Chapter dedication: xx_Symphony_xx. Thank you for the sweet messages you sent to my dm. I appreciate💕

Song of the chapter: Hold on — Justin Bieber.

♤

I need you to hold on. Heaven is a place not too far away.
—𝓙𝓾𝓼𝓽𝓲𝓷 𝓑𝓲𝓮𝓫𝓮𝓻

♤

Cloudless sky.

Dry air.

Early morning humidity.

They were all signs of the climatic conditions as we are fast approaching towards the end of the year. And I for one, was glad that this year was going to end in a worthwhile note at least.

To be honest, this year has been such a whole rollercoaster ride filled with ups and downs. I cannot begin to think of how my life changed drastically or should I say, how it always had an issue here and there?

...

CIGs Welfare team!

>>𝙁𝙞𝙧𝙨𝙩 𝙙𝙖𝙮 𝙤𝙛 𝘿𝙚𝙘𝙚𝙢𝙗𝙚𝙧, 𝘼𝙍𝘼𝙈𝙄𝘿𝙀 𝘽𝙊𝙇𝘼, 𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙚 𝙪𝙥 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙗𝙚 𝙥𝙧𝙤𝙙𝙪𝙘𝙩𝙞𝙫𝙚. 𝘿𝙤 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙡𝙚𝙩 𝙖𝙣𝙮𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜 𝙧𝙪𝙞𝙣 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙝𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙞𝙣𝙚𝙨𝙨 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙨 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙝𝙚𝙣𝙘𝙚𝙛𝙤𝙧𝙩𝙝. 𝙃𝙖𝙥𝙥𝙮 𝙣𝙚𝙬 𝙢𝙤𝙣𝙩𝙝 𝙬𝙞𝙨𝙝𝙚𝙨 𝙛𝙧𝙤𝙢 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙢𝙖𝙣𝙖𝙜𝙚𝙢𝙚𝙣𝙩 𝙤𝙛 𝘾𝙄𝙂𝙨.

...

I almost double over in laughter, as I scroll through my message inbox as the text from the school management pops up. But then, who am I to complain?

Looking at the bright side, I am not to allow anything to ruin my happiness this month and henceforth. My life isn't to be wasted on the vile things of life that doesn't matter.

"It's December! Twenty-four days to Christmas! Oh ohhh sing along with me dear people, cause Christmas holiday is coming so..." My room door thrusts open with such a force that I feared that it would have been pulled down already. I'm donned in my sleeping shorts and an oversized T-shirt and my unmade hair is neatly packed in my bonnet. So you can imagine how I look with my hairbrush clutched tightly in my right grip, as I sing horribly to the song I just made up.

"Come and get your fücking clothes out of the machine. I need to use it." Cheryl looks so disheveled and distrust that you would think she was just picked from the streets, or she made a grand escape from an asylum.

However, I hiss and pretend she isn't in existence at all, so I blatantly ignore her and even jump on my water bed to spite her more. Through the corner of my eyes, I can see she is trying so much not to walk over and smack me down with a heavy slap but she knows she can never do such with the leverage I have over her.

"Imbecile! You'll regret this I swear." She mutters despicabley and storms out of my room.

"Don't forget to close the door behind you bïtch!" I yell so that she can hear me and within seconds, my door bangs with a resonating sound as she exits my room. I snort and climb down from my bed and walk over to examine my door, checking if Cheryl dented it by any chance. Satisfied with my outcome, I grab my facewipe from the dressing table and use it to clean the handle of my door.

I don't need any Cheryl germs around.

Call me petty, but it is what it is. I cannot understand how my OWN cousin will despise me to the extent that she wanted me to be raped, or better still hurt beyond measures. Shaking my head abruptly to wipe off those memories, I finally round up with cleaning my door handle and trash it into the waste bin at the corner of my room.

I swiftly put my bed in order, gathering the little sticky notes that I rough handled last night when I was making plans for my new month, and I finally move out of the room to trash my little waste to the main recycle bin with my headsets over my ears. Taking in the homely scent and scenery of the mansion, I hum silently to the playlist blasting through the headset as I finally make it to the backyard to trash the waste.

"Good morning Zion!" I acknowledge the chauffeur as he momentarily pauses from walking further, gazing at me with an etch of confusion before it transforms to a soft smile.

"Morning small madam. Wetin we dey celebrate today?" It is my turn for confusion to etch on my features, wondering why he would think there's a major event today.

"Uh, what celebration?" I ask, balancing my weight from one feet to another.

"Ah, small madam you nor see as you dey smile up and down? E sure me say you never dey this happy since oga and madam bring you come this castle."

The light chuckle that escapes my lips are irreversible. I have reminded him times without number, that he should stop calling me small madam, he should cease from speaking pidgin with me, and he should stop referring to the mansion as a castle. I am very much aware of the fact that he is a university dropout and can speak English correctly, so I wonder why he is hell bent on bending the agreement we made when I was initially a newbie here.

