"Mother... Look at me, I got a job," Ansella proudly displayed her new uniform.

"Oh... Thank goodness, I am proud of you Ansella, you are a remarkable child," Samantha embraced Ansella with affection.

"I work in a luxurious five-star hotel, even though it's in the East, I don't mind because our house is on the border."

"Yes, hopefully Mr. Gerlado and Mr. Yaron will understand," Samantha said.

Then, Samantha glanced at a girl who was ironing piled up clothes.

"Finish those laundries quickly, I will go out to eat with Ansella to celebrate her success in getting a job, the clothes will be picked up soon," Samantha said.

"Mother, I also have to work. I can't be late. I already finished the laundry yesterday, and I was late coming in."

"Daisy! How dare you defy your mother who has taken care of you since you were little, how dare you defy me!" Samantha scowled.

"But, Mom..."

"No buts, look at your sister, she got a decent and good job, she works in a luxurious hotel, how can you not be ashamed Daisy, why are you still able to freely show your face to all the neighbors without shame because you only work in a simple cafe!" Samantha said.

"Why should I be ashamed, Mom? I also work and earn lawful money, I don't sell myself or degrade myself to get a job," Daisy said.

SLAP!! A harsh slap suddenly landed on Daisy's cheek, causing her head to tilt, Daisy was also shocked and widened her eyes as she stared at the floor. Ansella, enraged, slapped her younger sister. Daisy's cheek instantly turned red.

The burning and painful sensation was felt on Daisy's cheek, her heart shattered, there was no peaceful day for her, one bruise healed and there would surely be another bruise and scar.

"Do you want to say that I sell myself?" Ansella stood challenging in front of Daisy.

"I never said that, but people do," Daisy replied.

"Do you want to die or what!!!" Ansella shouted hysterically, grabbing Daisy's hair.

"Aahh, let go!! It hurts, Ansella!! Let go!!!"

"If you want to die, then let your sister help you with pleasure Daisy! Let me be the one to kill you!!!" Ansella grabbed Daisy's hair and dragged her into the laundry area.

Then, Ansella took a hose and drenched Daisy's body.

Not satisfied, Ansella took a bucket and hit Daisy's body.

THUD!!

THUD!!

"Feel that!!!" Ansella screamed.

Daisy cried, tears streaming down her face, she covered her wet body with her wet hands, and protected herself from Ansella's blows.

"That's enough, Ansella," Samantha said flatly.

"Be grateful Daisy, my mood is good this time because my child got a good job, otherwise, I would have drowned your disgusting face in the water basin so that you couldn't breathe," Samantha threatened.

Daisy cried and covered her face on the floor filled with water.

"Finish those laundries or you are not allowed to go to work. Do you understand!" Samantha shouted.

"Come on Ansella, let's go. We have to celebrate your success in getting a job, don't forget Ansella, you have to attract wealthy and handsome men in that hotel, so you can live a better life," Samantha stroked Ansella's head.

After hearing the door close, indicating that Samantha and Ansella had left, Daisy still huddled on the floor, crying softly. Slowly, she got up and grabbed clean clothes, still crying, she must finish those laundries quickly so she could go to work.

Daisy changed her clothes and continued her work.

For Daisy, incidents like this have been happening since her father married Samantha. She doesn't even know where her father is now.

After Daisy's mother passed away, her father remarried Samantha and brought a daughter named Ansella into the family. Daisy's father's business went bankrupt, and he became an alcoholic, never coming home or taking care of Daisy.

Feeling betrayed by Daisy's father, Samantha took out her anger on Daisy and began mistreating her since she was young. Samantha would become furious every time she saw Daisy's face, especially when Daisy was still young and was given the responsibility by her father to take care of Daisy. Meanwhile, Samantha had her own daughter named Ansella.

Despite everything, Daisy was grateful she wasn't kicked out of the house. It was the only home left by her deceased mother, as her father had sold all of his assets to pay off his debts.

Daisy was forced to move to a small town, where her mother was born, and live in that house with Samantha and Ansella.

With the growing needs for Ansella and Daisy's education, Samantha decided to open a laundry service. She opened a laundry shop.

Samantha, who hated Daisy, constantly demanded that Daisy help with the laundry work, even when she was still in middle school. Daisy was even forced to wash clothes when she was sick with a fever.

Sadly, Samantha didn't use a washing machine, only a dryer. Washing clothes was always done manually using her hands, and only after that were they dried using the dryer. This was because the washing machine was too expensive, and Samantha had to choose one.

According to Samantha, it was better to wash clothes manually and then dry them using the machine, so they would dry faster.

"Ah... Finally... Done... My body is exhausted..." Daisy lay down, stretching her muscles on the floor and gazing at the ceiling.

