Anita goes back home with her father and mother who arrive at her school to witness her final convocation ceremony.
Her mother is very happy, but her father keeps his usual non-smiling face as he drives them home.
Anita's father is proud of her that she didn't allow her beauty to sink into her brain and deter her from becoming successful in life, but nonetheless, he's still confused as to how she's the most beautiful amongst all her siblings.
Even as his wife doesn't bear him a son, he isn't bothered about that, as their custom permits a woman to inherit her father's property, even though she's already married to another man.
He sighs as he drives towards their home, as the university is closer to their home in the city.
Arriving home, he drives into their simple compound and parks as their home is just a simple house, which is a flat, consisting of 4 bedrooms, a living room, kitchen, and 5 toilets with bathrooms.
Mr. Joshua Baker is the owner of the house as he acquired and bought the house from the direct landowners.
He parks his car and steps a foot down, while Anita and her mother, step down next, and her sisters Flora, Esther, Favour, Lisa, and Glory are all inside, but none of them steps out to welcome her or their parents as they arrived home.
Mrs. Tonia walks into the living room first, while Anita follows suit, dragging her boxes, as her father remains in his car answering a phone call.
"Mom!" Esther and Favour rush up to their mom, while Lisa and Glory step out next.
They have separate rooms they share as Anita and Flora share a room, while Esther and Favour share another room, with Lisa and Glory sharing the last room, which sometimes they use as the guest room too.
"Welcome back home, mom. How did the event go?" Favour asks their mother first as she's an 18-year-old girl.
"Fine, why don't you ask your big sister about it? She won two awards, as the best overall graduating student and best in her department as well," Mrs. Tonia responds, with a faint smile, while Favour frowns.
"Who cares, mom!" she replies.
"Shut up your mouth, silly girl. She's your big sister, and you should accord her some respect!" Mrs. Tonia warns Favour, while Esther quickly responds, "We don't care, mom!"
"Esther!" Mrs. Tonia warns Esther too, while Esther rolls her eyes from where she's standing by the middle door entrance, holding the curtain.
"It's okay, Mom." Anita walks up to their mom and taps on her shoulder softly, but Mrs. Tonia responds.
"Your father caused all this," Mrs. Tonia almost bursts out into a sob.
"Caused what?!" Mr. Joshua asks as he walks into the living room, while Mrs. Tonia quickly wipes off her tears.
"Nothing, I was just discussing something not important," Mrs. Tonia quickly walks into the kitchen, while Mr. Joshua's eyes narrow at Anita, who smiles faintly at him.
Anita isn't an albino, but her beauty is too much and too charming. Staring at her dimple and chubby cheeks alone, made her look like an angel from heaven.
"Fine, take all these bags inside, and where are your sisters?! Flora, Favour!" Mr. Joshua calls them out, while they respond.
"Yes, Papa! Good evening, Dad, welcome back home."
Flora walks past Anita, who's dragging her boxes, and walks up to give their father a welcome hug.
"Assist your sister and take those luggages inside," Mr. Joshua instructs Flora after giving her a warm hug too, and she bites on her lower lip angrily and finally assists Anita in carrying her second box to the room they both share.
Anita doesn't utter any word to Flora, who carries her box to the room. As Flora turns to leave, Anita finally says, "Thank you," but Flora doesn't respond as she walks out from the room and back to the living room to meet her father sitting on the long couch, taking off his shoes.
"How was your day today, Flora?" Mr. Joshua asks, and just then the rest of his daughters step out.
"Father, do you remember you promised to take me to a private university?" Esther asks.
"Yes, I remember, but you still haven't passed your Jamb exams yet, and this is the fourth time you're writing the exam with your younger sister Favour. Can't you both learn from your elder sister, Anita?"
"No, father!" Esther and Favour both respond, surprising their father and causing his jaw to drop.
"What has come over you girls? If you still fail to pass your Jamb exams this year, then forget about going to the university and look for a trade or handwork to learn, as I cannot waste my hard-earned money sponsoring you both through a private university when you cannot even qualify for a government university. Now leave my sight, silly children. I'm sure you all inherited your dullness from your mother. Can't you learn from your elder sister for once? Don't you see her good grades, despite her being more beautiful than you all?"
"Father!" Flora, Esther, Favour, and Lisa all exclaim sadly.
"Shut your mouths and don't bother me. I have been a good father to all of you, yet you cannot be good daughters in return. Fail your exam this year again and see the other side of me!" Mr. Joshua warned, and he stood up from the couch. Just then, his wife stepped out from the kitchen and stared at him and her five daughters in the living room, as Anita was the only one in her room.
"Excuse me!" Mr. Joshua walked past his daughters and into the room he shares with his wife, knowing it was entirely his fault. He had shown more love to the rest of his daughters than their senior sister, Anita, making her feel like an outcast, and now he was regretting it.
