~Yemisi~

"Tricia!" His voice echoed through my mind.

I despised him with every fiber of my being.

"Tricia! I have more than enough to give you," he called again, his voice dripping with arrogance. Laughter erupted around me.

Suddenly, his hand was on mine. "Tricia," he whispered.

"Don't touch me!" I screamed, jolting upright from my bed.

Rubbing my eyes, I groaned, "Not this dream again."

I grabbed my phone to check the time. 11:12 a.m.

"Oh no!" I exclaimed, jumping out of bed and rushing downstairs.

"Se e sun dada(Did you sleep well)?" Mum's voice was laced with sarcasm as she glanced up from her book. She sat comfortably in the living room.

"Just because there's no school doesn't mean you should sleep until noon," Kayode chimed in from across the room, his eyes glued to his phone, likely watching anime.

"Good morning, Mom," I greeted, trying to ignore their remarks.

"A ti e ro pe o ni ji mo" Mum teased again, casting me a playful glance.

I rolled my eyes, spreading my arms wide. "But I'm awake, aren't I?"

I moved toward the dining table, but before I could sit, Mum's voice stopped me in my tracks. "Oluwayemisi Tricia Adekunle. Rule No. 5."

I huffed and dragged myself to the bathroom. Rule No. 5 in our house was unbreakable: No child can eat or drink without first bathing and brushing.

Ten minutes later, I was back at the table.

"Ten minutes, Yemisi!" Mum called out.

"No time to waste!" I replied, diving into my breakfast.

After eating, I returned to my room. Ireti and I were deep in conversation about potential suspects for the investigation. Then, I heard the distinct sound of a car pulling up outside.

Mum was home.

I hurried downstairs, my stomach sinking at the thought that Alessia's mum might be here again, causing trouble. But as I reached the door, the person standing at our entrance stunned me.

It was Mr. Gerald Bailey.

I hadn't seen him since I left primary school, about four years ago. Back then, I had admired him, dreamed of having a company as big and successful as his. He had been the perfect role model.

Until I realized the truth.

He was my father.

The father who had rejected me. Rejected us.

The memory churned my stomach. All the admiration I had once felt turned to bitterness. He had known what Mum went through before she met him. All she ever asked was that he take responsibility for us-his children. But he had walked away. And now, here he stood, acting as though we owed him something.

"What do you want?" Mum's voice was icy.

I wanted her to throw him out, the same way they had thrown her out fourteen years ago.

"I just want to talk," he said quietly.

"Then talk," Mum replied, her voice sharp.

"I'm really sorry," he began.

"Yeah, I find that hard to believe," Kayode cut in, his tone dripping with disdain.

Mr. Bailey-my father-looked at me, clearly expecting me to speak. But all I felt was hatred, and anything I said would be too cruel.

"Your wife came here a few days ago, made quite a scene," Kayode said.

"I didn't know about that, but I'm sorry," Mr. Bailey responded, his voice trembling slightly.

"Your apology doesn't erase what she said," Kayode shot back. "Let's be real-if you truly cared about us, you wouldn't have abandoned us fourteen years ago."

"We've done fine without you. So please, just leave," Kayode ordered coldly.

Mr. Bailey flinched, visibly hurt, but said nothing as he turned and walked away.

"He didn't even try to beg for forgiveness," I muttered, watching him go.

"His ego's too big for that," Kayode said, echoing my thoughts.

"That was a lot," I said, finally exhaling.

"Quite a lot," Mum agreed, looking at Kayode. "I never taught you to be disrespectful."

"Respect is earned," Kayode retorted.

Mum shook her head. "Rada rada." And with that, she disappeared into her room.

---

Aderonke

"Ma'am, we're done," the investigators said, breaking my thoughts.

"Finally," I muttered under my breath, watching as they packed up. They had been here for half an hour, combing through Alessia's room, collecting items for their investigation. It stung to see them going through her things, but I knew it was necessary.

"Thank you for your cooperation," one of them said politely before leaving.

I forced a smile as I waved them off, but once the door closed, I let out a deep sigh. I picked up my phone, frustration mounting. "Is this blogger ever going to respond?" I muttered to myself.

Just then, the door creaked open.

"Hi, honey," I greeted my husband, but he didn't respond. His expression was stormy.

Was he still upset about the slap?

Wait, he never leaves the house on Mondays.

"Where did you go?" I asked, curious.

"What did you do at Fisayo's on Friday?" he shot back, his tone demanding.

"Why do you ask?" I replied, feigning nonchalance.

"What did you do?" he shouted.

"Don't you dare raise your voice at me over that wayward woman," I yelled, standing my ground.

"Get away from me," he spat, shoving me aside.

"Gerald! Is that how it's going to be? Don't worry. By the time I'm done, you won't have anything left to shout about," I retorted.

His eyes narrowed. "What did you just say?"

I didn't answer.

---

Ireti

I paced back and forth in my room, waiting for Yemisi to call me with an update. She'd told me her mum had hired investigators to look into Alessia's disappearance, and they had just returned with some items from her room.

My phone buzzed.

Finally. "Hallelujah!" I said, picking up.

"Ireti, this is huge," Yemisi's voice crackled with excitement.

"What's going on?" I asked.

"Who got first place in science class last year?" she asked.

"Alessia," I replied, confused.

"Well, her results say otherwise."

"What do you mean?" I asked, my curiosity piqued.

"I mean, first place students don't typically score F9 in core subjects," Yemisi said.

"Wait, Alessia got F9 in her core subjects?" I repeated, stunned.

"Alessia Bailey has a lot more to hide than we thought," she whispered.

_____________________
Author's Note
Hey lovelies
I know your wait isn't worth this rubbish I just posted so I am going to make up for it
Chapter 10 is coming up in a few minutes.
Thanks so much for voting
Please don't forget to vote on this chap too even though is rubbish I give Una
Love yaa 💕❤️❤️💛💛💛💛