THE LIFE I MADE FOR MYSELF

I quickly served the food, my heart racing with anxiety. I had prepared it to the best of my abilities, but I knew that my stepmom was notoriously difficult to please. "The food is served, ma'am," I said, trying to sound confident.

But as soon as she saw the food, her expression turned sour. "What is this?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

"The fried rice you requested," I replied, trying to explain.

But she cut me off, her anger rising. "I never requested for something that looks like this," she said, her voice rising.

I tried to defend myself, but she wasn't having it. "But it is tasty, try it ma'am," I said, hoping that she would give it a chance.

But before I could even finish my sentence, she had poured the entire plate of hot rice all over my body. I felt a searing pain as the rice burned my skin, and I knew that I would have to endure the consequences of her anger.

"Did you prepare this poison for me to eat?" she asked, her voice furious.

I tried to explain, but she wasn't listening. "No ma'am, but I tried my best," I said, trying to placate her.

But she just laughed, a cold, mirthless sound. "You tried your best to make this food poison?" she asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

I felt a surge of fear and anxiety, and I knew that I had to apologize. "I'm sorry," I said, trying to sound sincere.

But she just pushed me aside, her anger and frustration boiling over. "Sorry for yourself," she said, her voice cold and harsh.

I watched as she stormed out of the room, leaving me to deal with the aftermath of her anger. The junior nanny walked up to me, a look of concern on her face. "Are you okay?" she asked, her voice soft and gentle.

I nodded, trying to play it off. "Yes, I'm fine Auntie," I said, trying to sound brave.

But she wasn't fooled. She examined the area where the food had been poured, and I could see the concern in her eyes. "There is a little burn," she said, her voice soft. "Don't worry, I will send you some ointment that you will apply to it, it will clear it immediately."

I felt a surge of gratitude towards her, and I knew that I could always count on her to be there for me. "Thank you, Auntie," I said, trying to sound sincere.

But she just waved it off, her expression kind. "Don't worry, leave those things there, I will clean them, just go and prepare for school," she said, her voice gentle.

I nodded, feeling a sense of relief wash over me. I knew that I had to get out of there, to escape the toxic atmosphere that my stepmom had created. I quickly got ready for school, my mind racing with thoughts of how I was going to deal with the bullies that awaited me.

As I walked into the school premises, I felt a sense of determination wash over me. I was tired of being bullied, tired of being pushed around. I was going to take matters into my own hands, to fight back against the people who had made my life a living hell.

I spotted Savanna, the worst bully in our school, and her minions surrounding a girl. I knew that I had to act fast, to take control of the situation before it got out of hand. I walked up to them, my heart pounding in my chest.

"Who do we have here?" Savanna asked, her voice dripping with sarcasm.

But I wasn't having it. I stood up to her, my voice firm and confident. "I'm tired of your games, Savanna," I said, my eyes locked on hers. "I'm tired of being bullied, tired of being pushed around. You're going to stop, or you're going to face the consequences."

Savanna looked taken aback, her expression shocked. "What did you just say?" she asked, her voice trembling.

I smiled, a cold, calculated smile. "I said that I'm tired of your games, Savanna. And if you don't stop, I'll make sure that you pay for what you've done. You'll pay for bullying me, for bullying Paula. You'll pay for making our lives a living hell."

Savanna looked scared, her eyes wide with fear. And I knew that I had her right where I wanted her. I leaned in, my voice low and menacing. "You'll meet Paula's ghost, Savanna. And you'll know what it's like to be haunted by the people you've hurt."

Savanna looked like she was about to faint, her face pale and sweaty. And I knew that I had won. I had taken control of the situation, and I walked away, leaving Savanna and her friends in a state of shock and fear. I felt a sense of satisfaction and empowerment, knowing that I had finally stood up for myself and taken control of the situation.

As I walked to my seat, I couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and confidence. I had faced my bullies and come out on top. I had shown them that I wouldn't be pushed around or intimidated anymore.

But as I sat down at my desk, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had just made a big mistake. Had I gone too far? Had I threatened Savanna too much? I didn't know, but I knew that I had to be careful. I had to be prepared for the consequences of my actions.

