Chapter 2

Exactly three months later...

Sophia sat in front of her dresser at five-thirty a:m and packed her dark curly hair into a neat bun.

It was the best thing she had inherited from her birth mother, Cecilia. She had very beautiful curly dark hair and light skin, while Sophia had a caramel skin color, a mixture of Bernard's dark color and Cecilia's.

Cecelia, Sophia's mother was from a little village in Morocco while Bernard was from Nigeria but Bernard being a son of the soil and Cecelia an understanding wife brought up their daughter in Nigeria. Although sometimes they visited Cecilia's sister in Morocco.

Sophia finally finished with her hair and looked at her former bright caramel skin color now looked pale and needed proper care.

Since the death of her father, she'd cared less about a lot of things like food, her body, and her academics.

She wasn't doing well anymore in her departmental courses. As a future Anatomist, she was required to cover an avalanche of books and she needed time to do so.

But her stepmother Maureen wasn't helping her at all especially now her younger sister Monica was staying with them for a while claiming she was there to console her sister.

But Sophia and even Maureen knew it was because she was having another one of her regular fights with her husband Tony.

He was a taxi driver and always came home angry at his wife for silly reasons, Monica being so garrulous would rile him up the more.

She stood from her chair and made her way downstairs, she entered the kitchen to prepare their morning food Before she left for her first lectures which were by seven o'clock.

It was already a stand-by law that Sophia made breakfast before leaving for school.

Sophia looked around the kitchen and decided to make sandwiches and tea for them, so she took a slice of bread and gulped it down with water.

when she finished, she made her way outside with her bag for an early bus to school.

***

After lectures, Sophia came home and met her step mum and her aunt, Monica, in the living room laughing over some silly reality show.

"Finally you're back!" Maureen spat with malice.

"What took you so long? Eh?" She queried Sophia who stood there looking down at her worn-out sandals which by the way was her only remnant.

She feared for her life these days. Since her father's death, her stepmother became a wolf and she became her prey.

And Sophia never found the guts to stand up to her.

Maybe because she never thought people like that exist or how dark and scary Maureen's eyes turned whenever she talked to her.

"W...we had extramural practicals, it wasn't in our timetable so I didn't know We'd stay this long" She managed to explain.

"Mmh? So you expect me to believe such lies?" Maureen said and rolled her eyes.

"Maureen dear I think you're pampering this girl a lot, I mean she comes home anytime she feels like and makes up a sweet story then you ignore her. One day She'll become a thorn in your flesh Oh I've told you my mind" Monica explained with a deadly look towards Sophia.

Maureen thought for a second then replied. "Because her dead parents spoilt her that's why she can't even do anything right."

"Look at my white clothes I instructed her to wash with her hands, not the machine. The stains were still there like it became worse after she washed them" She sighed.

"Anyways I left them for you on your bed, go upstairs and see to it quickly" Waving her right hand in Sophia's direction.

It was an indication for her to leave their presence which she understood and made her way upstairs quickly.

She sighed in frustration when she saw the white cloths alongside other thick materials that needed an expert hand, not hers.

She'd thought of running away but she had no one, and nowhere. the days were dangerous.

And her mother's people were very far, they thought she lived well because that was the impression Maureen gave them the last time her mother's only surviving sibling aunt Cara visited Nigeria.

The worst part was her father never wrote any will, he fell into depression when his wife became sick and with the loan sharks who took every property of his they could till he died.

He only left her with savings for her schooling till her post-graduate degree if need be.

***

On a fateful rainy weekend, Sophia had a huge fallout with her step mum.

Because Sophia couldn't stand her step mum and aunt insult the image of her dead parents so she thought the Best thing to do was defend them, But mehn! She was so wrong.

Maureen stood up with care and landed her fury on the already scared Sophia who stood by the corner.

While Monica sat still and composed looking like she knew nothing about the situation when she was the one pouring more salts into the wound.

"You said what?!!" Maureen asked jabbing Sophia on the chest. Sophia lost her balance for a second but managed to stand firm again.

