Chapter 3: Treated Poorly

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

"And 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 and Mia away? Well, if you've forgotten, let me remind you: the money I'm using to feed you now is the money I should be paying the old maid. There's no money in this house, and I cannot use my business money to sponsor your university fees. Why am I even explaining all this to you? Just get lost now before I break your empty head!" Mrs. Gina shouted at Olima. Olima sobbed and went back into the kitchen, while Mia finished her breakfast and Nathan knocked and walked into the living room.

Nathan is the gateman of the house. He came to inform Mrs. Gina that the school bus had arrived to take Mia to school.

"Good morning, madam," Nathan greeted Mrs. Gina, knowing she wasn't the madam of the mansion before.

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

"Yes, what do you want, Nathan?" Mrs. Gina asked, stepping away from the dining room and walking into the living room to meet Nathan after dismissing Olima.

"The school bus has arrived to take Mia to school," Nathan informed her, and just then, Mia stood up from her dining chair, having finished the delicious noodles and fried eggs, and picked up her schoolbag.

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

Mrs. Gina watched as Mia left the house and sighed as she looked back at the dining table Mia had used, seeing the empty, dirty plate still left on the table.

Mrs. Gina picked the plate and walked back into the kitchen to find out what Olima was doing.

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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 open, she turned and stared at her stepmother entering the kitchen.

Mrs. Gina's eyes narrowed with irritation at Olima, noting that Olima was very pretty for her age, with a more shapely figure and larger brẹasts than Mia, and that Olima was taller too.

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

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

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

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

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

"And how many noodles am I seeing on top of the cabinet that you want to cook for yourself alone?" Mrs. Gina glared at Olima, who shivered and replied, "Th-three."

"Three noodles! Just for you! My goodness! Do you intend to turn me into a thief overnight?" Mrs. Gina exclaimed in shock, and Olima quickly shook her pretty head and replied sadly, "No, ma."

"Hmm. Then how can you finish three noodles just this morning? What about Mia? What will Mia eat for breakfast tomorrow morning, and for the rest of the week and month?"

"No wonder you're looking so fresh and chubby every week, even after killing your parents," Mrs. Gina glared at Olima again, causing her to step further back in fear.

Mrs. Gina walked closer to the cabinet top where Olima had placed 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 now to know how many are left. If I notice you cook more than one for yourself per day, you will see the other side of me."

Mrs. Gina counted the remaining noodles in the carton and said, "Only ten noodles are left. So, you and Mia have already eaten thirty packets this week, and I'm sure you ate the most. Return those two packets now to make twelve, and cook just one noodle and one egg for yourself. But before that, prepare my tea first and bring it out to the dining table."

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

Olima sobbed and quickly prepared her stepmother's tea the way she liked it, then walked to the dining room to serve it where Mrs. Gina sat waiting.

After Olima finished serving Mrs. Gina her tea, she returned to the kitchen to prepare the single noodle and one egg for herself, and sat on a stool, eating quietly.

Her father was a billionaire, and Olima had not thought to apply for a school scholarship examination when she was still in school, as she felt her father might not be pleased with the university her school had offered for their best graduating student.

Olima continued to sob, as none of her maternal nor paternal relatives cared to ask about her after her parents were gone. They were more concerned about who would inherit her father's oil company and properties, and who would take over the CEO position. But as her stepmother was alive and present, none of her uncles dared to question her stepmother, as Mrs. Gina had threatened to have them arrested again if any dared to visit.

Olima finished eating and stood up from the kitchen stool, then stepped out to the dining room to clear her stepmother's used teacup, seeing that her stepmother had left the house.

Walking up to the dining room window, Olima saw that one of the cars Mrs. Gina drove had left the mansion premises. It was one of her father's latest, expensive cars. As her late father had five brand new cars before he left.

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

After she was done, she went upstairs to her bedroom, wondering how she would endure her stepmother's daily torture.

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

There were about five exotic cars parked, and Mrs. Gina vividly remembered her late husband only agreed to buy her a car after Mia was five years old and complained that Olima's mother had a car, so her own mother needed one too.

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

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

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

"Yes, well done," Mrs. Gina replied, before walking into the house.

She saw both Olima and Mia seated on the black living room couches, watching a romance movie on the huge flat-screen television.

Olima stood up immediately upon seeing her stepmother walk into the living room, as she hadn't heard the car due to the noise from the movie.

"Good evening, ma," Olima quickly greeted Mrs. Gina, but she didn't respond, instead shifting her gaze to the wall clock and seeing it was already past 7:00 p.m.

"Hmm," Mrs. Gina hummed and eyed Olima irritably, while Mia stood up and greeted her too, "Good evening, mom."

"Evening, Mia. Have you done your homework?" Mrs. Gina asked Mia, and she responded, "Yes, Mom. Olima assisted me to do it."

"Okay. " Mrs. Gina walked toward the living room stairs and paused, while Olima moved away to the dining area.

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

Mrs. Gina knew there was little food in the house, so she asked just to be sure.