Chapter 2

“You’ve to stop now…” Kaylie told herself, giving herself reasons to stop crying.

Her tears had been uncontrollable since she walked out of the mansion and got into the cab which had been driving for over an hour, heading to her family’s home. The place where someone who hated her and never hid it lived.

She wished there was somewhere else to go, but there was none. She had no friends because her mother forbade her from moving with her peers from childhood till she graduated from college.

Kaylie was just a little girl in an orphanage home before  Emily and Andrew adopted her. They hadn’t conceived a child when they adopted her, and after they were blessed with one, they neglected her.

Emily constantly reminded Kaylie that she had no place in the family and that even if she would have one in the world, it would be while serving under her daughter, Wendy.

“You’re nothing without us! We took you in so your entire life, don’t you ever compete with my daughter! The only reason you still exist is to serve her.”

Emily repeatedly told Kaylie until Kaylie gave up on finding herself a place in her and Andrew’s hearts.

Ever since she moved into the family, the only person whom she could see his love as genuine was her grandfather, whose presence guarded her. He never let her feel left out when he was around. But she last saw him a month after her wedding so, heading towards the family’s home, she already knew what she would have to put up with- a father, who careless about her and a mother, who would do anything to satisfy and favor her biological so all she would face was abuse and a reminder of who she was.

“We’re there, young lady.” The driver proclaimed immediately as they arrived in front of the described destination- 16, Baboko Street, Surulere city.

“Thanks.” She said.

She wiped her face with the left dorsum and crawled her bottom to the seat edge before she opened the door and got down.

She stepped aside for the car to reverse and after watching it drive away, she exhaled softly and walked towards the house. She entered the compound and glimpsing at her mom and dad’s cars in the parking lot, she halted.

“Am I ready for this?” She asked herself, clenching the edge of her top.

She waited for another second before she controlled her mind, telling herself, “I’ve got to face this. Remember, Kaylie, you’re heartbroken and in pain, but what did you say you won’t do? What did you promise yourself?”

“Be strong and don’t react recklessly. You can’t talk back or fight either of them, so be patient and ignore them. Okay?”

 She released her top and even though a part of her mind told her to turn back and never go in, the determined part encouraged her and kept pushing her to move forward until she opened the door, and immediately as she stepped inside the sitting room, Emily stood from the couch and rushed to her.

“What did you say to Wendy?!” Emily challenged immediately as she arrived at Kaylie’s front.

Kaylie closed the door behind her. She had been forbidden to look at Emily’s eyes and since she wasn’t in for a fight, she slightly stared downward. “Mom-” she called, but Emily cut her off.

“Don’t call me that!” Emily cautioned with a raised voice. “I’m asking what happened between you and Wendy. What did you do to my daughter? What did you say to her?”

Kaylie sighed. “Nothing much,” she let out. “I just told her she’s stupid for-”

Emily scoffed, feeling irritated with the little Kaylie just said, and without allowing her to complete her statement, she slapped her. “How dare you!” She shouted. “How dare you say that to my daughter?!”

Kaylie faced downward. “Oh!” She groaned, holding her cheek. She rubbed her cheek until she felt relieved and raised her head.  “I knew Wendy had called you but did she tell you exactly what happened?”

She took her hand off her cheek and stretched it out beside her with her eyes widened, wanting to raise her voice. “I caught her and…”

“Shut your mouth!” Emily showed no interest. She knew about what happened. She had known about Byran and Wendy’s relationship a week after they started and she supported it.

Emily suggested it should be a secret until after Jaxon shares his property so he wouldn’t blame Wendy or hate her. But since Kaylie found out already and things were in Emily’s control, she didn’t care anymore. “I know about it,”

“I know about it from the moment it started until now.” Emily confessed.

Kaylie’s eyes widened and her lips quivered with a lot of words running in her mind, but her mouth refused to open. She knew Emily had always despised her existence, but she didn’t expect it would be that bad.

Why didn’t Emily stop the affair before it was too late?

Why didn’t she just order her to divorce Bryan so Wendy could have her before now?

Why did she watch her spend so much time in darkness when she could have commanded her to leave something for Wendy just like she always did since childhood?

It wasn’t the first time Wendy would want something that originally belonged to Kaylie and Emily would instantly collect it from her and give it to her daughter. It all started with candies, gifts from their grandfather, and dresses that didn’t even fit Wendy.

All Wendy had always been after was to make sure Kaylie never had what would make her happy and with her mother’s help, she always succeeded.

“But… why… why would you do that? Why would you support such an affair?” Kaylie finally pulled out, her voice stammering. “Why didn’t you stop them? You knew it was my husband, why didn’t you forbid it?”

“Because that’s what my daughter wants?” Emily let out, giving a no-concern expression. “I’ll do anything to satisfy my daughter and make her happy. If Wendy wants anything, she’s getting it. It doesn’t matter whether or not it’s with you,”

“Whatever you have is never yours, Kaylie. Everything belongs to my daughter and if it’s with you, you’re only helping her to keep it. You’re watching after it until she needs it. That’s it.”

