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"Cherish," Aurora calls out to Cherish who only walks slowly into the dining room. Her Dad was out of town as usual, but she expected him to be back before Christmas Eve.

There was one person she had never ever been comfortable been around. No other person than her Dad's twin, Aunty Flourish. Her problems were too much for Cherish to handle. She was always complaining.

She spent most time and holidays with them. If there was something Cherish notice, it was how hard her Mum tried to tolerate Aunty Flourish.

"What took you so long?" Cherish heard her mum asks, while she raises her head up, only to meet her younger brother gaze.

"Mummy made porridge." He complains.

You could hear the disgust in his voice. That was the food he disliked the most, but unfortunately was always prepared by their mum.

"Good evening." Cherish says, sparing Aunty Flourish, who just hummed at her a glance.

"Prepare your things, we would be travelling for Christmas." Cherish heard her mum say, getting her full attention. She knew where she was spending her Christmas this year. Last year she did with her maternal grandparents, and it was more like an unspoken rule. That was one of the major times, she spent with her Mum's family.

"Your grandma is currently out of the county for treatment." She paused. This statement made me worried.

"What's wrong with her?" Cherish asks hastily.

"Your father said, she will be fine. She is getting better, it's not very serious." Aurora says picking a spoonful of her meal, meanwhile Cherish stares back at her, not touching her meal. Because she didn't sound convincing of her grandma's health. She was looking forward to spending the festive periods with them.

"We would be going to grandpa's place right." Her little brother suddenly asks. He was referring to the other grand Dad, not her's or their paternal.

"Grand Dad is currently out of the county. We would only be spending new year's eve with him.

"I thought they were going to spend new year eve, with my parents." Aunty Flourish suddenly says, not only getting Aurora's full attention but the kids.

"I already spoke to Light, he agreed they should spend time with my family this year," Aurora responds immediately. Cherish didn't miss the tension in the air.

Her phone suddenly beeps, she pulls it slowly, only to see the notification on the screen. Zara tagged her on a post.

She finally remembered she had a best friend.

That was what she thought of grudgingly, that moment. But she could never be angry at her for too long.

"What kind of manners are you teaching her? Pressing her phone during meals." Aunty Flourish suddenly asks, making Cherish slowly take her head up. She hadn't even touched her food. She didn't dare look at Aunty Flourish face, the lady did terrify her.

"Cherish, put the phone away and concentrate on your food." Cherish heard her Mum say calmly. She doesn't take her eyes up, only pulls the plate of food closer, though she had already lost appetite.

"We would go to the salon tomorrow."

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Scrolling through the newsfeed, Ashley suddenly stops at Zara's post, recognizing the picture. That innocent look on her face made him stare. The only girl who made his heart skip, who always gave him mixed feelings. The fact she had made it difficult for him to have an alone time with her after the incident between them was obvious.

She never came close, more like she was running away from him. It was very clear.

He fucked up, and had decided to go slow and get everything straight. The more he tried to forget about her, the more he couldn't stop thinking about her.

"Lee, your food." His Dad deep voice calls out, reminding him they were having a family dinner.

Most times he wondered what was up with his parents. His Dad rarely spent the night, but he had noticed a serious change with his parents. They weren't that hostile with each other anymore. He wasn't a kid, and understood what was going on. He definitely heard moaning sounds earlier today.

Getting a notification on his phone, he pulls it stylishly to himself. He lets his eyes bulge out, that moment he made an eye contact with his Dad, regretting why he swiped his phone.

Ukeme's nude was on display.

Did she have to send it now?

He knew his Dad saw, he only breaks eye contact, but could feel the man, giving him a complex stare.

Feeling uncomfortable, he turns to the bigger version of him. He noticed his Dad stare into his eyes, like he was searching for something, before starting a conversation.

"Your sister wants to go spend the Christmas holiday with Aaliyah. Are you going?" His Dad asks not breaking an eye contact.

"No, I would rather spend it here. There is no one there to talk to." Ashley says, wondering if they actually thought before asking him the question.

"Well your Mum wants to spend some alone time with me, she said she doesn't need disturbance," Kenny says and burst into laughter. Ashley didn't miss the glare his Mum gave his Dad, this was actually the first time, he saw his Dad laugh so hard.

"You aren't serious. Lair!" Fisayo says rolling her eyes dramatically. "Can you just talk without making me look like the bad guy when you are obviously the one. Look your Dad is the one who doesn't want you both around." Fisayo says defensively.

