002

“You should stop now,” Kaylie told herself, giving herself reasons to stop crying.

Her tears had been uncontrollable since she walked out of the mansion until she entered the taxi that had been on the road for over an hour, heading to her family’s home- the place where someone who hated her most and never hid it lived.

Had it been there was another place to go, her family home wouldn’t have been an option. She had no friends because Emily, her mother, forbade it.

There was no family. She was still a baby when they adopted her from the orphanage home, but to date, the purpose of her adoption wasn’t clear. It could have been because they were yet to conceive, but it was just a few months after their wedding. “Never compete with my daughter. I took you in and to repay my generosity, you must serve my daughter your whole life!”

Her mother constantly reminded her she had no place in the family, and the only chance she would get in the world was to serve her daughter.

“What’s my purpose?”

She once asked Jaxon, the only person whose love was genuine. However, she got no response. Instead, he changed the topic.

“You’re my beloved granddaughter. I love you. I’ll always protect you. As long as I’m here, no one will hurt you.”

Jaxon’s voice rang loudly in her head. She wished he was around as promised and she would have run to his arm for a hug, but that wasn’t possible.

The last time she saw him was on her wedding day- immediately after he gave his blessing, glad someone finally genuinely loved her as he did.

“Where are you, grandpa?”

She whispered with tears following her face line to her mouth. She had investigated his whereabouts countless times, and at first, her father lied he was abroad for a business meeting, then created a rumor he was sick and receiving treatment outside the country until he finally warned her to never mention his name driver.

The car arrived in front at the described destination- 16, Baboko Street, Surulere City, and the taxi driver parked at the roadside. “We’re there, ma.” He informed.

“Oh, Okay.” She uttered. She wiped her face and got down.

She entered the compound, and seeing her parents’ cars, she halted, clenching her jacket.

“Am I ready for this?”

After waiting for a few seconds to control her mind, she released her jacket and paced to the house.

As she stepped into the parlor, her mother rushed to her front as if she had been awaiting her arrival.

“Mom…” she muffled, her face cast downward since she wasn’t allowed to look directly at Emily’s face.

“I am not your mother. Didn’t I warn you never to call me that?” Emily raised her voice. “What happened between you and Wendy?! What did you say to my daughter?!”

Kaylie knew Wendy already called her mother, so there was no point in lying. “I said she’s daft. She-”

Emily cut her off with a slap. “How dare you!” She shouted. “How could you say that to my daughter?”

“Oh…” Kaylie groaned, rubbing her cheek with her face downward until she felt relief. She raised her gaze with tears in her eyes, wanting to speak for herself. “Didn’t Wendy explain what happened?”

“She-” she wanted to explain, but Emily cut her off.

Emily raised her brows. “What’s new about that? Is that the first time such will happen?” She said.

“Hun!” Kaylie didn’t see that coming. Though she never expected Emily would take sides with her.

Emily had known about Bryan and Wendy’s relationship a few weeks after it started and agreed since that would make Wendy happy.

“There’s nothing new under the sun and I think it’s finally time you accept you aren’t meant to be loved,” she upbraided. “I know about it since they started their relationship, and I blessed it since I see nothing wrong with it.”

Kaylie’s lips quivered as words ran through her mind. However, her mouth didn’t open.

Why? Just why did they let her spend so much time in the darkness?

Emily could have instructed her to file for a divorce or even ordered her to leave Bryan before the marriage to prevent this.

It wasn’t the first time Wendy would want what belonged to Kaylie, but this was worse. It started with her claiming Kaylie’s candy, while the bigger one was still in her hand. Then Kaylie’s dresses, even though they weren’t her sizes, and would end up abandoning them, but Emily would still let her have them.

“But… why… why would you do that? Why would you support such an affair?” Kaylie finally talked. “Why didn’t you stop them? You knew it was my husband; why didn’t you forbid it?”

Emily shrugged. “Because Wendy wants it and I’ll do anything to get her whatever she wants,” she upbraided. “Besides, nothing in this world belongs to you. If you have something, you’re only keeping it until Wendy is ready to take it.”

A drop of tears fell from Kaylie’s eyes and she wiped it.

