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Daniella walked into the dining room, on the eve of the party. She sat across from her mother who was discussing something with Denise before she entered. She hated it! She hated seeing her mother so happy and knowing that Denise was the cause of it.
Denise on the other hand seemed to be doing well. She had a ton of new followers on her social media account and the internet was eating it up. They started gravitating toward her which annoyed Daniella all the more. First her parents, now the entire world? It felt like she could not just catch a break.
"Mummy I am going to school tomorrow." Daniella finally announced. Sheila turned to her with confusion. Daniella could not stand all the attention Denise was getting. It was always so upsetting.
"What are you talking about? We have a party you are supposed to host tomorrow, did you forget that?" Sheila pointed out. Daniella clenched her jaw, of course, her mom would remind her.
"I don't think my presence would be important there, after all, you will have your precious daughter there." Daniella sneered at the last part. "Don't start that bullshit please Ella! You put us in the first place. Nobody asked you to do that and now we have to deal with what you have done! Do you think I want to be throwing a party? Do you think I am happy about what is happening?!"
Daniella's mouth opened, she tried to speak but Sheila raised her hand to stop her. She was sick of Daniella always acting like a spoilt brat, they had given her the best of the best so that she could have the life she wanted but Sheila was considering she made a mistake.
"Besides, your dad and I are still considering what to do with Denise's education." Daniella and Denise's mouth opened. "Considering? What do you mean by that?" Daniella narrowed her eyes. She suspected what her parents were discussing but she did not think it was going to happen. Denise was going to another school so Daniella thought there was no way they were going to transfer her to her school.
"We were thinking that it would be better if Denise started anew in Bellrich." Daniella's eyes widened.
"What?! What are you saying? You are telling me you want Denise to come to Bellrich?!" Daniella yelled. "Do not scream at me, Ella!" Sheila snapped. Denise was not sure she had a choice in the matter.
"Denise is already going to a school, I don't think it smart to change it." Daniella continued. "Well too bad because nobody asked for your opinion."
Her mouth opened, her mother was not going to change her mind, she knew her well. She turned to Denise, who was looking at her hands.
"Denise, do you want to change your school?" Denise looked up. "Ella stopped it." Sheila scolded.
"Mummy please don't do this! I am already suffering in this house and now she will be in school too?" Denise looked up and narrowed her eyes.
"Can you shut it!" Sheila snapped. She was done with the bullshit. Daniella turned to Sheila, she was not happy with what was happening and it was out of control.
"Mummy..." Daniella called a strain in her voice. Sheila stood up, groaning, it was getting so annoying to be around Denise. She stood up and walked away.
"Mummy please wait, we need to talk about this! You cannot just make that their of decision without considering..."
"What?" Sheila turned to her and snapped. "What the hell is your problem Daniella? Why the hell are so interested in where Denise goes to? Can you just shut it and leave me alone?" Daniella's mouth opened. She stood there, wondering what to do.
"I am going to walk away and do not follow me, are we clear?" Sheila announced. Daniella watched Sheila walk away. She sighed and turned back to Denise, who was quietly eating her food.
"Are you happy now Denise? Are you happy about everything that is happening?" Denise looked up from her food.
"Why are you so scared? It is not the end of the world Ella." Daniella's mouth clenched. Denise knew that she hated calling her Ella.
"You cannot come to my school!" she snapped. "Stop shouting before you spit in my food!" Denise snapped, moving her food from Daniella. Daniella's mouth opened and she scoffed.
"I can see you through your ploy! I know what you are trying to do! I will not allow you." Denise groaned, "Yes, yes, you know all of my plans but where has that led you to? If I ever had something bad planned out you are just too dumb and dramatic to figure it out. Leave me out of your drama and maybe you will not be having wrinkles at sixteen."
Denise stood up and walked out of the dining room. Daniella's mouth fell open, she could not believe that Denise just said that and walked away. This is so frustrating and she had nobody to talk to because her friends were not available at the moment.
She stormed her feet on the ground and groaned angrily. She was so angry about what was happening. Everything was out of her control and she could not change it. If they were considering it and Denise was not actively opposed to it that meant that there was nothing she could do.
****
"Hey guys, it's Ella here, today I wanted to show you my new hurl..." Denise walked into the room, interrupting her.
"What are you doing here?" Daniella snapped as soon she saw her. Denise narrowed her eyes, "you are in love Ella," she pointed out. "So?! Again I asked you, why are you here?" Daniella asked her.
Daniella clenched her jaw, Denise sat on her bed waiting for her to switch off the camera. Daniella turned back to the camera with a fake smile.
"Guys, I am ending my life now. My sister and I have a conversation," she switched off the live and turned to Denise. "Get off my bed," she snapped and stood up from the stool she had been sitting on.
