Little Lily held the damp white rag tightly in her small hands.
She kept her eyes fixed on the cold tile floor of the bright community hall.
The air smelled of fresh floor cleaner and heavy floral perfume.
Around her, dozens of guests walked past in high heels and polished dress shoes.
Nobody stopped to ask why a seven-year-old child was cleaning the floor.
Lily wiped a dirty smudge near the leg of a heavy wooden banquet table.
Her knees hurt against the hard surface, but she did not stop scrubbing.
A silver bucket filled with soapy water sat right beside her small legs.
The water inside the bucket looked grey and cloudy from hours of hard labor.
Lily wiped her forehead with the back of her sleeve and took a deep breath.
She knew that her step-grandmother, Evelyn, was watching her every move from across the room.
Evelyn wore a dark green silk dress that swept against the ground as she walked.
She held her head high and spoke with a cold, commanding tone to every guest.
Whenever Evelyn glanced down at Lily, her eyes narrowed with sharp dislike.
Lily tried to make herself as small as possible to avoid any further trouble.
She had been tasked with cleaning the floor before the big charity auction started.
Evelyn had told the other family members that Lily wanted to help out with chores.
In reality, Evelyn had forced the young girl onto the floor hours before guests arrived.
Lily missed her real mother every single minute of her long, exhausting day.
Her mother had disappeared from her life two years ago after a bitter family dispute.
Since then, Lily lived in a large mansion managed by her strict step-grandmother.
The little girl worked hard every day just to keep the peace in the house.
Suddenly, the sound of heavy footsteps approached Lily from the main hallway.
Evelyn walked directly toward the small area where Lily was finishing her work.
Without slowing her pace, Evelyn swung her foot hard against the silver bucket.
The metal bucket crashed across the tile floor with a loud, ringing thud.
Dirty, soapy water splashed wildly across Lily's white dress and bare legs.
The crowd of guests went silent as the bucket rolled away toward the center stage.
Lily froze on her knees, completely covered in wet, cold water.