A drop of tears fell from Kaylie’s eyes and she wiped her eyes, preventing more from flowing out.

Emily crossed her hands over her chest. “Kaylie, have you forgotten what I always told you or do you think it no longer counts?” She asked, but Kaylie said nothing. “The only reason you exist is because of Wendy. You’re living to serve her and nothing else.”

Kaylie half closed her eyes and balled her hand into a fist to calm herself. Every word from Emily pierced her heart and she couldn’t control herself even though she came back knowing she would hear it. Her mind was boiling in rage, making her mouth desire to yell back at Emily, but since she didn’t want to go to such an extent, she discharged a deep breath to calm herself.

She turned in her old room direction and took a step past Emily.

“Are you walking out of me?” Emily questioned. She expected Kaylie would cease taking another step forward, but she kept moving so she rushed to her front. “Do you think you still have a space here?”

Kaylie ignored Emily and walked passed her again. She arrived in front of the door and, as she laid her hand on its handle, Emily dragged it with her.

Kaylie suddenly lost her mind and, not knowing what she was doing at the moment, she flinched Emily’s hand away and pushed her backward. “Leave me alone!” She yelled.

Emily’s eyes widened, and she couldn’t control herself until her body fell onto the ground. “Hun?!” She was shocked. She raised her widened eyes and fixed them on Kaylie, unable to utter a word because of the shock that was in her.

Kaylie got back to her senses and her eyes widened in disbelief at what she just did. “Mom!” She shouted and quickly ran to Emily’s side.  She bent her back to help Emily. “Mom, I’m sorry.”

Emily stood straight on her feet and pushed Kaylie away. “How dare you?!” She ground her teeth with her eyeballs turning outrageously red. She paced closer to Kaylie with her hand raised. She wanted to slap Kaylie, but her husband’s voice came from behind, stopping her.

“Stop!”

Emily took her hand down and glanced backward at her husband with a furrowed face. “Did you know what she just did?! She-”

“I know.” Andrew said, cutting Emily off.

“Hun!” A surprised tone fled Kaylie and Emily’s mouths. It was the first time Andrew was against Emily, for Kaylie’s sake- they argued countless times, but it was inside their bedroom, and for unknown reasons.

Andrew had been watching the scene for a while but didn’t want to intervene because he didn’t want to go against Emily, but he didn’t know what came upon him that for the first time, he couldn’t watch Emily maltreat Kaylie any longer.

Kaylie raised her gaze and glanced at Andrew’s face with pity. “Father…” she called in a weak tone, but before she could open her mouth to add another word, Andrew cut her off.

“Go to your room.” He commanded, avoiding eye contact with her because his heart was racing faster looking at her face.

“Father…” Kaylie called again, taking a step in Andrew’s direction. She didn’t know why a strange feeling of the need to run into his dad’s arms filled her heart at the moment, but Andrew didn’t allow her to get closer to him.

“I said go into your room!” Andrew raised his voice.

Kaylie ceased taking another step forward. She exhaled softly, suppressing her urge for a hug, and without causing another delay, she turned around and walked into her room.

Emily was shocked and she couldn’t say a word. Instead, she followed Kaylie into her room with her widely opened eyes and her mouth that she couldn’t close until Kaylie closed the door.

Immediately as the door closed, she paced to Andrew’s front and looked into his eyes, pointing her hand at Kaylie’s room. “What happened now? What did you just do? Didn’t you-”

Andrew sighed and slightly stared downward. “I understand, Emily, but she was like that because of what she’s going through at the moment,” he said. “She’s not in her right senses right now. Please, Emily, just this once, leave her alone. Please.”

-

Kaylie closed the door. She took off her shoe and jacket and flinched it on the floor and before she arrived closer to the bed, tears had forced their way out of her face.

She sat on the bed edge, tears streaming down to her cheek, following her face line to her mouth while some fell on her chest.

“Oh!” She uttered in a raised voice. She wished to scream out louder, but knowing it was useless, she controlled her mouth.

She covered her mouth with her hands and joggled her head. “Life sucks…” she whispered. She sniffed to stop crying, but the more she tried, the more the tears flooded out.

“Guess I need this…” she said to herself. She took her hands off her mouth and fell back on the floor, allowing the tears to flow out at ease.

“What should I do?”

The question that no one could answer escaped her mouth, and before another thought could zoom into her mind, she remembered Echo’s advice.

‘If you’re opportune to see a chance that could grant you freedom, take it. To live happily, ma, you need to be like a  waving flag and take steps you didn’t see coming.’

She quickly lifted her back from the bed and withered her face. “How do I go about this?” She thought for a second until an idea zoomed into her mind and her brow raised.

“Yeah! Him! Only him could help me!”