The days following the reading of the will were pure hell for Valerie.
She wasn't only mourning the death of her father. She was mourning the death of the life she once knew.
Now she was completely at the mercy of her stepmother and stepsister.
They did not even allow her the dignity of grieving properly before turning her into a full domestic servant.
Within days, she was ordered to vacate her bedroom and move to the staff quarters. Every single servant in the mansion was dismissed, leaving Valerie to handle all the work alone.
Her once-perfect life had disappeared completely.
Every morning she woke up at four o'clock to begin cleaning the enormous house. By the time she finished preparing breakfast and washing the endless dishes, it was already late afternoon.
At night she went to bed exhausted, sometimes as late as eleven.
Each day felt heavier than the one before.
Whenever she thought things might get a little easier, they only seemed to grow worse.
One afternoon, Caroline suddenly called for her.
"Valerie, come to my room. I need to speak with you."
Valerie wiped her hands quickly on her apron and walked toward the luxurious master bedroom.
"Valerie dear, come. Sit," Caroline said sweetly.
Valerie hesitated before lowering herself onto the rug beside the couch. She didn't dare sit on the furniture.
Caroline watched her with a strange smile.
"Do you know why I called you here?" she asked.
"No, ma'am," Valerie replied quietly.
"Well," Caroline continued smoothly, "I have been watching how hard you have been working around the house. You seem to be doing everything to make life easier for us."
Valerie looked up in surprise.
"So I have decided to give you the rest of the day off," Caroline said.
Valerie blinked.
"You should go outside," Caroline added. "Take a walk. Have some fun. It's been weeks since you last left the house."
Valerie could hardly believe what she was hearing.
Still, she nodded obediently.
"Thank you, ma'am."
She hurried back to the staff quarters to change her clothes, unsure whether to feel grateful or suspicious.
Moments later, she stepped out of the mansion gate and began walking toward the nearby park.
The moment she disappeared from sight, Betsy came jogging down the stairs.
"Has she left?" she asked excitedly.
Caroline smirked.
"Yes, my dear. The stupid girl believed every word."
Betsy laughed.
"Now go and lock her room," Caroline continued calmly. "Lock every single room in the servant quarters as well."
Her eyes gleamed with cruel satisfaction.
"From tonight onward, she will be staying in the basement."
Betsy clapped her hands with delight.
"This is going to be so fun," she said. "I can't wait to see her face when she finds out."
Meanwhile, Valerie spent a quiet hour walking around the park.
For the first time in weeks, she felt the fresh air on her face.
It almost felt like freedom.
But that feeling vanished the moment she returned home.
She walked toward the servant quarters and tried to open the door.
It wouldn't budge.
She tried another door.
Locked.
Another.
Locked again.
Confused and uneasy, Valerie walked back into the mansion and knocked gently on Caroline's bedroom door.
"Yes? What do you want?" Caroline asked impatiently.
"I… I can't get into my room, ma'am," Valerie said nervously. "All the doors seem to be locked."
Caroline looked at her coldly.
"Yes. I locked them."
Valerie blinked in confusion.
"From now on, you will be staying in the basement downstairs."
Valerie's heart dropped.
"But… why, ma'am?" she asked quietly.
Caroline's eyes narrowed.
"Are you questioning me?"
Valerie immediately regretted speaking.
"So you think you're important enough to question my decisions?" Caroline continued angrily.
Before Valerie could apologize, Caroline grabbed her arm. Betsy appeared beside her, and together they dragged Valerie across the living room.
Down the stairs.
Into the dark, damp basement.
The air smelled of dust and mold.
Without hesitation, they began beating her.
Slaps.
Kicks.
Harsh blows that left her gasping for breath.
Valerie had grown used to the abuse by now.
She didn't even try to fight back.
She simply curled into herself and endured it silently until they finally grew tired and left her lying on the cold floor.
After several minutes, Valerie slowly pushed herself up.
Her back burned with pain, and she could feel warm blood trickling down her skin.
Using a pile of old rags nearby, she wiped the blood as best as she could.
Then she walked unsteadily to the small adjoining bathroom and took a quick shower.
When she returned to the basement room, she looked around her new living space.
Bare concrete walls.
A broken bed.
Dust everywhere.
That was when the tears finally came.
The pain she felt was not from the bruises on her body.
It was from the cruel reality of her life.
"I will endure everything," she whispered softly to herself.
"Because I know all of this is mine… and one day everything will be alright."
Months passed.
One evening, Valerie was setting the dining table when Caroline stormed into the room, clearly furious about something.
Valerie quickly finished arranging the plates and hurried back to the basement, hoping to avoid becoming the target of her stepmother's anger.
Later that night, as she lay in bed, she overheard Caroline and Betsy talking upstairs.
Their voices drifted through the floorboards.
From their conversation, Valerie realized something important.
Her father's business was failing.
The company was on the verge of bankruptcy, and they were desperately searching for investors.
Valerie listened quietly but didn't think much of it.
Two days later, Caroline returned home with an unfamiliar guest.
The man looked to be in his sixties.
His hair was gray, and his eyes lingered on Valerie in a way that made her uncomfortable.
During dinner, Caroline insisted that Valerie join them.
"This is my youngest daughter," Caroline said sweetly. "Valerie."
The man smiled slowly.
"Mr. Elvis," he introduced himself.
Valerie forced a polite nod.
But what happened next left her frozen in shock.
Caroline suddenly spoke.
"Valerie will be engaged to Mr. Elvis," she announced calmly.
"The wedding will take place in two weeks."
For a moment, the entire room seemed to stop.
Valerie stared across the table in disbelief.
Her stepmother's fake smile.
Betsy's wicked smirk.
Mr. Elvis' unsettling gaze.
Her heart pounded wildly.
Without saying a word, she jumped to her feet and ran straight back to the basement.
Later that night, the basement door opened.
Caroline stepped inside.
"What was the meaning of that embarrassment tonight?" she demanded angrily.
"I… I don't understand, ma'am," Valerie replied.
"How dare you walk out on me and my guest!" Caroline snapped. "Not just any guest. Your future husband."
"I will never marry that old man," Valerie said through trembling lips. "Not even if I die."
Caroline laughed softly.
"Oh, my dear," she said coldly. "It would actually give me great pleasure to kill you. But unfortunately, you are more useful alive."
She leaned closer.
"Mr. Elvis has agreed to invest a large amount of money into the company… on one condition."
Valerie's stomach twisted.
"He wants a young bride," Caroline continued. "And who better than my obedient stepdaughter?"
"But… Betsy is older than me," Valerie cried. "I'm only sixteen! How can you marry me to someone older than my father?"
Caroline's expression hardened.
"Do not ever compare yourself to my daughter," she snapped. "Betsy has a bright future ahead of her."
Then she looked Valerie up and down with contempt.
"But you?" she said slowly. "You would only waste your life here. At least this way your beauty will be useful."
Valerie shook her head desperately.
"No… I won't do it."
Caroline turned toward the door.
"There is no point arguing," she said coldly.
"You will marry him in two weeks."
She paused briefly before adding one final sentence.
"The only thing that can stop it… is if you die."
Then she left.
Valerie collapsed onto the bed and burst into tears.
Her heart pounded as fear and desperation filled her chest.
In that moment, she realized something.
If she stayed here, her life would be over.
There was only one choice left.
She had to run away.
And this time, she would not look back.