The One Year Maid Daughter

My eighteenth birthday. Ivy, my twin sister, received company shares, a luxury car, a villa...

Me? I received a DNA test result slip proving I wasn't their biological daughter.

Victoria, my mother, smileda chilling, distant smile. Eliza, since you aren't our flesh and blood, its only fair that you repay us for the seventeen years of expenses we incurred raising you.

Richard, my father, scoffed. Effective today, youll be the household maid. Well credit you five hundred dollars a month toward your debt. No room and board.

I didn't question how this was possible when Ivy and I were twins, practically molded from the same clay. How could I not be their daughter? Instead, I nodded calmly.

Because just last night, Id stood outside the study door and heard it all.

Ivy, her voice sticky-sweet, whined to them, Mom, Dad, my birthday wish is to be your only daughter, to have all your attention just for me. Can we just make Eliza the maid for a year? Please?

Dad's face was brimming with doting affection. Yes, darling. Anything for you.

Mom chuckled in agreement. This year, Daddy and I belong only to our precious Ivy-bug.

After everyone had left, I looked at the remnants of the cake on the table, stuck a lone candle into the frosting, and made my own silent wish:

I would leave the Vincents. Not for a year. But for good. For a lifetime.

Oh, my God, Sister! Ivy Vincent covered her mouth in an exaggerated gasp. No wonder youre so plain! You dont look like Dad or Mom! Turns out, you really are a fake!

Her voice was loud and performative, as if shed completely forgotten the two of us were identical twins, almost spitting images of each other.

Correction, she added, her eyes glinting. Youre not my sister at all. Youre just some stray mutt who wandered in off the street.

Victorias expression remained aloof and cold. Eliza, now that the truth is outyou are not a Vincent. This birthday party was prepared solely for our beloved Ivy. You no longer have a right to be here.

I lifted my gaze to meet Ivy's triumphant smirk.

She wore a custom-made princess gown and a diamond tiara that cost more than a down payment on a small house. I glanced down at my own outfit: a faded, washed-out shirt and jeans, the cuffs frayed from overuse.

A bitter laugh caught in my throat.

Right.

I hadnt had any real rights since I was a child. What was there left to lose now?

Richard raised his voice, loud enough for the gathering crowd. Starting today, youll move to the staff quarters. Out of respect for the time we shared, you can work as a maid here until you find your biological parents. Well pay you five hundred dollars a month toward the seventeen years of living expenses you owe us. No food, no lodging.

A wave of murmuring swept through the onlookers.

I felt like a pathetic clown under their mocking, scrutinizing gazes. I bent over and picked up my backpack.

Ivy darted forward, grabbing the strap and yanking hard. The worn zipper, held together with a simple safety pin, instantly gave way, and the contents spilled across the polished hardwood floor.

Ivy shrieked. Aha! I knew it! Youve been stealing from us!

Among the scattered textbooks, a single, pink sanitary pad lay exposed.

Moms face briefly tightened with discomfort. Ivy, thats enough. Its just a pad.

Ivy immediately dug in her heels. No, Mom! Im the only Vincent daughter now. What is she? Shes a parasite whos been living off us for years and now shes stealing! I say she doesnt deserve anything!

Seeing her anger, Victoria quickly softened her tone, cooing, Okay, okay, honey. Dont get upset. Youre absolutely right. You are Moms only heart and soul, and you can do whatever you want.

Satisfied, Ivy deliberately stepped onto the pad, grinding her heel into it, twisting and turning.

There, she declared. Now I dont want it. You can have it.

I stared at the pink cotton, now marred by a dirty shoe print. My throat felt thick and heavy, like it was stuffed with wet cotton.

In the end, I only picked up the books.

Once the party was over, Auntie May, the housekeeper, led me into a cramped utility closet. The space, no bigger than five square meters, held only a plank bed stacked with junk and a single, rusted iron window.

Auntie May stood at the doorway, her lips parting as if to speak. Miss Eliza. The master and madam, they remember the good things about you. Once they come to their senses, youll be Miss Vincent again

She trailed off as two cockroaches scurried out from a dark corner and zipped away. I pretended not to notice the awkwardness on her face. Thank you. I understand.

Auntie May shook her head and left, muttering quietly to herself. They look so alike. How can she not be sigh.

