CHAPTER ONE

Enjoy!!!

Bianca

This is what it feels like to be back in the city you were born. I just got back from Canada two days ago. I left six years ago after a terrible incident that shattered me happened.

I stood up from my queen size bed and walked towards the window. My apartment is on the 2nd floor so I can see the city from here. I opened the window and the fresh breeze gently brush my face. I stood there and studied everywhere, Lagos is surely a busy city, I saw students running, trying to catch buses, there's a long traffic and cars are looking for alternatives. I look down my street and I saw a young girl jogging with a very cute dog, she looks 18, I stared at her till she's out of sight. I sighed and closed my window.

I walked towards the mirror and i stared at myself in the mirror, all I could see is the how much I'm hurting inside. I'm still contemplating if retiring to Lagos is a good idea, this is the same city where I suffered different adversities.

Six years ago I was nobody, I was just a miserable teenager in my aunt's house, she took me in after my father's death and showered me with all the hatred in the world, she maltreated and literally made me a maid unknown to me she had all my father's fortune in care. But fortunately for me I got help Mr Nwosu and retrieved my father's properties from her. He's a father figure in my life.

Today I live in a well furnished apartment, I have a car and I'm working towards getting a good job.

Talking of getting employed, after college, Mr Nwosu made use of his connection to get me employed in Wellington and sons Ltd. Wellington group comprises of hotels, estates, malls, factories and industries for different products useful for mankind and so on.

I stopped staring at myself and went into the bathroom, I brushed my teeth, had my bathe, and came out wearing a white robe. I scattered my closet , I have to be presentable, I later settled for a white chiffon shirt and a black straight and fitted skirt, I wore my 6inches black heels and carried a black bag, I brushed my soft natural hair and packed it well, i rubbed powder, applied mascara to make my brown eyes pop out and matched it with a nude lipstick.

I got to wellington and sons, I found it weird, the thought of Ethan being my boss. "He should be in New York, he disappeared to New York city six years ago so it can't be him" I thought to myself. Ethan was my highschool sweetheart who added to my misery six years ago.

The secretary told me to sit for a while, before she received a call from the intercom that I can come in, I stood up and gave the secretary a smile, when I got to the door, I became super nervous.

"I can do this!" I said to myself three times, I inhaled and exhaled before knocking.

"come in" I heard a voice from the other side.

I opened the door, entered and turned to close it, I faced him and I was shocked to see the man in front of me, he was shocked as well, he stood as he saw me, he didn't really change, just that he's a bit taller and muscular.

All the memories of our relationship , six years ago rushed back, I wanted to turn and leave but I can't disappoint my dad, Mr Nwosu or myself, so i closed my eyes, inhaled and exhaled again, opened my eyes and wore my best smile as if I'm meeting him for the first time.

"Morning Mr Wellington" I walked towards his desk, he's still in shock but managed to keep a straight face, he told me to sit and I sat. I looked around his office, it has a luxurious, powerful and masculine scent, it's so beautiful. He asked for my CV and I gave it to him.

"From your CV, I can see you went to Western University, in Canada?" He asked

"Yes sir, I did after graduating from secondary school here, I moved to Canada but I'm back here" I replied with a smile

"So you want this job?"

"Yes, I really do"

"You are hired Miss Onuorah, Miss felicity, my secretary is going to give you your official letter and the amount you'll get in your paycheck is there, I resume in this office everyday by 8, and I expect you to be here by then, I don't tolerate lateness and laziness, and I expect you to carry out my orders right away, Miss felicity will take you to your office and tell you what your job is all about".

I kept looking at him as he was talking, I felt like hitting his screwed balls but i can sense that he's not comfortable, he scratches his nose when he's not comfortable, he still does it.

After his explanation, I smiled again and stood up to leave, I turned to leave but he called me back.

"Ermmm, Miss Onuorah_ never mind, you can leave"

"Yes sir" I smiled again and left the room, when I got to Felicity's desk I wanted to repeat what Ethan told me but she immediately interrupted

"Sir told me already, follow me"

"So fast?" I thought...

We got to my office and she opened the door

I opened my mouth in awe, it's not as luxurious as Ethan's office but it's better than what i expected, I looked around and I smiled happily, Felicity noticed how amazed I was.

"Sir used to use this office before his father finally let him take over, I'm going to call the janitor to get this place cleaned up right away." She said and turned to leave.

"No, don't bother! I can do this, the cleaning isn't really much" I told her.

"Okay" she said and left.

I started cleaning and I finished in 15minutes, I arranged everywhere and went down to Felicity so that she can explain my job to me and I can resume officially tomorrow.

"You'll be the one to pick his business calls, book appointments and forward them to me and you also have to always remind him of his schedules, attend meetings with him and fill in for him whenever he's out of the country" Felicity explained.

"That's sounds easy" I said to her.

"Trust me Miss Onuorah, this isn't easy, I'm going to give you some files and I'll transfer some to you, you can check them out on the computer in your office, please go through them and come tell me if this task is easy or not" she said and gave me a wide smile.

