Chapter 3

Becky paused at the kitchen door, as she didn't want to give up on trying to beg her stepmother.

She had graduated as the best in her school, and if she had known, she could have accepted the school scholarship program that was offered to her then.

But she thought her father had better plans for her.

She turned and begged Mrs. Gina again, “Please, Ma, I really need to write the university entrance examination to gain admission into any university.”

Mrs. Gina growled, “And who will sponsor your school fees, Becky? Did you forget how your loving father cast me and Mia away? Well, in case you've forgotten, let me remind you that the money that I'm using to feed you now is the money that I'm supposed to use to pay the previous old maids that I have sent away. There’s no money in this house, and I cannot take my business money to sponsor your education fees at any university. Why am I even explaining all this to you? Just get out of my sight now! Before I break your head!” Mrs. Gina shouted, and Becky finally went back into the kitchen.

Nathan was the gate man of the mansion, and he knocked and walked into the living room. He stepped in to inform Mrs. Gina that the school bus had arrived to take Mia to school.

Nathan knew that Mrs. Gina wasn't the madam of the house before, but after his late madam’s dismissal, Mrs. Gina finally took over the mansion and became the new madam of the house.

He greeted Mrs. Gina, “Good morning, ma. The school bus has arrived to take Mia to school.”

Mrs. Gina sighed and replied, “It's okay, Nathan. You can leave us and inform the driver that Mia will be outside soon."

"Okay, Madam," Nathan bowed and immediately left the living room. He's a 35-year-old man, and he sighed and went outside to inform the school bus driver to wait.

Mia was through with her breakfast, as she enjoyed the noodles and fried eggs that Becky had cooked. She stood up from her dining chair and carried her black school bag away from the next chair, as she said to her mother, “Mom, I'm off to school. Take care."

“Okay, my baby. Take care too," Mrs. Gina replied and sighed as she stood watching her only child exit the living room.

Mrs. Gina stared back at the dining table and went to pick up the dirty plate and tray that Mia had used.

