine," the voice came again.

This time, Claudine could tell who it was. It was Janey. There was something about her voice, though, deep and resounding, almost like it had morphed into that of a monster. Claudine felt herself shiver as the voice came again.

Mrs. Zaynader stomped into the kitchen, and Claudine swivelled to look at the middle-aged woman who looked rather bewildered. She looked Claudine up and down, then her eyes rested on the girl's newly shaved head.

"I see Arielle has been doing the work of a barber quite impressively," she said, her lips curling up in a slick smile as she spoke.

Claudine suddenly felt a wave of shame wash over her. Mrs. Zaynader was the first person, after Arielle, to see her with her shaved hair, and she felt embarrassed.

Claudine cast her eyes on the tiled ground of the kitchen, her hands in front of her in a demure pose. Mrs. Zaynader heard her sniffle. She walked over to her.

"Claudine?" She said, her voice unusually calm.

"Yes, ma'am," Claudine replied in between sniffles.

"Child, look at me when I'm talking to you," she sounded angry.

"Weren't you taught any manners in that squalid orphanage?"

Claudine raised her head slowly, and Mrs. Zaynader caught her by the chin, her grip firm, her fingernails sinking into Claudine's flesh.

"We don't have any time for all this sniffling, all this whining and sobbing, okay?"

Claudine nodded fearfully.
"Exactly. So listen to me. Apart from being Arielle's baby sister or plaything, whatever she sees you as, I also want to chip in that as long as you're in this house, you will have duties. Like these dirty dishes, you're about to do."
She released Claudine, and Claudine's hand instinctively went to her chin.

"Now tell me, orphanage brat," she said, "can you cook?"

"N-no, ma'am," Claudine stuttered.

"Really?" Mrs. Zaynader said in mock surprise, her hand flying to her collar.

"You don't know how to cook? Why, that's too bad. Anyway, go on with your washing. I'll surely find something for you to do as time goes on."

Claudine relaxed her chest muscles that had become tight as Mrs. Zaynader walked out of the kitchen.

"Ohh, and I don't want to hear any sniffling or sobbing," Mrs. Zaynader yelled.

"This isn't the place for that."

Claudine took a deep breath to clear her mind and then turned to focus on the pile of dishes.

***

The dishes took longer than Claudine had expected they would. She worked without stopping as she cleaned one after the other.

Arielle walked in and gave her a playful tap on her head. She laughed as the smack sound filled the kitchen, a laugh that annoyed Claudine even more than the smack.

"Look at that," Arielle sneered.

"It's like a little drum. I bet I could play on it all day long. And you'd love that, wouldn't you, baby sister?"

Claudine decided to ignore her and returned to her work.
Arielle stayed by her side for a while, her mouth working like she had an engine in it.

She teased Claudine, taunted her, called her all sorts of names — leftover child, ugly duckling, the unwanted one. She continued with the taps on Claudine's head, not minding that the girl was working. Claudine tried her best to ignore everything, even though it was hard.