40

When I was sixteen, my step-fathers family moved in with us. They took over everything. They drowned out my brother and I. They would punish us. They would blame everything that happened on us, and our parents would just accept it. Locks were put on the outside of our bedroom doors, light globes taken out. We had to come straight home from school and whilst my brother was condemned to his bedroom, I was made to wash, iron and fold their clothes, clean their bathroom, vacuum their bedrooms and polish every inch of their house. Everyday. Then go to my room and not do my homework as they didn't believe in homework. That was for school only. We were allowed out for dinner, to set the table, eat, keep our mouths shut and then clean up after everyone. If there was a single crumb left in the kitchen or the dining room afterwards - we were hit, dragged, pulled by the hair and made to scrub everything all over again.