Chapter 0005

Mrs. Tonia smiled at Anita before stepping aside for Glory to pass with the tray of soup. Anita then headed into the kitchen. She remained silent, yet her mother could see the sadness in her expression.

"Anita," Mrs. Tonia says with a sigh, calling her name. "What is it, Mother?" Anita inquired, walking alongside her mother.

"Your father loves you and supports your success," Mrs. Tonia reassures Anita, holding her hand.

"Hmm," Anita sighed. "I understand, Mom, but it's not a priority for me. Whether or not Dad approves of me is inconsequential. I will forever regard him as my father, and that's it."

"Anita." Mrs. Tonia is calling again.

"Excuse me, could you please tell me where the fufu is?" Flora enters the kitchen and interrupts Anita, making her way to the kitchen cabinet where their mother is.

"Mom, why are you holding her hands and conversing with her? Are you asking her for something?" Flora asks, with her arms crossed.

"No, Flora, I am simply offering advice," Mrs. Tonia responds, her gaze fixed on Flora. 

Flora reiterated, "I don't care, Mom. That's irrelevant. I came here for fufu, but Glory only served us soup without it. Where can I find the fufu?"

"It is located there, please check the chair next to you," Mrs. Tonia replied. Flora then turned and noticed the fufu. She takes it and exits the kitchen, leaving them alone.

"As I mentioned before, it's important not to hold a grudge against your father. Finding a suitable replacement for him is impossible. He is indeed your father, and I can assure you of that without any doubt."

"Mom," Anita says with a frown. "There's no need for you to use profanity. Let's grab a bite to eat before I finish up my tasks and check in with Temisa to see if she's made it home."

"Alright," Mrs. Tonia released Anita's hand, and Anita proceeded to wash her hands in the kitchen sink. Afterwards, she joined the rest of the family for dinner, and their father followed suit. He remained quiet while enjoying the tasty okra soup prepared by his wife.

Glory is the first to finish her meal in the silent dining hall, and she stands up promptly. She takes her plates to the kitchen and heads to Anita and Flora's room to wait for Anita. She wants to have a discussion with her.

After the rest of the family finishes, Lisa takes her turn to wash the dirty dishes. She takes turns with Glory to wash the plates every week. Anita returns to her shared room with Flora and finds Glory waiting inside.

"What brings you here, little sister?" Anita inquired of Glory as she entered the room and approached the bed she shares with Flora.

Glory says, "I came here to talk with you, sis," and Anita gazes at Glory for a while, amazed at how much her little sister has grown. She starts asking her some advanced questions, impressed by the intellectual growth she has witnessed.

"What topic would you like to discuss?" Anita inquired, and before Glory could respond, Flora interjected with a chilly tone. "Why are you here, Glory? Please return to your room immediately." Flora ordered.

"No, Flora, let Glory be. We need to discuss some matters. I just returned," Anita says, and Flora becomes upset. "I wasn't addressing you, so please refrain from interfering!"

"What does it mean?!" Anita rose from the bed and crossed her arms, confronting Flora. "I have remained silent for you, Flora. Could you clarify what you mean by "you ain't talking to me?" Anita asked, her gaze icy as she fixed it on Flora.

"You understood me correctly. I do not engage with practitioners of white magic. Glory, please depart. I need to rest," Flora insisted, causing Anita to smirk and recline on the bed.

Anita unzipped her box to take out her laptop and phone, leaving Glory perplexed as she looked between Anita and Flora. Anita and Flora are sisters, and she is unhappy about their ongoing quarrels.

"Please depart, Glory!" Flora repeated her command and approached Glory, intending to pull her away.

"Do not touch her!" Anita cautioned as she unpacked her belongings, including her laptop and phone, and set them on the bed.

"Or what?" What is your plan?" Flora asked, and Anita looked up at her. "Please step back, or refrain from touching Glory!"

"I'm leaving, no big sisters." "I will inquire at a later time," Glory responded anxiously.

"No." Anita glances at Glory, causing her to shiver. "Please move away, Flora!. Please relocate to the bed if you wish to rest, but kindly refrain from interrupting my conversation with Glory." Anita issued a warning.

