Chapter 2

In the snow, the warmth was rapidly draining from my body.

Just when I thought I would freeze to death, a pair of rough hands dragged me back into the mansion.

"What a nuisance!"

I opened my eyes to see the disgusted face of Mrs. Gable, our housekeeper.

She wasn't saving me out of pity. She was just terrified that a dead body at the front door would bring bad luck and ruin her job.

When I woke up again, I was in my tiny, drafty room.

"Since you're awake, stop playing dead."

My father’s cold, detached voice came from the doorway.

He sat in a chair nearby, tore a page from his thick black leather ledger, and tossed it onto my face.

"Mrs. Gable dragged you in and stained the entryway rug. Your punishment is to hand-wash every carpet in this house."

"Also, the down jacket you were wearing got soaked in the snow. That’s another three days of washing everyone's laundry by hand."

Arthur pushed up his glasses, his eyes chillingly sharp.

"And since you did zero work yesterday, your mother and I weren't going to let you eat today."

"But considering you need strength to work off your debt, you are permitted to have two slices of plain, dry bread today. However, you will owe me for those slices later!"

His calculating gaze held not a single ounce of warmth or pity for his daughter.

I struggled to sit up, wanting to say something. But the moment I opened my mouth to breathe, a warm, metallic taste rushed up my throat.

I coughed violently, splattering bright red blood all over the floor.

It was a horrific sight.

Just then, my mother came downstairs.

She was holding a stunning, custom-made pink princess dress—obviously the birthday gift for Lily Rose from next door.

Seeing the blood on the floor, she frowned in disgust and immediately took two steps back.

"Ugh! How repulsive! Coughing up blood first thing in the morning? If you’re going to die, can you do it outside? Do you have any idea how hard it is to clean marble floors?"

She turned to Arthur. "Arthur, I don’t think she’s learning her lesson at all. Add another month of living room deep-cleaning to her ledger!"

Arthur nodded coldly and scribbled another line in his thick black book.

"Go eat after you clean this up," he said flatly.

My heart squeezed in agonizing pain.

I didn't understand. Why did "character building" have to be this extreme, this cruel?

I wanted to be like Lily. I wanted to receive beautiful gifts and feel loved.

But I had to swallow those words.

Every time I had tried to express my feelings in the past, it only resulted in harsher punishments.

I silently wiped the blood from my lips with the back of my hand.

"I understand... I’ll clean it."

"You talk a big game! With what strength?" Helen sneered. "With that fragile, pathetic body of yours?

If you ask me, you’re just physically weak because you don't work enough. From now on, you’ll have to do double the labor to earn your meals!"

I remained silent for a long time.

Finally, I whispered in a raspy, broken voice.

"I understand."

"I will scrub the floors. I will finish all the chores."

I leaned against the wall, trembling as I stood up.

I had to clear my debt to them before I died.

That way, I could leave this world clean.