F**k You Prince Charming!

2: Marigold Estate

"Why do you let them call you charity girl? You beat up three people before!"

Darling and Treasure look at me. The whole table does. Derek stares at me, with a vaguely confused look. Jerk. He could have just asked them, when he got a moment alone, but instead, he had to ask me now, in front of everyone. Sighing, I retold my story.

My father was never the same after his second wife died. She had died after disappearing one night walking over a bridge. He went crazy waiting for her to come back, and I would almost like to say he drunk himself to death.

Instead, he came home one night, already drunk, and mistook the dishwashing liquid for a jumbo sized beer bottle. He drank it all, and I woke up the next morning to find his dead body taken care of, the police investigating, and the funeral homes being called.

Who did all of this?

My step-mother, Serafina Adams. She took care of everything, and I found out later that she and my father had been secretly engaged for a long time. She moved in, along with the two vile creatures I call my step-sisters.

She dubbed me 'the charity girl' and treated me like a servant. I lived in fear of being shoved into a foster home, so I did whatever she said. Cooked, cleaned, and worst of all, did whatever my step-sisters said I had to do.

Ugh.

Everyone on the town knew by the time I was in high school, so I had to learn ways to defend myself from people who thought I would be their punching bag.

I didn't tell him the last bit, but he looked shocked enough as it was. The girls were wearing satisfied smiles, and the boys were looking nervous.

"I'm sorry, about your parents..." He said, reaching for my hand. I snapped it back and glared at him. I had heard enough fake and plastic apologies in my time, and this newcomer didn't have the right to give me another one.

"Shut up. I'm leaving." I walked out of that place, or tried to.

"Ah, Karma! Could you please pick up some food for us on the way?" Darling asked, staring at me with wide, anime innocent looking eyes.

"Sure. Anything else?" I respond, rolling my eyes.

"No, nothing else. Bye bye!" Squeaked Darling, waving slightly.

I walked out, but not before Tom hurried over to me and gave me a coffee and a smile. I smiled back, and accepted. Outside, a crisp breeze chilled me as I hurried to the nearest McDonald's store. I quickly bought two burgers, large chips and two milkshakes. Then I pulled out my own wallet, and bought myself some nuggets and chips for me.

Back in the carpark, I saw Derek and another guy hanging out around a motorcycle. The gathering must have ended early after I left. He saw me, and ran over.

"Wait! Karma, was it? I'm sorry about before. Can I make it up?" He looked genuine, but it wasn't like any one ever was.

"Yeah. Leave me the fuck alone, and stop trying into my life, dickhead." And with that, I ran away, since being late back at the estate would result in death. Or worse, no time for my work.

When I reached the gates, I could already see the dining room light on. I ran around to the back entrance, and entered the kitchen. The only other servant they had hired was there, napping in a corner. I left Mac alone, and plated the food onto plates.

Inside the dining room, I saw the two girls sitting in silk dresses, and sipping from glasses of wine. I backed out, squeezed my hair dry, and then walked in again. Since I had only seen the first half of the table, I hadn't noticed that Derek and the kid I'd seen at McDonalds sitting at the other end.

Great.

I placed the food down, and turned to Darling. She was always on charge when my step-mother was gone.

"Am I done?" I asked, leaning against the wall, while Derek gaped at me. What? Did he think I was lying?

"Yes, you can pick this up in the morning. Oh, and charity girl?"

"What?"

"Go and an wake up Mac, would you?"

"Sure."

After spilling a glass of water on Mac, and watching him stumble, cursing, through the garden, I practically skipped downstairs to my room, which had been converted from a wine cellar. It consisted of a bed, a desk, a chair and my laptop.

On it, I had been developing a portfolio of advertising campaigns, rebound speeches and launch programs. Anything that might help me to get a position working for a video game corporation looking for a PR. Every night, I worked on something. Tonight it was a redone advertising campaign for the Sims 4 Get Together. I highlighted more the new styles, and of course the clubs.

But soon J felt my eyes drooping, so I slid into PJ's and fell asleep under the covers. When I woke up, I heard the hungover groans from my step-mother, shrieks from my step-sisters, and Mac quietly cleaning up the dishes from yesterday.

Shit.

Still live here.

~PR stands for Public Relations. Marketing, basically. Darling and Treasure in the media, Darling left, Treasure right~