Victoria opened the dark wooden door to the main guest suite near the balcony.
She pointed toward a small wooden crate sitting near the velvet footstool inside.
Inside the crate were several cans of dark shoe polish and old cloth rags.
Victoria: My shoes are dusty from walking around the grand garden grounds outside.
Lily: The housekeepers usually handle all of those chores in the afternoon.
Victoria: Today you are going to learn how to clean them yourself.
Lily shook her head gently because she felt very confused and quite scared.
She had never been spoken to in such an angry and harsh manner before.
Lily: I do not know how to polish dark high heels properly.
Victoria: You will figure it out quickly or you will stay right here.
Victoria sat down on the high chair and held out her designer shoe.
The bright heels glittered under the bedroom lights near the large glass window.
Lily reached down nervously and picked up a small open container of dark polish.
The black paste immediately stained her tiny fingernails and palms as she worked.
She rubbed the soft cloth against the glossy surface of the heavy heel.
Her hands began to tremble as she wiped the edges of the shoe.
Victoria: Hurry up, you are moving far too slowly for my taste.
Lily: My hands are getting dirty and it smells very strong.
Victoria: Work faster and stop complaining about a little bit of dirt.
Tears began to gather in the corners of Lily's small brown eyes.
She missed her father terribly and wanted him to return home right away.
Victoria looked down at the weeping child with an icy, unforgiving glare.
She felt powerful making the wealthy man's child obey her strict personal orders.
Victoria: A servant's child belongs on her knees in a house like this!
Lily: I am not a servant, my daddy owns this big house!
Victoria: You are whatever I say you are while your father is gone.
Lily wiped her teary face with her hand, smearing black polish across her cheek.
The black stain stood out clearly against her soft pale skin in the light.
Victoria sneered coldly and snapped her fingers above the young girl's head.
Victoria: Keep scrubbing until every single spot shines like pure crystal glass.
Lily lowered her head and kept working while soft sobs escaped her chest.
She tried her best to make the shoes look clean and shiny.
Outside the window, clouds began to gather over the green hills in the distance.
The peaceful morning had turned into a total nightmare for the little girl.