Erica

Another stormy night it was over here. I could barely sleep for some reason. I was busy thinking of where to go.

Yes,

Recently, my mom passed away and my dad had gotten married to another woman in just a week after my mom's burial.

The sound of lightning crackled in the dark sky with a deafening thunder roaring down the sky. Unmoved by the presence of the two forces, I continued packing my things into my luggage.

I stopped when I carried a picture of my mum,I stopped to remember the moment this picture was taken. Her smile were akin with the radiance of those of a goddess in the roman myth.

A sigh escaped my lips. I place the picture into the side of the luggage , Since mom passed away, I had been preparing to leave, go on an adventure of self discovery.

A world were I could immerse myself regardless of my father rules, since he rejected me as his daughter throughout his wedding functions.

The bas!tard made me work as a slave from the engagement process till the wedding was over. And after that, all I got in return was:

"Pack your things and get out of my house."

Without furthering much thought about it, I began planning my way out of his ungrateful house but, a storm came by holding me from leaving but no, I made up my mind already… I am leaving.

I took my luggage by the handle, and headed to the side of the wardrobe. I came face to face with my reflection in the mirror hung on the wall. My eyes falls down on the small dressing table beneath it.

locked onto the small black box on it. I snatched it from the table and headed out of the room. Descending from the stairs with no little emotions left in me.

Dad's new wife had a daughter already. But dad cared less and showed her the love he never showed me. We never really got along because I was always harsh towards her. I saw her as my replacement so I couldn't take my chance being vulnerable to her.

But the harsh fact here was, she was my mom duplicate. A very younger version of her, who happen to be in my age group. Each time I remember she was my mom duplicate, I am forced to hold back my action towards her.

Helen Pristine Daniels, she took both the name of her father who divorced her mom— Selene Pristine Daniels. For some unknown reason. And my dad, who gathered her and her mom in his hands like newborns.

I always had anticipated this moment of my life. Mom's death, Dad's new mistress takes over, my journey out of this house.

Selene had been working for my dad for some while as his secretary. Mom who was in the company and unveiled my dad and Selene secrets sexual escapades in the office. Mum had no problem sharing it with me since i'm a grown lady and would possibly get married someday, well I am not putting my mind in it because of what i have seen my mom and dad go through.

Marriage was definitely not in my book. To hell with that thought. But I wander, didn't mom know about Selene's daughter being her lookalike?

My hand caresses the door knob when lightning traveled across the skies, crackling and inundating bright lights that were accompanied by a deafening thunder.

The storm grew stronger by each passing seconds. My dad was waiting for me to leave, I figured, spotting his reflection on the well polished tiles that had devoured my silent footsteps towards the door.

Obviously, this man wanted me dead. Why? Because I wasn't a boy, gender discrimination runs wild in the Daniels family. And he's so sure Selene will give him an heir.

They have been at it all every night ,disturbing my sleep with their endless moans. Sigh, did I forget to mention i was sleeping in the kitchen for few weeks? doing the chores around the house while the maids where at rest, some where even told to go back to their families for the meantime with a full year payment!

My Dad— Jerald Daniels. Was one of the top business men around and his father— Johnson Daniels. Always warned him to provide an heir for the Daniels or the consequences would be dire.

Since mom couldn't give him an heir, he ran and left her to die. I was never told the true story of how my mom passed away , but yeah. I knew it was an attempt murder with my dad as the prime suspect. But unfortunately, I have no proof to get him behind bars.

I was just about to pull the door open when I heard my name being screamed by a voice I found very familiar. I look back to spot Helene on top the stairs.

She was breathing fast, was she running? Obviously not. Why would she run? What the hell will make her run to come stop me from me leaving? So many thoughts got scrambled in my head.

She was in her white night gown with her curly hair scattered like she had just paved through to a failed beauty sleep. Her peculiar golden eye balls were dangling on the sight of me standing at the door.

" And where exactly do you think you are going in this storm young lady? ", were her words as she stormed down to my front with an attitude. "You're going no where, especially not in this storm Erica, come with me! Now!"

