Chapter Three

  Alexandra stares at Juliet while she holds her cheek which was burning.

She look like she was in real pain because Juliet hit her hard.

"Did you just slap me?" Alexandra asks while her face hardened, with tears rolling down her cheek. She didn't believe Juliet could really hit her.

"And I will slap you...., " 

Before Juliet could complete her statement, Alexandra had already returned the slap.

"Are you mad, did you just slap me back? " Juliet asks very surprised.

"I can see you aren't blind, what does it look like?" Alexandra retorts meanwhile, Juliet pushes her on the couch. They both start shouting and pulling each others hair. While fighting and struggling Alexandra bites Juliet on her cheek.

Juliet shouts in pain while she continues to pull Alexandra's hair.

"What the hell is going on here?" Aunty Stella who just arrived asks while she hurries over to the girls, seeing the disaster that was going on.

"Come on, let go of each other, " Aunty Stella says while she separates both girls.

"Alexandra, are you crazy? How can you be fighting with your elder sister?" Aunty Stella asks while she watches her nieces who were breathing heavily.

"She is not my sister, she is just my cousin. I have no sibling. Everyone should just let me be, I have no brother nor sister! " Alexandra yells. "You all never support me in anything everyone hates me, even you aunty Stella. Go on, take her side, " Alexandra says in tears and runs upstairs, leaving her mums younger sister and cousin Juliet.

"Aren't you ashamed of yourself? Fighting with a girl you are older than." Aunty Stella says while she watches Juliet closely.

"Aunt, it's not my fault. You and I know how careless and disrespectful Alexandra is. I came back and met the sitting room messed up. I was so upset, that I shouted at her and she started challenging me. Aunt, that girl Alexandra doesn't have respect for anyone. Sometimes I wonder if she is really Aunty's child. Cause she behaves differently, " Juliet says without pausing.

"Shut it, you don't say that, " Aunty Stella who didn't like the statement Juliet made rebukes. "You know your cousin Alexs has a temper, she gets upset easily. She is still a child, mind how you talk to her, Action begets reaction, " Aunty Stella says.

"Aunty, you are taking her side right? That's why she is spoilt, " Juliet says in tears.

"Calm down, dear, " Aunty Stella says while she embraces her niece.

"My dear, you are the eldest. Learn how to take care of yourself and your cousin, " Aunty Stella says.

"But, aunt!" Juliet says.

"Don't get upset, you have to settle the differences between you two!" Aunty Stella says in a pleading tone.

"But aunt!" Juliet says.

"For my sake," Aunty Stella asks with a smile. Meanwhile, Juliet keeps mute.

"Juliet?" She urges.

"I will try!" She responds

"Don't just try, you can make it work, " Aunty Stella says.

"I will aunt, " 

"Okay, wipe your tears, and smile for me, " Aunty Stella says to her niece.

"Thanks, aunt, " Juliet says trying her best to smile.

"Now go in, I will clean this up, " Aunty Stella urges. Juliet attempts to go in but turns to Aunty Stella with an inquisitive look. 

"Is Rapheal not Alexandras Brother? Does Alexs really mean what she said?" Juliet asks Aunty Stella who seemed short of words.

"Shhh, don't say that again, " Aunty Stella who finally found her voice speaks.

"But, Aunty. On a serious note, Raphael doesn't look like anyone in the family. He looks like a half-caste and just now Alexandra mentioned that and you didn't say a word." Juliet says with a raised eyebrow.

"My dear, you know how Alex talks. She is just spoilt and you know she loves things done her way. She is just been childish and unnecessarily jealous of her elder brother, " Aunty Stella responds not sounding convincing. "Okay, go and clean yourself up dear, " Aunty Stella says trying to avoid any other question. 

She was already tired of lying.

"Thanks, Aunt, " Juliet says before running upstairs. Meanwhile, Aunty Stella let's out a sigh of relief before releasing her weight on the chair. She makes a mental note to go over to Alexandras room. But knew it would be better to let her be, cause she knew how she behaved when she was angry. She carefully starts arranging what they messed up.

   Aunty Stella is Alexandra's maternal aunt. She is her mums younger sister. A widow, with a daughter for her late husband who died two years into there marriage, then her daughter Karis was still a toddler. 

After her husband died, she decided not to get married again. She wanted to concentrate on her daughter. She had been staying in the Wachukwu's place.

Although she was also travelling from oneplacecee to another for business-related issues. Her husband people took everything from her saying she had no male child and she was responsible for his death.