She stared at her ceiling for a while, which had started to show signs of mildew due to rainwater leaks. Her tears started to fall and puddled, but she wiped them away with determination. Daisy could be a bit crybaby, but her spirit was as strong as iron.

"Mom... I'm sorry, I don't have the money to renovate this house."

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK!!

"Excuse me, I want to pick up my laundry."

Voices could be faintly heard from behind the house door. Someone was picking up their laundry.

"Just a moment..."

Daisy then opened the door and saw that it was her neighbor.

"Ah... Mrs. Rose, want to pick up your clothes, right? Wait a moment, I'll get them. Please have a seat."

Mrs. Rose then sat on the porch.

Not long after, Daisy brought a plastic bag filled with neatly folded and ironed clothes, which also smelled nice.

Mrs. Rose received it.

"Daisy, what happened to your face?"

Mrs. Rose reached out to touch it, but Daisy moved back slowly.

"Ah... Mrs. Rose. I fell earlier."

"Did your mother hit you again?" Mrs. Rose asked.

Daisy remained silent.

"That woman! What does she really want? Has she lost her sanity?"

"It... It wasn't my mother. I had a little argument with Ansella."

"Ugh! Again and again! If it's not Samantha, it's surely Ansella. I really should report them to the police!" Mrs. Rose exclaimed.

"No... No, Mrs. Please. I beg you. It doesn't hurt anymore." Daisy pleaded.

"You... You are as kind as an angel, just like your mother..." Mrs. Rose gently stroked Daisy's head with pity. She knew it wasn't right for her to interfere, but sometimes it pained her heart to see Daisy constantly being treated like that.

To be continued

"Oh my goodness... Wait for me... Wait...!!!" Daisy shouted as she chased after the bus that was starting to move.

Daisy tried her best to quickly finish the laundry so she wouldn't be late for work again.

"Wait... Stop...!!!" Daisy yelled, running and pounding on the back of the bus with her palms.

After a short struggle, Daisy's efforts paid off.

"SCREECH!!" The bus brakes screeched as it came to a halt, then opened its doors.

Daisy smiled in relief, rushing and successfully getting on the bus before pressing against her pounding chest.

"Thank you, sorry." Daisy said breathlessly.

Daisy then went further into the bus to find a seat.

"Oh my, I could hardly breathe." Daisy said, sitting down while still catching her breath from the run.

After that, Daisy put on her headphones and played music through her simple cell phone to calm herself down.

Daisy was now 19 years old, a tough girl with a strong spirit. Daisy's life was filled with tears and torment from her stepmother Samantha and stepsister Ansella.

Even though Daisy had a job and could leave home and rent a small apartment, she couldn't do that because the house was the only inheritance from her late grandmother and mother.

Her own father had disappeared, the man who should have been her protector had long abandoned her and no one knew where he was, leading Daisy to believe he was dead. Especially after Daisy received unfair treatment from her stepmother and stepsister.

Daisy was a smart child, but she had to swallow her desire to continue to university and chose to work instead because her stepmother disapproved of her going to college.

The journey to the cafe where she worked wasn't too far, and the bus arrived on time.

"Thank goodness, this time I'm not late. It's all because of my efficiency in handling the laundry quickly. You're amazing, Daisy, you're the best." Daisy praised herself, not forgetting to pat her own head.

Daisy then entered and changed into her work uniform. She had been working at the cafe for less than a year, doing odd jobs after graduating from school until she landed the permanent job there, with the help of Brian.

After changing into her work uniform, Daisy put her bag in the locker and started cleaning the cafe.

"It's unusual for you to not be late, is your mother feeling generous?" someone greeted from behind, and of course, someone familiar to Daisy.

The man stood with his hands folded.

Daisy knew who the man was just by his voice, then she turned and rolled her eyes, making a cute face. Daisy looked adorable.

"You know my mother, Chef Brian, there's no way that's happening, if it did, the sun would surely split in half. I'm not late for work because of my intelligence, my perseverance, my agility, and my muscle strength, and because of my rock-solid badass mentality that can handle the laundry at turbo speed." Daisy said, flipping her hair to show off.

"Ha... Ha... Haha... Haha... Okay... I know that." Brian laughed, tears streaming down his face as he pointed to Daisy's muscles.

"Seeing how determined you are and how strong your arms are, it makes me doubt whether you're really a woman." Brian chuckled.

"Shhhhh.... Seeing how smooth your skin is, are you really a man? Seriously...!" Daisy made an ugly face. But instead, Daisy's face looked even cuter to Brian.

Brian had liked Daisy for a long time, and with each passing day, his feelings for her grew stronger.

However, Brian didn't dare to express his feelings because he knew that Daisy never had the slightest thought of having a partner.

Daisy was only focused on the life she was living now, surviving through her job and her family.

