My daughter

Mrs. James raised her head up immediately she heard Erica’s reply.

She raised a brow at Erica and laughed lowly as she made a slow movement to adjust herself where she was seated.

Erica was standing where she was, next to Aurelio. Her hands were folded and pulled to her chest. And then she shook her head, disappointed indeed.

She clicked her tongue and turned to Aurelio,

He gestured her to sit down which she did and he sat next to her.

“Erica, what’s the problem. Aren’t you happy to see us dear?” Her mom faked an act and she laughed lowly.

“You should be happy to see us, since you just stopped calling us, we decided to and you don’t even seem happy My dear daughter” her father added and immediately anger took over Erica.

She tighten her jaw as she tried to suppress the anger boiling from within.

“Like seriously, little sister you have no idea of how worried I have been ab_”

This time she could not hold it anymore and butt in immediately.

“Little what did you call me? Your dear daughter? Hmm?” she asked them wide eyed already irritated..

“Oh dear calm down, you should not react that way” her father said to her lowly and Aurelio took her palm into his hand to calm her down.

She bit her lower lips as she shook her head and looked away.

“Honey please calm down hmm?” he said to her.

Jemma could not take her eyes off Aurelio, how did Erica manage to get a man like him?

She never stopped thinking.

“Is it that you’ve forgotten us? We are your parents Erica and we don’t deserve to be treated such way, how could you just spend time with such a man in a mansion like this without informing us” her mom said and immediately Erica turned to her with a glare

“What did you call yourself? Parent? You mean my mom?” she laughed

“Erica!” Jemma said immediately

“I am not talking to you yet so stay where you are Jemma, honestly speaking to you three seated in front of me..I don’t remember having you as my family” she simply said and her mom gasped.

“What did you just say Erica! Did you have amnesia or something? How could you just say that?” her Mom asked

“Well the last time I checked, I am perfectly fine Mrs. James” she replied intentionally not calling her mom since she never was one to her, Erica turned to her father..

“And Mr. James, how may I help you? You too Jemma? You called right? So what’s up people?” she asked them as she folded her hands and leaned on Aurelio.

“Well, I don’t know why you called me Mrs_” she cut her mom short

“Let’s leave that aside, not like I am wrong or something. Aren’t you miss James?” Erica shrugged

“So please go straight to the point” she said

Mr. James was speechless by her act, he never expected such from her. Not at all

Erica faked a smile and faked a listening look too..

“Well, we’ve been trying to reach your contact before now..and thank goodness we were able to. The thing is, we found out you’re engaged to Mr Aurelio here, Aurelio Bertram and we have no idea about it my dear, how could you just keep it to yourself” her mom said

“To myself? Did you hear yourself? Wait what did you want to know if I may ask, you expected me to call you because I am engaged to Aurelio Bertram?” Erica scoffed.

“I don’t want to sound rude and sarcastic here ma’am, but to he honest, tell me why I should…” Erica shrugged as she sat up to listen.

“I am your mother Erica!”

“And I am your father!” her father added.

“I am here too, your sister for goodness sake, you could have told me even if you didn’t want to tell any..you know how heartbroken I was when I found out..?” she asked her and Erica tried to hold back her laughter.

“What did you all just call yourselves? Mom? Dad? And sister?” Erica laughed

“Erica! What I am saying here is how could you?? Move into his house without telling me!? Your mom!” Mrs. James said aloud and just then Aurelio’s Mom stepped in with her husband looking as elegant and radiant as always.

All of their attention was to the door, she walked in with a white scarf around her neck, a black channel sunglasses on the black blazer dress and a channel bag in her hand.

Jemma stood up immediately she recognized their face and every other ones did too.

“Simply because you never carried your roles as a mother to her” Mrs Bertram replied

“Lola? Papito?” Erica called out immediately

“Honey, how are you? Hope all is good with you?” he replied her while his wife was still glaring at Mrs. James.

“Mrs Bertram?..” she asked shocked clearly.

“And you are Mrs. James right?” She’s asked her

“Yes, Erica’s Mom” she replied and sat up after Mr and Mrs Aurelio had their seat.

“MOM?” Mrs Camila asked

“Mom…you’re home, it’s really good to have you here” Aurelio said to his mom but still she said nothing but fixed her eyes on Mrs. James

“Or Erica, you never mentioned me to her? Why?” her mom laughed but no one else in the room did.

“Honey who are they?” Mr Bertram asked her.

“This here is Mrs James, her husband and their daughter” she replied simply

“You are my daughter too Erica!” her father said immediately.

“Oh please don’t say such, you can be killed for it” Erica replied

“I don’t understand what’s going on here anymore, Erica..why would you move into a man’s house when he hasn’t paid your bride price?” Jemma asked

“Is this how cheap you want to look?” she added and Erica laughed

“Do not ever speak of her in such way or I won’t take it easy with you !” Aurelio shunned her immediately

“was about to say that too” his dad added

“But still Jemma is right, you’ve been living with him isn’t it? And it’s been announced on the TV the both of you would be tying your knot soon. He hasn’t paid your bride price you know” her mom said

“To whom should he pay to? I have no families” she replied with a shrug

“We are here!” her dad replied and Erica laughed out

“The last time I checked, 4:17pm 8 years ago, you disowned me in the living room Mr James and Mrs James. And you woman, you said nothing but agreed with him so tell me the parents you were referring to?” Erica asked her with a brow raised..

