"Where do you think you're going dressed like that?"

"Mother I ---"

"No excuses. I've told you several times not to wear dull clothes. Wear clothes that are flashy and expensive." Gina's mother said, cutting her off.

"But I don't like flashy clothes."

"Well, if you don't like flashy clothes. Forget about stepping foot out of this house. It's either you change into something more attractive or I lock you up in your room. It's your choice." Gina's mother, Alice threatened.

"Mother, why are you always doing this to me? Why can't I live my life the way I want? Why do you always have to make things difficult for me?!!" Gina blurted out.

Alice who was picking her nails, raised her head up and glared at her daughter. "Are you done? I've given you two choices, it's either you take it or leave it. Why are you different from the rest of the family?" Alice said.

"We have everything anyone could ever ask for. We can feed the entire country and yet you choose to leave a wretched life!! Too bad for you, because I won't tolerate such in my house!!" She yelled.

"Yes mother, you're right. We have everything, we can feed the whole country. But do you know one thing we lack? Do you want to know? We have everything but we don't have love, we only have money and power, but what is the use of money and power when there is no love? Tell me, what is the use??" Gina calmly said. Saying things like this would frustrate her mother and that is what she wanted. She wants her mother to be frustrated.

"Get out!! Leave my sight before I do something unforgivable!" Alice said.

"What would you do huh? Slap me like you always do? Lock me up in my room?? Mother, I've been listening to you all my life, but today, today's different. I won't listen to what you ---"

She couldn't complete her sentence because someone had interrupted them.

"What's going on here??" A light skinned, beautiful, tall and slender figure approached them. Her aura was majestic and with just one look, you could tell she's not someone ordinary. Her face was thin and v-shaped, her lips were light red and was formed in a thin line. Her curves were perfect. God had really put extra effort in perfecting this gorgeous creature. Everything about her was just too perfect, even her voice could make a drunk man sober. She just had that presence nobody could ignore.

"It's not something you'd want to know, big sis Ella." Gina said.

"Why shouldn't I know about it. I'm your sister and you should share everyt ---" She could not complete her statement because Gina had already raised her hand indicating she didn't want to hear more than what she's already said.

"Don't think you're different from them. Y'all are all about money and nothing else. You don't care about other people's feelings. All you do is hurt them, as long as it doesn't hurt you." She said and a single drop of tears fell down her cheeks and just like that, she ran upstairs, leaving the shocked Ella in a short daze.

....

"Mother, just let her do what she wants! It's not as if we care anyways. Since she doesn't want to live her life the way we want, just let her be and don't sweat it." Ella said to her mom.

"What do you mean by 'don't sweat it'. I can't let her tarnish our family's image! What would people say when they hear that one of the Philip's daughter is living like a simpleton. What do you want people to think of our great family??" Alice said.

"Ahh, mother. When did you start minding what people say?? Or are you perhaps planning something big?? You have me, why do you still need Gina??" Ella said and an evil grin carved on Alice's face.

"Yes, you're right. I'm planning something very big, and when I'm done with that Gina girl, she'll know better than to mess with me. Her mother."

"Mother, what are you planning on doing?? Won't you tell this sweet daughter of yours??" Ella said. Though she still spoke with such undeniable magnificent aura. The thrill, malice and hatred were very visible in her eyes. She had hated Gina from the very day everybody started favouring her. She was the eldest daughter and she should have been the one with much favours from her father and grandparents, not Gina.

The shares they held in their company. Transcorp corporation, half of it were given to Gina by her grandfather and she was left with very little. Even close to nothing at all. This incident enraged her and she vowed that she would get back her shares by all means possible. Her lousy little sister can't get more than her!! Her first step of plan would be to turn their father against her, once that is a success. Everything that comes after, wouldn't be a hard nut to crack.

Now that their mother had a plan. This was the perfect opportunity to execute hers with the support of her mother. 'Gina, just you wait and see. Watch how I take away every single pride and dignity left in you.' She said in her head.

"It wouldn't be a plan anymore if I tell you right?? So just relax, sit back and watch how the drama unfolds." Alice said.