Even Daisy has never mentioned love, let alone marriage. Brian is afraid that if he expresses his feelings, it will make their already close relationship awkward and strained.

For Brian, being close and joking with Daisy already makes him happy.

Daisy then continues to wipe the table, her hair is slightly bothering her as it always falls on her face.

"You should tie your hair back," Brian said, taking Daisy's hair tie from the pocket of his apron.

"Chef Brian... Let me handle it," Daisy said.

"Just be quiet. Your hands are dirty, I'm skilled at doing this."

"Yeah... Have you often tied women's hair from behind that you're so confident about it?" Daisy teased.

"Hahaha...!!! Well, you know, right? When the manager enters the kitchen? He always asks me to tie his hair when he's busy preparing ingredients or dough," Brian whispered.

"I guess the manager really has deep feelings for you, Chef Brian," Daisy whispered back.

Brian remained silent and didn't respond because for him, his feelings and heart have already been given to one person, the girl in front of him.

"Tadaa... All done," Brian said.

"A nice hair tie, right? It makes Daisy even more beautiful," Brian said.

"Thank you, Chef Brian," Daisy said.

"Okay, work hours have started, I have to go to the kitchen and cook. I hope you'll be like that, Daisy, don't be late, or the manager will punish you again," Brian said sadly and worriedly.

"I understand," Daisy smiled.

"Mmm... Daisy... Actually, Ansella contacted me," Brian said then.

Daisy stopped wiping the table.

"Ansella said she invited me for a drink, she said she just got a job and wanted to celebrate it with me. But I refused."

Daisy remained silent.

"She should know whose side I'm on," Brian said.

Daisy stayed silent for a moment, then she felt she had to do something.

"Brian... You should meet her, she will keep misunderstanding me."

"I will meet her, but not to drink with her, but to tell her and make it clear that I don't like her," Brian said.

Daisy, Ansella, and Brian went to the same school. Brian was an officer of the student council at that school, and Ansella had a huge crush on Brian.

However, Brian was disgusted by Ansella's behavior and attitude because she constantly bullied Daisy. The climax was when Brian was escorting Daisy home.

Ansella had thrown away Daisy's shoes and bike in the roadside paddy fields they passed by on their way home, causing Daisy's feet to get hurt, simply because Daisy got first place in her school while Ansella was ranked low.

Ansella was angry because Daisy didn't give her the answers during the exam, making Ansella struggle and putting her at the bottom of the rankings.

Then Ansella unleashed her anger on Daisy, she threw Daisy's bike into the paddy fields, forcefully took Daisy's shoes with the help of her friends, causing Daisy's knee to get injured and unable to walk.

Brian, who witnessed it, then helped Daisy. He carried Daisy home.

Upon seeing Daisy being carried by Brian, Ansella became even more furious, accusing Daisy of stealing Brian and brainwashing him to hate Ansella.

Now they are adults and working, but Ansella still blames Daisy, saying that Brian doesn't like her because Daisy played dirty by inciting Brian to hate Ansella.

to be continued

"TING!" The sound of the cafe's doorbell indicated the entrance of a customer.

"Welcome." Daisy greeted.

"Americano 1," the man said.

"Alright, Americano 1. I apologize, sir, but would you like any additional add-ons like dessert? We have a variety of desserts to accompany your americano for a sweeter taste," Daisy said, typing away on the cash register.

The man stared at Daisy, a beautiful girl with her hair in a ponytail, wearing the cafe uniform, looking feminine.

"Sure. Pick the sweetest one," the man said.

"Alright, sir, I will bring your order. Please wait a moment, sir." Daisy then looked at the customer with a smile.

"TING!" The doorbell rang again.

"Welcome..." Daisy greeted.

"Mr. Dereck, you need to come back. Mr. Benjove Haghwer will be having a Zoom meeting with you soon to discuss his hotel project that will be built in City S. A beautiful woman in work clothes arrived.

"I'm still waiting for my Americano, and the dessert," Dereck said.

"I will bring them, sir."

Dereck glanced at Daisy who was still busy preparing the order. In his heart, he felt a spark of attraction seeing how beautiful the girl he just met was.

In his journey through life until now, traveling to different countries, it was the first time Dereck had encountered such an energetic and pure-looking girl.

Daisy's fair and smooth skin, with her slender neck exposed, made Dereck glance at her several times.

Daisy's slender body, innocent and beautiful face, was a perfect combination.

Although Daisy was without makeup, Dereck admired her beauty.

"Alright. Take them to the Casey Hotel," Dereck said.

Then Dereck left the cafe.

After a while, Daisy finished preparing the order.

"I will bring them, that was my boss," Casey said.

"Oh... Alright. Thank you," Daisy said politely.

"But, is this dessert also part of the order?"

"Yes, it's already paid for," Daisy said.