I am quite suprised he was able to pick on the fact that I have never been this happy although I always smile and laugh to cover up my real pain for so long. I guess genuine happiness can be spotted from afar. Even a blind man can note when someone is genuinely happy and contented.

"Thank you Zion." I reply softly, giving him an appreciative nod the same time.

"Why the appreciation? Come on it's not necessary at all." He replies with a coy smile and continues to carry out with his previous duty. My mouth drops open in mortification.

Holy molly!

Did Zion just speak correct english?

I knew he had the tendencies of speaking English in an actual statement. But this...

"Aramide!" My name is being yelled from the upstairs balcony and I hiss, knowing it is Cheryl who is still pissed that I have not removed my clothes from the machine yet.

Take a chill pill dear cousin. Uggh!

I roll my eyes as I make my way back to inside, taking my sweet precious time to delay her as much as possible.

Finally getting to the laundry room located at the east wing of the mansion, I sight Cheryl who is fuming terribly. I can literally feel the radiation of anger waves, emitting from her body.

"Chillax couz. How can ordinary clothes vex you like this?" I ask bemusedly, as I strutter to where the huge washing machine was placed. Removing my dried clothes from the spinning section, I can see her clenching and unclenching her fists by my side. I smirk, feeling so adventurous as I try to push her buttons more and more.

She deserves torture.

"Oh just look at this! My hands are paining me. I don't think I can remove all my clothes dear Cher." I think that did it for her, as she bangs the side of the machine out of anger.

"Playing games with me aren't you? You're such a dimwited piece of shït." She belts out in pure rage and pushes me out of the way with force, as she attempts to remove my clothes herself.

"Cheryl stop!" She is now dumping them on the floor with a wicked grin coating her face.

"Cheryl!" I cry out as she continues to rip my clothes out of the machine.

"Kishii!" This time, a foreign voice has been added to the scene and it didn't take us more than a minute to discover it is uncle Tee.

"Kishii what are you doing?" Uncle Tee is quite the tall one. Walking into the laundry room with his glorified six foot tall height, and that dominance of being a multimillionaire in dollars gives him this air of ultimate power. He is currently donned in a Christian Dior slides, khaki knickknacks and a chest fitted tank top alongside his Richard Mille wristwatch. It is quite obvious he has been at home and I am presuming he is working from home today.

"Dad, I was only removing Aramide's clothes from the machine. I need to use the machine also." She serves her father a sickly smile, that even I would have believed her. Her eyes catches mine for a brief second, threatening me not to contradict her words.

"Aramide is that true?" Uncle Tee glances back to me, watching me upfront if I would make an attempt to contradict her.

Deep in my heart, I knew I provoked Cheryl. So I would simply go with her words.

I'm not doing it because she threatened me, but because I want her to know covering up for one another is important. Even though she has hurt me so many times.

"She's right uncle Tee. She was just helping me and we started messing around from there." I reply with a straight face and my mouth feels heavy and droopy, just by uttering those lies.

Uncle Tee is silent as he scans the laundry room with his prying eyes, trying to pick on something but eventually, he doesn't.

"No more messing around kids. Do your chores and come down for breakfast." He orders lastly, and closes the entrance door on us. After his exit, I hear Cheryl sigh as she faces the wall immediately. I wonder why she is acting so strange but I am in no way accountable for how she feels. Grabbing my remaining clothes and dumping them into my basket, I make my way out of the laundry room that has managed to choke me because of her nastitaty existence.

I wish I can hate you Cheryl.

I just can't.

I shut my eyes firmly, willing the events of the past to get past me, but they keep coming, haunting the deepest part of my memory box.

I thought I was stronger than this!

I want to be happy.

I need to be happy as a matter of fact.

"Yo, are you good?" Opening my eyes slightly, I am greeted with the presence of a shirtless Derek. He had only his shorts on so I'm wondering what he was up to, that made him walk around shirtless. As if he can read my thoughts explicitly, he answers before I could.

"I was getting some things done. Don't mind me being half naked." I nod my head absent mindedly and didn't care if he was bare chested because before any of us could say anything, I already lurched myself at him. Enveloping him in a bear hug.

He is clearly shocked at my spontaneous and out of the blue hugging and I cannot blame him. If I was him, I would at be confused at me also.

"Just hug me back. Please." I mumble with a quiet voice. He doesn't hesitate, as he wraps his arms around me gently, eventually overwhelming my body frame although I am not petite in height.

"Are you okay? Who hurt you?" He rambles on and on, his chest vibrating with the flow of his speech. I chuckle slightly at the way his chest rambled against my cheek.

"I'm okay couz. My mind is just conflicted with my heart." Smiling sadly, I step away from the embrace to look him in the eyes. "I just want to be happy without drama, you know."