"First of all, call me Bianca and secondly I'll check the files right away" I said with a smile.

"Okay Bianca, you can call me Felicity too"

She stretched the files towards me and I took it from her hand and hurried to my office.

I checked everything out and sighed.

"she's right, this isn't an easy job" I checked the time and saw that it's 2pm already, I carried my bag and left the office after bidding Felicity goodbye.

I entered my car and drove home, when I got home, I entered and went into my bedroom straight, I sank into my bed and thought of how I met Ethan, my first love, the first man in my life that taught me how to love and how to live again until he abandoned me.

Flashback***

Six years ago

I opened my eyes a little due to the annoying ring of my alarm clock, I sat up on my uncomfortable bed and checked the time, my eyes opened wide when I saw 7:00am, I must have accidentally set it to 7am instead of 6am, I have to be in school before 8 and the witch won't let me leave without doing the house chores.

I jumped up and as I was about to get out of my room, I bumped into a soft chest and a feminine scent filled my nostril, before I could get my balance, i was pushed and I fell into the hard floor, I groaned in pain, I tried to stand on my feet but I failed.

The witch glared at me, giving me a look of "stand up this instant!" Well, she's not actually a witch, she's my aunt and she's very mean.

Oh! I'm yet to introduce myself.

My name is Bianca Onuorah, despite being a girl of seventeen, I've gone through hell, my father died 4 years ago in a fatal car accident, my mother left my dad and I when i was two, to marry a wealthy man, so I heard since I was still a toddler when it happened. My father isn't wealthy, we are of middle class but my mother wasn't contented, I was my dad's queen , he loved me a lot. Before he died, my life was perfect, i didn't even miss my mother because he filled in for her, he does all things to make me happy, I had a lot of friends because I was the most popular girl in school, I've a shoulder length curly black hair with a bright brown eyes, fair skin, high cheek bone, medium height and ridiculously slim, no matter how much I eat, I can't seems to add flesh, I have a very dainty waist with curved hips, I was the most beautiful girl until my father died, when my father died, my aunt (my father's younger sister) and her husband claimed me, sold my father's house and his properties, when I asked them why, they said it's for his funeral and to pay my tuition and whatever I might need.

They did arrange my father's funeral and furthered my education but the "whatever I might need" is still yet to happen, they don't give me allowance or money for anything, I can vividly remember the day I asked them if they can give me money to buy another set of clothes, because the ones I have are old, faded and worn out, my aunt yelled at me, called me different names, she told me that my father's money has finished and they are the one paying my school fees now, they called me all sort of names and it was topped with the beating no one can wish for their enemy.

I was still lost in thought when a rough palm hits my cheek, I winced in pain, her ring must have pierced my skin, i jumped on my feet.

"Is this how lazy you are?  for you to still be in bed? who is going to cook for my husband? Who is going to do the laundry? Who's going to do the dishes? I really hope you know you're not going anywhere without doing your chores! you stupid annoying spoilt little brat!" She snapped at me.

"I'm sorry ma, I didn't set my alarm well, I'll do those things right away" I said and scurried away

When I got to the living room, I saw my two cousins Layla and Kayla, Layla is the only person that's a little nice to me in the house, she's the only one that treats me like a family she's the one that gives me cloth to wear, sometimes new, sometimes her clothes that she doesn't want anymore while kayla is just like her mother, Layla and kayla are fraternal twin, Layla is fair like me while kayla has a brown skin, we are of the same age grade. I stared at them for a while admiring their well ironed school uniform and how neat and beautiful their hairs are, before I could avert my eyes, kayla looked in my direction and caught me staring, Layla's eyes followed, not wanting to hear more insults from kayla, I hurriedly left for the kitchen.

I was there for a while thinking of what to start with when I heard footsteps behind me.

I turned immediately thinking my aunt might try to break my head with a stick or stab me with a knife because i just stood there doing nothing but it turned out to be Layla, she walked towards me, stared for a while and touched my red swollen cheek where her mother slapped me back to reality when I was lost in thought , I winced in pain because it stung me, she removed her hand and she wore a worried look on her face.

"I'm sorry Bianca, did my mom hit you again?" she asked and I nodded my head like agama lizard, she turned and paced for a while before coming back to hug me, she whispered in my ear

"Bianca, everything will be fine, I promise!"

I nodded again and she smiled, "I'm leaving for school, so sorry I can't wait for you, mom is taking kayla and I to school" she said

"It's fine Layla, I'll do my chores and be in school in a jiffy" I replied with a faint smile and she left

I know I'm late already but I can't miss school so I started by cooking my uncle's food and doing my chores.

I finished everything by 7:40, I ran to my bathroom , took a cold shower, no time to pack my hair to my taste so i just packed it in a tight bun, wore my school uniform and my sneakers, carried my bag and left the room in a hurry, I was so lucky to be able to catch a bus, I got to school in ten minutes and ran inside the school as if I'm being chased by a wild dog, I was lucky again to see that the class is yet to start, I went to my sit and settled down, breathing heavily and sweating, I was still looking for what to clean my face when I heard a voice, "Have this".