"I just wanted to tell you that the party is starting soon, I was asked to come get you."
Daniella narrowed her eyes. She noticed that Denise did not call her parents mom or dad, which was weird but she did not comment about it. If it was okay with her parents then who was she? Besides, she still was trying to prove that Denise was not her sister, so it would be contradictory to ask her why she was not referring to them directly as her parents.
"I hear you, get out." Daniella walked to her door and opened it. Denise looked around the room and walked out of it.
The party was huge, the Arabowales wanted everyone to know about the miracle that occurred in their house just a month ago. From family friends to business associates to neighbours to church members. Shettima's assistant did a good job inviting everyone she thought was important. The PR team made sure to invite the media team that would help with the family image.
The huge garden hosted the party, and notable people appeared all over the garden. It was very rare for a party to be hosted by the family and it was even rarer for it to be hosted in their residence. Although the celebration was said to be a closed affair, the number of people was rising by the minute something that gave Sheila anxiety.
She tried to smile through her anxiety and politely converse with the guests but her daughters were nowhere to be found. She signalled to Moni who was on the other side of the party. She ran toward her employer.
"Where are Daniella and Denise?" She muttered, looking around. "Ha, madam, I told Miss Denise to go and get her." Sheila rolled her eyes. As if Moni did not know that Denise and Daniella fought like cat and dog.
"Miss Arabowale," Sheila stood back straight and turned to Mrs Damola, the woman was in flamboyant lace, and she had 50 pounds of makeup on. She was Sheila's church member and neighbour in the estate. Sheila was not her friend and if possible she would not allow Mrs Damola to enter her house. Just last three months, Sheila heard that Mrs Damola went around spreading rumours about her. It was nasty and one of her church members had to warn her about what was going on.
Sheila had confronted Mrs Damola about what she was saying and the woman proceeded to cry and gaslight her. It was the most disgusting thing she ever witnessed. She made sure that Daniella was not around her children but she knew Ella very well, Ella could handle herself and needed no protection.
"Mrs Damola," Sheila tried to smile, "Oh it's a miracle! I heard of what happened! I saw your daughter's video. My daughter showed it to me! Oh, what a miracle! Where is the celebrant of the evening?" she looked around the party.
"They are..."
"Mummy!" Daniella called and walked, side by side with Denise. Daniella stopped in her tracks when she saw Mrs Damola. Denise bumped into her and huffed. "What the hell? Why did you stop?" Denise muttered. Daniella just grunted in response, not giving her a proper reply.
"Oh, there she is my darling! Come here let me see you properly!" Mrs Damola called out to Denise, who glanced at Daniella and Sheila. She was confused about who she was.
"Have you not told her about me? You look quite confused my dear, common don't be shy!" Mrs Damola encouraged. "You look at you? I heard you picked her up from the slumps. Or was it a hood? I also heard that you stayed with your kidnapper for twelve years. How unfortunate!"
All of their mouth opened in surprise. How did she know about all of this information?
"What are you doing here Mrs Damola? I thought mummy said you weren't allowed into our house again." Daniella snapped. She did not like Denise but it did not mean that she wanted that woman to speak about her family like that, fake or not.
"My dear, your mother and I have made up! We are best friends now!" she grinned. Sheila almost rolled her eyes.
"Really? I didn't know when you became best friends with Mother." Denise narrowed her eyes. The woman looked at Denise up and down. She did not look impressed.
"We do not want you here Mrs Damola," Daniella snapped immediately. Mrs Damola narrowed her eyes and turned to Sheila.
"What kind of nonsense is this Mrs Arabowale? I mean your daughter is insulting an elder and you and correcting her? Is this how you raise kids? To insult their elders? I am not sure it reflects well on your parenting skills."
"Parenting skills? I didn't invite you here Mrs Damola, if you are not happy with the way my daughter spoke to you leave!" Sheila snapped, she signalled Denise and Daniella to move forward. Mrs Damola stood there flabbergasted. Wondering what kind of a family they were.
Daniella glanced at Mrs Damola who was still standing there, watching them. That woman was a chronic gossip. She wondered why her mother ever entertained her. It was uncluttered the way she acted.
"Denise, are you alright?" Sheila asked. Denise glanced at the woman. "Who is she?"
"You don't want to know," Daniella answered and picked a champagne glass from the tray, she gulped it down in one go. "Daniella!" Sheila scolded, looking around. She pulled the bottle out of the girl's hand and walked away.
"Once again I am stuck with you," Daniella muttered under her breath. She was not happy about the way the night was going but the party was to clean the family image up so she would do anything for it to be a success including allowing Denise to tag along with her.
