Chapter 2: Refused her study

A month later, Mrs. Gina Adams woke up in her bedroom. It was the first room given to her when she was officially married to the late Mr. Leo Adams, and two months before he chased her out to the boys' quarters apartment. She stretched as she glanced at the wall clock and saw it was after 7 a.m.

Mrs. Gina carefully sat up on her bed, feeling like the madam of the house again.

"Hmm... how time flies," she said, dropping her legs down, adjusting her nightgown properly, and stood up from the bed. At 39 years old, she walked out from her room and made her way downstairs, knowing it was the beginning of the school term and that her daughter, Mia Adams, would be going back to school early.

Mrs. Gina walked downstairs to the living room, paused, and looked around. She could see that the living room had been freshly mopped, which made her smile in satisfaction.

Just then, Olima Adams, a beautiful 17-year-old girl, stepped out from the kitchen behind Mrs. Gina and greeted her stepmother, "Good morning, mother."

Mrs. Gina's blood boiled at the mention of the word 'mother.' Without warning, she turned to face Olima, who was dressed in a pink nightgown. She rushed up to Olima, grabbed her by the shoulders, and then landed a hot, resounding slap.

[SLAP!!]

"How many times have I warned you never to call me mother again? Do I resemble your late mother?" Mrs. Gina shouted angrily, making Olima cry aloud. Olima immediately apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, ma."

"Shut up! And keep your stupid sorry to yourself. Have you prepared breakfast yet?" Mrs. Gina demanded, and Olima stuttered and replied, "Yes, ma."

"Hmm." Mrs. Gina glared at Olima and stared at both palms, which she had used to grab and slap Olima. She sniffed her palms before walking into the kitchen to wash off Olima's scent, making Olima's brown eyes well up with hot tears.

Mia stepped downstairs into the living room, already dressed for school. She's in Senior Class 1 and knew very well that her mother hated Olima with passion.

Mia also hated Olima, even though she never showed it. She was a beautiful, dark-skinned girl who resembled their late father, while Olima resembled her own late mother and was the exact replica of the late Mrs. Zoe Adams.

Mia hated that before her father passed away, he never acknowledged her mother and always cared more for Olima and Mrs. Zoe than he ever did for Mrs. Gina.

Mia attended day school while Olima was in boarding school; Olima was the apple of her father's eye, while Mia's mother was seen as an outcast.

Futhermore, Mia frowned as she walked downstairs towards the dining table, wearing a blue school uniform. She was a 14-year-old girl, while Olima was a 17-year-old young lady.

After Mr. Leo and his wife, Mrs. Zoe, passed away, Mia knew her mother had sent the previous maid away under the pretense there was no money to pay her salary and had turned Olima into a full-time maid, withdrawing Olima from her tutorial classes.

Mrs. Gina even tore up Olima's admission form into any university and stated that Olima was not going to any university but would remain as her lifetime maid.

Mia looked away from Olima, knowing Olima had previously enjoyed all the luxury of their parents' wealth, while she and her mother had lived in the boys' quarters, as her mother had already told her the whole story.

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Olima’s eyes filled with tears as she sobbed from the hot slap just given to her. Just then, Mrs. Gina stepped out from the kitchen, having washed her hands of Olima's fruity scent, as Olima smelled like fruit—apple in particular.

Mrs. Gina questioned Olima angrily, "What are you standing there doing?! Have you prepared breakfast yet, or do you want my precious daughter to be late for school?"

Olima shivered and replied, "I have prepared her noodles, ma."

"Then serve it! Or do you plan on starving my daughter to death? Do you want her to be late for school today?" Mrs. Gina snapped.

"No, ma," Olima replied, and Mrs. Gina said, "Then get into the kitchen and serve her breakfast quickly. It's almost 7:30 a.m."

"Okay, ma," Olima replied and left for the kitchen while Mrs. Gina’s black eyes narrowed at Olima, hating her even more because Olima looked so much like her late mother—and also reminded her of her past sins, having caused the death of Mr. and Mrs. Adams.

"Mom, it's okay," Mia said with an adorable smile curved on her pretty dark face. Mrs. Gina looked at her daughter, groaned, and sighed as she walked to the dining room to take her seat. Mia also resembled her father, but was still her daughter, and Mrs. Gina sighed and headed to the dining room.

"It can never be okay with that stupid witch in this house with us. Ugh," Mrs. Gina grimaced as she walked to the golden dining chair, sitting down. She subtly remembered how her late husband used to sit at the dining table right across from her, feeding Mrs. Zoe, and Mrs. Gina’s face twisted in irritation at the memory.

"What's wrong, mom?" Mia asked again, sitting in across her mother at the dining table.

Mrs. Gina replied, "Nothing, my dear. What is taking Olima so long to serve the noodles, or does she want me to storm into that kitchen?"

Olima quickly walked out, carrying a tray of hot noodles on a smaller plate, with fried eggs on top. The aroma made Mia smile as she sat up properly and collected the tray from Olima.

Mia didn’t know how to cook; while Olima had been forced to learn by Mrs. Gina, shortly after Mrs. Gina took over the mansion.

"Get out! What are you still standing there for, staring at us?" Mrs. Gina questioned Olima angrily. Olima quickly walked away.

Olima knew her stepmother had hated her before, but now the hatred had tripled, making her feel more guilty for her late parents' deaths. She wished they had never driven in the same car to her school for her graduation, where she was recognized as the best in her science department. Now her stepmother had plainly refused her further education, citing lack of money, while Mia returned to school after the term holiday. Mia was in the second term already while Olima was home.

Olima paused at the kitchen door, thinking to speak to her stepmother again about writing the university entrance examination and applying for a government institution instead of a private one.

Olima walked back towards the dining room as Mia ate the delicious noodles and fried eggs. Olima stopped, her body trembling, and spoke, "Ma..."

Mrs. Gina turned and glared at Olima. As she met Olima’s gaze, she asked, "What do you want? I thought I asked you to leave here."

Mrs. Gina pushed her dining seat back and stood up, while Mia continued eating silently. Olima spoke in a shaky voice, "Ma... it’s about my university entrance examination. I—"

"And I told you that you're not going to any university, Olima! Don't you understand simple English? How did you graduate as the best in your class when you don't understand simple English at home? Get out of my sight!" Mrs. Gina yelled, and Olima ran away to the kitchen door.