His eyes hold a soft gaze on hearing my words. "You WILL be happy okay?" He assures as he pats my back soothingly. I nod even though his short statement sounded nothing close to an assurance.

"Anyways," He clears his throat noisily and I know that is a sign that we shouldn't divulge into the matter further. "Let me wear an appropriate top, then you brush your teeth. Your breath reeks foully." He scrunches his nose in a mock manner. I gasp and grab a random clothing of mine from my basket and use it to whip him.

"You're a big fool!" I yell and laugh simultaneously.

"Children! Breakfast time!" Oge the mansion cook, informs us through the intercom. I flip the bird at Derek, promising to deal with him as I make a leave for my room. I cannot afford to miss breakfast.

Time for the love of my life, FOOD!

︵‿︵‿︵‿︵

"Are you sure you want more?" Oge asks skeptically, wondering why I kept piling my plate and asking for more. Do not blame me! I've always been ccautious about my eating habit around my extended family and I decided to throw those cautious to the wind henceforth.

"Just a little bit more. No bigge." I smile and heap my plate with potato fries and salad. From the corner of my eyes, I see my uncle leaning towards Onome, trying to whisper something to her ears.

"Do you think she's alright?" Uncle Tee isn't too subtle about his whispering and I roll my eyes at that.

"Dad, we can all hear you." Derek states the obvious, with a slight smirk coating his face.

"Drama queen as usual." Cheryl retorts with a low tone as she picks around her food, her eyes digging into mine. I wink back at her and hold onto her scaredy gaze. I feel a sudden pain on my left foot at that moment and I yelp slightly, facing the culprit.

"What is it?" I crouch a little, trying to examine the foot Derek just stomped on.

"Stop the games. You're provoking my sister and you know that." I would have thought he was defending Cheryl but since I knew better, he is only trying to prevent me from going deep into my stupid adventure. Till now, Derek, his parents and most masses did not know of my almost getting raped incident neither do they know Cheryl has a hand in it. I wonder how they would all react if they know dear Cheryl isn't who she truly is.

"How has your practice been going dear?" Uncle Tee decides to clear the air as he flexes his fingers on the dinning table.

"Just great! I have the opportunity to dance. To feel alive like I have never felt before. It is so refreshing to know I can still dance that way. I'm also excited and nervous at the same time for being featured at my first music video ever. Besides, Mr French is a great dance instructor." I ramble out to an amused audience except Cheryl of course, who is clearly bored at my response.

Actually, ever since I started my dance practice few weeks back, I saw my future with a bright hope. I saw life with a new meaning and you can guess that was were my positivity started from. For the first time in my whole existence, I believed in myself. I believed I could get rid of my shyness and social anxiety. I was becoming much bolder each day and it scared me that I was only having social anxiety because I was locked up for the whole fifteen years of my existence.

"Wow, I should really drop by some day. Just send your practice schedule to my mail. You need love and support from us." Uncle Tee mumbles with a small smile as my mouth hangs open. Uncle Tee coming to watch my practice would be such a huge deal to me. I didn't know the time I stood up from my seat and went over to hug him from behind.

"Thanks so much uncle Tee! I love you all so much!" Onome eyes were already stung with little droplets of tears at my display.

"We love you too sweetie." She answers with a smile of hers and before I can say, Jack Robinson, she clutches her mouth and stomach firmly and stands up abruptly, running out of the dinning room.

Everyone exchanged a look and at the same time, we mumble "Morning sickness." Honestly pregnancy affected Onome in so many ways. Like crying just now, which isn't something that should be emotional but of course, her hormones are tender.

Uncle Tee sighs and pushes back his seat. "Clear the table kids. I need to take care of your mum." He rubs his forehead wistfully and follows the path she followed. I simply go back to my seat, shuffle my hands and widen it excitedly.

"More food for me!" I yell and started bringing all the dishes towards me. Derek shakes his head in amusement, throwing snarky retorts at me.

"You disgust me, pig." Cheryl mutters and stands up from the table abruptly.

"You disgust me too Cher bear!" I mumble with a mouthful.

"I can never understand this two feud." I guess that was meant to be said in Derek's mind but then, I heard him. I shake my head sadly,

If only you knew, Derek.

Author's note.

An update!

I know I'm late and I'm so sorry! Hope I'm forgiven??

Anyways what do you think of this chapter?

What leverage does Aramide have over Cheryl? Or do you support the way she is taunting Cheryl?

And guys, try to be more active. I appreciate the votes I see but comment so that I can know what is in y'all minds yeah? It boosts my morale as I would update more and more🥺

By the way, those that message me, both on message board and my DM. I love y'all so much! Thank you😭❤ it means a lot to me. My dms are always open. I don't snub o, so you're free to talk to me.

Book recommendation: HIM by PricelessMasson_  Omo if you're not reading this book, you are missing! Nice masterpiece for all!!! Go check it out!

Q: If given the opportunity, would you like to go for the BBN(Big brother Naija) program?