Chapter seven: Cinderella

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Not far from them, two women in their thirties sat at a table, watching them. The eldest wore a nostalgic expression as she watched the two kids enjoy their meal and chat.

“You miss the young Miss, huh?” the younger one observed.

Joanna nodded in response to her sister’s question. Joanna A. Lopez was in her early thirties. She had lost her husband a few years into her marriage. She had been on the verge of self-destruction when she met Vivian Irwin—an ignorant yet brilliant businesswoman. Vivian had taken her under her wing, and soon they became fast friends. She had helped the village-raised woman adapt to city life. When Vivian got married and became Mrs. Phoenix, Joanna moved in with her and later became a full-time nanny to her daughter.

“How is she doing?” Joanna asked.

“Things are getting out of hand. I hate that man. How can he stand by and watch his child suffer like that?”

“Don’t do anything rash. Remember, we see nothing, hear nothing, and say nothing.”

Agatha laughed at her sister’s philosophy. “Says the woman who lost her job after she beat up her boss.”

Joanna smiled bitterly at the memory. If she could, she would do it all over again. But thoughts of Vivian’s child quickly took over her mind.

Agatha reached for her hand and squeezed it. “Don’t feel so bad. If you hadn’t done what you did that day, we could have lost the little Miss.”

Cameron Phoenix, a two-timing, opportunistic lazy gigolo, had married Vivian for her money. Joanna had tried to warn the self-made millionaire, but she never listened. Love blinded her to his evil nature. That’s why Joanna had stayed on as Kiera’s nanny.

Soon, Cameron’s true colors emerged. Before Vivian could fix things, she was tragically murdered. With Vivian gone, Cameron brought his mistress and her children; Thorne, Skylar, and Celestine to live with them. While Vivian was alive, Kiera lived like a princess. But now, at five years old, she had become a Cinderella in her own home. Cameron’s new wife was the devil incarnate. Joanna lost her job after fighting with her.

Before Vivian’s death, she had bought a golden Labrador retriever puppy for Kiera. However, when Esther and her children moved in, Celestine, Cameron’s illegitimate daughter, claimed the dog; responsibility for it fell on Kiera. Under Celestine’s care, the dog was neglected and spoiled.

One day, the dog messed up the carpet. Celestine ordered Kiera to clean it up, but Kiera refused, saying it was her responsibility. The girl ran to her mother to complain. Esther slapped Kiera and ordered her to clean it. When Kiera resisted, Esther tried to force the dog’s poop into her mouth. Kiera defended herself, biting Esther. In return, Esther kicked her viciously, causing her to hit her head on the sofa.

Esther’s cruelty didn’t stop there. She dragged Kiera to the laundry room, where Agatha was ironing clothes. She grabbed the hot iron and placed it on Kiera’s thighs. Agatha tried to intervene but couldn’t overpower Esther. She called Joanna, who was preparing lunch in the kitchen. Joanna arrived to find Esther still holding the iron against the girl’s thighs, turning up the heat as her children watched gleefully.

Kiera passed out just as Joanna walked in. Seeing the horrifying scene, Joanna’s heart sank. Agatha picked up the girl and rushed her to safety. Esther stood up, and Joanna snapped. She grabbed Esther and held her in a chokehold while landing slaps on her. Esther was no match for Joanna’s strength. Joanna pressed the iron to Esther’s face, driven by rage. Joanna’s brother, Chuck, pulled her away from the attack. Esther sank to the floor, wailing in pain.

In the present…

Agatha shot to her feet, alarmed after glancing at the time on her wristwatch.

“What’s wrong?”

“I have to get home before that witch and her little brood of witchlets return from their trip.”

Joanna stood up sadly. She missed seeing her siblings and hated that they had to meet in secret. They feared that if Esther found out, she would take it out on Kiera or worse, fire Chuck and Agatha, leaving Kiera defenseless.

“Alright, sis. Go on. I won’t keep you any longer than you need to.”

Agatha reached into her bag and handed her an envelope. Joanna looked at it wearily. She felt bad that, for the third month now, they had sacrificed their earnings for her. Esther had fired her with no money to her name, and she was a step away from being homeless. But they had scraped together what they had so she wouldn’t suffer.

The following month, the two had come knocking on her one-roomed house and ordered her to move. Unknown to her, they had been scouting for a decent place for her while she had been content with her place as she job-hunted.

“Thanks,” she said, promising herself to deposit it in the account she had opened where she stashed the money they gave her. She only used twenty percent of whatever was in the envelope.

“It’s nothing. By the way, I think you should hold onto this.”

