Queendom

“I don’t want that girl in my house.” My stepmother shouted, making me flinch.

“But Linda she doesn’t have anyone left in this world.” My father tried to explain while she just kept on glaring at me.

I do not know what I ever did to her but to be honest, I did not want to stay in this house either. I wanted to go to my mother, but I could not because all she ever wanted from me was to live a long and healthy life. So, no matter how much painful it is, I will fulfill her wish and her unspoken desire that she kept hidden from the world.

“I don’t care.” I was snapped out from my thoughts by my stepmother’s sudden stern voice. I looked up to find her glaring at my father.

“But it’s just for three years.”

“Three years!” She scoffed. “I won’t even keep her for an hour in this house let alone three years.” She was about to inside when suddenly two men came out. I was standing outside on the porch under bright sunlight therefore I couldn’t get a proper view of their faces but as they came nearer, I realized they were twins. They both were around twenty-seven- or twenty-eight-years of age and were alike and charming. Anyone at first glance can tell that girls swoon over them but I had one question. Who are they?

“Who is she?” One of them asked, pointing at me. It was at this moment I realized that the one who was pointing at me has a small mole at the corner of his right eye which the other one does not.

“She is nobody, son.” Oh! Right, she has two sons. How could I forget about that? I mentally slapped myself for being so careless but at the same time I could not just overlook how my stepmother’s voice changed at the sight of her sons. She might really love her sons a lot.

“If she is nobody, then why are you shouting?” The other one asked looking at their mom.

“She is not just anyone, Shawn.” My father replied. “She is my daughter.” He said placing his arm around my shoulder as if assuring that he was here for me.

“Your daughter?” The one with the mole asked.

“Yes, Steve. She is my daughter from my first wife. Her mother passed away yesterday from cancer and now she is all alone.” Dad’s voice broke as he said those last words. I looked up and found him sobbing. I was shocked would be an understatement because I was disgusted. I did not know how he could put up such an act after what he did years back. I dearly wanted to slap him across his face but held myself back because it was not the time to act up.

“So, what?” I was shocked when my stepmother’s honey-dripping voice suddenly changed into a rude one. “If you think you can gain sympathy from my sons by telling these melodramatic stories, then let me tell you Mr. Sam Anderson you ar…”

“But what’s the problem, mom?” Steve asked cutting her off mid-way.

She was confused, “What do you mean, son?” Her voice changed.

“I mean what’s the problem in keeping her with us.” He said, casually.

“Exactly.” Shawn spoke up. “I really can’t understand why you are creating a fuss over a matter like this.”

My stepmother scoffs in disbelief. “Are you two serious?”

“Do we look like we are joking?” Shawn asked, with a straight face.

My stepmother was clearly intimidated by her son as she was not answering back. She just kept looking at her feet.

As if understanding the tension between them, Steve speaks up. “Chill, bro.” He playfully hits his arm and then turn towards their mother. “And mom please let her stay with us. Do not forget that she has the rights to stay in this house just like us.”

“What?” She scoffed. “Stop talking rubbish, son.”

“I am not talking rubbish, mom.” Steve’s sweet tone suddenly changed into an authoritative one. By his look anyone can say that he was not in the mood of convincing his mom anymore, all he wanted now was just to end this topic for once and all. “She is dad’s daughter, and this is dad’s house. So, she is going to stay in this house with us. Is it okay, mom?” My stepmother just nodded in answer.

I was baffled. I could not digest the fact that this haughty woman was so easily tamed by her sons, but one thing was clear from this incident, that my stepmother is really weak when it comes to her sons but what am I going to do knowing all this when everything that’s going to happen to me was nothing but pure hell.

NEXT DAY

I was sitting on my bed for more than 2 hours and till now no one came. I was hungry but still didn’t dare to step out as my stepmother has already made a set of rules for me to stay in this house and one of them is ‘Don’t step out of your room, until you are asked to, or you need to leave the house and everything I need will be provided by Ms. Gonzalez’. So, even if I die out of hunger, I need to stay in my room.

I was at the threshold of losing my sanity when suddenly the door opened revealing Miss Gonzalez.

“I am sorry, miss.” She apologized. “I totally forgot that you were not allowed to come down. I am sorry. Forgive me.”

“It’s okay, Miss Gonzalez.” I smiled. At least she remembers that I am here otherwise no one would have cared, even if I would have died here out of hunger.

“Now come. I have already served your breakfast at the table.” I was snapped out of my thoughts by her sudden words. Come? Did she forgot that I am not supposed to get out of this room?

“Miss Gonzalez, I am not allowed to leave this room.”

“I know.” She replied. “But if you keep on staying in this room, you will soon become depressed, and no is home right now. So, just calm down, no one will know.”

“But…” Before I could protest, she pulled me out of bed and took me downstairs. She was right, no one was there, not even a single soul, it was just me and Miss Gonzalez. “Where are the other maids?” I asked, out of curiosity.

