Reah, Jays older sister came back after her high school exam she was mentally exhausted and could not care about anyone other than her grandmother.
Staring at the stranger who looked sad, and worn out. Reah assumed she was a servant.
"You take these luggages upstairs."
Carly lifted her head, and saw the owner of the commanding voice.
"Are you deaf or just trying to loose your job?."
Carly now understood the confusion, she had mistook her for a servant. Carly tried to clear the air and explain that she was not a servant but Jays wife.
Reah sized Carly up, her eyes running all over Carly's body trying to see what Jay had seen.
Reah immediately took her luggages upstairs.
Carly thinking it was over heaved a sigh of relief, she got up earlier than usual to avoid Jays hateful stare.
Jay was in his room when he heard his door open, he turned his face away assuming it was Carly.
" Is that how you welcome your beloved sister?, oh well looks like I'm not welcome here."
Reah turned back, the sound of her heels piercing the air, her feet hot on the marble floors.
Jay hurried to hug and stumbled on a pillow.
They both fell.
'Oh goodness, they must have fallen over the pillow I threw down while I was in a hurry.'
Carly hands trembled as she heard the sound of them falling from downstairs.
Jay and Reah were stuck in place for a while, Reahs earring in Jays hair.
Carly went upstairs to see what the problem was.
"What are you still doing there, do you need a special invitation?." Jay screamed desperately at Carly.
She jumped in and helped them. Reah stood up and dusted her gown, her purple earring broken.
"Do not give me that heroic look, I'm sure that pillow was put there by you."
Carly ran back downstairs almost tripping, she went to be with Jays grandmother.Carly felt safer there.
"I will always be here for you my dear." Jays grandmother comforted her.
"Now help me up to the living room so I can scold and also hug Reah."
Carly smiled and took her to the living room.
The living room was large, Carly thought it was a waste of space they would have grown a farm here.
Meanwhile upstairs Reah tried to talk to Jay.
"I hear you got married, I see you no longer value my presence."
Jay stared at her. Jay was the adopted son of Reahs father. He knew he owed everything to her. Reahs willingness to step down and let him take over the company was what made him the billionaire he was.
"You know it's not like that dear, everything happened so fast I could not inform you."
Reah nodded and went downstairs, she saw her grandmother being guided by the stranger she met earlier.
She ignored Carly and hugged her grandmother.
"Hello granny, did you miss me?. I am sure you did not."
Reahs grandmother smiled and hugged her, after which she pulled her ears.
Reahs grandmother gave her the lecture of a life time, all Carly could do was laugh.
Carly was a tall, thin white lady, her hair ran across her shoulders and down to her waist.
Carlys mother refused to cut her hair even once.
"Please tell me how this middle class lady got to be with my brother?".
Reah asked deliberately, she refused to be kind to someone that had no class or status.
"There is no need for us to become enemies, we only just met." Carly tried to fix the bone of contention between them, when Jays voice was heard from above them.
"Oh there is a need, you are not the one I intended to be with. You are only still here because of her." Jay pointed at his grandmother.
"I see if that is the case, you should make yourself useful and head to the kitchen."
Reah added.
Reah knew that she had seen Carly somewhere before, but she could not put a finger on it.
Reah kept on staring at Carlys hair as though the answers were written all over it.
But nothing came to her mind.
When Carly got into the kitchen she took the pot from its place, when the maid came to her.
"Do not worry madam, you do not have to work when I am here." Carly smiled.
Suddenly it hit her like the oceans wave.
'Yes I might be a servant but my daughter will not do any work as long as I am here.'
Carly remembered, Reah was there three years ago at the fair. Her mother was still alive then. They were just cleaners.
These was a terrible start, it was bad enough that Jay hated her but if Reah remembers then she would taunt not just her but her dead mother as well.
"All done madam, now all you have to do is serve it graciously."
Carly nodded and took the food to the dinner table.
As the family ate Reahs eyes never left Carly. She was enraged Reahs best friend Lucy has always dreamt of being the family's daughter in law.
And now a stranger just took her place.
"I will be with grandmother upstairs if you need anything." She ran upstairs feeling very uncomfortable.
Carly sat on the bed thinking about her mother and how they struggled to survive under harsh weather conditions.
'Why don't you want to tell me anything about my father?."
Carly had questioned many times with no positive response.
The only time her mother responded was when she was on her dying bed.
"Your father is alive but…"
Fate had being cruel to her that night but what…, the only proof she had of her father was the photo she found hidden in her mother's clothes.
"What are you thinking about?." Jays grandmother asked, Carly was so lost in thought that she forgot about Jays grandmother.
"Are you thinking about your husband my dear?."