He was also facing challenges at his office, as some missing funds from a transaction were detected under his records. If the error wasn't corrected, he was at risk of losing his job as a banker in a government-owned bank.
His brows furrowed as his wife stepped into their room to meet him a few minutes later.
"Aren't you being too harsh to our daughters today?" Mrs. Tonia questioned, but Mr. Joshua just glanced at her and looked away, loosening his necktie, taking off his long sleeve shirt, and stripping.
"I'm preparing dinner. It's already getting late," Mrs. Tonia informed him, but he didn't respond, even as he removed his trouser belt.
"Honey, aren't you going to say anything in response?" Mrs. Tonia finally asked, and he replied, "What do you want me to say to you? Can't you see that I'm busy?"
He walked past her and into the bathroom to take his bath, while Mrs. Tonia sighed and shook her head in sadness.
She knew something wasn't right with him, as he had been behaving unusually and was even happier when Anita was announced as the winner of the award for best graduating student. He had jumped up and screamed "Yes!" without minding the other parents and relatives around. But when he saw Anita approaching, his smile faded, as Anita didn't smile back, thinking he hated her and wasn't proud of her achievement.
Mrs. Tonia smiled faintly, remembering how her husband had reacted to his daughter's wins. Although the school rewards weren't much, as they awarded Anita some cash and medal rewards, she believed her daughter's certificate would get her into one of the highest paying jobs in the country.
Mrs. Tonia sighed again and walked out of the room she shared with her husband, as he was already taking his bath, the sound of water splashing in the bathroom.
She walked into the kitchen, where the okro soup had already heated up a little, and she served it into soup plates. Just then, Glory walked into the kitchen to assist her and carry it out to the dining room next to their living room.
Glory, a 14-year-old girl, was the last born. As the rest senior by only two years, while she is still in Junior Secondary School 3.
"Mom, I want to become a business admin, just like big sister," Glory said as she carried the tray of soups in her arms and looked up at her mom.
"There's no problem with that. You should study hard as well. You have your big sister here to guide you," Mrs. Tonia smiled at her.
"Okay, mom, is sis going to marry soon? Chika told me her big sister won't be returning home as she's already pregnant and expecting a child for her fiance," Glory asked.
"No, Glory! Although I don't know about that, Anita will get a job first before she settles down. You know your big sis is hardworking and wants to become an independent woman first, instead of depending on a man for money," Mrs. Tonia replied.
"Oh, so mom, you depend on father too for money?" Glory asked, surprising her.
"No, Glory. Now that's enough of the conversation. Carry the soups out before they get cold. Oh, Anita is already here to assist us," Mrs. Tonia said, smiling faintly as Glory turned to face Anita standing by the kitchen door.
Anita overheard their conversation and had a faint smile on her face too.
"Why are you standing there and staring at us? Come assist us in serving dinner. I'm sure your father will be out soon," Mrs. Tonia said, and Anita's smile quickly faded as she heard her father's name and didn't like him either.
Mrs. Tonia smiled faintly at Anita as she made way for Glory to pass with the tray of soup in her hands. Anita walked into the kitchen and didn't utter a word to her mother, but her face held a sorrow that her mom understood better."Anita," Mrs. Tonia sighed and called her name."What is it, mom?" Anita asked and walked beside her mother."I want you to know that your father really loves you, like the rest of your siblings, and isn't against your success," Mrs. Tonia replied, holding Anita's hand in hers."Hmph," Anita sighed."I know, mom, but I don't care about that. If Dad likes me, fine, if he doesn't, fine. I will always see him as my father and that's all.""Anita...""Mom, where's the fufu?!" Flora stepped into the kitchen and interrupted them as she eyed Anita and walked to the kitchen cabinet to meet their mother."Mom, why are you holding her hands and talking to her? Are you begging her for something?" Flora asked, crossing her arms around her chest."No, Flora, I am only a
Mrs. Tonia doesn't say anything after Flora exits the room. She sighs and walks up to sit beside Anita on the bed, while Favour and Esther exit the room next."You shouldn't be harsh with your sister. Fighting with her wasn't necessary," Mrs. Tonia says as she sits beside Anita on the bed."I know, mom, but they disrespect me too much and it's getting out of hand," Anita replies."It's okay. I can understand, but don't change yourself because of them. Keep being my sweet and calm daughter.""Okay, mom," Anita sighs as she stares at their mother while Glory walks up to sit on the bed too."I have to go now and join your father. Glory, you go now and pack your bags and come join Anita here.""Okay, mom," Glory replies as she stands up from the bed and walks out of the room, going to the room she shares with Lisa. Flora is in the room, arranging her bag of clothes and she doesn't utter any word to Glory who steps in and carries her own box of clothes out.Lisa sighs as she returns from th