Flora glared at Anita with frustration. Anita has a slender figure with a well-defined waist and a prominent bust, while Flora has a fuller physique. Flora believes she has a physical advantage over Anita due to her height and weight. 

"What if I choose not to?" Flora swiftly escorts Glory out by her arms. Anita swiftly reprimands Flora, forcefully intervening and delivering a series of slaps to her face, leaving no room for respite. They have a conflict. "What is happening here?" As Mr. Joshua entered his eldest daughter's room, they quickly moved apart.

"Father, she initiated the conflict!" Flora gestured towards Anita, who let out a sigh and straightened her attire. Mr. Joshua has always seen Anita as a non-confrontational person. What could have caused their disagreement? He gazes at Glory, and in that moment, his daughters and wife burst into the room. 

"What occurred, father?!" They interrogate him as they enter the large room, their gaze shifting from Anita to Flora, who is panting, and then to Glory, whose face is filled with concern. "What occurred, Glory?" Glory was questioned by Mr. Joshua and she stammered in response.

"I entered this room to have a conversation with Aunt Anita. However, Flora entered and demanded that I leave. Despite Flora's insistence, Aunt Anita refused, resulting in a conflict," Glory explains.

"Flora, why did you ask Glory to leave while Anita is still talking to her?" Mr. Joshua inquired, his gaze fixed on Flora's swollen cheek. Anita's swollen red cheek was more noticeable than Flora's. Flora was in tears, seeking her father's support.

"Father, she hit me first!" Flora indicated Anita.

"That wasn't my question." I inquired about the reason for sending Glory away.

"I need to rest, father. I can't sleep when they're talking," Flora responds.

"Hmm," Mr. Joshua pondered, fully aware of his responsibility and the caution he had given. "Anita expect to be treated with respect from now on, and I won't tolerate any more disrespect from any of you towards your older sister. When it happens again, you'll have to deal with me. Flora, please prepare your belongings as you will be moving to share a room with Lisa. Starting today, Glory and Anita will be sharing this room. If there are any additional reports or complaints, I will address them later."

"No. Father!" Flora exclaimed, but Mr. Joshua had already left.

"You are responsible for all of this, Flora. Why do you disrespect your older sister?" Mrs. Tonia inquired, but Flora expressed disapproval. "Mom, are you favoring Anita because she won a couple of meaningless awards?"

"Please be quiet, Flora. Shouldn't you be ashamed? In the previous session, you had unfinished tasks, and it seems that you are struggling to improve your reading skills or seek guidance from your older sibling. You seem to excel at negative criticism."

"Mom!" Flora begins to cry again as her sisters in the room cross their arms in frustration.

"Apologize to Anita before packing your bags!" Mrs. Tonia said.

"I refuse to do that, Mother," Flora stated firmly.

"I strongly insist, or else you'll have to deal with me!"

Flora is at a loss for words as she looks from their mom to the rest of her siblings, and to Anita, who is sitting on the bed, opening her laptop and patiently waiting for it to start up. Flora gulps and gazes at their mother. "No, mother!" 

Anita observed as Flora let out a loud scream. "It's acceptable, Mom. I don't require her apology," Anita responds while entering her laptop password.

"Anita, Flora needs to apologize or she will no longer be my daughter."

"Mom!" Everyone exclaimed, and Mrs. Tonia quickly turned to face them. "Consider this my formal warning, effective immediately. I want to make it clear that if any of you dare to disobey me, I have the option to disown and cut ties with you. Now, Flora, please apologize."

Flora gazes at Anita on the bed and softly utters, "I apologize, Anita."

"Please vocalize the information."

"Mom!" Flora gazed at their mother.

"Immediately!" Mrs. Tonia is extremely focused.

"Apologies, Anita. I regret my actions. I apologize," Flora pleads.

"It's acceptable, Flora. You may depart." Anita remains fixated on her laptop while Flora swiftly gathers her belongings and exits the room, leaving the others in stunned silence.