Mr. Harsh & Her

Prologue

Rachel's POV  (At 5 years old)

"Shut up!" mum seethed as she gripped my upper arm and dragged me inside a building that was horrendous, surrounded by filth, grime and creeps. I was crying profusely, begging her to not dump me here.

"Please, mum... No," I meekly croaked. She looked at me with venom in her eyes. "I'll be good," I whispered but she continued to drag me as she walked fast with her long legs, my little one struggling to keep up.

"I can't keep you, Rachel. This is not what I signed up for. You were never meant to be... Like I don't know what to do with you." She came to an abrupt stop and let go of my arm that was red and sore. I fell hard, jerked by the sudden stop. "This lady will take of you. She's your grandma apparently. Just do as your told. I'll find you one day maybe," she said as she roughly knocked on the door in front of us. She proceeded to open her designer handbag and grab a stash of cash.

"Here," she threw the stash to me. "Ask her about your dad and maybe you can go to him or something." Without sparing a glance back at me, she turned around and sashayed away outside the building into the black car where her driver was waiting.

I was scared. Nobody opened the door yet and mum's car had already driven away. Again, I started to cry. I couldn't help myself either way. What did I know about survival? Softly, I knocked on the door. Nobody answered.

I took a seat on the floor next to door, hoping for somebody to arrive. I waited for what seemed like days outside, when it was mere hours. I was starving and thirsty. It was beginning to get dark as well and my thin, small jumper didn't do much for me.

I could feel myself drifting into a light slumber when I finally I saw a figure in sight. I quickly stood up and straightened my clothes and flattened my hair to look presentable. I needed to look nice so that she decided to keep me and not leave me somewhere.

The aged woman with black hair and hazel eyes walked up to the door with a slight frown on her face as she noticed me. She didn't say anything though, only took out her keys and opened the door before stepping in.

I turned around to explain myself to her but the door abruptly slammed shut before I could speak.

I didn't know what else to do so I knocked. It was a few minutes before she opened the door and with a scowl she stared me down. "Go home, child. I have no money to give you." She made another move to close the door.

"Wait! Please listen," I pleaded. " Mom said you're my grandma and I must stay here." I took out the stash of cash and showed it to her, offering it to her to keep me.