Anita can't say anything again after their mother leaves them and walks back to the room to be with their father.She sighs and stares at Flora, who seems worried, and they walk back to sit on the couch."What do you think is the problem?" Esther asks Flora. Flora shakes her head and responds, "I don't know, but I'm worried it's something serious."They sit back on the couch waiting for their father or mother to step out and talk to them.Anita sighs and finally walks back to her room as she doesn't know what the problem is either. She believes her mother will let them know about it, even though her father doesn't want to, as she saw her father was already dressed to leave for work before receiving whatever news that made him devastated. She prays silently in her heart, "let it not be that father has lost his job."Anita murmurs and walks into her room, feeling his screams echoing in her mind has something to do with his office work. She sits on her bed and takes up her phone to type h
Liam walks into his office and takes his seat on his executive office chair. He swivels the seat sideways, staring at his office. He smiles and rolls up his sleeves to start his new day in the office. Leaning forward on his desk, he switches on his computer to check the company's records, waiting for the computer to boot. He ticks off the time as he waits for the computer to finish booting. Just then, his secretary knocks, and he responds, "Come in."Margret walks into Liam's office holding a file and smiles faintly at him, looking downward. "Yes... What's your name again?" Liam asks her, staring at her pretty yellow face."Margret Jonathan," she says, still smiling."Okay, Miss Margret, what do you want or how can I help you?" Liam asks as she steps forward."Sir, Mr. John Patrick brought this file this morning and said I should hand it over to you," she replies, staring at him."Okay, please drop it here," he points to the side of his desk with empty space and a few files. Margaret
"Hello Boss," Margret immediately picked up the office line and received the call."Come into my office right away," Liam responded. She gulped and quickly stood up from her office seat, dropping the phone line. She saw Bambam smiling at her as Bambam prepared to attend to the client sitting in front of her.Some clients stepped into Margaret's secretary's office to see her too, and she immediately directed them to other staff working on the third floor to attend to them, knowing the new boss didn't like to be kept waiting.Margret immediately walked towards Liam's office door, knocked, and heard his cold response, "Come in."Margret swallowed as she opened Liam's office door and walked into his exquisite office to see him."What took you so long to respond to my call?" Liam questioned, continuing to type on his computer without shifting his gaze away from the monitor screen as his fingers clicked faster on the keyboard."I'm sorry, boss. I arrived late from lunch," Margret replied. Li
Temisa is in her father's mansion as their home is a standard duplex in a government-owned estate, as her father bought the duplex as a new house."Father, have you submitted my CV and letter of application to the new boss?" Temisa asks, as her father just steps into the living room and she sits on the couch filing and brushing her long nails.Mr. John just stares at his daughter as instead of her standing up to welcome him, she sits comfortably on the couch filing her long nails and asking him questions like he's her errand boy."Temisa, you're quite unbelievable, not even a welcome greeting from you to your father?" Mr. John asks, as he drops his briefcase on the living room center table and slowly loosens his necktie."I am sorry, father. Good evening, father. Welcome," Temisa drops her leg down from the couch where she previously rested it and relaxes while filing her long nails."Where's your mother?" Mr. John asks, and Temisa responds, "She went to the market to refill the house
"Mom I cannot work with them if that is what their boss now expects of them," Temisa stated as she stood up from the couch. She had earlier been seated with her mother when Felicia departed with the car key and proceeded to empty the boot."I understand you, Temisa, but know that your father went through a lot to get your application sent to their boss. It will be very disrespectful to your father if, when their new boss approves of you, you do not return to them. Remember, your results aren't even the best, and they still want you to work with them." Mrs. Bianca spoke."But mother.." Temisa is speechless as she looks at her mother, a lovely, big black woman."Think about it, Temisa, and go easy on yourself. You're fortunate that your father is doing everything he can to help you rise to the top of your class. He told me personally, the CEO's father wants you to be connected with his son, and the only way you can do so is to get closer to him and form a bond with him.""Mother!!" Temi
Felicia is busy serving the excellent Oha soup she had prepared. She was serving it up on tiny soup dishes when she heard the kitchen door snap open.She turned and gazed at the person, and realized it was Martin, she quickly looked aside, wondering what he needed in the kitchen.Martin looked at Felicia's back, down to her small, voluptuous waist,. He admired her, and despite having a girlfriend, he isn't in love with his girlfriend as much as he loves Felicia.He knows he's supposed to think of Felicia as his sister, but they're not connected by blood, and he's unsure how he'll approach her and tell her his genuine thoughts. When he wants to express his thoughts to her, he gets caught on the words that won't come out of his mouth.Martin saw her grow up and has always admired her, knowing that his mother also likes her.So he stands at the kitchen door, scratching his head in confusion as he thinks about Felicia.He truly wants her, but she's still his sister, and he dislikes admit