I sat on the hard plank bed, staring blankly out at the pitch-black night beyond the window.

Its okay. Just one more year, and then I can leave forever.

That night, my lower abdomen ached terribly. With no sanitary pads, I could only make do with toilet paper.

Coming out of the bathroom, I overheard my parents hushed conversation.

Honey, do you think Eliza will resent us for treating her this way? She is our biological daughter, after all.

Dad let out a cold snort. Its her own fault for constantly bullying Ivy. As the older sister, she never knew how to yield. This suffering is for her own good.

Once Ivy tires of this game, a year from now, well just say the DNA test was wrong. When she gets her title back, shell be overjoyed, she wont even think about this.

My fingertips went ice-cold. It was so utterly ridiculous.

How could they possibly believe that after trampling me into the dirt, I would wait obediently for their return?

The next day, I went out to buy pads. At checkout, I was told my card was declined due to insufficient funds. But I was certain I had two hundred dollars saved up.

Back at the house, I pushed the door open.

The three of them were laughing merrily at the dining table. A gift bag rested on the surface.

Victoria was stroking a silk scarf in her hands. My Ivy is such a thoughtful angel. Giving Mommy a gift! Im so happy!

Richard was turning a plastic water bottle in his hand, grinning ear to ear. Daddy loves his too. Youre my precious girl.

Ivy pouted, leaning on Moms shoulder. But they only cost two hundred dollars combined. Youre not mad that I was cheap, are you?

Mom immediately shook her head. Of course not! Anything my baby buys me, even for two dollars, is Moms treasure.

Dad didnt miss a chance to belittle me. Exactly. Unlike your sister, who only knew how to spend the familys money and never once bought us a gift. Shes an ingrate. She cant even compare to my Ivy

They abruptly stopped talking when they noticed I had returned.

Ivy tilted her head to look at me, a malicious smile twisting her lips.

Those two hundred dollars

They were my savings from two months of my allowance. All my money.

A freezing sensation swept over me, and something in my mind violently erupted. Before I knew what I was doing, I had grabbed Ivy and raised my hand to strike.

But before the slap could land, Richard kicked me away.

My spine slammed against the sharp corner of the coffee table. The pain was so intense I nearly blacked out.

Ivy clutched her arm, showing off a small, red mark. She began to wail as if the sky had fallen. Mommy! Daddy! It hurts so bad! Is my arm broken?

Mom shouted frantically, Call an ambulance!

Dad quickly interjected, Forget the ambulance, theres no time! Ill drive Ivy to the ER myself.

Ivy pointed at me, sprawled on the floor. I dont want to go by car! That bastard injured me, so she has to carry me all the way to the hospital!

The nearest hospital was twenty kilometers from the villa.

Victorias eyes were ice-cold as she looked at me. Youre a fatherless, motherless stray that we fed and clothed for over a decade. How dare you lay a hand on my daughter? Youll do exactly what Ivy says.

Seeing me struggle to get up, Dad grabbed my arm and hauled me to my feet. Stop the pathetic act. You just bumped yourself gently. Now hurry and carry Ivy to the hospital! If you delay my daughters treatment, I swear Ill throw you out of the Vincent house for good.

I believed him. But I couldnt leave yet.

I hoisted Ivy onto my back and began the long, staggering walk to the hospital.

Dad drove slowly behind me, the car barely moving faster than my pace. He constantly yelled, Eliza, hold her steady! If you drop my precious girl, Ill flay you alive!

Mom complained with a frown. Walk faster! Are you starved? Dont you dare delay my babys recovery.

Ivy, clinging to my back, laughed smugly. See? No one in this house loves you! You're a stray dog no one wants.

That kind of cruelty used to cut me deep. Now, perhaps from an accumulation of too much pain, I was numb. Unresponsive.

Seeing my lack of reaction, Ivy fell silent.

But as we neared the hospital, the safety pin shed concealed in her pocket was suddenly driven hard into my back.

I gasped, stumbled, and collapsed to the asphalt.

My parents immediately stopped the car, rushing to scoop Ivy off me and race toward the hospital entrance.

Mom paused, looking back at my ashen face. She said with sharp impatience, Youre at the hospital now. Go find a doctor yourself. We dont have time for you.

