Sweat streamed down her face, revealing the strain of a long day's work spent lifting heavy sacks. Her face smudged with dirt, her clothes soiled, her skin pale. Her body seemed drained of all the strength. She stood out as the only girl among the boys. The rough labour seemed ill-fitted for someone of her beauty. Yet she had no choice.Her brother Lulee Robinson The one who actually had been hired, lazed at home, idled glued to his video games, while making her do the work instead. Her sister, Lily Robinson, just a year older, attended school, was never made to lift a pin. While she labored tirelessly and returned home at odd hours, she was still mocked and deprived, barely even given proper food. either she eats of her siblings' leftover or she sleeps on empty stomach, after a long day of work, she faced yet another trial. Piles of dishes undone, clothes scattered in all corners. Ella worked two jobs, at the grocery store from 6 a.m. to 4 p.m., and then the factory from 4 p.m. to 9 p.m., lifting heavy sacks until exhaustion claimed her. She was often made to clean up after her lazy brother and pampered sister. Her parents, Mary and Victor Robinson, showed her no kindness. Their words drained down like lashes. Constant reminded that she could never measure up to her older sister's beauty and deserves no affection. Every penny Ella earned was to be handed over to her mother. Any defiance was met with a blow from her mother and siblings.
Her father, a hopeless drunk, always demanded money for alcohol. He drank so heavily that he could barely walk, often passing out on the roadside until morning or until someone found him. Most nights, Ella would search for him on her way home, following the path of his local bars, until she found him wasted with alcohol. He hurled insults on her, with tears filled in her eyes. She would force him to his feet and help him home. Her mother would be waiting at the door, but not with concern, but with a greedy hand stretched out for Ella's daily earnings. This has been her life for as long as she could remember, unloved, unseen, insulted, and abused. Yet, despite everything, Ella still faced each day with quiet hope. Lost in her imagination, she dreamed of a life different from her own. From her fantasies, she found her escape routes.
While Ella's brother, Louis Robinson, stayed at home playing video games on the very computer Ella had bought with her own savings, he constantly made bets and lost the money Ella had worked so hard to earn, lost in her own daydreams while at work. Ella didn't notice her manager walking past her desks, calling her name repeatedly. She only snapped out of her fantasy when a colleague slap startled her. Angrily, Ella slapped back, sparking a fight. The manager, who was having an affair with the colleague, Stephanie Stones, immediately took Stephanie's side. He accused Ella of negligence, of causing a commotion at work, and violently attacking a co-worker. Despite Ella being the victim and Ella was fired, the manager shot a cruel glance at the colleague, Stephanie Stones, who snarled and mocked Ella, calling her a low-life. Ella pleaded desperately for her job, but her pleas fell on deaf ears. The manager promised her position to Stephanie Stones instead. Security escorted Ella out of the grocery shop, leaving her humiliated as the manager and Stephanie Stones exchanged smug looks.
All of this was retaliation for Ella's refusal to the manager's sexual advances. Dejected, Ella sank into a corner, tears streaming down her face as she crossed her legs and silently asked God why misfortune always followed her. There was no time to dwell. She wiped her cheeks and hurried off to the factory, ready to lift heavy loads once more. While working, Ella overheard her colleague talking about paying for her sister to attend a study camp. Ella, a bright student who had never been given the chance to go to school, had always dreamed of studying for herself, but her earnings were always used to pay for her sister's tuition. For the first time, she longed to do something just for herself. Her colleague explained that his family was poor, and if his sister attended a study camp, she could earn a scholarship to any college of her choice; however,the registration fee was expensive, and he had been saving to pay the fee. The deadline was approaching fast. Ella felt a spark of hope. She held onto the possibility of a lifetime,to finally change her life.
Later, while lost in thought, she felt something brushed against her face. Looking down, she saw a flyer for the study camp, run by one of the richest business tycoons in the city. The family was sponsoring scholarships as a way to promote their business and connect with influential families. Ella didn't care about the business motives. This was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. The flyer stated that only 70 applicants would be accepted and would earn scholarships. If they past the exams, her heart raced, tensions coursing through her body. Filled with hope, Ella ran home to tell her family, forgetting her paycheck in her excitement. But she was immediately met with violence. Her mother, Mary Robinson, already aware of her dismissal from the grocery shop, slapped her and accused her of trying to seduce the manager. Ella tried to explain, but her mother beat her further. When Ella mentioned the study camp, her sister accused her of being jealous and selfish. While her mother scolded her for keeping her paycheck for herself, her brother, louis Robinson, declared that Ella was unworthy of education, and even if she tried, she would never be accepted.
Her father, drunk and demanding for money for alcohol, entered the room. Upon learning she had forgotten her paycheck, whyhe beat her with a stick, Ella wailed unable to stand. Realizing that she had never been loved, she was only ever a source of money for her family. She was forced to sleep by the door without being fed. Left in the rain, shivering and cold. The next morning, she was woken up with a bucket of cold water poured over her face and a kick to the stomach . Her sister cruel greeting to start the day. Ella stayed at the door throughout the night, unable to sleep, and was finally let in the house by morning, so she would prepare for work and hand in her earnings to her family. As she passed by the sitting room, the television caught her attention, displaying a program about the study camp. The coverage shows that some of the wealthiest families from the biggest corporations would attend the opening using the study camp as a promotional event. Her sister, Lily Robinson, was already in College, told her parents that she wanted to attend. Of course, their mother smiled and agreed, assuring that she would be accepted.
Ella's chest tightened with dejections and pain. She staggered towards the bathroom to shower, feeling the sting of unfairness. Her mother, Mary Robinson, reminded Ella to save up for her sister's fee. Her sister, Lily Robinson, smirking, added mockingly that perhaps the heir to the richest family would fall in love with her if she went. Her intention was to taunt Ella.
Ella left the room, leaving the house shivering from the cold of the previous night. She worked tiredlessly, earning the money and handing it over to pay for her sister's study camp fee. Shattered and exhausted, something inside her finally broke down. For the first time, she shouted at her mother, demanding to know why she's always treated differently, why her siblings were favoured and why she was never valued. Her mother, infuriated, slapped her. Ella yelled back. Her sibling joined in beating her up too, but she didn't stay quiet. In the heat of the anger, her mother, Mary Robinson, dropped a devastating revelation. Ella was adopted. She claimed that she had found Ella and took her in when her real parents didn't want her. This truth hit Ella like a lightning bolt. For the first time, everything clicked. Why she had always been wronged, why she was always treated inf
erior.