I took a deep breath and tried to focus on my schoolwork, but my mind kept wandering back to Savanna and our confrontation. I knew that I had to be strong and brave, but I also knew that I had to be smart and careful.

As the day went on, I couldn't help but notice that Savanna and her friends were avoiding me. They wouldn't even look at me, and I knew that I had successfully intimidated them.

But as I was walking home from school, I saw Savanna waiting for me by the gate. She looked angry and determined, and I knew that I had to be careful.

"What do you want, Savanna?" I asked, trying to sound calm and confident.

"I want to talk to you," she said, her voice low and menacing. "I want to know what you meant by what you said earlier."

I stood my ground, looking her straight in the eye. "I meant every word," I said, my voice firm and strong. "I'm tired of being bullied, and I'm not going to take it anymore."

Savanna sneered at me, but I could see the fear in her eyes. "You're just a stupid little girl," she said. "You think you can take on me and my friends? You think you can win?"

I smiled, a cold and calculated smile. "I don't need to win," I said. "I just need to make sure that you leave me alone. And if you don't, I'll make sure that you regret it."

Savanna looked at me, her eyes wide with fear and uncertainty. And I knew that I had won. I had successfully intimidated her, and I had taken back control of my life.

But as I walked away from her, I couldn't shake off the feeling that I had just made a big mistake. Had I gone too far? Had I threatened Savanna too much? I didn't know, but I knew that I had to be careful. I had to be prepared for the consequences of my actions.

As I walked into the house, I was met with the familiar sight of my stepmother sitting on her favorite cushion, looking like the queen of the manor. "And why are you just coming back from school now?" she asked, her voice dripping with disdain.

"It's the normal time, ma'am," I replied, trying to sound calm and collected.

"Normal time, you say?" she repeated, her eyes narrowing. "Yes, ma'am. We close by four and I have to walk for 20 minutes to get here, and this is 4:15. Instead of 20 minutes, I walked for 15 minutes, making me five minutes early."

My stepmother raised an eyebrow, clearly not impressed. "Are you trying to prove to me that you are smart?" she asked, her voice laced with sarcasm.

I shook my head, trying to defuse the situation. "No, ma'am."

But she was just getting started. "You are stopping school," she announced, her voice firm and authoritative.

I felt a surge of panic at her words. School was my escape, my sanctuary. It was the one place where I could forget about my troubles and just be myself. "Ma'am, you can hurt me in any way, but you can't take away my education," I said, trying to reason with her.

But she just laughed, a cold and mirthless sound. "That school belongs to me," she said, her voice dripping with triumph. "My dad built that school in my name. Every document consigning all the schools my dad built is in my name with my signature. All my father's schools belong to me."

I was taken aback by her words. I had no idea that she had such control over the school. But I was not going to back down. "What?" I asked, trying to sound calm and collected.

My stepmother smiled, clearly enjoying the upper hand. "The school is mine, and you can't change it," she said, her voice firm and authoritative. "Everyone knows about it. You can browse it on your phone."

I felt a surge of anger and frustration at her words. But I knew that I had to keep my cool. I took a deep breath and tried to think clearly. I knew that I had to find a way to counter her, to prove that she was wrong.

But as I looked at her, I couldn't help but feel a sense of regret and guilt. I knew that I was the one who had pushed my dad into marrying her. I had been so desperate for a mother's love, so desperate for a family, that I had ignored all the warning signs. And now, I was paying the price.

I thought back to all the times my dad had tried to warn me about her, all the times he had told me that she was not a good person. But I had not listened. I had been too blinded by my own desires, too caught up in my own needs.

And now, I was trapped in this nightmare, forced to endure the cruelty and abuse of my stepmother. But I knew that it wouldn't last forever. I had eight years to go, eight years until I turned 18 and could leave this place behind. And then, I would be free. I would be free to make my own choices, to live my own life.

The thought gave me the strength to keep going, to keep fighting. I would not give up, no matter what my stepmother threw at me. I would rise above it, I would overcome it. And in the end, I would emerge victorious, free from the toxic grasp of my stepmother and ready to start my new life.