Double Betrayal

A burning inferno raged within Alexa as Anna performed her nonsense.

“I will get you out of my husband’s house you spoilt brat! Just watch.” Anna blurted out with disgust in her eyes as she eventually turned the food Alexa’s mother prepared into the trash.

'Did this slut just threaten me in my own father’s house and turn away the meal my mother prepared?' Alexa thought within her in disbelief

Since Mr Williams who already had a family with 5 grown daughters, blindly made Anna, who was just a year younger than his first daughter, his second wife, she had grown wings large to have everyone under her command and had wrapped Mr. Williams around her fingers.

“How dare you open that stinking trash and and spill out garbage! Look here, you may give my father a son, but you can never earn his heart. You’re not more than a slut trying to drain my father’s money” Alexa thundered back, hitting her fist on the table with her veins popping in her temple.

“Really, Alexa? Her eyes lit up with desperate rage

“At least, I did at once, what your mother tried 5 times but couldn’t! I cannot allow the father of my son eat the poison you mother calls food. Now watch”.

Before Alexa could blink her eyes, Anna seized the glass cup from the shelf and shattered it beside her, letting out a loud scream “Arghhh”

“Anna!” Alexa’s father yelled from the living room, diving into kitchen like his world was about to crumble.

As he stepped in to find out what happened, Anna hopped on him shedding crocodile tears. She pointed to Alexa.

“Your daughter tried to smash this glass on my face!” Anna whimpered in tears.

Alexa’s jaw dropped. Before she could speak, her dad rushed towards her raised his hand to hit her, as their eyes met, he suddenly halted and lowered his hand in shame but quickly blinked it away.

Alexa was awestruck with disbelief. That single act was the straw that broke the carmel’s back and killed the last strain of love she had for him.

“Now, go on your knees and apologise to your step mother” He mumbled, looking away from Alexa.

“I’ll rather bow to a tree and chew jeans for the rest of my life than apologise to….” She scanned Anna from head to toe and looked back at her father “…her”. She shot her eyes back at Anna and headed to her room.

As soon as Alexa shut the door of her room, her eyes poured out all the tears she fought back at the presence of Anna. “Maybe if I came as a boy, my father wouldn’t consider someone else and my family would be happy” She sobbed on her pillow.

*****

“Honey, I said I am sorry, just take that as my offence and let go” Mr Williams held unto Anna as he pleaded.

“No, I want the offender to apologise by herself” Anna replied rolling her eyes as she left the kitchen for their room.

“Common baby, you know you mean the world to me and I don’t want you sad” He said, going after her like a lost puppy.

All pleas fell on Anna’s deaf ears. She changed from her outfit to a towel and headed for the bathroom.

“You want us to shower together?”

“No!” she shot back “and that’s your punishment”.

“All right baby, I’ll be waiting for you to freshen up” Mr Williams chuckled but Anna ignored.

After a while, Anna’s phone beeped, Mr Williams itched to check but he ignored it.

Then it beeped again and he took it this time.

As he glanced through, Anna stepped out of the bathroom, her body still damp.

“Damn!” Anna sprinted to snatch her phone from him.

“I thought we agreed not to check each other’s phone!” she said dragging the phone from him.

Mr Williams jaw dropped, but he held on to the phone tightly.

“Anna, you deceived me about this son and made me will my property to a bastard?” Mr Williams said in disbelief.

Wave of guilt swept through Anna, her grip on the phone went soft and fear rose in her as her eyes flickered,

“So, Dave is not my son Anna” A drop of tear rolled from Mr Williams, regret washed through him like a tsunami.

“...but the son of… my rival?”

Before he could complete his sentence, she aggressively got her phone off his grip, pushing him to a fall and turned her back on him trying to figure out her next move.

“Anna…” She heard him call but ignored.

“He... help me…” His voice growing weaker by each word, squeezing his chest and gasping for breath.

Anna turned and saw that he was already gasping for breathe, she blinked her eyes, torn between helping him or letting him struggle. A wave of fear and uncertainty swept through her.

She watched him with a blank mind and catching her breathe. Gradually, Mr Williams went weak and his eyes closed slowly.

“Oh shit! Somebody heeeelp!….” She shouted, running to the sitting room where Roland, Mr Williams P.A was.

****

Rosa, Alexa’s mother and Alexa dashed into the hospital and saw Anna standing by the wall. As they were about to talk to her, the doctor came out and confirmed Mr Williams dead!

Alexa’s throat went dry, her stomach twisted in knots her knees felt like a melting wax. Her dream of a reconciled family dashed into pieces.

Rosa and Alexa thought one day her dad will come back to his senses and act right, no one knew it would end this way, this soon.

Roland drove back home and there was a very deep silence on their our way home.

It was three months after Alexa’s father’s death, Anna sacked Alexa and Sophie from their dad’s wine company and threatened to throw them out by weekend.

Everything was happening so fast, it became too much for Rosa, his wife to handle, she felt terribly ill and was admitted at the hospital,

“Why are just knowing all these after three months!?” Catherine and Carmella, the twins and last born of the family thundered at the same time. Their eyes laced with tears.

“We wanted you to focus on your exams, remember you’re entering your finals. We are so sorry” Sophie, the second born answered, she herself blinking severally to keep tears from falling down her eyes.

Alexa tried speaking but the tightness in her chest choked her breathe, the mental and emotional turmoil of not being enough for her sisters and mother was ripping her soul apart.

Ella, the third born was the only one who cared less, she gave up on her dad a long time ago and she had always been blunt, so she was not teary or as sad as others.

Carmella clenched her fist beside her “What of our Lawyer?”

Alexa’s shoulders fell like a pack of cards as she sighed deeply “Do you think we didn’t try?” The air in her lungs managed to escape through her lips.

“Alexa and even Clinton fought tooth and nail, but all to no avail” Sophie added.

“Clinton? Whe…” Carmella kept quiet when Alexa’s look changed. Clinton was Alexa’s boyfriend but for some reason, the twins of the family didn’t accept him.

Alexa’s phone beeped, it was Clinton calling. “Hey baby”

“Naaaa, I’m home with my sisters, I’ll go see mum tomorrow”.

“I’m so sorry I couldn’t raise the f*e, you know all I’m going through now” She whispered and Carmella and Catherine rolled their eyes, wondering what she said.

The sound of heels clicking hard on the tiles diverted everyone’s attention.

“Hiii beauties”

Thelma’s voice finally brought some life, she and Alexa were childhood best friend and she was family already.

“Oh Thelma” The twins ran to her in excitement as she stretched her arms with a big smile.

“My pumpkins” She squeezed them tightly and also exchanged pleasantries with the rest.

Thelma had connections with high stake holders and had mapped out a plan to get all the properties back from Anna.

“So guys, I came with a plan, but it’s too tense here, so I guess the park will be better for discussion”

“What are you up to this time?” Alexa asked

“You’ll find out when we get started”

She pulled Alexa up, waved to rest and headed out to her car.

As they alighted, they got a cup of ice cream and got deep into the plan. Thelma went to get some tissue from her car and as she walked back, she could see people gather around Alexa.

Confused, she increased her pace to find out what was going on.

“How could you be this wicked Clinton!” Thelma could hear Alexa screaming with pain, she ran towards them immediately .