CHAPTER FIVE

CLARA'S POV

I squinted my eyes trying to open them as a bright light shone into them and after a while of trying, I finally opened my eyes looking around in confusion.

At first I thought I was already dead and probably in the Afterlife.

“Young lady, can you hear me??” Someone asked.

I looked up at her and saw her wearing clothes that I have only seen doctors wear and that was when I realized I was at the hospital.

“I can hear you….why am I here and how did I get here??”

“some young men brought you here unconscious.” She said.

It was at that moment that memories started flowing through my head and I remembered everything including the stranger who saved me.

“Can I go home now please??”

“I am afraid you can't.” She said.

“Why??” I asked in confusion.

“Because from the tests carried out on you, we noticed you have two broken ribs, fresh and old bruises and also underweight.” She said.

“But I feel fine.”

“Where are your parents??” She asked.

I knew that if I involved any of them, they would end up killing me and so I had no choice but to lie my way out of.

“I am an orphan.” I said.

“Oh dear..who were you staying with that did such horrible things to you??” She asked.

“I was asked to get something by my foster parents when some boys attacked me.” I said.

“I am sorry about that….but that doesn't explain the old bruises.”she said.

“I am just extremely clumsy.” I said hoping she would believe my story and let me go.

“If you say so dear but it is advisable to stay at least two days here before you leave so you can get proper treatment.” 

“Nooo I can't….I have to leave now or else my foster parents will get so worried they might involve the police.” I said.

“hmmm if you say so…just sign some papers before you leave okay and if you don't feel good again, just come back.”she said.

“Thank you so much…but ma what about the bills???”

“It has been sorted out by the men who brought you here.”

“Okay…thanks.” 

After signing the papers, I took to my heels as I ran back home but unfortunately I wasn't fast enough because I could hear some noises in the house indicating that they were already back home.

Fear gripped me as I didn't know if I should knock on the door or sneak and enter into the house.

It was a really difficult situation because both were going to get me into serious trouble.

It took all the courage I had in me to walk to the door and knock.

“Who is it??” My Father asked.

“It is Clara.”I said as my voice shook in fear.

He opened the door, looked at me from my head to my toes and asked me to come in.

As soon as I entered I already saw my stepmother tapping her feet on the floor aggressively indicating she was mad at me.

My father locked the door behind him and walked up to me and before I could say something, he slapped me so hard across my face that I could swear I saw stars.

“So this is what you do when your mother and I leave the house??” He asked.

“Mother??? Please I can never give birth to a useless thing like this.” She said.

“I was at the hospital.” I said in tears.

“Hospital?? Why were you at the hospital…oh you want to put us in trouble right??”

“No….I passed out earlier and some people took me to the hospital…I just left there now.”

“She is such a bloody liar mom…I know that she is coming from her boyfriend's house.” Julius said, smirking.

“Of course…looking at her you will know she is very promiscuous but hiding under the pretense of being innocent.”my stepmother added.

“Clara, you better tell us where you are coming from right now or I will teach you a bitter lesson you won't forget in a hurry.” My father said.

“I am not lying to you because I have no reason to…if you want me to take you to the hospital right now I will do that.” I said still in tears.

He was silent for a few seconds while staring at me.

“Go inside and change your clothes then come and prepare dinner for us.” He said.

I ran inside thanking the heavens that he didn't do anything to me but if it were to be my stepmother, I was sure to be on a stretcher heading to the hospital at the moment.

After changing my dirty and bloody clothes, I went back into the kitchen and started preparing dinner for them.

I later found out from Julia while I was cooking that she overheard my father saying that the reason why he didn't follow me to the hospital to confirm if what I was saying was the truth was because he didn't want them to ask him any questions in regards to the bruises on my body.

I knew that his silence after I explained I was at the hospital was suspicious.

I made dinner and served them and to my greatest surprise, I was asked to eat the leftovers and because of that, Julia pretended she wasn't hungry and left a lot of food on her plate just for me to have enough.

She was the only one even at that young age who cared genuinely for me and I was grateful for that.

Two days went by so fast and my routine in the house was the same thing but there was something that kept on popping up in my mind and that was the incident where I met the stranger who saved me.

I didn't know what he looked like or who he was but I was glad I met him that fateful day and deep down I wished I could meet him again to thank him for saving my life.

It was a weekend and during weekends, I was asked to wash everyone's clothes in the house and after I took the clothes, I went to the balcony of the house to wash them.

I forgot the soap I was going to use and so I went inside and just when I was about to enter the living room, I overheard Julius and Jerry talking.

“The amount of hatred I have for that bitch grows more everyday.” Jerry said.

I immediately knew they were talking about me.

“Same here bro…did you notice that for the past two days, nobody has done anything to her and no drama in the house??” Julius asked.

“Yeah I noticed that too bro…do you think our parents are getting soft on her??”

“If they do that, then we are going to be cast aside.”

“Then what do you suggest we do??” Jerry asked.

“Let us end this once and for all.”

“What do you mean brother??”

“It is time to kill her.”