Chapter 1

Chapter 1

           Here is my question. Do you believe in a soulmate?, you know, someone you are created for, someone that gives you both the butterfly and electricity, that one person you can proudly call your other half. Yea, I do believe in a soulmate, I mean it's the best kind of love. You can see how beautiful it is from Romeo and Juliet, forget the fact they died young, but come on it's because They know they can't go on without the other, that's the power of soulmate. So imagine how bad it is for me to have all this soulmate vibe from my brother, my stepbrother actually, looking at it I think it is better to fall for the enemy than family. At first, it wasn't like this, at first I hate him to the bone, he is a bad bully, he should've been born a bull, but with recent events, things change and I find myself irresistibly attracted to him, I just can't shake away the fact that I see him as my soulmate. Well before you call me incest, sit back and let me tell you the story, I will start from the beginning, I mean before the beginning, not before I was born but before I started falling for him. So Am going to start from 3 years ago when I first encountered him, I have known him longer than that, but it was four years ago he came into my life. 

FLASH BACK

"Come on honey, we are already late" my mom called,

"Am done" I said popping out of the one-room we live in, wearing the blue gown he bought me, it fits like a glove, she is also wearing a blue gown but a different design

"Aww, you look, good honey," she said, I smiled

"Thanks, mom, but my name is Esther" I demanded, she just smiled and wave it off

"Come let's go," she said leaving and I followed her. We are going to meet her date, she separated from my dad three years ago, and it's good, my dad is an alcoholic so the court gave me to mom, so she is now dating, so am going to meet the man today, I know he makes my mom happy, I may be 13 years old but am matured enough to know love. 

"Finally we meet," the man said, he is tall handsome, and matured,

 I like him already, he looks like the playful type "Am Bright Okafor" he introduced himself

"Am Esther Charles" I said, smiling, he now ushered us inside but not before giving my mom a wink. 

We sat down and started eating, I made sure to eat to my satisfaction, it is not every day I get this opportunity. 

"My son will soon be here," he said, to my mom, wow does that mean he is also divorced or widowed, well it's not in my place to ask, am not a curious person

"You will know him" he said to me, 

"Why," I asked

"He attends the same school you do" he said

"In fact the same class" my mom said, I searched my mind but no one popped up, 

apart from my crush Oliver, he is the dream of every girl, intelligent,

 he put the word gorgeous to shame, I pray he is not the one he is talking about, though I want a relationship with Oliver, not a family relationship, 

so I keep my fingers crossed and hope it's someone else. 

After a while, I heard someone call from behind me

"Miss me, boss"

"Here he is, the thug," Mr. Bright said, motioning my back so I turned to see who

Luckily for me, it's not Oliver, but the new student who started this term with us,

I can't remember his name, but I know he is older than most. 

He froze when he saw me, his smile faded

"You," he said, then walked and sat beside his father, I just wave, I want to be polite

"Yes, say hello to your new sister" Mr bright said, and we all gasped

"I know, its a surprise to you, but I know we can make it work, can you accept me as your husband," he said to my mom, as he shows her a ring, 

She looked at me, with her hands clasping her lips, I smiled showing my support then she looked at Mr Bright 

"Yes," she said with tears, he then slipped the ring in her finger, it fits like a glove. 

My new brother who is yet to know his name started clapping so did I, he looked at me

And smile, but I could see sadness hidden in it, I shook it off since it's not possible 

The marriage went by fastly as if he already made all necessary arrangements, 

Even before he proposed, I didn't get to spend much time with my new brother, 

His name is Mavis, everybody in our school know he is my brother now

Though we have a different surname, he is Okafor and I bears the name of my father, Arinze

 He hardly speaks to me in school, after the marriage my mother and I left the one-room we live in and moved into Mr. Bright 2 rooms apartment. He shares one room with my mother, I have the other room, which originally belongs to Mavis, he willingly gave it to me and now sleeps in the parlor. 

Mr. Bright promised that he will soon find a suitable apartment. 

Am currently building up the courage to go talk to my crush Oliver, I already practice what to say

"Can I talk to you?" I said nervously then he turn giving me that killer smile

"Go ahead," he said and I almost moaned at the sound of his voice

Before I can say my next word I felt a chill on my back, it ran down to my butt

"Oops, you wet yourself, cupcake" I heard my demonic brother from behind me, 

I turned to see him holding a bottle of water, he just poured water on me, did I forget to mention he makes my life a living hell, and I can't even report him to our parents cause I don't want to cause quarrel and make them choose a side. 

"Am coming" I heard Oliver called after his friends and left me after giving me a mocking look

It took me a lot of courage to stand before him, now my brother shattered my hope

"Why do you keep tormenting" I said with a closed eye trying my best not to cry

"Cause its fun, cupcake" he whispered to my ear

"And  for the last time, my name is not a cupcake, devil" I said with closed teeth then walked away

Cause I know I can't keep down my tears for long, I don't want to give him the satisfaction of seeing me cry

"Neither is my name devil" he said to me, I kept walking since am already crying, I heard him giggle and that made me hate him more, he is truly the devil. 

When we came home the house was empty, always is, 

my mother still work with the bank, my new dad works as a manager in a beer distributing company,

 they plan to save up and open up something for mom so she will quit the bank job

"So what are we going to eat, cupcake," the devil asked, I kept him quiet am still mad at him, am always mad at him

"Oh, are you still mad cupcake?" He asked, seeing him now people will think he is a good boy

"Let go of me devil," I said with closed teeth

"Come on that was an accident," he said, I don't want to report him to our parents cause he behaves in front of them,

and he makes everything he did to me, look like an accident. 

"Come on I bet the boss left some money for us" he said.

Surprisingly, he never calls his father dad but boss,

 even their relationship seems like friends not dad and son, 

he left to go check where our parents leave money

"Found it," he said, waving the money on my face "so what will eat," he said, he is mostly good at home, I said mostly. 

"I will like noodles," I said, he just nodded and gave me part of my share,

I didn't bother asking him what he wants, I just went to my room, more like his room,

he always allows me to change first before coming in to change, he still has his stuff here. 

Am cooking now and also making calls, am speaking with Martha,

the only one that's known of my feelings for Oliver, the phone is from our parents,

we use it to call them in case of emergency, mom will be mad if she sees me cooking and making a phone call

"So how did the conversation go," she asked, she knew I plan to talk to Oliver

"Ruined," I said, and she gasped

"How" 

"By my devil brother," I said as I squeeze the spoon am holding, am waiting for the noodles to be done. 

"Are you not done with the noodles?" he said as he entered the kitchen, I guess it's the truth what they say, speak of the devil and he appears.