Has Elijah lost his mind? He comes in, hugs me, curses me, and then just leaves.

I don’t need to be reminded of our different ranks; it’s painful enough. It’s not that I love Elijah, but his constant put-downs make me feel suffocated.

If he wants me to be his slave, why doesn’t he treat me like one? If I have to suffer for the rest of my life, I’ll become numb to it. Any pain will only make me stronger.

But instead, he’s nice one moment, even encouraging, and then he tears me down. And if this cycle repeats itself, I’ll be broken, all because of the alternation between...