Sometimes, I forget how hard it was to get to this point. How much I worked, together with everyone I love, to protect our home.
It wasn't easy when I first arrived... The day I died ten years ago is still vivid in my mind... But it didn't happen here. Not in this world!
A few years earlier...21st century, in a country in South America.
At four years old, Marin lived with her parents in a coastal city. The family had few resources, yet love and unity always kept them strong.
Summer brought heavy rains and, due to government neglect, floods became part of local routine.
Wishing for a safer future for their daughter, Marin's parents planned to move away soon.
From a very young age, Marin was enchanted by the ocean. Her mother called her "little mermaid," a nickname that made her smile effortlessly.
It was a time of tranquility, though her memories were blurred by something greater—a trauma that would mark her soul forever.
That same summer, while Marin was at school in another neighborhood, a devastating storm struck the community. Her parents, along with other residents, fought to save neighbors and belongings when the unstable ground gave way violently, sweeping everything into a raging torrent.
The waters showed no mercy.
The bodies were found days later, among the wreckage.
Even so young, Marin felt the absence of her parents like a blade piercing her chest. For the first time, her world collapsed.
After years of moving between foster homes, at nine years old, her father's sister, living in another country, decided to take her in with her new family.
The girl filled herself with hope.
She believed that, if she tried hard enough, things would get better.
A different country, a new language, unfamiliar opportunities.
Marin was certain she could start over. Yet only a few months passed before the true intentions of her new guardian became clear.
SLAP!
The sound of the strike echoed through the living room.
"HOW CAN YOU BE SO USELESS?!" the widow shouted.
Stunned, Marin held her burning cheek, unable to understand the reason for the aggression.
"I told you I wanted lunch ready before we got back! How could you not prepare anything?!"
Trembling, the girl tried to justify herself, but was harshly silenced.
That was only the beginning. It soon became evident that her role in that house was not that of a niece, much less a member of the family. Her function there was to serve.
And thus, her world collapsed for the second time.
Besides Marin, the household consisted of the guardian, her stepson, and a younger daughter.
The young orphan became responsible for all domestic chores.
Despite having her paperwork regularized, she was not allowed to attend a regular school. The head of the house preferred to keep her isolated from society, under complete control.
To avoid legal trouble, she claimed Marin received homeschooling. In practice, the girl had to learn on her own—only after completing a long list of tasks.
This was her reality for years. Marin's life was reduced to servitude.
Over time, she understood that her legal guardian had seen her as too convenient an opportunity to ignore.
In the past, when Marin had been left orphaned, the widow showed no interest. With her husband still alive, she had servants, stability, and two children to raise: the stepson and the younger daughter. However, after the death of her foreign husband, the financial situation crumbled. Drowning in debt, she dismissed the maid and began to see her forgotten niece as a reusable resource.
Upon discovering that her brother and sister-in-law had left a small savings for their daughter's future, she saw her chance. Adopting Marin gave her access to that money—and, as a bonus, a new maid.
Disguised as a relative, the girl came to live in conditions akin to slavery.
With the economic crisis and prejudice against immigrants, no one would suspect what was happening in that household.
Now, at seventeen, Marin remained submissive, though her heart longed for freedom.
Whenever possible, she tried to find some work outside. She even considered reporting her situation during trips to the market, but fear of having nowhere to go held her back.
Despite everything, she still clung to the hope that those people could be her family. After all, she hadn't suffered physical abuse in years.
Evil is not repaid with evil!
That was what she repeated to herself. Still, evil always found ways to evolve.
The widow's stepson was older than Marin and her cousin. Since she was thirteen, he had moved to the university campus and rarely returned.
As the guardian spent her days away, she delegated to her younger daughter the task of keeping watch over Marin. The girl seized every opportunity to humiliate her.
She liked to emphasize Marin's "Cinderella" role, making everything even more cruel.
Recently, the family discovered the stepson had failed several courses and would be returning home temporarily.
Marin thought this would only increase her workload. But she was mistaken.
Something terrible was looming.
While scrubbing the kitchen floor, she felt eyes on her.
Even with her back turned, the stare crawling over her made the hairs on her neck rise in revulsion.
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
She spun around abruptly. It was hard to mask the expression of disgust on her face.
"Do you need something?" she asked the university student, who drank his beer while watching her shamelessly.
"When I left, you were nothing but skin and bones... Now you've grown. They say a lot about women from your country... My father was charmed the same way..."
THUMP, THUMP, THUMP...
The man's filthy intentions filled her with immediate nausea.
Fortunately, her cousin appeared, fresh out of the shower. Her presence made the young man retreat, though she didn't even realize what had just been avoided.
"Why are you standing there like a slug? Hurry up and finish that before my mother gets back!" the cousin grumbled.
The warning was clear. Marin, even young and isolated, already knew how to recognize the signs of danger.
Her instincts screamed.
She needed to leave.
To be continued...