Seven-year-old Lily sat on the cold floor of the massive estate.
She held a soft polishing cloth in her tiny hands.
Her stepmother Victoria stood directly over her with a cold glare.
Victoria wore a bright emerald green evening gown that shimmered in the daylight.
Her expensive high heels were covered in thin dust from the garden path.
Victoria: Clean those shoes until I can see my face in them.
Lily wiped a tear from her cheek and kept scrubbing the smooth leather.
Lily: I am trying, Miss Victoria.
Victoria: You are not moving fast enough!
The young girl had spent the entire morning doing heavy chores around the house.
Victoria had sent the regular cleaning staff away for the day on purpose.
She wanted to punish the child while her husband was away at work.
Lily: Please, I want my daddy...
Victoria: Your father is not here to save you from hard work.
Victoria took a sip from her crystal glass of sparkling water.
She tapped her pointed shoe right next to Lily's small knees.
Victoria: Do it again, and do not leave a single mark.
Lily felt her arms aching from wiping the dark leather over and over.
She missed her mother, who had passed away three years ago.
Her father Alexander had married Victoria only six months ago.
Alexander believed Victoria was a kind and loving stepmother to his daughter.
He ran a major financial firm in downtown Chicago and worked long hours.
Whenever Alexander was home, Victoria acted sweet and gentle toward Lily.
She bought the child expensive toys and read her bedtime stories in front of him.
But as soon as his car left the driveway, her sweet voice disappeared.
Victoria: Stop crying or I will give you something real to cry about.
Lily: My hands hurt so much.
Victoria: Life is tough, little girl.
Lily looked up at the large framed American flag on the foyer wall.
Her father had hung it there to remind her of her grandfather's military service.
She tried to focus on the red and white stripes to keep from sobbing louder.
Victoria lifted her chin higher and looked down at the weeping child with contempt.
Victoria: Your father belongs to me now, and so does this mansion.
Lily: Daddy loves me!
Victoria: He loves money more, child.
Victoria raised her hand and pointed toward the grand front staircase.
Victoria: After you finish my shoes, you will scrub the entire foyer floor.
Lily squeezed her small cloth tightly as more tears rolled down her red cheeks.
She prayed that her father would come home early from his business meeting.