Agatha took out a larger envelope. “This is the late Mrs. Vivien’s last will. She left it with me a day before she died. It’s like she knew.”

Joanna was taken aback. They had all been present when Esther, hours after they came from Vivienne’s burial, had shown up and burned the will just as the lawyer, Mr. Gilbert, was about to start reading it.

“What does it say?”

Agatha let out a disgusted chuckle. “What do you think? Cameron was well aware that she had left him with nothing. All the wealth that Cameron, his mistress, and her illegitimate children are enjoying rightfully belongs to Ms. Kiera.”

“Is that so?” Joanna sighed, a tinge of sadness in her voice.

“Someday, things will turn out alright for Kiera,” she mused, her tone holding a hint of optimism. “Karma will catch up with him eventually.”

Agatha scoffed incredulously. “You still believe in karma at this point?”

“We’ve got to believe in something, right?” Joanna countered.

Agatha shrugged nonchalantly. “I guess so.”

Joanna’s hand found its way to her sister’s, a reassuring gesture. “Sis, we can’t afford to lose hope now. Without hope, we’re left with nothing. Besides, we’re Kiera’s only source of hope.”

Agatha let out a heavy sigh, nodding in reluctant agreement. “I know, but sometimes it feels like hope is just an illusion, given everything that’s happening. But you’re right, Kiera needs us to keep fighting.”

A gentle smile curved Joanna’s lips as she rubbed Agatha’s shoulder. “That’s the spirit.”

Walking toward the exit, Joanna held the precious document close to her chest, her expression solemn. She gazed upward as if seeking guidance from the heavens. “Vivien, you can rest in peace. I promise to rectify the wrongs caused by your husband. Someday, Kiera will reclaim what rightfully belongs to her.”

In the months after Vivien’s death and the botched will reading, Esther’s behavior had spiraled into a frenzy as she tore the house apart in search of the missing document. Glancing at her sister, Joanna felt a surge of admiration. Agatha’s resourcefulness in hiding the copy of the will had left her impressed, even though she remained unaware of the details.

As Agatha boarded the bus, Joanna waved her off before settling onto a bench to await her bus. The weight of the promise she had made to Vivien rested on her shoulders, and she was determined to fulfill it, no matter the challenges ahead.

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“Xander?”

“Hmm.”

“Would you like some ice cream?” Zaria asked as he took a sip of his juice.

“Ice cream? You’ll buy me ice cream?”

“Why not?” the teenage brunette asked, her voice carrying a hint of mischief. With a casual flick, she pushed her hair over her shoulder, her playful smile revealing a mischievous glint in her eyes. “I am your elder sister, after all. It’s what sisters do.”

“Mommy doesn’t allow me to. She says it’s bad for my health,” Xander responded, his voice carrying a mix of reluctance and adherence to his mother’s rules.

Zaria leaned in and whispered conspiratorially, “But your mommy’s not here. She won’t know if you don’t tell her.”

Xander beamed, enticed by the idea.

“Okay. I want the chocolate-flavored one.”

Zaria nodded, her eyes fixated on the crowded ice cream trucks across the street. She pushed back her chair. “Don’t go anywhere and don’t talk to strangers. I’ll be back soon, okay?”

Xander nodded.

Zaria ran to the ice cream truck across the street, intending to join the queue. She turned back to look at her brother, a malevolent spark lighting up her eyes.

“Would you look at that? So trusting, so naive,” she sneered. “What an idiot.”

She discreetly slipped away, merging with the crowds, a sinister smirk playing on her lips.

Joanna was about to board the small minibus when she spotted Zaria running out of the park, alone.

“She couldn’t have left the boy alone, could she?” Joanna wondered, frowning.

She stepped off the bus, apologized to the conductor for the delay, and went around the bus to where the girl had disappeared. She spotted her almost immediately. Zaria ran toward a parked Cadillac. An elegant-looking woman stepped out of the Cadillac and opened the door for the girl, whom Joanna had heard the boy call Zaria.

The woman pressed her lips to the girl’s forehead. As they chatted, a white Maruti Omni pulled up beside the Cadillac. Three bulky men dressed in black ensembles of biker leather pants, T-shirts, and jackets stepped out. The woman and the men talked for a while. The girl pointed toward the amusement park. The woman reached into the back of her Cadillac and pulled out a small black duffel bag.

One of the trio took the bag, checked inside, and nodded to the others. An ominous feeling rose in Joanna as she realized what was happening. She rushed back inside and alerted security to the suspicious-looking men lurking around the park. The men had already entered the park, but on seeing a dozen-plus security personnel heading their way, they quickly left the park.

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