She wondered what Becky was still doing inside the kitchen, so she went into the kitchen to find out by herself instead of calling Becky.

~~~~

Becky stood beside the kitchen sink, washing her face. Her big brown eyes had turned pure red. She heard the sound of the kitchen door slide open, and she immediately turned around to see her stepmother walking into the kitchen.

"What are you standing there beside the kitchen sink doing?" Mrs. Gina asked, glaring at Becky.

Becky quickly replied, "Nothing, Ma. I was washing my face."

"Hmm," Mrs. Gina was silent, and she walked up to the kitchen sink too to drop the dirty tray and plate there, so that Becky could wash them.

She stared at the noodles carton that was on top of the cabinet that was open and saw the three noodle packets and two eggs that Becky had placed on the cabinet to cook.

She asked Becky, "Why did you place the noodles and eggs there?"

Becky nervously replied, "I want to cook them, ma."

"Hmm," Mrs. Gina walked towards the carton of noodles that she had bought the previous week. She inspected it, noticing the noodles were the smaller-sized packets.

She asked again, “How many noodles did you cook for Mia today?” 

“Two noodles, Ma,” Becky nervously replied.

"Two noodles, and how many noodles am I seeing here that you want to cook for yourself alone?" Mrs. Gina asked in shock, as she stared into the carton and saw that it was almost empty.

Becky shuddered and replied, “Three noodles, Ma.”

“Three noodles! Just for you alone! My goodness!" Mrs. Gina gasped, staring back at Becky, who was shuddering backward.

Mrs. Gina asked, "Did you plan to turn me into a thief overnight? How can you finish just three noodles and two eggs at once? No wonder you still look so fresh even after killing your late parents..." Mrs. Gina's eyes burned coals at Becky, who was shivering in fright, and she stared back into the carton and counted it.

She said, “Only one noodle and one egg is enough for you from today henceforth. If I find out that you cook more than one noodle and one egg per day for yourself alone, then you will see the other side of me. "It's remaining just 10 noodles inside this carton. When I bought it newly, it was 40 packets. So automatically, you and Mia have eaten 30 noodle packets just in this week. And I am sure that you ate the most. Now return those two packets back into this carton to make it twelve, and you cook just one noodle and one egg for yourself. But before that, first prepare my tea, and bring it out to the dining table now.”

Mrs. Gina let go of the noodles carton and walked out of the kitchen while Becky sobbed and quickly rushed up to the teacup cabinet to prepare her stepmother's tea. Just the way she knew her stepmother would like it.

Becky finally stepped out of the kitchen and into the dining room, carrying a tray of hot tea in her hands. She walked up to the dining table and served it in front of her stepmother, who sat there patiently waiting for her.

Becky finally went back into the kitchen to prepare her own breakfast. As she prepared one noodle and one egg for herself, she didn't want her stepmother to punish her.

After she was through cooking the noodle and egg, Becky sat on a stool in the kitchen and started eating her noodle docilely as she sobbed.

She missed her parents and knew that her late father was a billionaire, and money was never a problem.

Tears freely rolled down from Becky's eyes as she knew her stepmother hated her and wondered who would speak to her stepmother now on her behalf, as none of her relatives seemed to care anymore after her stepmother had arrested them before.

They were only concerned about her late father's properties, his oil company, and mega houses too.

Becky finished eating her breakfast, stood up from the kitchen stool, and went to drop her plate in the dirty sink to wash it out.

Later, she stepped out to find out if her stepmother was through with her tea so she could wash the teacup and tray too.

Becky saw that her stepmother was no longer at the dining table, as the mansion seemed silent.

She heard the sound of a car starting in the garage, and she walked up to the dining room window and gazed out. 

Becky saw that her stepmother had driven out from the garage, using one of her late father's expensive new cars. Her late father had up to five brand-new spotless cars, including three Jeeps.

Becky sighed and went back into the kitchen to wash all the dirty used plates and teacups there before she went upstairs to her bedroom to sleep and rest for the day, as she was so tired and home alone.

After her bath, she wore another light blue gown and laid on her bed, wondering how she would overcome her stepmother's brutality daily. She then fell asleep on the bed.

***

Later in the evening, Mrs. Gina arrived home from her boutique shop, where she sold feminine wear, and drove into the mansion premises to park the car.

She stepped down from the red car and locked the car door using the car remote.

She remembered how her late husband had agreed to buy a car for her after Mia had grown up to be a 5-year-old little girl and complained that Becky's mother had a car, and her mother needed a car too.

That was when Mr. Leo finally decided to buy a new small car for her that she had been managing since then. 

Mrs. Gina sighed and stared at her small black car that was still parked in the garage.

She shook her head and walked up to the mansion frontage to go into the white house, where there was a beautiful fountain at the center of the compound and many beautiful flowering plants at the frontage. This was because the Late Mrs. Zoe was a floriculturist and a lover of flowers and plants.

Nathan finished locking the gate and greeted Mrs. Gina again, "Welcome back, Madam," as he saw her walking up to the mansion.

"Yes, thank you, Nathan. Did anyone come to look for me?" Mrs. Gina asked, pausing to gaze at Nathan. He replied, "No, Madam."

"Okay," Mrs. Gina answered, and climbed up the mansion steps and went into the living room.

Becky sprang up from the living room black couch as she saw her stepmother walk into the living room.

She didn't hear the sound of the car engine, as she was watching an interesting romance movie with Mia in the living room.

The flat screen television was so loud that Becky didn't know when Mrs. Gina arrived.

Mrs. Gina was wearing a long blue gown that brought out her shape, and she was carrying a black handbag too.

Becky quickly greeted her, "Good evening, Ma."

Mrs. Gina's black eyes burned coals at Becky as she didn't respond. She shifted her gaze to stare at the living room wall clock and saw it was already after 7 p.m. in the evening. Yet, Becky didn't come to her shop in the afternoon to collect the money that she needed to prepare their dinner for the night.

Mia stood up too and greeted her mother, “Good evening, Mom.”

Mrs. Gina finally stared at Mia and replied, “Evening, Mia. How are you doing today? Have you done your assignments from school yet?” 

“Yes, Mom, I have. Becky helped me to do it,” Mia responded, and Mrs. Gina sighed, "Hmm." She stared at Becky and saw her walking away towards the dining room, and she asked, “Becky, have you prepared dinner yet?”

Mrs. Gina knew that there were no foodstuffs in the house, but she still had to ask Becky that question.