Chapter 6

Cora

"Do you feel pain anywhere?" She asked me in a frantic tone. At first, I couldn't speak.

"Maybe we need to take you to the hospital after all."

That was when I snapped back to reality.

"I'm fine, I'm fine." I quickly said. I didn't want to go to any hospital. It would bring back the memories that I was trying to bury. The wounds still felt fresh and I didn't know when I started crying.

"Oh dear," I heard her walking close to me. The space beside me sank a bit and I felt a hand running across my shoulders.

"Whatever the problem is, it will be alright." Her voice was soothing to the soul and in no time, I found myself wiping my tears.

"Thank you very much for your generosity. I don't know where I would have been without you." I sniffled lightly as I thanked her.

"Might I ask, what were you doing by that time? Didn't you know it was dangerous to be out there alone?"

My face fell to the ground.

"It's a long story." I simply replied. I didn't want to talk about it especially not to a total stranger.

She rubbed my shoulders gently with a smile on her face.

"I understand you, dear. It is not very easy to speak about your hurts. Why don't you get some rest and we'll figure out what you want to do later, okay?" She stood up and left the room. I laid back on the bed, thinking about what would have happened to me. My heart fell at the betrayal of everybody but I wasn't ready to sit back and wallow in self-pity. I needed to get back at all of them.

I stayed in the lady's house for over two days and got to know that she was a very successful businesswoman. She was like my role model. When I felt I was overstaying my welcome, I decided to meet her.

"I know you don't want me here and I don't want to inconvenience anymore with my problems...." Before I could finish up my statement, she interrupted me.

"Nonsense! What are you talking about? How can I send you out after finding out you are my daughter? What mother would do such a thing?"

Her statement shocked me. What daughter was she talking about? I was too confused to speak.

"I'm sorry dear but I had to carry out a DNA test after I saw you that day. You have the same birth marks as my daughter that was taken forcefully from me."

"I don't understand. What are you saying? My parents died immediately after I was born." I was getting angry because I thought she was being delusional. I've just been in her house for two days and she's already calling me her daughter. Was she trying to keep locked up forever?

Fear crept into my mind at that thought. Would I never see the world again?

She only stood up and walked away. Minutes later, she came back with an envelope.

"This will give you all the evidence you need."

I hesitantly collected the envelope. I was curious to see where she was driving at. Tears dripped down my laps when I saw photos of my exact birthmark as a baby. Even the pendant that I've always had with me was there. There was no way this was framed. It couldn't be a coincidence too.

"I wasn't an orphan after all." I sniffled.

"But why did you abandon me? All these while, I thought I was alone in this world."

She sat beside me and wiped my tears.

"I didn't abandon you. Your father took you from me because he wanted to get back at me. I searched years for you and everywhere." She embraced me sideways.

"You have no idea how happy I am to see you, Cora. The void in my life suddenly feels completed."

*

Long story short, I started working as my mother's secretary. The first day was quite tough because she had employed me against all odds. The main secretary had to be pushed back to being assistant and that alone was enough to bring hateful eyes toward me.

Even some main executives were against my employment. At first, I wanted to just opt out but my mother insisted.

"You are a billionaire heiress, my love. If you want to keep that position, you must learn how to handle all my business."

She made me understand that those execu'thieves' wanted the company to themselves. Now that she had an heir, it would be very difficult. That alone made me energetic to want to show them what I was made of.

"Why do I feel like our boss is being duped by this fraudster?" One of the top female executives cornered me one faithful morning, together with her assistant.

"For all I know, you could be deceiving her with one fake DNA test result? You don't look trustworthy to me."

"If you have a problem, take it up to her and steer clear from me. The next time you confront me like this, you will not like the outcome. Speaking of trustworthiness, you shouldn't throw stones when you know you have a glass house. I saw you with Jordan." The moment I called that name, she gasped. Jordan was one of my mother's rivals.

I eyed her maliciously and walked away. If I became chief, she would be the first person to leave. I did my underground check on each of the staff and each had cockroaches in their cupboard. Although I didn't tell my mother about it. I didn't want her to bother herself about it.

I was continually bullied, especially when my stomach was beginning to show. I was called all sorts of names and was told I wouldn't last in that company, but I held my ground. They were the least of my problems. I had bigger people to deal with once I became chief.

One night, I returned from the company exhausted. I was the last person to leave because I wanted to secure a meeting with one of the top distributors of groceries. We needed them to get to open one of their branches in our department store.

"You shouldn't stress yourself too much, my dear. I don't want anything happening to my grandbaby." She caressed my bare stomach in circles. It felt good and when we felt the baby kick, we looked at each other and laughed.

"Have you thought of a name?" I asked.

"Not really. But if I were to ever choose a name, it would be the name I gave you initially after birth. Lisa."

"Lisa," I repeated. The name rolled out easily and was sweet to pronounce.

"That's a lovely name mother. Lisa Moore."

"She'll be the princess of the Moore empire." A faint smile appeared on her lips. I was so glad to have met this woman. She changed my life completely and her light gave me the courage to move on with life and make something out for me and my mother. I bless the day I met her.

"Thank you, mother. For all you have done for me and Lisa. We will forever be grateful to you."

"You both are my world." She kissed my stomach and then my forehead.