Chapter 5

Lilith.

A feeling of dread washed over me as I stood face to face with the house I grew up in.

I swallowed the fear that stung my throat as I made my way to the huge gate.

My heart raced in my chest when I lifted my trembling fingers to press the bell.

It didn't take long before the chief security raced towards me, but as soon as our eyes connected, his face fell.

I recognized the feeling.

The feeling of pity.

I didn't need him to be sorry for me.

“Miss Lilith,” he whispered as he froze on a spot before lowering his head in respect.

My heart bled as memories of my childhood hit me like a thousand bulldozers.

Before he was promoted to the position of chief security, he was my personal butler.

How tables turned quickly.

“Mr…”

“It's been ages,” he gasped as his face flared in surprise.

He struggled to hide his shock, but his countenance gave him away.

“You…really…changed.” His voice trailed as he managed to find the right choice of words.

“I want to see my father. It's urgent, and it's a matter of life and death,” I let out, grabbing the bar of iron that separated him from me.

“Let me in, please,”

A dreadful expression spread across his face as he hesitated for a while.

“Ma'am. I'm sorry, but I will lose my job if I do that.” His voice shook.

Tears threatened to spill from my eyes as his words stabbed my heart countless times.

It wasn't his fault.

His master gave an order, and he would be doomed to flaunt it.

But would the order stand after all these years?

Shouldn't my dad have an atom of pity to reverse it?

“You don't understand. My mother and sister, his ex-wife, and his child are in the hospital, dying. They are sick with cancer.”

I watched him let out a sigh before staring at me with a pitiful face.

He nodded his head gently.

“I can't let you in. I'm sorry. If it was within my power, I would have done so without thinking twice. You and your mum were good to me, but please understand that your father and his mistress warned me not to let you in whether in this life or in the next life.”

I didn't know when tears spilled on my cheeks until he handed me a face towel.

“I'm sorry,” he muttered.

“It's fine. I understand. Are they home?”

“No. They went out, but they will be back today.”

“I would wait then,” I insisted stubbornly.

“I won't discourage you, but it's about to rain, plus they will be back late.” He tried to persuade me, but I didn't oblige.

Seeing that I was determined, he gave me one last pitiful look before disappearing out of my face.

Thirty minutes passed, and there was no sign of my father or his mistress. My keys started to hurt, and I sat on the pavement, patiently waiting for him.

I wanted to know if he still resented us after those years or if the spell cast by his mistress had worn out.

An hour slipped, and the sky became heavy with dark clouds. Thunder roared in the heavens, and the clouds gave way for the rain.

It started as a drizzle but gradually poured like it was raining its anger on me.

My dress was drenched and cold started to bite into my skin.

Shivering, I hugged my small frame against the wall as my teeth chattered.

Still, I would wait. I didn't mind freezing to death.

“Take this.”

I heard a voice amid the thunder. It was the security guard.

He handed me an umbrella, a pair of long boots, and a long, thick jacket to make me feel warm.

“Thank you. When he is back, I promise I will return it,” I said with a smile of gratitude plastered on my face.

“You can have it,” he said, forcing a smile on his face.

After it rained heavily for three hours, I sighted a car from a distance.

Squinting my eyes, my joy knew no bounds when I found out that it was my father's car.

It was the car he took me on a ride in when I celebrated my 5th birthday.

I still memorized his plate number after all these years.

I straightened myself as the car got closer before standing beside the gate.

“Hi,” I mouthed, waving at the tinted glass and waiting for his response.

The window was wound down, and for the first time in many years, I saw my father.

I was taken aback, and I froze on the spot, unable to speak.

“Dad,” I said in a whisper, moving closer to the door.

His sharp eyes pierced for some seconds, and his face hardened in hatred and disgust.

“It's me, Lilith, your precious Lily.” I found myself blurring before a tear slipped from the corner of my eye.

But I was taken aback when the window was blown up by him, and he zoomed into his house, using the remote to close his gate before I could have the chance to rush in.

“Dad, wait! Mum and your daughter are dying. They have cancer, and there is no money to take care of them.” I screamed, hoping my words would have an effect on him, but it didn't.

That was it!

He meant it when he said I was dead to him.

“I hope you are convinced that your father doesn't want to have anything to do with you. I'm sorry,” the security guard said before handing me a slice of pizza.

“I heard your stomach rumbling.”

I was too stunned to appreciate him as my father's reaction kept replaying in my head.

“I'll just keep it here,” he gestured to me, placing the pizza in a small box on the pavement.

I watched him leave my presence to attend to my father, who walked inside the house without sparing me another look.

I was about to take the pizza when a feminine voice startled me, making me drop it to the floor.

Anger flooded me when I turned to meet my father's mistress.

Great. She made me miss my first meal.

I was about to transfer my aggression to her when I remembered she was the ticket to get to my dad.

“Ma'am, please, could you help me talk to Dad? My mum and my sister really need to start chemotherapy, or they'll be dead. Please, I need some money.” I burst into tears, falling to my knees immediately.

“I can't help you. I'm just here to entertain myself with your misery. I'm having a lot of fun,” she laughed, mockery evident in her voice.

I muttered curses when I saw my mum's diamond necklace sitting on her neck.

Shameless bitch!

All my mother's jewelry, clothes, shoes, and bags were in her possession.

I wish I could snatch it from her neck and sell it off to pay for Mum's chemo. But I was raised better than that.

“Please, I'd do anything for the money. I just want Mum to get better.”

Her face brightened in the blink of an eye. I could tell she was cooking something mischievous.

“Will you do anything?”

“Yes. I need a lot of money to pay for her chemo until it ends.”

“Since you would do anything, then scrub my toilet and the toilet in my daughter's room that was formerly your room. You will get the money when you are done. $1k should be enough.”

“Bravo, mummy. You are so full of surprises. That is why I love you,” Her daughter sneered before hugging her mother tightly.

“And what is this loser doing here?” She batted her lashes at me, before hissing loudly. “No wonder there is a strong stench everywhere.”

I wiped the tears from my face, pretending as if her words didn't mean anything to me, while they penetrated deep into my soul.

Despite maintaining my composure, I wailed like an infant on the inside.

“Scrub your toilets?” I gasped in disbelief.

“Hey! We are only doing you a favor. Take it or leave it,” she said.

“You want money, right? Scrub the toilets to my satisfaction and I'll give you the money. If you are not interested, you can get the hell out of my face before I call the cops on you. I would love to see you rot in jail.” She fired before turning her back to leave me while her daughter continued to laugh.

“Wait! I'll do it. I'll scrub the toilet.”

I cringed at my words, but nothing mattered. As long as my mother and sister received their treatment.

*****

I curled up on my bed, clasping my hand over my mouth as I wept hard.

Never had I been humiliated the way I was today.

My father's mistress didn't only make me scrub the toilets, I also trimmed the overgrown flowers in her garden.

The witch made me scrub her toilet over 3 times until she was satisfied.

Despite my hands shaking from exhaustion, she made me water her plants manually.

As if it wasn't enough she threw $600 at me like I was a dog after her daughter made me climb up to a high table to get it.

When I questioned her about the $400 balance, she insisted that it was deducted because I was caught resting for two minutes on duty.

I tried to protest but her daughter struck me hard on my face before ordering me to leave or she will release her dogs on me.

After crying to my satisfaction, I lay on the bed as sleep clouded my eyes, but a notification sound from my phone jolted me awake.

I picked up my phone and unlocked it to find a text message from a strange number.

My brows furrowed as I clicked on the message before reading it.

‘Resume by 7 am prompt tomorrow! The description will be sent soon.”

It was a message from the hot stranger!