Chapter 1

That word immediately caught Liza's attention that she turned to her.

The look Kim saw on Liza made her know she was in a whole lot of trouble but she was willing to do anything to retain her education.

Not that Liza really wanted to send her to school but her adoption papers said that she must be sent to school. If not for the conditions given to them when they wanted

to adopt Kim, she would have been thrown out to the street.

Kim knew that from them her life would be dealt with miserably in a double fold but she was willing to pay the price. Her only hope of freedom and survival was education. She wanted to go to school and get a nice office job. She wasn't praying for wealth but for freedom from the Lion's den.

Kim was indeed grateful that she was brought from the orphanage but the pain she had to go through was just so much. Most times she blamed her parents for dying alone and not taking her along. She really wished to die but it seems that death was also an enemy to her.

Looking at the smile on Liza's face, she knew that her suffering just started.

"What have I done to make them hate me this much?" She thought.

This is a question she would give anything to know the answer. Nonetheless it was her cross, she didn't have a choice but to carry it until fate decided to free her.

……….

Lauren was looking at Kim's beaten face with her nose raised in disgust. She was really angry at what happened.

"I don't know why you love doing this to yourself Kim!" Lauren, who was nicknamed Renny, asked Kim.

She never liked the way Kim allowed herself to be treated. She had once confronted Tasha about her bad attitude. Tasha then would deny everything so as to look good to Renny. After she went to tell her mother about it.

Kim suffered much, so she had to beg Renny not to say anything to Tasha again. This made Renny hate Tasha so much.

Renny was one of the school's intelligent and beautiful ladies. She rarely speaks with people and it was said of her that she was so proud. Kim was really shocked when Renny came to sit with her at the school cafeteria and sat with her.

Renny had seen Tasha maltreat Kim a few times and she does wonder who Kim was to Tasha. Anytime she saw the way Tasha treated Kim, she would remember her mother's story of her childhood.

Her mother had been maltreated by her stepmother and this had cost her mother many psychological issues. She would even beg Renny not to maltreat anyone because of the damage that would be done.

This was what made Renny move closer to Kim. She knew that she couldn't stop the ill treatment but then she could soothe it.

Everyone around couldn't hide their shock when they saw Renny sit with the maid in school. That was what Tasha told them and they nicknamed her that.

Renny was from a well to do home, but she never liked friends. Being friends with the most poor but brilliant girl in their school was a real blast to everyone.

Tasha, who always made the students think so low of Kim by telling them she was her personal maid, was also shocked. She had told her friends that the reason Kim was sent to school was for her to be able to run errands for her. These words made everyone despise Kim. No one wanted to mingle with a maid.

Renny also heard all these stories and she felt pity for the poor girl who seemed not to have more than two dresses. She wondered what she would be going through. This also was part of what made her move closer to the lady since everyone hated her.

"I don't have a choice here, Renny," Kim replied sadly.

" Of Course you do," She disagreed.

" What do you want me to do? Not like I have anyone to help me out. If I go against Tasha, I would get into a whole lot of trouble. I'm not ready for their extra problem" Kim explained.

Renny really pitied the poor girl. She had pleaded with her parents to let Kim stay with them but her parents said they don't want to be in any trouble with her people.

All she had in her power was to provide necessaries for her but Kim was a very stubborn young lady who said she doesn't want to be treated as a charity case. She won't accept anything from anyone.

Renny has gotten used to her always refusing things but at times she would force it on her. Why she relented was because at times anything she gives to her, Tasha would end up being the user and this always annoys Renny.

"Leave their house," Renny suggested.

She didn't mind going to get an apartment for Kim. She had once told her to go get a part- time job but Kim refused as usual.

"I can't. The contract stated that I can't leave until I find a suitor. I'm stocked. Who will want to associate with poor me not to talk of marrying me. I doubt any guy would" pain flickering in her green eyes as she spoke.

" Agreed but you have the beauty to attract any guy of your choice" Renny said with enthusiasm.

Being that it was only Renny that did tell her that she was beautiful, she counted it as a cheer up from a friend. She never for once took the word seriously.

Kim never had the time to look into the mirror for fun or for admiring herself. The only time she took the knowledge to, was whenever she was beaten up and all her face was swollen. So no day had she seen herself to have a good look. She even thought an old crone was better off for her.

"Thanks for the compliment but I don't need it" she said with a stiff smile.

" I'm not complimenting you. I'm telling the truth" Renny said with a stern look.