THE ARRIVAL OF MY NEW MOTHER( MY STEPMOTHER)

ANTONIO'S MANSION

It was a beautiful Saturday afternoon at the Antonio's mansion. Gina, Lizzy and Agnes were busy as usual with their chores but this time, trying to avoid the sight of the scary and wired Gisella as they call her.

" Lizzy, where is that cursed girl, Gisella..?", Gina asked nervously, her eyes earnestly searching around. Lizzy swiftly lurked around as well.

" I hope she's not around here or?" she went on.

" No, Gina, she might be in her room", Agnes replied.

Gina sighed, relieved. " Ermm, Agnes, won't you go and serve her food?–she might be starving now"Lizzy called which made Agnes flinch out in fright.

" who?–me?" She queried as she pointed herself and chuckled wittly. " You might be kidding, right?–Li?" She went on. Gina and Lizzy just glared at her with a straight look.

"No–No, that must be over my dead body will I do" She cried with a faint chuckle.

" Do, what?", a voice swiftly interrupted. Lizzy and Gina instinctively turned towards the familiar voice and it was no other than Mr. Antonio.

"Mr. Antonio?" Gina and Lizzy gasped, tensed.

Agnes swiftly towards the voice and stood  in her steps, startled.

" Umm, sing, sir–Yes sing, or Lizzy " She faked up and Lizzy swiftly joined in her aid without hesitating.

" Yes, yes, sir–We wanted her to join the  American singing talent show but which will be held this August ". She smiled.

" Alright– its okay with your jokes. where is Gisella ?", Antonio interrupted.

" That evil and cursed girl?", Gina murmured beneath her breath.

" What did you, say, Gina" asked Antonio, who didn't clearly get what Gina was saying.

" Nothing sir, was just saying that– she might be in her room as usual"

She answered, looking around nervously. Antonio gazed up at the stairs and smiled. His gaze finally returned to the ladies.

" Okay, by the way– meet Mrs. Natasha Bill, my wife to be" Antonio announced as he turned to the young lady beside him.

They all swiftly gave a mini bow in greeting.

" Nice to meet you, ma'am." They chorused with a smile.

" Thank you..", she replied calmly, with an innocent, pure aura like an angel. 

Antonio smiled and took her hands. "Okay, love. We're done here now. Let's go meet my daughter, Gisella " he mumbled and Nat nodded, a smile lingered on her lips.

" See you ladies later." He said and they glided up the stairs towards Gisel's room, chatting and chuckling.

Gina and the girls stared at their back cheerfully while they admired her charming beauty.

" She looks gorgeous and beautiful, like the goddess of the sun", Agnes cried.

" Shut up, you, loud mouth– you nearly got us into trouble."

Lizzy and Gina chorused angrily with a gaze that nearly sent her to her grave.

" Ouch, those gazes really hurt– i'm leaving now before you murder me with them. I don't want to die just yet.", she exclaimed and dashed out of the kitchen.

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Gisella sat in her room, chatting and playing happily with her mother's ghost.

 " Mum, stop it –its tickling.", she exclaimed, laughing out loud.

Antonio and Natasha got to her door and heard her laughing so hard and chatting.

" who is she with...? I know she has no friends or she has started making one.", he wondered and brushed it off swiftly.

Knock .... Knock...

" Gisel dear, is daddy– can I come in?" He called, knocking at the door.

"Yes , daddy".she shouted and turned to her mother." Don't make any noise else dad will know you are here", she whispered and Fiona nodded in response. She sat quietly beside her as she watch the door cracked open with Antonio, gliding through.

"Hey, baby, how is my lovely daughter?" He queried a he approached Gisella with Natasha, following suit .

" Fine, dad."  she replied happily but gave a cold gaze at Natasha.

" Who were you talking with earlier on, before I came in?"asked Antonio as his eyes went searching.

" Umm, no one, dad– was just talking to myself. No one else." She chuckled. Her gaze settled back on Natasha again. She sensed a bad aura around her. 

" who is she?", she uttered, pointing at Natasha. Antonio swiftly answered with a smile.

" Oh, sorry, dear, my bad. I nearly forgot" he chuckled as he took Nat's hand and drew her a little closer to them. " Here, meet Natasha, your new mum." 

He replied, settling beside her.

" No, dad, you can't sit here.", she yelled, pushing him gently away.

" Why?– is there something over here", he asked, surprised at his daughter's attitude.

" Um, well, nothing dad but you just can't sit here" 

 she exclaimed looking at her mother's ghost who was still sitting beside her. Antonio shrugged at her attitude and smiled.

" Aright, fine , as you wish."

Gisella kept looking at Natasha with an unknown anger.

" I don't like her, she's evil" Gisella cried coldly.

Antonio gazed down at her daughter and back at Natasha astonished.

" What?", Natasha and Antonio exclaimed.

" Gisel,  don't say that, – I'm not evil okay and  I'm gonna  love you like my own daughter and take you to all the fun, fun, places. " Nat eluded as she tried to convince her but proved futile. She crunched by her as she reached out to touch her but suddenly stopped by Gisella.

" Get your hands off me, you, cunning and evil soul! " she roared. " Just leave my dad and I alone.."

Antonio gazed at her, totally dumbfounded as he tried to comprehend her sudden behavior which is kind of strange and so not like her daughter.

" Stop, it, Gisella, that's enough!" He shouted. "Why are you acting so wired today? – What's going on with you?". He exclaimed.

Gisella just stood up from her bed and sat by the window with a pouted face. 

"Let her leave, please, dad. I don't want to see her". She retorted. Antonio gave a sheepish smile at Natasha and smiled.

" Nat?, Kindly excuse us, please ". He pleaded. " I want to have a word with Gisella, alone."

Natasha nodded, " Okay dear,I'll be out then".She replied and tapped Antonio's shoulder with a smiled.

" Be gentle with her, honey. She is just a kid. She doesn't know what she is uttering" She added and trod out.

Antonio sighed and walked to Gisella's side.

" Honey, you know that i'm just doing all this for your own good. I want you to also have the love of a mother– why don't you understand me.", he cried.

" I know dad, but, she's not the right person for us. Not her please–I know what I have seen and the reason why am saying that, please dad.."

" Stop..talking nonsense, Gisel. I have had enough of your wired attitude... This is not the first time you're behaving this way towards me getting married again after your mother's death."

He shouted, angrily.

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BEHIND THE DOOR

Natasha stood at the door eavesdropping on them. She heard Gisella's claim and got irritated.

" Bastard...you want to temper with my hard work. I won't allow you girl....,Just wait..I will make you pay so much for this embarrassment and I will make sure I leave you with nothing but pain and disgrace... "

she cursed and smirked evilly.

**************************************

GISELLA' S  ROOM

" But dad, she's just here to destroy" Gisel went on but Antonio swiftly cut her off before she could complete her words.

" Just, shut up, Gisel and keep that to yourself.– She is the woman I want to marry and i'm not going to allow you say anymore rubbish about her. End of discussion ".

He shouted and stormed out of the room,angry.

" But, dad...." She called after him but he was already gone. "Mum?" She cried to her mother's who had all along been there, gazing at them. Her eyes clearly showed the hurt agony she felt, watching her family got through that.

"Why won't dad listen to me just this last time?"

She hugged her mother's ghost and broke down in tears. Fiona couldn't help it. The tears in her eyes slowly trilled down her cheeks.