After leaving my mother's room, I followed the woman beside me and soon found the workstations where Bethany and the others had been assigned.

My father had separated them, refusing to let them stay together.

I reached Bethany's workstation first. She had been given the task of sorting clothes. Looking at the piles stacked around her, I silently wished her good luck.

The moment I entered the warehouse, Bethany started complaining. "Melanie Parker, didn't I tell you to get us cushy positions? Look at all these clothes! Do you want me to work myself to death?"

But I tuned out her whining. Instead, I fixed my gaze on her. She had never seen me look at her like this. The intensity of my stare made her uneasy.

"What is wrong with you? Didn't you hear a word I said? Do you think you're special just because I've been nice to you? Let me remind you. You're nothing. Don't act like you're above me!" she snapped.

Having said her piece, Bethany raised her hand and swung it toward my face. But just before it landed, I grabbed her wrist.

I held her hand firmly. Then, I watched as her beautiful face contorted with fury.

"What do you think you're doing? Let go of me, or I'll make you regret it!"

Even at this point, she still hadn't figured out the situation and kept shouting angrily. But soon enough, she fell silent.

"Since you've been given a job, why aren't you doing it?" I asked calmly. Yet, my tone left no room for argument.

As soon as I finished speaking, an invisible force pinned Bethany to a chair. Instantly, the piles of clothes loomed over her.

Only then did she seem to grasp the danger.

"What the hell is going on? Melanie, what's happening?"

At last, a smile crept onto my face as I saw the fear in her eyes. So, she could be afraid, after all.

"Weren't you the ones who wanted to work at my family's factory? I tried to stop you several times, but you insisted on coming," I said slowly.

I added, "When you walk through the factory doors, you've signed a labor contract. If you want me to pay you, you'll have to earn it. You were asking earlier why the factory seemed empty, weren't you?

"Well, the truth is, there are people everywhere. Look around. Don't you see plenty of other workers?"

Bethany's head jerked involuntarily to the side. Right away, her eyes locked onto the bloodied face of the person next to her.

Her terrified scream echoed through the air, but all it did was bring a satisfied smile to my face.

"Get back to work," I ordered. "You need to sort all these clothes today. Otherwise, you'll face serious consequences."

With that, I ignored the pleading look she gave me and turned to leave, carefully shutting the warehouse door behind me.

Next, I needed to check on Charlotte. She had been assigned to the production department.

Poor her. That was the most grueling job in the entire factory.