"I...I was only trying to say that my parents were the kindest of people one would ever meet and they never had any intentions of harming anyone" she finished with a little fear in her voice.

"Oh really? Are they?" Monica teased with a devilish smirk on her face.

"And they left you all alone here to be a burden to others, huh? Answer me, Sophia!!!" Maureen barked.

Then Sophia could no longer control the tears that fell down her cheeks. She hated crying in front of them especially her aunt Monica who was a sadist and loved to see her in pain.

"Am I a burden to you?" Sophia asked her step mum in a croaked voice.

"Ha!! Heavens ever since I married your Godforsaken father I acquired you as an everlasting burden, I never knew my life would become this cursed Ever!!!" She yelled.

"Then why did you agree to marry my dad? Mmh? Was it for the money?."

"I bet you were all in for the money! And now it's gone you are uncomfortable and unhappy!!!" Sophia yelled back at her furiously for calling her late father godforsaken.

Maureen rushed at her unexpectedly and pushed her near the dining table and the glass flower vase came crashing down alongside Sophia who cried in pain when the broken pieces cut through her inner elbow and blood spilled everywhere.

"My arm!" She cried.

Monica stood up from her position not able to contain her fury any longer she rushed towards Sophia grabbed her other arm and lifted her with force.

"Look idiot, you can't eat your cake and have it. Do you think you can go free because of a simple cut on your arm?... Of course not get out of this house now!!!" She commanded and pushed her away roughly.

Sophia looked at her step mum for intervention but Maureen was furious too.

"I don't ever want to see you here. Get out of my sight!" She yelled and Sophia started panicking.

How was she going to survive on the streets? She should have kept her mouth shut then. Now look she's in a bigger mess.

"I...am sorry mum, please I don't know anywhere else to go to and it's raining heavily this night please."

she pleaded in a low voice, the clock on the wall read half-past twelve in the night. The nights are dangerous.

"GET. OUT. OF. My House Now!!!!" Maureen launched herself at her and pushed her roughly out of the house and banged the door in front of her equally hitting her little finger which was on the wall near the door.

Sophia cried out in pain. She sat on the floor leaning against the door and cried her heart out. Monica patted her sister on the back.

"You did the right thing Maureen that girl is only a burden to you, at least with her gone you can plan to settle down again."

Sophia cried outside the house for as long as she could recall until suddenly the door opened and Monica came out.

"Didn't you hear my sister well? She said get out of the house and last time I checked these premises is part of it" She said waving her arm around as an indication.

"Aunt Monica please I beg of you, am very sorry let me in and I promise never to talk back at you or her again please help me plead with mum" She cried.

Monica grabbed her and made a beeline for the gates once she reached there not minding the heavy rain pounding down on her too, she pushed Sophia out and locked the gate.

Then wiped a cloud of nonexistent dust off her palms.

Sophia walked down the street under the heavy rain. Lucky her she wore a hoodie over, her hair and face were saved but the rest of her was drenched.

Deep in thought and the rain washing away her fresh hot tears, with the few people who remained on the street with their umbrellas and raincoats running for shelter. 

Not minding the prickly feeling caused by her earlier wound Sophia made it onto a lonely path and crossed the road to an unknown destination.

Her mind was in overdrive, all her life she'd been sheltered and loved never exposed to the ruckus of the world.

But everything was different now, she was afraid and cautious of anyone on the lonely street, hoodlums, kidnappers, rapists, and so on.

Now everything happening was like a dream to her, never in her wildest dreams would she ever imagine herself homeless.

Oh had she known the feelings of those beggars she saw on the untidy market roads homeless and hungry, She would have shown more love and care.

She wasn't so lucky then as fate had other intentions, Sophia heard a loud bang and some treacherous sound like a sack of bones hitting the tarred road.

Unable to figure out where the sound was from, Sophia twisted her neck to her left but felt an excruciating pang of pain run down her spine.

And that was when she saw the red liquid...

Her blood, the smell of gasoline and tire, her thoughts became hazy and darkness took precedence.