Lined with several trees and flowers in in it's environs, leaving a wide tarred road in the middle, the estate is an abode of wealth.

There are six mansions in total, plus the servants annex which serves as a home for maids.

It's currently late at night, but the bright lights and lamps surrounding the estate shared their illumination everywhere.

The moonlight poured it's light in through the tree leaves, showcasing the beauty of the greenery.

A sweet aroma is currently swirling around the estate, and it's coming from the main mansion kitchen.

The main mansion is the biggest, and it's where the Torrance family stay.

Inside the kitchen, Hazel could be seen slicing onions professionally on the cutting board, smiling as she did.

Getting a job here for her mother wasn't easy, the Torrance family is madly rich.

The man of the house is an influential politician while the Madam of the house is a former minister, so their insane wealth is justified.

Hazel threw a raw onion into her mouth and bit her full lip as she chewed with joy.

Her favorite song by her favorite musical band (CADENCE) is playing, and she's moving her little waist slowly to it, her soft baby hair swirling in the ponytail.

"Don't tell me you're still on the onions" Maria entered the kitchen, tying her apron straps.

"Just two more minutes, mum" Hazel replied, and Maria took the knife from her.

"Go check the steamed ribs on fire" she told her, taking over the slicing.

Hazel left for the cooker with a silly pout and opened the pot to taste the sauce, but she spit it away immediately.

"Mum what the hell! Did you pour a gallon of salt? We can't get in trouble with Madam Anna!" She whisper -talked.

"She instructed me to put excess salt by herself. It's for Master Kenzie's homecoming yunno? He likes salt" Maria replied without looking up.

"But this is too much! No normal human would take this much salt" Hazel argued, and Maria finally turned.

"Baby can you just go cover your hair instead?" She sighed softly, her lips pursing.

"But...

"Go wear your bonnet " Maria interrupted.

"Fine" Hazel groaned, walking out of the kitchen.

She walked past the paradisiacal living room where Lee is sitting in front of the TV, and he waved at her.

Lee is the second son, Kenzie's junior brother. He's cute!

"Want some bubble gum?" Lee pointed one at her.

"You should be in bed by now" Hazel replied.

"Oh please..." Lee rolled eyes, and Hazel smiled, but her smile cleared off when she saw the news on TV.

Erika, one of the members of CADENCE is dead!

CADENCE is made of three members... Hope, Erika, and Amber who's their leader.

Hazel loves Amber the most,, but Erika is her second favorite member, and now she's dead???

Her burial is even tomorrow!

"No....it can't be real...not Erika" she shook her head as her armpits and palms became wet with unplanned sweat.

"Damn! She was my crush of all the band members!" Lee made pity faces, and Hazel rushed out of the house.

She ran all the way to the servants annex where she stays with her mother.

There are two rooms in the annex, one for her and one for Maria.

She entered her room and grabbed her STUPID phone from where she abandoned it on the bed.

The screen looks like spiderman made a home on it or something.

She turned it on and clicked google, but WhatsApp opened instead.

"Gawd damnit! I know you're stupid but not tonight please!!" She bit her nails nervously, shaking as she tried again

Google clicked, and she searched for Erika...the first news to come up was her death news.

"It's ... It's true ... It's true" tears came out of her eyes.

"Erika is dead I can't believe it .. Erika" she sat on the bed and continued her tears, rubbing her exposed laps with her fingertips as the tears fell freely.

Her phone rang, and she turned slowly to peek at it.

It's Penny calling, her friend.

She had to swipe green up to ten times before she could pick

"Hey Penny" she sniffled, tugging nervously at her skirt hem.

"I'm at the estate gate!" Penny replied and hung up.

Hazel rushed out of the room and ran down the estate.

From the main mansion to the big gate takes up to five minutes by walking, but running made it three minutes.

She met Penny waiting.

"I knew you'd cry" Penny widened her arms, and Hazel hugged her.

They share the same dream of becoming idols, and they both love CADENCE too.

"I still can't believe it....how could Erika die" Hazel started crying again

"Hey!" Penny broke the hug to hold Hazel's round cheeky face.

"Nothing can be done... she's gone baby. Dry your tears" she said.

"Can't stop crying" Hazel said as she wiped the tears.

Penny poked her cheeks fondly.

"Cheeks" she teased.

"Stop it!" Hazel almost laughed.

Penny is like her favorite person after her mother...they did childhood together too.

Their moment was interrupted when a limousine drove in their direction.

The headlights shone brightly on their faces, and Penny had to cover Hazel's eyes... Hazel has sensitive eyes actually.

Two jeeps are following the limousine at the back, but all the cars stopped right beside the two girls.