“Have you forgotten what I always told you, or do you think it no longer matters?” Emily furthered railed. “You’ll always be under my daughter. You can never rise above her. The only reason I allow you to live is to serve her.”

Kaylie half closed her eyes, balling her hands into a fist to calm herself. Every word from Emily pierced her heart, spraying pepper on her internal wound.

Her heart desired to yell, but since she didn’t want to go to such an extent, she calmed herself with a deep breath before taking a step past Emily, heading to her room.

“Are you walking out of me?” Emily questioned, expecting Kaylie would stop, but didn’t. She rushed to her front to block her. “Where are you going? Do you think you still have a place here?”

Kaylie walked past her again. She arrived in front of the door and, as she laid her hand on its handle, Emily dragged it with her.

“How dare you walk out of me!”

Kaylie sighed. She raised her eyebrows, losing her mind at that moment; she flinched Emily’s hand away and pushed her back.

“Hun!” Emily toned, falling to the ground with her eyes widened, shocked.

“Leave me alone!” She raised her voice in frustration. “Let me be! I just want to be!”

“Is that too much to ask?” She asked with a lowered voice, her eyes fixed on Emily.

Emily’s lips quivered, but couldn’t say a word. Instead, she raised her gaze and stared at Kaylie’s face.

Kaylie’s eyes enlarged as she got back to her senses. “Mom!” She muffled and hurried to Emily’s side to help her on her feet. “I’m sorry, mom.”

Emily stood, and immediately, as she balanced on her feet, she pushed Kaylie back. She pointed a finger at her, grinding her teeth. “What just happened?” She asked in disbelief, unable to believe what had just happened.

She slowly took a step closer to her. “Did you just-”

The thought of what had just happened made her mind boil in anger so she couldn’t complete the statement. Instead, she raised her right hand. “You!”

As she brought her hand down closer to Kaylie’s face to slap her, Andrew, her husband’s voice, command came from behind.

“Stop!”

He moved closer, standing behind Emily with a few gaps. “Emily, stop.” He whispered.

Emily took her hand down and glanced at his husband with a furrowed face. “What? She just-”

Andrew cut her off. “I know.”

“Hun!” A surprised tone fled Kaylie's and Emily’s mouths. It was the first time Andrew opposed Emily because of Kaylie; they argued countless times, but never because of her.

Andrew had been watching for a while but refused to intervene. However, he didn’t know what bumped into him out of the blue, and for the first time, he couldn’t watch Emily maltreat Kaylie any longer.

Kaylie looked at Andrew’s face. “Father,” she called feebly.

Andrew looked away from her, avoiding eye contact. His heart raced faster, so he couldn’t look at her face. “Go inside.” He commanded.

A strange feeling overwhelmed her, making her longing to run into Andrew’s arms for a hug, so she stepped forward in his direction. “Father.”

Andrew stretched his arm, waving his finger in opposition. “I said, go into your room!” He yelled.

Kaylie’s body shook, and she quickly ceased taking another step forward. She waited for a second and exhaled softly before turning around and walked into her room.

Emily turned her neck, escorting Kaylie into the room with her eyes, and immediately as the door closed, she returned her gaze to Andrew. “What happened?”

“Did you just embarrassed me in her present? Did you-”

“I didn’t embarrass you, Emily,” Andrew persuaded. “You should understand her reaction wasn’t intentional. She’s sad and not in her right sense. I’m not taking sides with her. I’m just asking to let her be for now.”

*

Kaylie took off her jacket and threw it on the bed. She moved to the bed and fell weakly on sit.

Tears streamed down to her cheek. “Life sucks. It really does…” she lamented.

“What should I do?”

Her question made her remember Echo’s advice when she was leaving Bryan’s hideout earlier.

‘If you’re opportune to see a chance that could grant you freedom, take it. To live happily, you need to be a waving flag and take steps even you didn’t see coming.’

She lay on the bed, resting her head on her crossed palms, facing up. “How do I go about this?”

After a minute deep thought, an idea zoomed into her mind, causing her brows to raise and she quickly sat up.

“Shouldn’t I find him?”