She yelled a bit to loud and I suspected it was going to draw everyone out of their slumber and I hoped not, her dad was already watching from above, shooting me a pain look of me still being around.

"No no… I'll manage. It no big--"

Shush!

Her index finger pressed against my lips.

"I said you aren't leaving this house. ", her voice deepened. "Not especially in this storm that has been on for several hours now ...there are high level of flood everywhere as of now with vehicles caught in the tides. Do you really want to be a part of that, Erica?"

"No… No… but…"

Helene glared at me, and pulled my hands, taking me upstairs to her room. Her father could only make silent curses underneath his breath seeing his step daughter snatched away his prey.

*** *** ***

*** *** ***

Helen's Room:

"...What the matter with you?", Helen words snapped me out of my thoughts. I'd imagined my funeral in case i'd left the house in other to please my unruly father. "Erica?"

"Huh? Sorry, I couldn't hear due to the factory in my head."

"Fac---, never mind. "

"Why did you stop me from leaving? ", I asked, feeling curious to know why she had gone to great length to stop me from leaving, after all the mean things I did to her.

"Doesn't really matter just relax…", she said with an assertive smile, crouching in between my legs.

"Nice lap you got there.", she complemented on slapping my laps as if it were my ass she had smacked. She caressed it but I jerked the feeling about her touch of me. I felt strange and there's definitely something not right about her warmth touch.

I quickly got of the bed but she pushed me back against it. My mind carved many thoughts. She laid down on her bed and drew herself closer to me. I shifted back hesitantly but she drew me closer.

"You really need stop being shy, I don't bite. ", before I knew it, the tiger had bounced on it prey… she was on top of me with those eyeballs that sent the chilling feeling down my spine.

My heart began beating fast against it rib cage.

Abruptly, she drew closer to me, my eyes shut close immediately with no power to retaliate against her. I could feel my hand getting pressed against the bed, warm breaths were caressing my lips,

"So which one do you think will look good on me.", Helene soothing voice plunges me out of the fake reality I had immersed myself in by mistake.

I was still seating innocently on her pink marred bed , my eyed drifting across her room. It was very simple like mine, except it had stuffs mine didn't have.

A flat screen TV, a movie collection set, music player and lot more stuff.

"Where are you lost at?", Helene's voice shot at me again and quickly, I woke up from my thoughts.

"Uh… Sorry where you saying something. ", I didn't hear a thing she had been saying about the dresses she was showing me, for some reason I was unable to yell at her, show her where she belongs but no ...I was just, numb!

"Jeez! What the matter with you? Are you feeling okay?". She asked walking up to me, checking my temperature, giving me some normal check up but I was just fine but different. "Erica?"

"Am so sorry for not listening.. ", should I be saying that? "I just don't feel right."

"Oh …", Helene sat beside me, with some clothing in her hand. "I was wandering which of these will fit me for the upcoming party at Nancy's house this Saturday. "

"Nancy… party ...this Saturday? ", My head tried processing everything. Something is definitely wrong with me. Nancy, I know who Nancy is… Yeah! I remember, Nancy Finesse. Well just like Helene, she belongs to a wealthy home.

"Yeah, didn't you receive and invitation card?", Helene got up and reached for her wardrobe, taking out a small rectangular paper material. She returned to my side showing me the card.

"Oh… I didn't receive any.", Dolefully, I responded examining it. I never really had any friends in school because my dad never acknowledged me as his flesh and blood so I was treated as an outcast in the university despite the status i had or the wealth, what wealth? My dad never gave me a dime to spend.

Mom had to do the running of things for me when it came to financial assistance. Luckily my mom was from a good home that housed supportive people but ever since her death and my dad's lie about what I do for a living, they never turned back, not even once to check up on me.

My dad's a good lier though, but… He went to far with his lie. He got me framed for a lot of things and heaven knew it would never end until...

His step daughter, Helene, returned from Canada.