“You never learn, do you?” Cynthia says, standing in front of me. Her tone is full of hatred, as is her stare. But I am used to this. Ever since I became the family’s bad omen, she has forgotten even her respect for me as her elder sister. “I can't believe that you are now fooling around with your student. Where did your morals go, Ayana?
I closed the tiny gap that was between us, my heart throbbing with anger. She does not have any right to speak to me that way.“You watch your mouth before I shut it for you, Cynthia! I am still your elder sister before anything. I demand some respect!” I fume, and for heaven’s sake, she better not stroke my demons.“Respect?” She sneers, taking a step back and smirking sarcastically. “Does that word even exist in your vocabulary? Did you stop even for a second to think of respect when you almost dragged our family name into the mud? When you were shamelessly throwing yourself at that nobody,A resounding slap across her face sends her staggering back as she groans in agony. She asked for it, and I will not hold back from slapping her mouth if she dares to insult me ever again.I have taken all the insults, mockery, rejection, and maltreatment. My poor innocent child is also tangled now in this mess; she has no fault whatsoever. And they aren't satisfied yet? Well, enough is enough. I won't take any more bullying again, especially not from this arrogant baby sister. She has balls! It was a one-time mistake, for crying out loud, and they will make me pay for it for the rest of my life? I accepted this hell they tossed me and my child into and accepted everything they threw at me, but this is as far as my patience goes.“How dare you?” She squeals as she lifts her head, tears welling up in her eyes. Serves her right! That is nothing, so she better watch out.“You will get more than just a slap if you dare insult me ever again. And I will break your bones if you wake my child up with your stupid squeals!” I warned after watching Lyana toss on the bed. It's a good thing she didn't wake up. I wouldn't want her to witness this. She is already bearing too much at her young age.She smirks bitterly, massaging her cheek to soothe the pain.“What do you even care about that kid, huh?” She asks as if she cares or as if she knows a fuck about being a parent. The nerve!“More than you will ever know until you become a parent, Cynthia.” I respond boldly and bitterly, because this is all their fault that my baby is suffering and being deprived of almost everything in this world. She knows nothing aside from me and this room. It's like she does not have a life.“Well, I know being a parent means doing everything for our children, which is the opposite of what you are doing. Dad offered you a chance to enroll her in school, but you selfishly turned it down.”Ooh, yeah? Is it about that again?“Then if that is what it means to be egocentric, I plead guilty as charged, and I am neither penitent nor will I ever alter my decision, come what may. If the world will not know my child as Lyana Angel Salma, then she is better off as a shadow to the world just like me!” I state.It hurts. It stings so bad! God knows how much I do not want to do this to my only child, but there is no way I am giving my child another person’s name. If it were my family’s name, maybe, just maybe, I would have considered it. But a stranger’s name? How will I even explain such absurdity to my child when she grows up and starts to ask questions? Heaven forbid!And curse these obdurate, narcissistic, God-forsaken beings that God gave me as my family! How dare they torture me like this? Would they do what they are asking me to do if they were in my place? Oh well, anyway, I don't care. They can feast on their wretched offer as today’s dinner, for all I care.“You are hopeless and incapacitated, Ayana. I can't believe you are this dumb to not see that you do not have a choice here. If you don't grab this opportunity we are offering you, your child will be far worse than you—a total nobody whose shadow will not even see the world. Is that what you want for the child you claim to love so much?” She mocks, and oooh, her emotional blackmail won't work on me.“I alone will worry about my own child. She is mine alone to care for, and I honestly don't understand why you all are making a fuss about her now. You have not cared about her since I got pregnant. Why now all of a sudden?” I arch an eyebrow because something is beginning to smell fishy here.She shakes her head, making sure that if there is any motive behind all of this, I do not get a tinge of it. But screw her! I am certain that her mere presence in this cell is more formidable proof that they are up to something. Up to no good. And this Lyana issue? Something is not right here. I can sense it. I can feel it. Anyone would sense it.“You are pathetically sentimental if you think, even for a second, that we care about that child of yours. It is just a mere risk we are willing to take just to be humans. She at least deserves some education. Hopefully, she will value it and not end up like you. That is all!”If I ever kill someone in this world, it will be this bitch I call my sister. I guess her cheek is no longer hurting, which is why her stinking mouth is running again.“You know, I could remind you how to be respectful since you seem to have forgotten.” I say, dropping my hands from my chest.She takes a step back, raising her hands in the air sarcastically. Well, at least she knows I will not think twice about slapping the shit out of her. Stupid bitch!“I did not come here to fight.” She says this, dropping her hands and crossing them on her chest.“I guessed as much. And if Lyana was the only reason you bothered to come here, then you already have the answer. We are done here, so leave before I sweep this floo
The sun is kissing the sky, bidding goodbye to the light of day, and ushering in the darkness of night. Another day is gone. Another miserable day is behind me. Unfortunately, I still have no idea when bright days will come my way. The day I break free from this cursed cage. I spent the whole day banging my head about what my family would be interested in speaking to me about after so many years of treating me like a bad omen. The black sheep. The only stain in their stainless name. Like a stain on gold. But all I managed was to hurt my head because nothing came to mind. And since I knew they were not worth ruining the little peace I have in this cage, I dropped the issue and carried on with my day like I always do—with my paintings and my precious daughter. One thing was amiss, though. My student is Robby. He did not come for lessons today for the weird reason that I can’t wrap my fingers around. It is the first time that he has missed his lesson since we started. How so? That is wh