Hazel gently took Penny's hand away from her eyes, knowing who it is already.

The limousine window went down, revealing a middle-aged handsome man whose hair is sprayed grey dye completely, and his face is straight.

Hugo Torrance,... Kenzie's father.

He's neither smiling nor frowning as he took a look at the girls.

"Welcome home, sir" Hazel bowed respectfully.

Penny did the same, but he just winded up his window without replying.

The limousine drove in, and the two other cars containing his guards went in after him.

"Need to go now!" Hazel urgently said.

"Sure! Bye Cheeks!" Penny replied, and they blew air kisses before departing.

*

AN HOUR LATER, SERVANTS ANNEX*

Hazel sat on her small bed with her phone in hand, scrolling through Erika's IG.... she's staring at her pictures, and she almost started crying again.

"I told you to go wear your bonnet and you never came back, Hazel why ...

Maria stopped talking when she saw Hazel from the door.

"Hey baby, did you cry? It's bad for your eyes and you know!" She quickly came to hold her face.

"My second favorite member of CADENCE died" she replied.

"Lee told me about it...I'm so sorry baby" Maria caressed her cheeks.

Hazel nodded. "Sorry for not coming back to the kitchen"

"No it's ok baby...I finished serving boss already, so we can go to bed" Maria smiled.

"Alright mum" Hazel managed to smile too.

She decided to sleep in Maria's room, so she went there after taking her night shower.

Mother and daughter lay on the small bed together, nestled around each other.

Some minutes after they slept off, Hazel's phone buzzed on the bedstand.

It's a message from a number saved as Cole.

Cole: What's up, Cheeks?

*

COLE'S MANSION*

Sitting on the king-sized bad edge in his large room, wearing his bathrobe and holding his phone.

Cole looks genuinely disturbed as he stared at his screen, awaiting Hazel's reply to his text.

"Is she asleep?" He muttered, standing to walk closer to the lamp on the bedstand.

He's simply handsome, the kind of handsomeness that holds genuine innocence.

First time he saw Hazel was at a grocery store two months ago when she came shopping with Maria.

She didn't give her number when he asked, so he had to work hard to get it somehow__benefits of being rich.

He has been speaking with her since then, and they became good friends.

After waiting three more minutes for her reply without getting any, he concluded she's asleep and dropped his phone.

The bathroom door opened, and a petite looking girl stepped out wetly with a short towel wrapped her chest.

She's Katherine, his girlfriend.

"Were you on a call?" She asked with a slight frown.

"Nope...why?" He faced her.

"Nothing, my love" She smiled.

"I'll go shower" he replied.

"Don't be a killjoy...cream my body for me" she went closer and got rid of her towel with a pull, leaving her naked.

"Must I do that? The fuvk is wrong with you?" He complained.

"Oh c'mon my love! I'm fuçking waiting" She chuckled.

"Your lousy demands" he groaned, covering her with her towel before taking her to the dressing table.

*

NEXT MORNING, TORRANCE ESTATE ~SERVANTS ANNEX*

A slice of the morning sun which peered in through the open window woke Hazel up.

She immediately opened her dark brown eyes and sat up in bed, her hair disheveled.

She was yawning when she saw her phone screen on.

She got down from the bed, her short sleep-shirt barely covering her @ss as she walked to the phone.

"Cole?" She muttered when she saw the text.

She hasn't replied when Maria came in.

"Quick, clean up we're shopping for groceries this morning" she told her.

"Oh ... Sure" she dropped the phone with another yawn.

"I'm so tired" she complained as she walked out of the room.

"You cried yourself to sleep last night, it's expected" Maria replied, giving her cheek a fond kiss before she entered her room.

Thirty minutes later, they were ready to go for the shopping.

Hazel made sure to attach green bow-like ribbons to her hair, matching her green top.

They left for the estate garage where lots of ridiculously expensive cars are.

A driver is already waiting inside a small jeep to take them though.

"Maria!" Anna called out, and she turned to see the tall blonde woman walking towards them.

Anna Torrance, Kenzie's mother, Madam of the house.

"Instead of one bag of fresh strawberries, get two" she said eloquently.

"Alright madam" Maria bowed

"Good morning ma'am" Hazel greeted.

"How was your night, Cheeks?" Anna replied, and Hazel smiled, making her cheeks round out again

Anna smiled sweetly.

"Was cool, thanks ma'am" she said.

Anna returned into the mansion, and the driver drove them out of the estate to the store.

Throughout their journey, Hazel couldn't get her eyes off the street screens, they're all sympathizing Erika's death.

Her burial is by 12pm today, and she'll be gone completely.

Hazel rested her head on Maria's shoulder.

If this is how people die, then death should better stay away from her mother.

*