Denise worked with a spring to her step. It would seem stupid or even weird to another person but she was happy. Getting a job in these slums was a plus because it meant that tomorrow would be sorted. In fact, since she wasn't a worker here, she had been given menial jobs like washing utensils, cleaning and running errands. But did she mind? No. In fact, compared to how she lived in that mansion she used to call home, this was easy peazy for her. She was also happy because she knew that in the three days that the person she was standing in for was going to be away, she would make more than she would ever have cleaning clothes for a week. That's all that mattered: making money. She did her usual cleaning very quickly and had a few minutes rest before she would be called in for more utensils. As she was resting, she saw the previous day's newspaper and she decided to browse through it. As she was reading, she saw an advert about an acting company that was promoting new talent. They wa
If only there was a button for success.... maybe then Denise would have turned it on but here she was.... alone and striving to become better. Denise looked at the script that she had been given and sighed for the a hundredth time. It was a movie that Diamond Studios was going to produce with newcomers only and it wasn't going to be easy she knew that among the newcomers, there would be those who had connections and they would have a direct ticket to the movie. And here she was, without anyone to even read the script with her. She hoped that it was true what people said that among all the entertainment houses in the country, Diamond Studios was among the most upright. It was rumoured that Diamond Studios never looked at one's background or who they knew in the industry. If you didn't have talent, then no one would consider you in there regardless of who you were. It was said that the president and CEO of the studio was a man who had worked his way from the bottom and he knew the stru
Denise Ashford, twenty years old, born to Mr and Mrs Gresham Ashford. The Ashfords were among the most influential families in Xela. If it was during the medieval times, then it would have been a family of dukes or viceroys or something like that. That's how much power they held especially in the political arena of Xela.Denise was the second child, the first born being the twins George and Georgina Ashford. They were older than her by two years. From the moment Denise learnt how to crawl when she was a toddler, she could tell that she wasn't loved by her family. Her upbringing was left to the servants and she can't ever remember her mother holding her. Her father never talked to her and he would always treat her like an invisible thing. He never acknowledged her. Her two siblings were something else. They never gave her the time of the day. What they did best was beat and bully her whenever they got the chance.The three went to the sames schools but they made Denise know that she wa
Caleb held young Denise down and started undressing her. She didn't shed any tears as she had learnt from an early age that shedding tears didn't solve anything. It would just rile up her emotions and she needed to be sober as she thought of what to do next before Caleb actualised his evil plan. Yes he was stronger than her but she had to use her brain. Then an idea came to her. She always kept a pocket knife under her pillow because she wanted to be ready if ever her siblings did what they always promised. They always told her that no one loved her and that they would kill her the first chance they got, especially Georgina. She thus had to be ready just in case they thought of killing her. Denise reached under her pillow but Caleb didn't notice as he was occupied with raising her dress up above her knees and holding her legs that were trying to kick him in place. After she got the knife she raised her hand and stabbed him on the shoulder. She caught him unawares and he screamed inp
There is nnothing bad in this life than realising that what you thought was true wasn't. Someone feels played and they feel that life is a scam. This is what these men experienced. With the mentality that woman and girls are weak, it came as a surprise to see one girl beat them senseless. After the kicks she had given them, those men realised that she wasn't as fragile as they thought. They thus stood and surrounded her although the one who was elbowed in the spine was still trying to flex his back which was still painful.The one who was holding the knife attacked first. He swiped at her from her left and she bent backwards. She then held the hand that was holding the knife at the wrist and twisted. The man shouted in pain and let go of the knife. Denise took it mid air and let go of his hand. She then bent on one knee and stabbed his thigh. She did all these so gracefully that if one saw her, they would have thought that she was practicing a dance move. All this took less than ten
For almost ten years since her grandfather died, Denise had lived worse than a maid in that house she was supposed to call home. It was worse than the help because at least those were paid and had leave days. But for her, she worked even when she was sick. She just thanked her guardian angel as she rarely fell sick.What her family members didn't know was that she was living a double life. Since she had to hide and play hide and seek with her parents and siblings so as to minimise how much they saw each other, they thus didn't know her schedule. They thought that whenever they didn't see her around that she was somewhere in the big mansion doing what she was supposed to be doing: working her arse off for them.But after school, where she had joined the taekwondo and karate club, she went to a dojo where she had also enrolled for classes in a not so near distance from the estate where they lived. Since her father was a very well known man in the political and business arena of Xela, he
Georgina stood there gaping at Denise like she had seen Angel Lucifer in person. She couldn't just believe that the dumb girl they had bullied since they were born was talking back at her. She did the only logical thing she could have done at that moment, according to her: raised her hand and made to slap Denise.But like Denise had decided; she had seen and taken enough.in this house and it was enough. She raised her hand and held Georgina's. She couldn't let herself get slapped. Not anymore. She was through with that. The only reason she had allowed them to beat her however they wanted was because she was young and didn't know where she would go if she ever left home.But now that her father had refused to take her to theUniversity despite her good grades, she had nothing to lose. It's time she taught them a lesson they will never forget."How dare you!" Georgina screamed as she tried to take her hand from Denise's hold but she found that she couldn't. The grip Denise had on her ha
Denise felt braver than she ever has. She wanted answers and she wanted to leave here. She couldn't stay with these people anymore but she couldn't leave without the answers she wanted. She felt like screaming her heart out but she couldn't give them that satisfaction. She refused to break down l before them."How dare you!" Mr Ashton bellowed. "How dare you talk back to me? You are an abomination to this family! You caused the death of my sister and you are the one to talk? I will tell you why you are an abomination!" He continued but his wife pulled his hand as if asking him not to say anything."You want to know why I call you an abomination? I will tell you," he hissed but one again, his wife pulled his hand."Darling. Please don't. Just punish her for beating our children," she whispered but Denise heard her clearly."Why shouldn't he tell me? Don't you think I deserve the truth? Just tell me!" She screamed and Mr Ashton had had enough of her 'nonsense' as he called it. He looke