Daniella stopped in her tracks, Denise looked at who she was staring at. Boy, a very handsome boy, he looked around the party, monster bears in his hands, he had an overall coat and black suit pants, something she would not have thought was for this kind of party. She and her sister were wearing blue gowns, short, beautiful and fitting for girls in the Arabowale family. A statement to the world. They didn't even know even know what it meant.
The boy looked like he did not want to be there but then again, the party had been overrun by their parents. The guest list showed that it was more of a dinner party for Sheila and Shettima than for Denise the said celebrant.
"Who is he?" Denise asked, from where she was standing, she could not see much but she could see enough to know why Daniella's curiosity was peaked.
"Do you mind?" Daniella snapped, annoyed. Denise rolled her eyes, "I am going to go inside and get something to eat." she announced and Daniella did not argue, Denise walked back into the house and walked toward the kitchen.
Daniella on the other hand decided to approach the boy she had been staring at for the past five minutes.
"Hi Colton," she greeted. Colton Wilfred looked up from his iPad. Why was Daniella Arabowale smiling down at him? She and him had been schoolmates since elementary school and they had kept their distance. Well, he kept his distance because he wanted nothing to do with someone like her.
"I brought you some champagne if you want." Daniella offered again. He looked at the champagne in her hand and looked away.
"Thanks, I already have a drink." he stood with the iPad and walked away.
"Miss!" Bimpe ran toward Denise. Denise had been stuffing her mouth for the past five minutes. The kitchen staff were too busy to stop her. She seemed happy and content and who were they to tell her not to do it when she was the celebrant of the day?
"Miss Bimpe how are you? How are you?" Denise dropped with a cupcake and walked toward her. She was dressed in a gold dress and her face was done up. "You look very pretty!" Denise complimented with a smile.
She and Bimpe since they started working together, they were not friends but she was one of the people she was starting to like in the house.
"Oh, this old thing? I found it at the back of my wardrobe o! Is it still wearable?" Denise chuckled. "Of course it is! The gold is very beautiful against your skin! Have you taken pictures?" Denise asked.
"Oh! I should! I have just taken some pictures, I have some Snapchat video!" Bimpe informed. "Well, you should take some pictures though."
"Alright, but Denise what are you doing here? Your father was looking for you! He wanted to make the announcement!" Denise glanced at the plate, was she not going to finish her cupcake before she got up stage?
"Just tell him I am coming, I am going to have to finish this one." Bimpe nodded, and she walked out of the kitchen.
Denise continued to stuff her face. She enjoyed eating cupcakes very much. She heard sudden footsteps and groaned. She was sure Shettima decided to take matters into his own hands and come get her. She swatted down and behind the kitchen's island.
She felt the feet get louder and louder but she did not hear any sound. If Shettima knew she was here then he was not saying anything. She decided to not think much and continued stuffing herself.
"What are you doing?" a voice called from the back of the island. She screamed and jumped. She looked up to see the boy, staring at her.
"What the fuck? Why would you startle someone like that?" Denise stood and looked at her cupcakes that were now on the floor.
"Your father was looking for you," Colton said. Denise glanced at him, "What are you doing here? Why did you startle me like that?" she mouthed, placing her hand on her chest.
"What are you doing sitting on the floor eating like a little rat?" Colton asked. Denise's mouth opened. "What the? I was not?"
"That's not what the cupcake on the floor and the icing on your mouth says," he answered with sight amusement. "And who are you exactly? What are you doing in my parent's kitchen and how do you know my father wants me?" she narrowed her eyes and folded her arms. Colton leaned on the counter.
"That's..." he walked toward her and stepped back, he raised her hands and tilted his head. "There's a bit of..." he wiped the icing off her mouth briefly touching her mouth.
"Denise..." Daniella stopped in her tracks. She stared between Denise and Colton. What the hell? What was Colton doing talking to Denise?
"Daniella!" Denise's voice came out as a squeal. He stared at the both of them, the rumours did not do their semblance justice. They looked so much alike and looked like they could pass for each other.
"What are you doing in here?" she narrowed her eyes. Denise's mouth opened and she looked between both of them. "Hum... let' go, they must be looking for us."
"Yeah, let's go," Daniella muttered, slowly. They walked out of the kitchen. "What were you talking to Colton about?" Daniella asked as soon as she left the leaving room. Denise frowned, she clenched her jaw.
"He caught me eating cupcakes, he just told me that my dad to looking for me," Denise informed Daniella clenched her jaw, why was he suddenly talking to her? When she refused to talk to her.
"He is not someone you should be messing with Denise! He is dangerous," she muttered, looking back at the kitchen to make sure he was not hearing them.
"Dangerous? Since when did you start caring about me?" Denise asked her, frowning. "Do not spite me, Denise! I am very serious about it." Daniella walked away.
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