"Don't say it like that." Kenny chuckles.

"You started it." Fisayo presses on, meanwhile Nicole chuckles.
This was the first time, they were actually having this experience with their parents. It was more like a real family time. Even though their parents weren't actually married. He did want to have this conversation with his Mum, but knew he wasn't supposed to bring it up.

"Lee, make your mother happy by going away," Kenny says, Ashley couldn't stop himself from laughing, because of his mother's facial expressions. "She only wants my attention on herself. You won't blame her, you both are dividing it." Kenny jokes.

"I prefer to go stay with grandma." Ashley drags.

He knew his parents knew the grandma he was referring to.
"It's been long I saw her."
She was the only woman who let him do whatever he wanted.

"Then we can go see your maternal grandma on new years eve." Kenny suddenly says, his voice suddenly went low. Ashley noticed his countenance changed.

"Daddy, you promised to take me to the park." Nicole suddenly says.

Ashley turns to his Dad, who nods his head. If there was something he noticed, it was how his Dad was agreeing to Nicole's demands, without talking much about it.

If he was trying to make up for all the years of been away, he was doing a nice job with Nicole. But with him, they hadn't really gotten anywhere. He didn't know if it was as a result of him been in the hostel because with that, they rarely had the time to catch up.

"What's wrong?" Ashley's Dad, suddenly directs this question to his Mum, prompting him to look in his Mum's direction immediately.

"I'm fine." She responds slowly.

"Are you sure?" His Dad asks again, picking his interest.

"Yeah." His Mum responds slowly, now taking a glass of water.

"Daddy, will you be staying over today?" Nicole suddenly asks. Meanwhile, Ashley turns to her, fully aware she was just a naive kid, if only she knew what their parents had been up to, on the pretext of him staying over, whenever she requested.

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Immediately Jewel walks into the room and sights Ivy, her facial expression changes. Since she got home, she had been trying to control herself around Ivy, but it didn't seem to be working. It felt more like she was suffocating inside. Seeing Ivy everywhere, even in her private space. She was suffocating.

"Mum is calling you." Ivy suddenly says, meanwhile Jewel turns to her immediately. Wondering when calling her mother, mum started.

She had noticed how close, her Mum and Ivy had been since she got back, and she didn't like it at all. To her, she was taking her Mum away from her. She has always been the only daughter. She didn't want to share that with anyone, and Ivy seemed to be getting even more closer to her Mum than she was. Her Mum was always siding her, and it was making her mad.

Grandma loved Ivy, even more than her, she knew that it was very visible. But she didn't care. But this was her Mum. She wasn't going to let anyone take her place, it wasn't going to happen.

"My mum isn't your mum," Jewel says immediately, giving her a stern look. She noticed Ivy pause immediately, before giving her a very straightforward look.

"Jewel, I only came to deliver a message. Don't be a brat about it." Ivy responds Immediately.

"Who are you calling a brat?" Jewel asks immediately, ready to give her a piece of her mind. To her, Ivy was trying so had to take her place, and she wasn't going to let that happen. "Stop making an effort, trying to take my place in my own father's house, who the hell do you think you are?" Jewel asks.

"Jewel, don't insult me. I won't have you insult us, because I am in your house." Ivy says immediately. You could see the anger visible in her eyes, while she clenched her fist. Which Jewel noticed immediately.

"Are you going to beat me up," Jewel says now increasing her voice, while she moves to where Ivy stood. "Thank God you know it's my house. And I won't have you, come here and take my place. My Mum isn't your Mum, get that into your wack brain."

"Jewel, don't push me. I won't let you insult me." Ivy says. "Not because I am in your father's house, I...,"

"I don't want you here." Jewel retorts.

"You are just a spoilt brat, I get why everyone get tired of having you. Grandma talked about the peace of mind she got immediately after you went back to school. You are even a piece of work to your own Mum, grow up little girl. Not everything is about you." Ivy says.

Jewel couldn't hide how hurt she felt when Ivy talked about her Grandma.

"Go back to the gutter you were picked from, gold digger. Your mother probably knew you were useless, that was why she dumped you on the street, my mother isn't your..., " Jewel gets cut off, by a hot slap. Her face turned pale immediately, she got the impact of the slap, it did stink.

Holding her cheeks in pain. Jewel turns to Ivy, trying to return the slap, but doesn't because Ivy dodged it.