Her sister Mrs Wachukwu and elder brother Mr Leonard ( Juliet father) advised her not to stress the matter. She should leave everything to God.

Since then she had been living with her elder sister partially. And she also knew the family's biggest secret. "Raphael isn't the real son of Mr Wachukwu, he is an adopted child!"

   Raphael's dad, was Alexandra's dad's closest friend, they related more like brothers. When Raphael's real parents passed away due to the ghastly motor accident ten years ago. Mr Wachukwu thought since he has no son, the best thing he could do for his late friend who he considered a brother was to adopt his only child. This has been the family's biggest secret. 

Mr Wachukwu made people believe that Raphael was actually his son, saying he was based abroad. Due to the fact the boy had a strong American accent, since he was based in the states with his mother's sister. Everyone believed. The only persons who were aware of this big secret. Were the elders of the family, Rapheal and Alexandra.

"Why did they have to tell Alexandra this?" Auty Stella mutters while she cleared the couch.

  Raphael was nine years old when his parents passed away. He stayed abroad with his mothers sister, due to the fact his parents were always travelling. As soon as his parents passed away. Mr Wachukwu made his intentions know to Miss Constance. Raphael aunt.

Miss Constance was also young and engaged, she didn't agree to Mr Wachukwu's demand. But seeing her fiance didn't approve of Raphael staying with them. She reluctantly let them adopt Raphael. 

Since she knew the family, well enough. She always visits Nigeria every year t see her nephew.

The truth was that Raphaels dad had no siblings. Miss Constance was his only relative.

Since Mr Wachukwu had no male son, he made everyone believe that Raphael was his only son.

        _______________________________🖊

  The interior decoration of Mrs Wachukwu's room looks magnificent.

The room is painted in white. It's richly furnished. The bed is properly arranged. It's a king-sized bed.

Mrs Wachukwu is comfortable sitting on the white couch. With a glance of the Wachukwu's Resident. You could tell they loved white. 

While flipping through her magazine. She hears a knock on the door. Wondering who it was, she tells the person to come in. Her face forms a smile when she sights her sister.

Aunty Stella, who just clocked forty. Still looked young and beautiful. Mrs Wachukwu wasn't an exception. She still looked young in her fifties.

"When did you get back from your trip?" Mrs Wachukwu asks while she uses her to asks her sister to sit down.

"Earlier today, what of Chief?" Aunty Stella asks.

"He is on a business trip, in South Africa, he will be back by next month, I think, " Mrs Wachukwu replies with a smile.

"So how is your business?" Aunty Stella asks her elder sister.

"Can you imagine, You know I have been wondering why the branch in Lagos State isnt been fruitful, I just found out my manager has been stealing from me, " Mrs Wachukwu says with a serious look on her face.

"What the hell? Hope you dealt with her?" Aunty Stella asks.

"By the time, I'm down with her. You trust your sister don't you?" Mrs Wachukwu says.

"I do, jawe, " Aunty Stella who was quite infatuated by what she heard says.

"Just forget about that, how is the supermarket flowing?" Mrs Wachukwu asks.

"We thank God, " Aunty Stella responds.

"Have you seen Karis, since you got back?" Mrs Wachukwu asks.

"Yes. In fact that was the first place I went to, she is doing well and also her school is on strike. So she is coming back in a few days time." Aunty Stella says.

"I don't know why these schools are always going on strike. Guess what? Raphael has finally agreed to come back home. He said he will be coming back home tomorrow. He called, earlier on I thought it was next week." Mrs Wachukwu says with a smile on her face.

"It's good he has finally agreed to come back home, well, it's been ages. I think he and Alexandra need to get to know each other. They are siblings after all." Aunty Stella says sounding serious.

"You are right. I'm glad he is coming home. I want he and Chioma to bound soon. They are siblings for crying out loud." Mrs Wachukwu says. Only to see the worried look on her sisters face.

"What's wrong!" Mrs Wachukwu asks.

"I wanted to say something related to Alexandra, but I don't know how to go about it."

"Stella. Tell me, what's wrong?"

"When I came home earlier, I met Juliet and Alexs fighting, " Aunty Stella says.

"What! Where are they fighting again? They are going to see the other side of me, " Mrs Wachukwu says while she attempts to get up.

"Aunty, please sit down. I want to tell you something serious. That's a minor issue compared to this, " Aunty Stella says. Meanwhile, Mrs Wachukwu regains her position, on hearing how serious her sister sounded.

"What's wrong, Stella?"