After her rebirth

After getting herself ready, Katniss crashed for a couple of hours. Come evening, she grabbed her prescription and headed to the pharmacy to snag her meds. Walking in, she handed the script to the pharmacist with a grin, "Hey, can you hook me up with these meds and grind 'em into powder? Thanks a bunch." The pharmacist took a look and smiled back, "Sure thing, just a sec."

About ten minutes later, the pharmacist handed Katniss a bag full of powdered meds and started ringing her up.

"That'll be seventy-eight bucks," the pharmacist said.

Katniss pulled out a wad of cash from her bag, counted it, and handed it over.

Holding the heavy bag of meds, she felt a sting in her chest. She only had three hundred bucks, and this bag of meds cost nearly eighty. Making money ain't easy!

Finding a part-time gig was a must; otherwise, she'd be starving.

She also grabbed some honey, planning to make pills when she got home.

Speaking of home, did she even have one? But until she could stand on her own, she still had to go back to The Manners Villa.

The Manners Villa was tucked behind the clothing factory's residential area, with a unique three-story house and some pretty distinctive decor.

Years ago, Oliver ditched his job and was one of the first to dive into business.

Gotta say, Oliver hit the jackpot. In recent years, he made bank running a clothing company and became the talk of the town.

At this time, there were just a few old guys sipping tea in the courtyard and some middle-aged women gossiping under a tree.

Seeing Katniss stroll back alone with her canvas shoulder bag, they weren't too shocked, like they were used to it.

But as usual, they couldn't resist being nosy.

"Katniss, why'd you come back alone? Your older brothers drove to pick up your sister this morning. Why didn't they bring you back too?" Lila asked, her eyes flashing a bit of envy. The Manners family was known to be loaded and influential around here.

Everyone in the courtyard was green with envy.

Lila was famous for being a busybody, always sticking her nose in everyone's business.

This Lila seemed super "concerned" about their family drama. How did she used to respond?

To cover for the Manners family, she used to say she got car sick and would puke as soon as she got in the car, so she walked.

But this time, Katniss wasn't gonna hide it anymore. She didn't care about pleasing the Manners family, so no need to lie.

"I wanted to take the car, but Clara thought I was dirty and wouldn't let me in. What could I do? Lila, you don't know, I live in the storage room at home. As soon as you walk in, there's this nasty smell. It's so gross to live in during this hot weather."

As Katniss spoke, she started to tear up, continuing to spill, "I can't even eat at the table. I have to wait until Clara's done before I can eat. The clothes I wear are Clara's hand-me-downs, and this backpack? Only got it after Clara didn't want it anymore."

The middle-aged women sighed and gave Katniss all the sympathy they could muster.

The Manners family was rolling in dough, yet they treated their own flesh and blood like a maid while spoiling their adopted daughter rotten. What a joke!

Turned out, all that kindness towards Katniss was just for show. They only had eyes for Clara, their adopted darling. Only the Manners could pull off something so twisted.

"Honey, don't cry. What kind of family is this? If I had a granddaughter like you, I'd treat you like gold. I don't know what they're thinking."

"They act all nice to you, but it's all fake. I can't believe they're so rich and still so cheap with their own daughter. It's just too much!"

Hearing this, a flicker of satisfaction crossed Katniss's eyes. This was exactly what she wanted.

In a few days, this story would be all over the courtyard. She wondered how they keep up their act then.

"I can't chat anymore. I gotta get back and cook. If I'm late, I'll get chewed out by my parents and brothers again," Katniss said.

This was true. Katniss's cooking skills were top-notch in the Manners family.

She didn't know when it started, but she had to juggle school and cooking three meals a day.

Just because Clara wouldn't touch the maid's cooking, Katniss had to handle all the meals. But now, she was done playing chef for them.

Lila looked puzzled and couldn't help but ask, "Didn't the Manners family hire a maid? Why do you still have to cook?"

A storm was brewing. Katniss stood in the middle of the courtyard, crying out to the onlookers, "Clara only eats what I cook! She treats me like a servant!" Katniss's voice was full of hurt and anger. Everyone listened to Katniss's complaints, feeling both sympathy and rage. "Clara is too much! Treating her own sister like a servant, it's just bullying!" a middle-aged woman couldn't help but shout. "Yeah! Katniss, you've been wronged! We got your back!" another woman said, holding Katniss's hand in support.

Katniss, wiping away her tears, bravely continued, "I can't even eat in peace. I'm always the last to eat. I sleep in the storage room she assigned!" Katniss's words were full of dissatisfaction and hurt, resonating with everyone. "Clara is too much! Stay strong, we'll help you!" a middle-aged woman encouraged Katniss, hoping she could get through this tough time.

No one expected the biological daughter of the Manners family to live worse than a servant. It was truly tragic!

Although they couldn't wrap their heads around the Manners family's actions, they got the main point: all of Katniss's misery was because of Clara, who usually seemed so sweet and sensible but was actually a snake. You really can't judge a book by its cover!