Chapter 5

"You good - for - nothing girl! You couldn't even catch a chicken thief in the middle of the night, and now you're just standing here like a useless lump! Get to the kitchen and cook! If you delay your mother's meal, I'll break your legs!" Father's voice, a menacing growl, echoed through the house, his words laced with venom.​ I scrambled to my feet and dashed to the kitchen. But Father's voice followed me. "When your brother is born, I'll marry you off to the first old bachelor I can find. You're nothing but a nuisance here, always getting in the way."​ I clenched my teeth, swallowing the bitter taste of anger and humiliation. My grip on the packet of medicine tightened.​ ...​ As I lifted the lid of the pot, the rich aroma of chicken soup wafted up, but it did little to soothe my frayed nerves. With trembling hands, I quickly opened the packet and began to sprinkle the powder into the broth.​ "Tilly!" Father's voice, cold and menacing, sliced through the air like a s