She made me sit on the chair in front of which the food was served and poured me a glass of juice. “I have sent them out for running some errands.” She replied. “I didn’t want anyone to know about this.” She added.

I knew what she was talking about and sighed sadly in my mind.

“I know how you are feeling but if I didn’t send them out, then we both would have been in trouble.” She tried explaining me, but my mind was somewhere else.

If it keeps on going like this, how am going to fulfill my mother’s wish?

“Miss…”

I must do something.

“Miss…”

Or else I will lose everything.

“MISS STELLA.” I jumped up on my seat by sudden raise in her voice.

“What?” I gulped.

“What are you thinking about so much?” She asked.

“Nothing.” I smiled, taking a bite of my sandwich.

“It seems like I was right.” I was confused by her sudden words.

What does she mean? Did she…

“Look, you are already depressed.” She said with concern in her voice.

I let out a relieved sigh and slightly nodded before continuing with my breakfast.

I was really enjoying the breakfast. It seemed like I did not have had any meal for quite some time but as I was about to take the last bite, I heard the front door open.

I quickly looked up to Ms. Gonzalez and whispered. “Wasn’t the door locked?”

“No.” She mouthed, shaking her head gesturing a no.

I was totally baffled.

How can she make such a mistake even after being so cautious?

I was losing my mind. I did not know what to do. The only thing that was going on in my mind was “My room.” I was about to run to my room when suddenly Ms. Gonzalez grabbed my wrist. “Stop.” She whispered.

“But why?” I asked, totally horrified.

“You can’t leave from here; they are already in the living room.” She whispered and quickly hid me under the kitchen island. “Listen, stay here. I am going out to see who is there, if it’s one of the maids then wait till, I send them out but if it’s one of the family members, you have to run the moment they are distracted. Okay?”

“O..O…Okay.” I stammered in fear.

Ms. Gonzalez went out of the kitchen but the voice I heard next made my blood run cold.

“Oh! Ms. Gonzalez where were you? I was looking for you everywhere. Anyways, look who are here…” It was my stepmother, but her voice was a bit different from the one other day. The other day she had an authority in her voice but now it was dripping with honey.

Does she always speak like that or is it just for show?

I quickly brushed away those thoughts as it was not the time to think about all those and eavesdrop upon their conversation, but too much to my dismay, I could not understand a single word.

After some time, Ms. Gonzalez walked in the kitchen and quickly peeked under the kitchen island, letting out a sigh of relief. “Listen,” she whispered, “I am going to serve them tea right now. So, while they are distracted, take your chance, and run up to your room. Okay?”

I nodded.

Ms. Gonzalez quickly prepared some tea and went out while I was waiting. After waiting for some time, I peeked out of the kitchen and noticed that all of them were now busy with their snacks and Ms. Gonzalez was trying block their view, I took it as my queue and ran upstairs but suddenly, I heard someone. “Who is she?” One of the ladies asked.

I looked around and the next thing that caught my eye was a fuming Linda. My throat went dry, I could not even move a step, it seemed like my feet was rooted in the stairs.

“Oh! She is one our distant relatives from my husband’s side of family.” Linda lied with a sweet smile on her face. “She is here to pay us a visit.” She added.

“Oh!” The ladies exclaimed and before anyone could ask anything, she changed the whole topic and send them away to some other room with Ms. Gonzalez.

All this time, I was still standing on the stair, I did not even dare to move a step. As soon as the last lady left, Linda charged towards me in anger. She raised her hand. I knew that I was about to be slapped and immediately closed my eyes but did not feel a thing. I looked up and the next thing I saw, made me shook.

Steve was holding onto his mother’s arm while Linda was looking at her son totally puzzled. “Go back to your room.” He ordered while looking at his mother, but I knew that it was for me. So, without sparing a second glance at them, I rushed towards my room.

The rest of my day went away in dead silence. I do not even know what happened after I came back to my room. One of the cons of living in a soundproof room.

When Ms. Gonzalez came to serve me my dinner, I tried to ask her, but she avoided me whenever I brought up about today’s morning incident. I understood she did not want to talk about that incident. So, I kept my mouth shut.

I thought that if not my stepmother, but at least my father would have come and confronted me about the incident, but no one came by. It felt like I was totally forgotten.

It was eleven at night, I finally went to bed. I was already mentally exhausted, so it did not take much time for me to fall asleep. I was sleeping soundly when suddenly I heard a knock. Being a light sleeper, I easily wake up even at the slightest sound. I half opened my eyes and looked at the clock. It was 2 at night. I thought that I have heard it wrong and went back to sleep when suddenly I heard it again. I quickly stood up from my bed and walked towards my door and that is when I heard the third knock.

Who is here at this point of time? Is it dad? Is here to talk with me about that incident?

I opened the door and was immediately taken aback.

“You.”