Anna's Love and Fate

"Anna!" The loud call of her stepmother, Mrs. Fallon, woke the sleeping 23-year-old girl. She jerked out of the bed but soon staggered on her wobbling feet. She glanced at her small clock on the old desk beside her bed, and as usual, it was only a few minutes past 4 am.

"Coming ma'am!" She responded as loud as she could. She hurriedly packed her long black hair into a messy bun before running out of her room. It's a huge house, more like a mansion and it took Anna a few minutes to make it to her stepmother's bedroom. Getting to the room's entrance, she knocked on the door twice before standing correctly.

"Come in." The woman sounded p*ss*d, making Anna tremble in fear.

"Good morning ma'am." Anna greeted the moment she entered the room, but she got a slap on her left cheek in return with a glare from the woman. Anna flinched at the sudden pain and her body began to react immediately. She slowly moved away from her stepmother and wrapped her shaking hands around her body. That's the only way she could protect herself, although she's already having a panic attack. The rate of her heartbeat was rapid, leading to heavy and painful pants.

Seeing the terrible situation Anna was in, Mrs. Fallon smirked. This was exactly what she wanted and she has no plan of relenting. She stepped closer to Anna and raised her hand to hit her again, but the helpless girl was quick to fall to her knees.

"I'm sorry ma'am, please don't hit me." She pleaded, and the woman stopped. She glared at Anna for a while before stepping away from her.

"Let today be the first and the last time you wake up late. Now get lost and prepare my breakfast."

"Yes ma'am." Anna got up with great difficulty and made her way out of the room. She had tears in her eyes, but she wiped them off. It's not the first time she's got hurt. She's not sad or crying because her stepmother slapped her, no, that's not it.

What made her sad is that she was helpless and weak because of her phobia. She has no say whatsoever, all she can do is obey and keep leaving like a maid in her father's house for the rest of her life because she can't even live on her own or face the outside world.

She quickly brought out the necessary items needed to prepare the breakfast and she began her day. Life hasn't been fair to Anna after the passing of her parents. Her mother passed away when she was still in high school due to cancer. Unable to bear the loneliness, her father had to get married to a widow who had a daughter from her previous marriage.

Things were going just fine until her father fell sick and he also passed on. Anna was left with her stepmother and elder sister, but they suddenly changed. The love they once showed her while her father was still alive turned into hatred.

Mrs. Fallon was indeed a devilish woman with high ambitions. She only got married to Anna's father because of the wealth he owned. She pretended to love Anna like her very own, but when the man of the house became a victim of the cold hands of death, she let out her true self. Every single day Mrs. Fallon witnessed the pure love Anna had received from her father.

He would always shower her with love, cherishing her like a diamond. He would always begin his day with his daughter and his actions greatly provoked Mrs. Fallon. She hated Anna with every blood in her veins and when the man eventually passed on, she took out all her anger and vengeance on the poor innocent girl.

Anna was made a maid right after her father was put to rest. So much pain and suffering were inflicted on her physically, emotionally, and mentally.

At the age of 18, she developed a phobia called haphephobia due to intense suffering. She was always physically assaulted by her stepmother, stepsister, and uncle which had a terrible effect on her mental health. After it was confirmed that she was suffering from haphephobia,

Anna knew that her life was over. Her dreams of entering the university were cut short. She couldn't associate with people so she embraced her fate and carried on living as a maid in a house. The same place where she was once loved and cherished.

Her life went on like that for many years, and her phobia grew worse. She was left to take care of herself despite knowing that there was nothing she could do to help herself due to the turn of events in her life.

However, Mrs. Fallon didn't relent in her wicked behavior towards Anna, and neither did Dulcie, her elder step-sister nor her uncle. They kept on maltreating her till she forgot how to speak for herself. She forgot what being loved entailed and she slowly shut out the world and built a world of sorrow around herself.

Anna was done preparing breakfast, she set the table on time before informing her stepmother and she carried on with her daily activities. The house was indeed huge, and she has to keep it clean daily before returning to the storeroom given to her as her bedroom or getting the groceries from the mall nearby.

When she was finally done with everything, she took a quick shower and went back to her stepmother in the living room. She needed to get some food items and also get her sanitary pad since the last one she got is finished.

"Ma'am I need to get the food items you listed yesterday from the mall." Her head was bowed the whole time while talking to the older woman.

Mrs. Fallon glared at Anna for a while before looking away. She reached for her purse and gave Anna the exact amount needed to get the items.

"Now get lost, your sight irritates me." Anna collected the money but remained there. She needed the pad, but she doesn't know how to ask for the money, so she just stood there, making Mrs. Fallon mad.

"What is it? Can't you just get lost?" She sounded p*ss*d and Anna quickly fell to her knees.

"I'm sorry ma'am, but I need a sanitary pad, please I need money for that."

"Well, I don't have any money for that. My precious daughter is coming home in three days from the US. I've spent all the money to host a welcome back party for her. Now get lost, I have no money for you and your nonsense!"

The older woman yelled and Anna quickly walked away in fear.

She sighed heavily as she made her way out of the mansion. The sun was already up in the sky, it was a bright and lovely day and Anna decided to just enjoy the sun, besides, she was walking down to the mall, and enjoying the weather is all she can do. The street is also so calm in the morning because everyone has already gone about their daily business or activities. She sighed yet again and lowered her eyes to her shadow on the ground as she thought about everything happening to her.

Throughout the previous years, a close friend from high school who also works at the mall has been the one giving her pads from her salary. However, Anna wasn't too happy about it. She was grateful, but she felt like she was depriving her friend of access to a full salary at month-end. That was why she asked for the money, but it ended up just like old times.

When she got to the mall, she was welcomed with a warm smile