"Alright mother. I knew you wouldn't tell me anyways." She said sounding displeased. In reality it was actually a pretence, she wanted to know the plan, so she'll know how to execute hers. Gladly, her trick worked and her mother was now looking somewhat, guilty.

"No, darling. I would never hide anything from you. I just wanted to take precautions first."

"Does that mean you don't trust me anymore?!!" Ella said, raising her voice a bit louder.

"I trust you so much. If I didn't trust you, would I have shared almost every piece of confidential information with you?"

"I don't know."

"Sigh....you really are stubborn. Okay, okay. I'll tell you everything, but please don't be too excited and ruin everything. Okay?" Alice said.

"Wait, do you think I'm a child mother? You think I can't handle things like this?!!" Ella said. It was no longer a pretence anymore. She was slightly getting frustrated with the words her mother were spouting out.

"Geez Ella. Relax, I'll tell you the plan now." Alice said and Ella heaved a sigh.

"Alright then, I also have a very juicy plan."

"Well then, tell me!!"

"Mom you told me to relax. You should also relax. Why don't you start by telling me yours?"

"Okay, here it goes. I'm planning on getting..."

...

Gina's room

"What's wrong big sis??" A little girl of about six years old spoke.

"Nothing's wrong Karen." Gina said avoiding to meet her sister's gaze but it seemed she could see through her and she was not even convinced. Gina noticed her expression and tried to change the topic.

"Have you done your homework?? I'm sure you don't want your teacher to scold you." She said trying to fake a smile to lighten up the atmosphere.

"Today's Sunday." Karen said and Gina's mouth formed an 'O'

"Okay, you should rest. The weather is a bit cold."

"But I don't want to rest. Just tell me what the matter is."

"I said nothing's wrong!!" She raised her voice and the girl seemed to have been scared a bit but it didn't stop her from asking more questions.

"But you're crying big sis." The girl innocently said and that was when she plunged the girl in a tight hug.

"Don't worry about me okay? Big sis is just a little bit sad. Don't think too much about it okay? When I take a nap, I'll be back to my normal self." She said.

"Did mommy make you sad?" Karen asked and Gina turned to look at her and hesitantly nodded.

Karen pouted and looked downwards like an upset child before she finally spoke.

"I don't like mommy."

Gina's eyes widened for a short moment. 'Oh no! What have I done?? Why did I let my emotions get a better of me?!!' She exclaimed inwardly.

"Why don't you like mommy?"

"Because she's always yelling at you and making you sad." The girl innocently said. Her expression had changed and it felt like she wanted to cry. Gina knew how intelligent this little sister of hers was. No matter what you tell her to change her view on something, she just wouldn't accept it. She always thinks that her own perspective on something is always right. No amount of persuading would make her change her mind.

"It's normal for parents to yell at their children when they make a mistake, so don't ever say you don't like mommy okay?" She said in a calm and loving tone as she patted her back, coaxing the little girl to believe her.

"But you've never done anything wrong and mommy is always yelling at you." The girl said, still standing her ground which made Gina chuckle inwardly. Coaxing her little sister was a hella lot of job, and she already knew this would take more than just a few minutes so she could only sigh.

"Maybe, I did something wrong unknowingly, and mommy felt the urge to scold me."

"But I'm sure. You're a good big sis, I've never seen you make any mistakes. Why is mommy always yelling at you?!! I hate her! I hate her!!" The girl screamed as little drops of tears fell from her cheeks and Gina panicked.

'This is bad!! I can't let her hate mother! Although, she's never been nice to me. She's still my mother and I can't let little Karen hate her!! I can't let that happen!! Think Gina, think!'

"No, no, no. Don't hate mommy. She's your mommy, our mommy and I love her. Don't hate her okay?" Gina tried her best convincing her.

"You love mommy?" The girl asked as she sniffed.

"Yes, I love mommy very much." Gina said and with that, the adorable little dragon who was at the verge of crumbling the whole house into pieces, finally calmed down.

