Another Cliche Cinderella Story

5

Cleo's POV

I never replied to Jakes text for the simple fact Vivianne threw my phone out of the window. She wanted me to clean the kitchen and when I took a short break to check my phone, she lashed out at me.

'You have no friends to message,' Is what she said. 

To her, I am some gum at the bottom of her shoe. She's only living with me because of the money my dad left me. Me, not her, if I didn't own this house I'm pretty sure she would kick me out. I have to be living here otherwise she won't get one bit of the inheritance money.

All she spends the money on is crap. Even though it's my money, I'm not able to do a thing about how it is spent. If I could, I would kick her out but she's my legal guardian and I have to be living with her.

Jake probably hates me now, it wasn't exactly my fault that I couldn't reply. The first person that I actually talk to, is some guy I've never seen yet I probably have. There's so many Jakes in my year. I don't even know a lot about him. But then he knows nothing about me and I'd prefer it that way. I don't want him knowing who I am, he will think I'm a loser. That's if he doesn't already.

After that she made me do even more cleaning, which didn't need doing. Hoovering the driveway, is that really something she needs doing? Once I did that she made me clean both bathrooms. And not just a wipe down of sides, she made me re-grout the tiles bearing in mind that it was now 10:00pm and I had college work to do, as well as college the next day.

So this morning I woke up on the bathroom floor. Running late like always, I had to dash around making breakfast for everyone as well as quickly printing Jakes application form. Vivianne and the girls were arguing and shouting at me.

"Where's my coffee?"

"Where's my phone, did u steal it? I bet you did."

"Mother she took my phone."

"Cleo, give her the phone back. You have no friends why would you take her phone?" The witch practically shouted at me. The truth was, I never took it. Either the girls have said I've taken it so that I'd get in trouble or Lucy has lost it.

"Look at me when I'm talking to you," Vivianne yelled as she jolted my chin to face her.

"I didn't take, it why would I?" It was true, why would I? Yes, I could have so I could message Jake but I didn't.

"Don't lie to me!" She screamed as she yanked on my hair. I wasn't exactly shocked by her pulling my hair, it's not the first time she's done this. When some money went 'missing' I got the blame, but I know for a fact it was the twins that took it. She thinks her children are angels so when I told her who it was, she wouldn't believe me.

"I'm not lying. Please let go, you're hurting me," I whimper. Last time she genuinely pulled a chunk of hair out. She started pulling me towards the cupboard. The cupboard was in other terms, hell. The cupboard was where Vivianne would put me so that I could be disciplined.

"Please no. Please don't put me in there," I cry out.

She pushes me into the cupboard, causing me to fall flat. I banged hard on the door. After a few minutes I give up, they've probably all gone now. This isn't the first time I've been put in here, so over the years I've managed to put blankets and a few cushions in a box so that if I was put in here I would have something to keep me warm.

I'm starting to freak out, I hate being in combined spaces. Being in the photography dark room is different. You're not locked in the room, unlike here, I'm stuck till someone lets me out. My heart is beating out of control, I need to calm myself down. I take deep breaths which calms me down a bit.

I'm laying against the wall when the realization hits me, I needed my course work done. If I didn't complete the work within the next two weeks I would fail my photography exam. If I fail my exam, I can say bye to my place at Dales art academy.

Whilst laying in the cupboard I start thinking about what my life would be like if I didn't get into Dales art academy. I would be stuck here, no escape from the witch and the twins. The twins were just bearable when they were mean but Vivianne, she is a constant thunderstorm which strikes lightning at me every ten seconds.

If I don't get into Dales art academy I seriously don't know how I will cope. It's my dream to attend the academy, my mother went there so it seems right that I attend there too. I promised my dad I would, so I can't break it.

My mother attended the academy twelve years before she had me. When I was five my mother died of cancer. I was very young when she died, but I do miss her.  My dad found it hard after she died, he grieved but was always heartbroken. When I was ten he married the witch. Vivianne was lovely at first and so were the twins, however, when our parents weren't looking the twins would pull pranks on me. I only ever saw it as a laugh but when my father died in a car accident they all turned cruel.

Vivianne turned into the witch and started treating me like some sort of slave, she might deny it but I know that the only reason she married my father was because of the house and the money. Little did she know that he had left everything to me. So know we all share this house, which is actually mine. This is my house and I'm shoved into a cupboard, It doesn't seem fair.

__________________________________

Hey everyone, hope you are all well!

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter! If you did, please vote and comment on what you like the most about the book so far!

Like this book? Why not check out my other book : The Wolf Princess!

Until next time,

MG :)