“What are you saying!” Jemma asked

“And you claiming to be my sister.. You should be ashamed of yourself that you could appear before me after 8 years to claim you are my sister. Honestly you guys irritate me, I remember begging, weeping and pleading to you all here to let me stay with you, my family..but you rejected me! So what are you saying now?” Erica asked feeling a lump already in her throat.

“Honey it’s not like that, you are—” she cut her dad short immediately

“Good for nothing I know, you call me that every minute so I won’t be surprised” Erica shrugged

“So I don’t know who you are to her, if we have nothing to discuss here.. please leave” Aurelio replied

“Why? You want to marry my daughter just like that? And you think I will allow you?” her father exclaimed

“You disowned her young man, and now she is welcomed into this family as my daughter. Next time in your next life you will keep what’s yours tightly!” Mr Bertram said to him immediately.

“How on earth do you expect me to live when people find out you married a whole Aurelio Bertram and I am still living this life. Even your sister is out of school Erica. Be reasonable” her mom said

“you should have been too when I kept telling you to let me into the house even if I’ll sleep in the bathroom, you refused to and left me outside the house mom… I am not paying back or whatever, I am just making things clear to you, never refer to me as your daughter out there, you said that to me too, I really can’t stand your face” Erica shook her head.

“No! No way! What have you done to my daughter to make her this way!!” Mrs. James asked as she stood up and was walking towards Erica

“You should say no such! You brought this upon yourself” Aurelio replied as he stood up too and Erica did as she stood before him.

“I am your mother, I deserve my share! How could you! I was even surprised to hear you were engaged to him on the news and you’re saying this?” she asked her.

Erica was hurt immediately.

Her mom came all the way here not to apologize but to ask for bride price and share?

“Do I look like a property to you or something? Your property?” Erica asked her with a scoff

“Too bad you came here not for your daughter, what an eye sore. I would not want anyone to hurt my daughter, henceforth don’t come an inch close to her next time” Mr Bertram said to her

“You think you can have my sister just like that! How could you Erica! I am really disappointed in—”

“you better hold it right there Jemma James or I help you myself, how dare you open your mouth to tell me that, I should be the one to tell you that..you act all holy and pure, that one best child but don’t know all what I was doing then was to try to cover your nakedness! You dirty thing!” Erica replied immediately with anger

“What did you just say!” Jemma asked her

“You know all the dirty shits you’ve been doing behind your parents, all the Hook ups and night clubs you’ve been going to. I know you’re mad I got a right guy as a life partner while you are still there fucking around I guess, it’s still on your face. Sorry if I said it.. I’ve always wanted to tell you this Mr and Mrs James, this daughter right here has been a slut since her high school” Erica said as she swallowed heavily too

“What!!” everyone gasped in the room.

“You..slept. Around. With. Almost everyone Jemma!” Erica stated one by one.

“Just so you know I wasn’t dumb those years, now you go back to your home and forget you ever saw me” Erica added

All that heard were shocked to.. Even Aurelio too

“I really don’t want you to stress my daughter, leave this mansion”

“ I don’t want anything to hurt my grandchild nor the mother” Mrs Camila said immediately as she walked to them

“You are pregnant?” Mrs. James asked her.

“why should I tell you? I am so disappointed in you.. still I am not surprised, you’ve always been this way. And will ever be” Erica replied

“I can’t even say to anyone you are my biological mother, well good thing is you are not anymore.” She shrugged

“Are you even hearing yourself Erica?you filthy—” Mrs Camila interrupted her immediately.

“Don’t even complete that statement or I have your tongue cut and your teeth pulled out!” she said to her as she grabbed Mrs James and pushed her away from Erica.

Mr James was so shocked that he felt a pain in his chest

Aurelio noticed and widen his eyes at him,

“Ahh!” Mr James exclaimed out of pain as he slowly went down to the floor grabbing his chest

“Hey! Sir!” Aurelio said as he rushed to him to check him out

“Oh now he’s having a heart attack” Mr Bertram clicked his tongue.

“Dad!” Jemma yelled as she rushed to him too but her dad already fell finally to the floor unconscious.

She froze her steps and widen her eyes as she gasped.

“Honey!” Mrs James exclaimed too as she ran to him.

Erica didn’t move nor said anything, she was clearly shocked.

Jemma turned to her with a death look the frightened her so much.

“How could you say all those! Now he’s got an attack Because of you!” Jemma screamed out angrily

“Are you born to be this wicked!”

“I..I..I..I…didn’t..mean” Erica stuttered as she took slow steps back but Jemma already ran to her.

“Go to hell!! Because you’re engaged to a man like him, you think you can do as you want!” she yelled as she charged at her

“I..I..I never did anything” Erica said and Mrs Camila turned her attention to them just to see Jemma push Erica hardly to the wall and saw her fall with force on one of the glass table.

She gasped immediately.

“Ahh!!” Erica screamed and just then her head went hardly against the table

“Erica!!” Aurelio shouted but she already fell to the floor unconscious.

His eyes went wide open and everyone else too,

He ran to her immediately carried her in his hands. Just then he felt something wet and thick against his arm,

Aurelio was already carrying her and then he took his hands away to see blood stains on his sleeves, he shakily looked at the ground to see blood was already all over where she had fallen.

“Erica!!” Mrs Camila screamed out of fear as her purse and phone fell off from her hands.