Chapter 5 - Spoilt soup

Olima finally got a cab. She entered it and paid the cab driver, who drove her back to their residential estate, where the billionaires and high-profile families lived.

Upon arriving in front of the estate gate, Olima quickly paid the cab driver for her ride, then rushed through the estate gate and ran home speedily.

The estate security men wondered what was chasing Olima. They knew her to be a beautiful young lady who mostly used her legs to run errands after her parents' dismissal.

Olima approached the front of her father's mansion gate and banged on it.

Nathan quickly approached the gate from within. He pulled it open and stared at Olima's face.

"Why are you banging on the gate like that?" Nathan asked her. He liked Olima, but he knew that he couldn't cross boundaries with her, as he knew she was his former boss's daughter.

"I'm sorry. Please open the gate quickly," Olima replied with a soft voice, while Nathan stepped aside and pulled the gate open for her.

Olima then rushed into the house and approached the mansion frontage. The luxurious mansion was painted white and decorated with beautiful flowering plants at the front.

Olima nervously approached the door entrance leading into their living room.

She knocked and opened the door, then walked into the parlor.

Mia was seated in the living room couch, watching the television. As Olima stepped in, her brown eyes automatically fell on the huge wall clock, and she saw it was 8:30 p.m.

Without being told, Olima rushed into the kitchen to prepare their dinner. She knew her stepmother would soon step out and flog her mercilessly for wasting so much time in the market and arriving home late.

Olima hurriedly took out the vegetables that she had bought and washed them quickly. She unhooked the dried fishes and soaked them in a bowl of water.

After that, Olima quickly cut the meats into smaller pieces and washed them very neatly in another warm water. She switched on the gas cooker and started cooking the meat first.

With every second that ticked on the clock, Olima was sweaty all over her body, as she hurriedly cooked the soup. She jumped in fright just as she heard the kitchen door slide open.

"What took you so long to arrive home? I'm hungry," Mia said, as she walked into the kitchen and approached Olima, who was turning and tasting the soup to know if she should add more Maggi or salt.

"Here's the soup. Taste it first. Is it okay?" Olima asked Mia, as she extended the big spoon to Mia's right hand to have a taste of the soup.

Mia also didn't know how to cook. She opened her right palm, and Olima dropped a few drops of the delicious soup into it.

Mia wanted her mother to discipline Olima for making her famished, so she said, "It lacks salt. Add more salt."

Olima frowned, as she tasted the soup again and said, "It's okay like this."

Mia frowned and used her hands to carry the salt container. She opened it and poured more salt into the soup.

"Mia!" Olima exclaimed. Just then, the kitchen door slid opened and Mrs. Gina walked into the kitchen.

Olima quickly shut the pot of soup and carried it down from the gas cooker, as she was still yet to prepare the semovita that they would use to swallow the vegetable soup.

"What's going on here? It's after 9 p.m., and yet you're still cooking the soup?" Mrs. Gina questioned with a stern voice, as she walked into the kitchen.

"No, madam, I'm almost through," Olima replied.

She quickly poured water into an empty new pot and started preparing the semo, while Mrs. Gina questioned Mia, "And you? What are you standing there doing?"

"Mom, I'm hungry," Mia replied, as she stomped her feet on the ground and walked up to meet her mother.

"Go and sit at the dining table. The soup will soon be ready," Mrs. Gina said, while Mia frowned and said, "Olima, be quick please."

"Okay," Olima nervously replied as she saw her stepmother and stepsister leave the kitchen.

Olima gasped, "Phew!" Once she was through cooking the semo, she used her light blue gown to wipe off her sweaty forehead.

Olima then served out the semo, not wanting to anger her stepmother and stepsister. She quickly dished out their soups, into smaller plates and trays, then carried them out to the dining room.

Mia sat in the dining room across from her mother at the dining table, waiting.

Mrs. Gina adjusted her seat properly at the dining table to start eating.

Olima nervously walked to the dining table and dropped the tray of food there. She served it out to her stepmother first, then to her stepsister next, and reached to serve Mia's soup and semo properly too.

The dining table was silent. Next, Olima rushed back into the kitchen to get her stepmother and stepsister some bowls of water to wash their hands.

She rushed back to the dining room to serve them.

Mrs. Gina washed her hands first, as it was a different bowl of water, while Mia washed her hands next.

Olima stepped aside and asked her stepmother, "Ma, do you need anything else?"

Mrs. Gina frowned first and said, "No. Go and eat your food."

But just then, Mia gasped out, "Mom!"

"What's it?" Mrs. Gina glared at her daughter for screaming out her name, and Olima paused and stared back at Mia too.

"The soup is bitter," Mia said, making Mrs. Gina frown.

As Mrs. Gina hadn't tasted the soup but had already washed her right hand, she dipped her index finger into the soup to taste it.

Her face contorted in irritation, and she harshly stood up from the dining seat and questioned, "Olima, what's the meaning of this?"

Mrs. Gina moved out from her seat, and Olima took two steps backward as she stammered and said, "Ma... I..."

"You what? Did you taste the soup at all?" Mrs. Gina yelled, and Olima stuttered and stammered, "Ma, I did. Mia added more salt to the soup and..."

[Slap] Mrs. Gina landed Olima a hot, resounding slap on her left cheek. She approached Olima more and dragged her to the dining table, forcing Olima to taste the soup.

"Taste it and eat it and see how bitter it is. Did Mia follow you to cook it?" Mrs. Gina questioned angrily, and Olima cried and tried to explain.

[Slap] Mrs. Gina landed Olima another hot slap and started beating Olima, while Mia smiled viciously.

"You witch! You killed your parents, and now you want to kill my daughter and me too," Mrs. Gina roared at Olima.

"Please, Mother, I'm innocent. I didn't spoil the soup," Olima begged.

"Shut up! And get out! I don't want to see your ugly face here in this house again. Nathan!" Mrs. Gina yelled.

"Yes, madam," Nathan rushed into the mansion, and Mrs. Gina commanded, "Throw this witch out!"

"No! Mother, please... No! I didn't spoil the soup. Mia added more salts into it," Olima tried to beg her stepmother. But next, another hot slap landed across her left cheek again.

"One more word from you, and I will have you arrested this night, witch. Nathan, throw her outside and never let her into this mansion again," Mrs. Gina commanded.

Nathan grabbed Olima by her left wrist and dragged her out of the living room. He dragged her out of her billionaire parents' duplex and onto the street at around 10 p.m. that night.

Mia smiled victoriously, and Mrs. Gina was the happiest that the mansion now belonged to her, after succeeding in killing late husband to acquire his wealth.

Mrs. Gina walked out of the mansion to find out if Nathan had sent Olima away.