"Okay then. If you love mommy, then I also love mommy." The little girl said.

"Why? You won't love mommy if I don't love her?" Gina asked and the girl nodded unhesitatingly.

"Yes. I won't love mommy if you don't love her!"

"Why?"

"Because I feel mommy isn't my real mommy. Though, she doesn't yell at me, she never asks for my homework or how my day at school was. She only loves big sis Ella." The girl quietly confessed and Gina's eyes widened for a moment. Well, it's because she always thought of the same possibility, but she always shrugged it off because Alice had been her mother ever since she was a child, so there's no way she would have another mother! But now that little Karen also felt it, it made her wonder again. Was that woman even her real mother?? 'No, you both are just thinking too much, she's your mother, or did any other woman take care of you when you were a child?? She's been with you since childhood, you witnessed her presence from childhood till now, so there's no two ways about it. She's your mother!' The voice in her head told her and thankfully, she listened to that voice and turned her heads towards little Karen.

"She's our mommy okay? You know mommy is always busy and she barely stays at home." Gina said and the girl nodded, maybe she too thought that her thinking was ridiculous, so she didn't relent anymore.

"Mhm. I understand. Mommy is our real mommy and I love her!" The girl said and Gina heaved a sigh of relief. 'Thank goodness she doesn't hate 'mommy' anymore.' She thought silently.

"That's my lil sis." She said as she ruffled her hair playfully.

"Mm. I also love you big sis!"

"And I love my adorable lil dragon." She teased and little Karen playfully glared at her big sis and pouted.

"I'm not a dragon." The girl protested and Gina chuckled.

"Why?? You don't like being a dragon?? Dragons are very strong creatures you know? they breath fire and can also fly in the sky. Didn't you tell me you wanted to fly one day??" Gina asked as she pouted.

"I did say I wanted to fly, but I never said I wanted to be a dragon. I want to fly but not as a dragon."

"Not as a dragon? Then as a faerie right?" She asked but the little girl shook her head.

"Then what?" Gina asked suddenly looking defeated.

"I wanted to fly but not anymore." The girl said and Gina creased her brows.

"Not anymore? Why?? Did someone say something??" Gina panicked. She knew little Karen very well, she would never change her mind, not unless someone intimidated her, so this was a shock to Gina. Karen never changes her mind about something, once she's serious.

"No. No one said a thing! Even if they did, I would never change my mind." Little Karen said.

"Then why did you change your mind now?"

"Because I want to run very fast like the wind! I want to be a lioness!" The girl excitedly said which made Gina even more confused. Why would she suddenly want to become a lioness?? Hmm, this is strange.

"Lioness? Why?"

"Because their very strong and their husbands are also king of the jungles. No one would be able to harm them!" The girl said and Gina chuckled for a short while.

"Haha. You're very funny lil sis. They don't have husbands. It's called mate."

"Mate?"

"Mm"

"Okay then. Their mates are the king of the jungles and no one could harm them!" She corrected.

"So you want to be a queen?"

"Yes. I want to have more power to be able to crush anyone that makes my big sis sad." Karen said and Gina hugged her tightly.

"Awwn. That's so sweet of my lil sis. When you're queen nobody would be able to make this big sis sad."

"Yay!! I'll go tell everyone that I want to be a queen!!" She said and dashed out of the room.

"Caref---" She was about to say 'careful' but her little sis was just too fast so she couldn't complete her words.

"Queen huh? I wish I could also be my own queen." She said to herself.

"I love you Karen. I support you all the way. You're already a queen, you just need more power, but don't let power ruin you okay? If you let that happen, this big sis won't talk to you anymore." She said, talking to an empty room.

It was nearly twilight and everything she had worked so hard for to happen today, came crushing down just because of her mother's silly thinking.

She just wanted to leave this house but the thought of leaving her lil sis with these people gave her a sickening feeling. She couldn't leave her with them. Karen was the only person that gave her a reason to keep on going, if she stays away from her, she wouldn't be able to cope for a single day. Had it not been for Karen, she would have left this house long ago.

....