"Will you just get out of our way? We did not come here for a stare challenge, Ayana!” My mother speaks after a long decade of pure lull.Of course, my father could not speak because it seemed like he was about to slap me out of their way. His gaze is still the same as that day he made me make a choice. Raw hate. Disgust. Let down. They speak of volumes of the anger he feels towards me up until now. And I don’t think anything will ever bridge the rift that my mistake has created.It hurts so much. Not because I made that mistake. I am neither justifying my naivety nor my stupidity, failing to read between the lines of love and lust. I am just saying that they are being dramatically unreasonable. Their hate for me for that one mistake is beyond bonds, and I don’t get it. It wasn’t that grave, hello? I wasn’t the first one to mess up like that.I shift to my mother, and this one is the worst of all. I have not been able to understand how she can sleep peacefully all night long, knowing
Hello, heaven! Are these games or what? They will let me do all that? Even giving my child their name? They finally want to expose the bad omen that they have been hiding for years. Expose the stain that they have pulled all strings to cover? At the expense of what? I should perhaps be melting with glee and hope, wondering what sort of miracle has been achieved, but, naah! I am not that stupid. When the deal is so enthralling as this one, summon your ninth sense. What is the deal here because I know they cannot just develop some damn consciousness overnight? “I thought, as a loving parent, you should be jumping up and down with the news. This is what you have always wanted for your child, right?” I turn to my mother, then I cruise my eyes around them. Seriously? What do they think of me? What kind of idiot do they think I am? “I am not as stupid as you people think I am. There is more to this sugarcoated offer. What is it? What do I have to sacrifice in return?” I quiz. They trade
I take some safe steps back, driven by shock and the incredulity of what I just heard. I cannot count how many steps, but I am quite a safe distance from these two ruthless animals! A Merger? I am the perfect merger to save their fucking reputation and the damn company, and they are so casually and confidently rubbing that on my face. Me, of all people? The same one they hid for years to protect the same image? How shameless can these people be, honestly? I was tossed into this cell like a nobody. Like a useless pig. Like somebody who did not have any value at all. And now, I suddenly have a value in which they already bargained its worth because I am their supposed savior? I can’t believe the guts! The temerity of these people! Like seriously? I am still finding it difficult to believe that they lowered their stars and came to me for this bullshit. Wow! I commend their guts! I guess this proves just how heartless they are, then. I mean, me, of all people? Why don’t they trade the
Minutes have passed, and I am beginning to relax after managing to calm Lyana down. My left cheek is still burning, and honestly, I don’t even want to imagine how it looks because I feel like the skin is peeling off. However, despite the pain, I have been able to suck the tears back just to pretend to be a strong gem for the sake of my daughter. But I swear, even my head is spinning now from the impact of that slap.And all for what?What earned me that, huh?Because I stood my ground? Because I refused to be traded like a piece of trash? Because I spoke my mind? Well, they might as well go get a gun and shoot me right in the head because nothing, and I mean nothing whatsoever, will make me allow this injustice. I am not bowing to their evil scheme for anything.“Child? Come to…”I grab my mother’s hand and slap it away before she can even touch the hem of my daughter’s dress. Filthy hands! Worthless grandmother! The nerve!I rise up slowly, my teary eyes glued to her. I toss my quive
“The consequences will be severe. I am giving you a day to think this through. Believe me, Ayana, you only have the ugly side of me as your father. You don’t want to push me to the point where I will be forced to renounce you because neither your feet nor your face will find a place anywhere in this world! Think!” Father’s cold but soothing warning resonates in the small distance between our faces, and after speaking, he takes about three long strides and storms out of the room. He perhaps did not want me to argue anymore, to defy him, to dare him, to crash his ego and authority, which he knew I would. A day, my foot! Even if they give me an entire decade to think things through, my answer will still stand. It is a no for me! I will not allow this! “You should…’ I raise my hand and stop my mother from speaking. They did not understand when I said I had no more lectures, did they? I will do what I freaking want. I know what I want. I mean what I am saying. I believe in my decision.
I trace my fingers along the delicate strokes of my latest painting, lost in thoughts. Trying to weigh just how cruel people and life can be. Or is it just my parents who are this cruel? My precious daughter, Lyana, lay asleep, unaware of the weight of the situations surrounding her. The cruelty and misfortunes surrounding us. Unaware of the cruelty of this world. She is so innocent and pure. Nobody has the right to mess with the little peace that she has. And that is exactly what these cursed De’Marios are doing. What if the man they are trying to marry me off to does not accept her? Hello, this is Africa, for God's sake! I know how issues like these turn out in the end. Messy! Ugly! Some turn out messier than you can ever imagine—a child out of wedlock being discriminated against by the family, siblings, and even the father who promised to care for her as their own. God, I don’t want that for my precious girl! Hell forbid! I don’t even know the dog that these people are giving me