I never made it inside the hospital.

I had no money.

Too exhausted to walk back, I sat on the hospital steps until nightfall, then slowly made my way back to the villa.

They were already home. Standing in the living room were a nervous, slovenly-looking middle-aged man and woman.

Perfect timing, Richard announced, pointing to the couple. These are your biological parents. Youll be leaving with them now.

The air was deadly silent.

Victoria came over and took my hand, but her eyes wouldn't meet mine. Eliza, we shared a relationship as mother and daughter for a time, and I am truly saddened. But since your real parents have been found, theres no reason for you to stay with the Vincents.

I had thought I was beyond crying. Yet, tears streamed down my face.

These were the parents I had cherished for over a decade. They wouldnt even allow me to stay in the house, not even in a corner.

My tears made Mom look away, guilt creeping into her expression. She reached out to wipe my face, but Ivy grabbed her arm.

Congratulations, Sister, Ivy chimed in. Youre finally not a fatherless, motherless stray anymore.

The middle-aged woman, introduced as my birth mother, Brenda Reyes, grabbed my hand. Her filthy, black fingernails dug into my skin as she wailed dramatically. My daughter! Mommy has finally found you! Come home with me now!

The man, Vicente Ramos, claiming to be my birth father, started dragging me toward the door. Yes, yes, hurry home. Youve inconvenienced the Vincents and the Madam for too many years. Don't be a leech.

Wait, Ivy said, her eyes twinkling as she spoke. Sister, finding your real parents is a huge deal. Shouldnt you kneel and perform the kowtow to acknowledge them? Or are you too ashamed of how poor they are?

I froze and turned back to my parents. Do you think I should kowtow to them?

They both instinctively avoided my gaze.

Ivy kept urging me. Hurry up and kneel. Were all watching.

I smiled.

Something inside me, in that moment, completely shattered.

I knelt down, but I faced my parents and knocked my head hard against the floor. The parent-child relationship ends here. From this day forward, I have no ties to the Vincent family.

Mom and Dad exchanged a look, a flicker of unease passing between them.

I stood up and left with my birth parents.

Victoria chased after me, her voice thin and desperate. Its not settled! Not until not until you pay back all the money we spent on you over the years!

I stopped but didnt turn around.

I simply replied, Fine.

They thought they had spent a fortune on me. But they had forgotten the reality.

The daughter who was showered with love and money was Ivy.

Me?

I had a monthly allowance of only three hundred dollars. Which Ivy, with her monthly thirty-thousand-dollar allowance, still found ways to exploit.

If I refused, she would go home and cry, claiming I ganged up with classmates to isolate and bully her at school.

I was locked in my room countless times without food. Once, on a stormy night, because Ivy cried that I was driving her to the brink, I was left outside to soak in the rain. I developed a 104-degree fever, and no one checked on me.

It had always been like this.

Ivys word decided my guilt, my happiness, my daily life, and my dignity.

My explanations, my tears, my grievancesthey were worthless in that house. Just like me. I was cheap.

That night, I was taken to my birth parents squalid slum apartment. Since there was no extra room or bedding, I was forced to curl up on the floor of the sole bathroom for the night. The window, crudely patched with newspaper, let in a relentless draft.

The next day, I woke up with a pounding fever.

In a daze, I heard the womans anxious phone call.

Mr. Vincent, Mrs. Vincent, the young the girl has a fever. Its a hundred and four degrees.

Then what are you waiting for? Take her to the hospital!

The phone was on speaker, and Ivys voice came through clearly. Mommy, Daddy, Sister just left last night and now she has a fever? What a coincidence! Its a trick, a pathetic attempt to test you. If you believe her, youll be the fools.

After a long silence, Richards cold voice returned. Ignore her. She said she has no relationship with us anymore. Let that ingrate learn a lesson.

Victorias voice was full of irritation. Shes your daughter now. Stop calling us. Were busy planning our globe-trotting trip with our precious Ivy. Goodbye.

No one came for me.

I was abandoned in the forgotten rental. I fought through the haze to force the front door open. As I crawled out onto the stairwell, I finally gave up and passed out.

When I finally woke up, there was only a nurse beside the bed.

