Homeless - part 2

"Tea?" Myra asked innocently, lifting the tray slightly and adding a fake smile for good measure.

"Ah!... There comes our slave," April mocked, glaring at her so-called cousin. Myra returned the glare without commenting.

She first served her aunt, who had been standing behind her daughter, and then turned towards April.

Her eyes momentarily fell on the necklace around April's neck. It was her dear mother's favorite necklace. Myra remembered it because she had a small portrait of her parents in her room, and her mother was wearing that necklace around her neck in that picture.

"Oh, Myra, how do I look?" April asked, purposely grazing her fingers on the necklace.

"Beautiful indeed," Myra said, giving her a small smile, and then showed her the tray so that her dear cousin could pick up the cup of tea that was being served to her.

April placed her hand on the cup to lift it, but Myra swiftly moved the tray away, resulting in the tea spilling all over April's pretty gown, leaving a dark stain on the dress.

"Oh my god!" Myra gasped, putting her right hand on her chest dramatically, looking shocked while moving a step backward.

"BITCH!!" April yelled at Myra before turning to her mother, who stood frozen in her spot, looking at her daughter's ruined gown. "Mother, look, she did it on purpose!"

"No, Aunt Lyla, I promise I didn't do it on purpose. Besides, it is April's fault for not holding the glass properly," said Myra, feigning innocence.

"I know that you did it out of sheer jealousy. You couldn't stand it when I looked so good, now, did you?" April spat back. "Shows your cheap attitude."

Myra scoffed, "Huh?! If there is anyone cheap in this house, then that is you and your mother".

Myra, herself didn't know how, but she suddenly felt brave enough to voice out her opinions frankly. She felt that she had to stand up for herself now.

Lyla who was standing there watching her daughter argue with her niece, couldn't stay quiet any longer.

"What?! What did you say just now?"

Myra rolled her eyes, "I said you both are cheap".

Lyla saw red. Grabbing her niece by her hair, she pulled it making her wince. "How dare you!"

Lyla was angry, but Myra was equally furious with her relatives and didn't hold back this time. She had had enough and couldn't go on like this anymore. All these years, she had put up with everything her relatives said and did. It pained her every time they treated her like an emotionless punching bag when she had considered them her family all along. Her limit of endurance had been crossed, and she couldn't stay quiet any longer.

Pushing her aunt away with all her might, Myra shouted.

"HOW DARE YOU?!"

April and lyla was stunned hearing this. It was the first time they had ever heard Myra raise her voice over all these years. She had been living with them for twelve years now and had always been an obedient girl, who listened to everything they said and never once complained about their harsh treatment towards her. Making them wonder what had gotten into her today.

"You dare raise your voice at me?" her aunt lifted her hand to slap, but Myra was quick enough to stop her by catching hold of her wrists firmly.

"You ungrateful bitch! Is this how you treat your aunt who has taken you in and provided you with food and shelter all these years?" Lyla just couldn't believe her eyes at the way Myra was acting at the moment.

It felt like she is seeing a whole new different person, she started wondering if her niece was possessed or something.

"Oh aunty, I probably would have been more grateful if you had ever considered me as a family, rather than leeching out of my parents money. It is you who is ungrateful, not me" that said, Myra threw her aunt's hand which she had been holding away.

"AMYRA" shouted April. "Don't you think that you are crossing the limits?"

"Limits?" Myra asked skeptically "Why is that I am the only one who is crossing the limits? Don't you think that you are crossing one too?"

"Mind your tongue!" warned Lyla.

"Why should I? Just because I stayed quiet all these years enduring your tortures and spiteful words, doesn't mean that I would stay that way forever".

"AMYRA! You will pay for this!" April said raging with fury.

Not only had this bitch ruined her dress, wasting all her effort and time but also had the nerve to speak back to her and her mother the way she did.

"What will you do? lock me up in my room without food and water? Or will you beat the hell out of me? Or worse kill me?. I don't really care about what you do to me anymore". Myra couldn't stop herself. It seemed like all the emotions that she had bottled up all these years had finally burst out, "Go ahead, do whatever you want, you guys treating me that way is nothing new to me."

"You know what? We have had enough of you. You are nothing but a pest" that said, her aunt grabbed her arm dragging her downstairs and pushing her right out of the house. "Get lost! never show up in front of us again and don't even think about returning back. The doors to this house will always be shut for you".

"Go rot in the streets bitch!. You'd be lucky if some passerby takes pity on you and might throw a penny or two, make your living out of that. Begger!" April shut the door saying that.

"I would gladly live that way, than rot here!" Myra yelled, standing up with fisted hands.

She stood there in front of the house, angrily wiping away her tears that seemed to flow involuntarily.

Giving one last look at the house which she had spent most of her life in, she decided to walk away. Dusting her skirts, Myra started walking in random direction without a destination in mind.