Chapter 5

Olima finally hailed a taxi and entered it. She paid the driver, who drove her back to their residential estate where the billionaires and high-profile families live.

On arriving in front of the estate gate, Olima paid the cab driver quickly for her ride, then rushed back into the estate gate and ran home speedily.

The estate security men wondered what was chasing Olima. They knew her as a beautiful young lady who mostly used her legs to run errands after her parents' demise.

Olima finally approached in front of their mansion gate and banged heavily on it.

Nathan quickly approached the gate from within, pulled it open, and stared at Olima's face.

"Why are you banging on the gate like that?" Nathan asked her. He was a young man too, and although he liked Olima, he couldn't cross boundaries with her, knowing she was his former boss's daughter.

"I'm sorry, Nathan. Please open the gate quickly," Olima replied. Nathan stepped aside and pulled the gate open for her.

Olima rushed into the house, approaching the mansion frontage. The luxurious mansion was painted white, with beautiful flowering plants decorating the frontage.

Olima nervously approached the door entrance leading into the living room. She knocked and opened the door, then walked into the parlor.

Mia was still in the living room, watching the television. As Olima stepped into the living room, her large brown eyes automatically fell on the huge wall clock, and she saw it was 8:30 p.m.

Without being told, Olima rushed into the kitchen to prepare their dinner. She knew her stepmother would soon step out and flog her mercilessly for wasting so much time at the market and arriving home late.

Olima hurriedly took out the vegetables she had bought and washed them quickly. She unhooked the dried fish and soaked them in a bowl.

She quickly cut the meats into smaller pieces and washed them very neatly. She switched on the gas cooker and started cooking the meat first.

With every second that ticked on the clock, Olima was sweaty all over as she hurriedly cooked the soup. She jumped in fright just as she heard the kitchen door slide open.

"What took you so long to arrive home? I'm hungry," Mia said as she walked into the kitchen and approached Olima, who was turning and tasting the soup to know if she should add more Maggi or salt.

"Taste it first. Is it okay?" Olima asked Mia as she extended the big spoon to Mia's right hand for her to taste the soup.

Mia didn't know how to cook. She opened her right palm while Olima dropped a few drops of the delicious soup into her palm.

Mia wanted her mother to discipline Olima for making her hungry, so she said, "It lacks salt. Add more salt."

Olima frowned as she tasted the soup again and said, "It's okay like this."

Mia frowned, used her hand to carry the salt container, opened it, and poured more salt into the soup.

"Mia!" Olima screamed. Just then, her stepmother walked into the kitchen.

Olima quickly shut the pot of soup and carried it down from the gas cooker, as she was still yet to prepare the semovita they would use to swallow the vegetable soup.

"What's going on here? It's after 9 p.m., and yet you're still cooking the soup?" Mrs. Gina questioned as she walked into the kitchen.

"No, madam. I'm almost through," Olima replied as she quickly poured water into the empty new pot and started preparing the semo.

Mrs. Gina questioned Mia, "And you? What do you stand there doing?"

"Mom, I'm hungry," Mia replied as she stomped her feet to the ground and walked up to meet her mother.

"Go and sit at the dining table. The soup will soon be ready," Mrs. Gina stated. Mia frowned and said, "Olima, be quick, please."

"Okay," Olima nervously replied as she saw her stepmother and stepsister leave the kitchen. She exhaled, "Phew!"

As she finished cooking the semo, Olima used her light blue gown to wipe off her sweaty forehead.

She served out the semo, not wanting to anger her stepmother and stepsister. She quickly dished out their soups too, into smaller plates and trays, and carried them out to the dining room.

Mia sat in the dining room chair across from her mother at the dining table, waiting. Mrs. Gina adjusted her seat properly to the dining table to start eating.

Olima nervously walked to the dining table and dropped the tray of food there. She served it out to her stepmother's front first, then to her stepsister's view next. She reached to serve Mia's soup and semo properly to Mia's view.

The dining table was silent. Next, Olima rushed back into the kitchen to get her stepmother and stepsister some bowls of water to wash their hands. She rushed back to the dining room to serve them.

Mrs. Gina first washed her hands in a different bowl of water, while Mia washed her hands next. Olima asked her stepmother, "Ma, do you need anything else?"

Mrs. Gina frowned first and replied, "No. Go and eat your food."

But just then, Mia gasped, "Mom!"

"What is it?" Mrs. Gina glared at her daughter for screaming out her name. Olima paused and stared back at Mia.

"The soup is bitter," Mia said, making Mrs. Gina frown.

Mrs. Gina hadn't tasted the soup yet, but she had already washed her right hand. She dipped her index finger into the soup to taste it too. Her face contorted in irritation while she harshly stood up from the dining seat and questioned, "Olima, what's the meaning of this?"

Mrs. Gina moved out from her seat. Olima took 2 steps backward as she stammered and said, "Ma... I..."

"You what? Did you taste the soup at all?" Mrs. Gina yelled out angrily.

Olima shuddered and stammered, "Ma, I did... Mia added more salt to the soup and..."

[Slap] Mrs. Gina landed Olima a hot, resounding slap to her left cheek. She approached Olima more, dragged her to the dining table, and forced Olima to taste the soup.

"Taste it and eat it and see how bitter it is. Did Mia follow you to cook it?" Mrs. Gina questioned. Olima cried and tried to explain.

[Slap] Mrs. Gina landed Olima another hot slap and started beating Olima while Mia smiled.

"You witch! You killed your parents, and now you want to kill my daughter and me too!" Mrs. Gina yelled at Olima.

"Please, mother, I'm innocent. I didn't spoil the soup. Mia did," Olima begged.

"Shut up! And get out! I don't want to see your ugly face here in this house again. Nathan!" Mrs. Gina called.

"Yes, madam," Nathan rushed into the mansion. Mrs. Gina commanded, "Throw this witch out!"

"No! Mother, please... No! I didn't spoil the soup. I..." Olima tried to beg her stepmother. But another hot slap landed across her left cheek.

"One more word from you, and I will have you arrested this night, witch. Nathan, throw her outside and never let her into this mansion again," Mrs. Gina commanded.

Nathan grabbed Olima by her left arm and dragged her out of the living room. He escorted her out of her billionaire family's duplex mansion and towards the gate at around 10 p.m. in the night.

Mia smiled victoriously. Mrs. Gina was the happiest that the exquisite mansion now belonged to her, after succeeding in killing Olima's parents to acquire her father's company and assets.