"Gold digger, leave my family alone." Jewel screams at the top of her voice. "My parents aren't yours, isn't grandma enough for you? You want to snatch my Mum too. You belong to the street, " Jewel yells at the top of her voice.

"I would slap you again," Ivy says moving closer to Jewel, the anger visible in her eyes.

"Your worthlessness is the reason why your mother dumped you in the street," Jewel says, aiming at hurting her. If there was something she wanted, it was to hurt Ivy, and she knew this statement was going to hit her right on the spot.

"Jewel."

She stops immediately she heard her Mum's voice. Very cold.

"What kind of child is this?" That was her grandma's voice. "Ivy!"

Jewel turns to her Mum, slowly, only to see her grandma and brother's standing over there. She had probably invited them by yelling.

The look her Mum had on her face wasn't pleasing.

"I want to go home. I don't want to stay here anymore." Ivy suddenly burst into tears, shocking Jewel.

"Ivy!" Grandma calls, meanwhile Ivy runs out of the room.

"Why do you have a wicked heart? What kind of a human being are you?" Grandma asks giving Jewel a hard look. That statement stung her like a bee.

Did her grandma say that to her?

She noticed Jason walk out, leaving herself, her Mum and Jayden who had a complex look on his face.

"Jewel, what kind of human being are you? What has gotten into you? I know for sure I didn't raise a beast. How can you be so heartless? A girl like you? What did that poor child do to you?" April asks, meanwhile Jewel stares at her, scared, the anger she felt had disappeared.

"Do you know what that poor girl is going through? I told you to treat her like a sister didn't I? Jewel, I am highly disappointed in you, most time I wonder if you are really my child. Because you baffle me." Her Mum pauses.

"Are you possess? Tell me. Why are you always causing issues everywhere you go? Jewel, I am tired of you, honestly. I am tired of your tantrums, you aren't a kid anymore, cant you stop to think before you talk, what kind of a person are you?" April asks and storms out of the room angrily, leaving Jayden and Jewel.

She let the hot tears roll down her cheek. She couldn't believe her mum said all those things to her, all because of Ivy.

"What are you still doing here? Follow your mother." Jewel says to Jayden childishly and hisses. He only blinks twice and turns to the door.

"Better." She yells.

"When you are calm, I will come back," Jayden says slowly, while he heads out.

"Stop pretending to care, I know you all hate me." Jewel stops, she noted Jayden stop and turns to her.

"Nobody hates you."

"Go away, " She says, in less than a minute, Jayden is out, she rushes and bangs the door.

"I will tell Daddy." She starts sobbing. "Everything Mum said to me." She yells. "I hate you all." She says and starts throwing things. "She slapped me, and no one said anything about that, she also said mean things to me, I only said mean things back, now I am at fault." Jewel yell. "I hate all of you. You all are biased." She yells and starts throwing things.

"Jewel if I meet you in there." That was her Mum's voice. "If you break anything."

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Immediately Geraldine walks into the kitchen, she halts. Her parents were at it again. She wondered if they had forgotten they had kids at home.

But since she got back, she noticed things seemed better than when they left. Her parents weren't fighting anymore, which made her happy. If there was something she was scared of, it was her parents separating.

"Dad!" She calls out on purpose, trying to bring an end to what they were doing. She had gotten used to seeing them kissing, it wasn't weird anymore.

That moment, they let go of each other.

"Gidi." Her Dad calls out slowly, also he looked surprised, like he didn't expect her there at all.

"Where are your siblings?" Wendy asks immediately, not breaking eye contact with her.

"I left Grayson in his room," Geraldine says. She was with him, before coming downstairs.

"Well, that's good. Because you are his nanny till the workers are back." Her Mum sass, making her wonder what it was with the attitude.

"Mum!" She calls out. If there was one thing she didn't want to spend the holiday doing, it was babysitting. She just got home for crying out loud.

"Please don't Mum me, direct it to your Dad. He was the one who gave everyone leave, including the nanny. It isn't even Christmas yet." Geraldine watched her Mum complain indirectly.

"I want us to spend the festive season as a family. Also, don't put it that way, I asked the cleaner to be here once in two days." Her Dad defends.

"Of course." Wendy smiles. Geraldine knew what that smile was. Her Mum wanted to say something annoying, which was going to be directed to us. "Also your daughter will be making dinner." Her Mum says.

