Chapter 3 - Pleading Again

Olima stopped at the kitchen door and begged, "Please, ma, I need to write the exam so I can gain admission into the university."

"Who will sponsor your fees? Do you want to tell me that you're blind and that you didn't know how your loving father cast me away? If you've forgotten, let me remind you and note that the money I am using to feed you now is the money I'm supposed to be paying to the old maid, as there's no money in this house, and I cannot take my business money to sponsor your university fees. Why am I even explaining all this to you? Just get away from here now before I break your empty head!" Gina shouted.

Olima sobbed and went back into the kitchen, while Mia was through with her breakfast.

Nathan knocked and walked into the living room. He was the gateman of the house. He came to inform Gina that the school bus had arrived to take Mia to school.

"Good morning, madam," Nathan greeted. He knew that Gina wasn't the madam of the mansion before.

But after his former madam's death, Gina took over the mansion and became the new madam of the house.

"Yes, what do you want, Nathan?" Gina asked, as she stepped away from the dining room and walked into the living room to meet Nathan after dismissing Olima.

"The school bus has arrived to take Mia to school," Nathan informed.

Mia stood up from her dining chair, as she was through with the delicious noodles and fried eggs. She turned and carried her school bag.

"I'm off to school, Mom. Take care," Mia said to her mother and walked away from the dining room, while Gina responded, "Yeah, take care too, my baby."

Gina watched as Mia left the house and sighed, before she stared back at the dining table that Mia had used. She saw the empty, dirty plate still left on top of the dining table.

Gina walked back into the kitchen to find out what Olima was doing inside the kitchen.

Olima stood beside the kitchen sink, crying as she washed her face and sobbed.

She thought to prepare her breakfast, but hearing the sound of the kitchen door pushed open, she turned and stared at her stepmother, who walked into the kitchen.

Gina’s eyes narrowed with irritation at Olima. Olima was pretty for her age, with bigger breasts and a more seductive shape than Mia, and Olima was taller too.

Gina asked, "What are you standing there by the sink doing?"

Olima shuddered and replied, "I want to prepare my own breakfast, ma, and cook another noodles."

"Hmm." Gina walked towards the carton of noodles that she had bought the previous week and inspected it.

"How many noodles did you cook for Mia today?" Gina asked, as she checked the noodles carton. The packets were smaller-sized noodles.

"Two," Olima replied, visibly shaking as she saw her stepmother beside her.

"And how many noodles am I seeing on top of the cabinet that you want to cook for yourself alone?" Gina glared at Olima.

She shivered and replied, "Th-th-three."

"Three noodles? Just for you? My goodness! Do you intend to turn me into a thief overnight?" Gina questioned in shock.

Olima quickly shook her head and replied sadly, "No, ma."

"Hmm. Then how can only you finish three noodles this morning? What about Mia? What will she eat to school tomorrow morning and until this week and the entire month is over?

"No wonder you're looking so fresh and chubby, even after killing your parents," Gina glared at Olima, while Olima took more steps backward in fear.

Gina walked closer to the cabinet where Olima had dropped the three noodles she wanted to cook. She picked them up, and said, "Only one noodle is enough for you. I will count this carton of noodles now to know how many are remaining. If I notice that you cook more than one noodle for yourself per day, then you will see the other side of me."

Gina warned and counted the remaining noodles in the carton. She said, "There are just 10 noodles left. So automatically, you and Mia have eaten 30 packets of noodles already this week. I am sure that you ate the most. Return those two packets now into this carton to make it twelve, and cook just one noodle and one egg for yourself alone. But before that, prepare my tea first and bring it to the dining table."

Gina dropped the noodles carton and walked out of the kitchen, leaving only Olima inside.

Olima sobbed and quickly prepared her stepmother's tea the way she knew her stepmother would like it. She stepped out of the kitchen and walked to the dining room to serve it where Gina sat waiting.

After Olima was through serving Gina her tea, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the single noodle and one egg for herself. She sat on a stool in the kitchen and ate her noodles quietly.

Olima's father was a billionaire, and she had not thought of applying for her school scholarship examination when she was still in school. She felt that her father might not be pleased with the university that her school had offered for their best graduating student.

Olima continued to sob as none of her relatives cared to ask about her again, even after her parents were gone. They were more concerned about who would inherit her father's oil company and his properties too.

They wanted to know who would take over the CEO position. But as Gina was alive and around, none of her uncles dared to interrogate her. Mrs. Gina had threatened to have them arrested again if any of them came to visit.

Olima finished eating her noodles and stood up from the kitchen stool. She stepped out to the dining room to clear the used teacup, and she saw that her stepmother had left the house.

Walking up to the dining room window, Olima saw that one of the cars that Gina drove had left the mansion premises. The car was one of her father's latest, expensive new cars.

Olima sighed and walked back into the kitchen to wash all the dirty plates and cups there.

After she was through, she went upstairs to her bedroom, wondering how she would overcome her stepmother’s daily torture.

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Later in the evening, Gina returned home from her shop and drove the expensive Jeep into the garage and parked.

There were about five exotic cars parked. Gina could vividly remember that her late husband had only agreed to buy a car for her after Mia grew up to five years old and complained that Olima's mother had a car and her own mother also needed a car.

That was when Leo decided to buy her a small car.

Parking the black exotic Lexus Jeep that was previously used by the late Mr. Leo, Gina stepped down from her ride and locked the Jeep doors with the car remote.

She walked towards the main mansion, and Nathan greeted her as she walked away from the garage, "Welcome back, madam."

"Yes, well done," Gina replied, before she walked back into the house.

Gina saw both Olima and Mia seated on the living room’s black couches, watching the huge flat-screen television that was displaying a romance movie.

Olima hastily stood up on seeing her stepmother walk into the living room. She didn't hear the sound of the car due to the noise from the romance movie that she and Mia were watching.

"Good evening, ma," Olima quickly greeted.

Gina didn't respond, as her black eyes shifted to the living room wall clock and saw it was 7 p.m.

"Hmm," Gina hummed and eyed Olima irritably, while Mia rose to her feet and greeted her too, "Good evening, Mom."

"Evening, Mia. Have you done your homework?" Gina asked, and she responded, "Yes, Mom."

Gina smiled and walked towards the living room stairs and paused, while Olima shifted away to the dining room.

Gina asked, "Olima, have you prepared dinner yet?"

Gina knew that there weren't any foodstuffs in the house, so she asked, wanting to be sure.