"Strange, usually Mr. Dereck doesn't like sweet food," said Casey, wondering, as she walked away and left the cafe with a questioning expression on her face.

Time flew quickly, and the cafe was quite empty today. Usually, the cafe would be bustling with office workers or students, but perhaps today people were busy with their work and students were busy preparing for exams.

Daisy was packing up to go home when Brian tapped her shoulder.

"Can I give you a ride?" Brian asked.

Daisy shook her head confidently and smiled.

"I'm really disappointed, you always reject me."

"I don't want Ansella to keep misunderstanding me."

Brian nodded.

"Alright. Take care," Brian said.

Daisy nodded.

When Daisy boarded the bus, Brian's phone vibrated. He looked at who was calling and his facial expression turned visibly annoyed.

"Yes. Where?" Brian asked.

"Okay, I'll be there," Brian said.

Then Brian put on his full-face helmet and started riding his sports bike to where the caller was.

It didn't take long for Brian to arrive at a well-known bar.

Brian entered and looked for the person who had been waiting for him. After seeing his target, Brian approached and tapped the glass bar table with his finger.

"Briiiannnn... I knew you would come," Ansella said with a smile.

Then Ansella poured beer into a glass and handed it to Brian, then patted the seat next to her, giving a signal for Brian to sit next to her.

"I didn't come to drink," Brian said.

Ansella made a questioning expression.

"I told you, never hurt Daisy again. She's never been at fault for my rejection of you. I've told you multiple times that I'm not interested in you and never involve Daisy again in your rejected feelings," Brian stared intently at Ansella, surprised, as he started bombarding her without warning.

Ansella swallowed her saliva, tears streaming down her face, quickly wiping them away.

"Okay... I understand, but... Why does it have to be Daisy?" Ansella said.

"Why Daisy? I also don't know, but my heart belongs only to Daisy." Brian said.

Ansella held back her tears, trying not to let them flood her cheeks. She then quickly drank her beer and slammed the glass down.

"CRASH!!!"

"I assume you understand, and never disturb Daisy again!" Brian said as he walked away, leaving Ansella fuming with anger.

Alone in her seat, Ansella clenched her glass tightly.

"You're wrong Brian, the more you protect Ansella, the more I will torment her. And if necessary, I will kill her. If I can't have you, neither can Daisy." Ansella said.

Finally, late at night, Ansella stumbled drunkenly back home. She continued to insult and berate Daisy, her state of mind completely chaotic.

"Damn you, Daisy!"

"Stupid Daisy!"

"Daisy... Daisy... Daisy... I'm sick of that name!"

"Just wait until I come home, I'll finish you!"

"CRASH!!!" Ansella slammed the door and staggered towards Daisy's room.

"CRASH!!!" The forcefully opened door created a loud noise, startling Daisy who had just fallen asleep.

"What's wrong with you?" Daisy asked.

"You bastard!!!" Ansella yelled and growled before running and leaping onto Daisy's bed.

Ansella choked Daisy with great force.

"An... An... Ansella..." Daisy couldn't say anything, she couldn't scream for help.

"Die!!!"

"I'll kill you, Daisy!!!"

Ansella screamed and continued to strangle Daisy with all her might.

Sensing the commotion, Samantha woke up and checked what was happening. Seeing Ansella choking Daisy, Samantha immediately intervened to separate her daughter.

"Ansella... Ansella... What are you doing..." Samantha said, worried that Daisy would lose her life.

However, for Samantha, the worry was not about losing Daisy, but about Ansella going to jail if Daisy died.

"Mommy!!!" Ansella stopped choking Daisy and hugged her mother.

"Cough!!! Cough!!! Cough!!!" Daisy held her throat, coughing and gasping for breath, taking long, deep breaths.

"Mommy... Brian rejected me again... He said he hates me because I'm always harsh to Daisy. It must be Daisy who complained to Brian, and now Brian hates me, Mommy... I'm so angry... You know, Mommy... I've loved Brian since I first saw him at school..." Ansella cried and whined in her mother's embrace.

Then Samantha looked at Daisy with a demonic gaze.

"You... You... Always causing trouble, huh!! You always make people hate Ansella!! You always act weak so that everyone pities you, right!! You don't know how it feels to struggle to raise a child who didn't come from my womb!!! You should have some self-awareness, Daisy!!! Who has been feeding you and raising you?!" Samantha glared at Daisy.

"I'm not just eating and sleeping like a pig! Laundry is still running because I'm the one doing it, and the money goes into your pocket." Daisy said.

"What did you say!? Ansella, go to your room. Let me give this self-absorbed child a valuable lesson!" Samantha said.

"Okay, Mom..." Ansella then left Daisy's room.

Meanwhile, Samantha picked up her broomstick from the living room and brought it into Daisy's room.

To be continued