"Mummy," Geraldine calls out, suddenly feeling frustrated. Wondering why her Mum was doing this to her. Fully aware she wasn't good at cooking.

"Babe." Her Dad calls out.

"Aren't her mates cooking? I need to be in the hospital, I know how much you hate takeouts." Her Mum's says. Meanwhile, Geraldine who knew her Mum was only trying to do what she normally does, only nods her head.
"The only thing she knows how to do is press her phone, can she even hit water or cook noodles..., "

"Ahah, Mummy." Geraldine cuts her Mum off. The insult was getting much. She wasn't very good at cooking but, she could cook noodles perfectly.

"What, am I lying?" Wendy asks with a raised eyebrow.

"I can cook noodles." Geraldine defends.

"What else?" Her Mum mocks.

"I can heat water too." Geraldine defends.

"What else?" Her Mum asks, both hands on the waist, with a mocking look.

Those were the only two things she could do, so she had to keep shut.

"Stop harassing her. Like you could boil water when you were her age?" Her Dad attacks. "Gidi, your mom wasn't even the one who did her laundry." Her Dad says.

"Like you were the one who did it for me in the hostel." Her mum sassed.

"You only struggled to do it because there was no one to do it for you then." Her Dad attacks. "Her nanny even made her cereals." Her Dad says and burst into laughter. Geraldine joins him. Her Mum deserved her laughter because she always looked for ways to tell her things, that where annoying.

Whenever her parents argued about their teenage days, she always found it amusing. They knew too much about each other. Because they practically grew up together.

"Keep shining your teeth. Like you don't eat my food and ask for more. Follow your daddy and be laughing. Ode," Wendy mocks, making Geraldine shut up.

"I will go to catering school once I am done with school." Geraldine defends.

"Cooking isn't difficult, you make mistakes at first, but learn from it. You are cooking for dinner." Her Mum says now heading out of the kitchen. But suddenly turns to her Dad.

"Your daughter is cooking for you this night. Don't worry I will come back with take-outs." Her mom says and burst into laughter, clearly mocking her. "Get ready to eat potty."

"Dad," Geraldine calls out slowly.

"Don't mind her. Anyhow you cook it, we would eat it, there is always a first time."

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Jewel buries her head on her pillow, while she laid on the bed. She hadn't gotten out of her room since the incident. Not even when she heard her Dad drive-in, few minutes, ago.

Also, Ivy hadn't been seen anywhere in her room. Suddenly hearing a lot knock on her door, she hugs her pillow now, ready to lash anyone who was there to tell her to come down for dinner.

She had rejected breakfast, lunch, and it was almost time for dinner. She was very hungry but wasn't going to eat whatever her Mum cooked, she had even told herself, she wasn't going to talk to her or anybody.

She had even told her, she wasn't going to eat her food. She better starves. Since she called her possess, even though that wasn't said directly.
Her Mum said a lot of things to her, what she had never ever said to her, and it did hurt her because she had been crying.

"Jewel"

She knew who it was.

"Open the door." He says calmly. If there was something she wanted to do at that moment, it was to hug him and tell him everything her mom said to her.

"Your Mum said, you haven't eaten since morning. Come down for dinner." Her Dad says in a very calm done.

"I don't want to ear." She responds sharply.

"Baby."

She loved it whenever her Dad called her Dad, it made her feel very special.

"Kitty..., "

"No! I am not a cat." She says defensively and chuckles sitting up immediately.

She heard her Dad chuckle. He knew how much she hated been called kitty.
She stands up immediately, rushes to the door, and opens it immediately. That moment, she jumps on him. Meanwhile, he picks her up, like she was a piece of paper. She hugs him tightly, also pulling away, making him drop her slowly.

"Your Mum told me what..., "

"She is telling lies," Jewel says and seats on the bed.

"She said you have locked yourself indoors and refused to come out, what happened?" Her Dad asks, it dawned on her, her mum didn't tell him about the incident.

"Mummy hates me. She said I possess, that most times she wonders if she gave birth to me, that I am heartless. I don't want to eat her food." Jewel says sounding rather too childish.

"What did you do? Your Mum wouldn't say all..., "

"Is it not because of Ivy. She is calling my mummy, mum." Jewel defends. "Since she came here, mummy has been paying too much attention to her not me. She even had to make her use my room too. Doesn't mum know what privacy means." Jewel says saying how honest she felt.