Youre awake, little girl. Your temperature was 107.6. If a kind passerby hadn't brought you here, another ten minutes and you would have been in real danger.

Now, please contact a family member to come and pay the bill.

I was silent for a long moment, then spoke in a faint voice. I have no money, and no family.

The nurse looked stunned.

I stared at the IV drip in my arm and licked my dry lips. But I have blood.

When the new school year began, I was a senior. I started running errands for classmatesgetting meals, delivering packages. A dollar per trip. I could save about twenty dollars a day.

I had just picked up a meal when I ran into Ivy in the hallway outside the cafeteria.

She merely crossed her arms and raised an eyebrow.

Her entourage of hangers-on instantly grabbed my meal tray and smashed it. Food mixed with muddy water spilled everywhere.

Oh, Sister, you look so pathetic. Let me buy you lunch.

They forced my head down, trying to make me eat the food theyd trampled on.

Ms. Chen, my homeroom teacher, happened to pass by and angrily chased them off. She helped me up and wiped my face. She had heard rumors about the birthday party and knew I was struggling financially. Without asking for details, she offered me a tutoring jobweekend afternoons onlywith the strict condition that it wouldn't impact my grades.

I thanked her repeatedly.

But I never imagined that because of her single act of kindness, Ms. Chen would be reported and fired for allegedly taking bribes from a students parents.

And I, meanwhile, was plastered on the school bulletin board. A photo of a students parent dropping me off for tutoring was captioned with the accusation that I was being kept by an older man.

My birth mother, Brenda Reyes, rushed to the school and slapped me twice without a word. She viciously grabbed my hair, pinching and twisting.

You little tramp! How old are you? Youre already flashing yourself for men! You might be shameless, but Im not!

My head whipped to the side. In my peripheral vision, I saw my parents standing with the school administrators, looking at me with undisguised contempt. Behind them, Ivys face was split with a triumphant grin.

My hair fell forward, hiding my line of sight and the tears I couldnt stop. I lowered my head and said flatly, Im sorry. I know I was wrong.

That night, just after Id showered, a large hand yanked me violently into the room. My birth father, Vicente Ramos, stood shirtless, his eyes bloodshot, lunging at me.

If youre going to give it away to some man outside, you might as well give it to me.

The utility knife I had hidden in my sleeve slashed across his face. He recoiled two steps, panting like a starved beast.

Im still a student. Get out, unless you want to spend the rest of your life in prison!

Living in the slums, I hadn't been without preparation.

Vicente spat, wiped the blood from his cheek, and bared his yellowed teeth in a grin. You wait, you little bitch. Your real parents sold you to me. Ill get what Im owed eventually.

The door slammed shut. I slid weakly to the floor, trembling violently. Tears gushed out. I bit down hard on the back of my hand to stifle my sobs.

My phone chimed. A message popped up in the family group chat.

Victoria: Eliza Vincent, youre self-degrading at such a young age. After being a mother to someone as dirty and self-shaming as you for over a decade, the thought of it makes me sick.

The next second, Richard removed me from the group.

Victoria stared at the remaining three people in the chat, a sense of inexplicable dread washing over her. Honey, are we being too harsh? Didnt we check? She was just tutoring.

Richard huffed. If she hadnt forced Ivy to eat the food off the ground, Ivy wouldnt have cried until her eyes were swollen. Removing her from the group was the only thing Ivy asked for. Its letting her off easy.

After a moment, he softened his tone. Its only a year. Ive already transferred enough money to Vicente Ramos. Eliza wont be suffering. When the time is up, well bring her right back.

A year later.

On the day of mine and Ivys birthday.

My parents left the house early. Richard drove fast. Do you have the correct DNA test results?

Victoria nodded rapidly. Yes, I do. We havent seen Eliza in a year. When she comes back, we have to make it up to her.

Richard smiled. Of course. Ive already finalized the company shares. Ivy is too frivolous for responsibility, but Eliza, after this ordeal, will have matured and wont bully her sister anymore. Ill announce her as the heir at the party.

The two rushed out of the car, navigating the dirty, cluttered alleyways straight to Vicente Ramoss door. They knocked repeatedly, but no one answered.

Finally, an older woman from next door poked her head out. Stop knocking. Vicente Ramos was locked up a year ago. Tried to rape the girl he brought back.