"Your mum loves you, I love you too. Ivy is family. I get you aren't used to having anyone else apart from your brothers around. But doesn't it feel nice to have a girl of your age around to talk with. I thought you both would get along pretty well." Jordan says to his daughter.

"I don't like her," Jewel says honestly. Letting a tear drop.

"You don't judge people without giving them a chance." Her Dad says, meanwhile she turns to him with folded arms. "You should apologize to your Mum."

"I am not talking to her," Jewel says fiddling both fingers.

"Jewel, stop crying."

"She said I am heartless." Jewel defends.

"Jewel." Her Dad says now giving her a stern look.

"Dad." She responds slowly.

"Right now." He orders.

Most times she wonders how he could seem very sweet most times and strict at the same time. But she knew he couldn't yell at her. She had seen him so strict with her brothers, but with her, he was always calm. He was more like a friend than a Dad.

"Daddy." She says and throws herself on him. "I don't want to share my room with her anymore." She says slowly.

"Jewel." Her Dad calls slowly. "Come and eat." He says slowly.

"I want to eat out." She says now with folded arms.

"Baby, don't put me in between you and your mum."

She saw the honesty in his eyes.

"I am not doing so," Jewel says, even though she knew that was what she was doing. "I am just too angry at her to eat her food."
"Dad, can I get an iPhone 13 this Christmas?" Now she had the sweetest and most humble look on her face. Her Dad only chuckles.

"It's not been long I got you the 12!" He says.

"It's not the latest," Jewel argues.

"But it's still a phone." Her Dad says.

"Daddy na. I can't make a video holding an iPhone 12 when the latest is out. My reputation." She says touching her chest dramatically.

"Jewel, which reputation?" Her Dad says laughing at the same time getting up. They had both probably forgotten the other topic they were having.

"Daddy na," Jewel says slowly, now getting up to and grabbing one of his hands.

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"Bury Me!" She says giving him the shovel.

"What?" You could see the confusion on his face.

"Bury me!" She says now jumping into the grave, while he screams in fury.

"No no!"

"Leo bury me." She screams. "You must bury me"

He starts screaming, only to look towards his left to see the same person drowning.

"Join me, come with me." She says smiling.

"Come out!" He yells, his head spinning.

"No." She says, looking very sad, pains visible, in her eyes. That moment he jumped into the water. With one thing in his mind, to help her out, instead, he found himself drowning too. He screams.

"Leonardo!"

Immediately he opened his eyes, it meets the least person expected. He turned to his bed, which seemed to be filled with his sweat. He was sweating profusely.

Staring at his brother for a while, he finally breaks an eye contact.

"Can you please leave. What are you doing here?" Leo asks with a raised eyebrow.

"You were screaming?" Nathan responds.

"How does that affect you in any way. Kesh, learn to mind your business." Leo retorts, looking cranky.

"Yeah, it doesn't. But please I have a visitor, don't make her feel, this is a mental institute." With that he hisses and walks out, banging the door.

"Asshole." He calls out, suddenly feeling cold, and scared to shut his eyes again. The nightmares had started again.

He pulls his phone closer to him, remembering he got no pills remaining, and he had ran out of cigarettes.

The first name got to his head.

"Jayden!"

It starts ringing.

He really needed to talk to someone.

COMING SOON : NEXT CHAPTER ON CONFLICTED💜

"Leo, what are you doing in my room?" Jewel yells, meanwhile he observed the room. "Just get out, before my Mum finds you here."

"I came to see Jayden." He responds slowly.

"Does this look like Jaydens room!" Jewel asks slowly.

The knock on the door almost made her pee. Especially when she heard her mum's voice.

Your comments and votes will trigger the fast updating of the next chapter. There is drama in it.

4,250 words 🌹

What do you think of this chapter?

We have all seen Jewel is a spoilt brat. Very spoilt. She lacks manners and doesn't know how to talk.

Do you think her parents are to blame and why?

Personally I think Jewel shouldn't have insulted Ivy, what do you think?

Clearly, she is a very jealous person, she should learn how to tolerate people. No one was made just to love or be friends with one person. In life people would love you and also care about others too. You don't expect yourself to be the only one.

Jewel is a spoilt brat!

Hmmmn, Leo.
Now it's official, no more guess games. Nathan and Leo are siblings.

What do you think of Geraldine's family?

THE BETRAYAL SER🌹ES