Chapter One

Chapter One

Tope sat calmly on the chairman seat as she watched the old men and women continuously lash out hidden insults at her. She is 24 years old but what could she do? If she wants these old guys to listen to her in the future she has to do so with her abilities and not with words. She checked the time with subtlety and has she imagined they have been going on with their argument about how young she was to run the company with righteousness all over their faces. She knew what they wanted but would not succumb to their wishes. The company's co executives went out of the meeting room on their initiatives without the CEO's approval after all their suggestions was met with eternal silence. The large conference room was so quiet it couldn't be more quiet.

'What are you going to do?' a man's voice said. Tope was a little startled.

'So there's still someone that is not done talking', she thought. She looked to where the voice came from and it's her uncle from her father's side. Nuga Shina was extremely loyal to her father so she knows he's actually got nothing good to say to her.

'what do you suggest i do 'uncle' you are my advisor after all'. She said with a little bit of irony. Yes the Shinas appointed him as her advisor to help rebuild the dying company, he must be feeling resentful. Actually she wasn't at all bitter about everything that's happening, after all nothing in the company should have been any of her concern in the first place. She was just someone they are all trying to pity.

'why are you spacing out, you know if you want to yield good results from this company you need a strong backing and not just high educational qualifications. You need someone from the Shinas' help. And obviously that family no longer welcomes you'. Nuga actually wasn't saying all this to taunt her and he wasn't trying to help her. Truth is the fact that she's able to keep calm despite everything that is going to earn her a bit of respect from him. He's known Tope since the day she came into this world and the girl has always managed to surprise him every time they met at any occasion.

'You don't have to do this, you know, I am not willing to rely on this borrowed surname after all.' She paused to see his reaction and as usual it was as bland as it used to be. 'I can survive without using my surname and I want to change it. Though I don't know my original family, using any surname should be fine.' She said calmly, underneath the calm facade is actually a hint of fear for the other man. She'd rather have nothing to do with him.

'Those old fogeys want you to appoint one of them as chairman.' Nuga said as he took in the structure of the room while standing from his seat. Honestly this kind of small company that can't even fork out twenty million naira annually is not his cup of tea.

'You won't be able to control them, you will only end up working like a horse for them.' He paused to let his words sink in, his next statement might not be pleasing to her.

'However, you have another option.' Tope waited for him to continue his words but he was taking too long to complete it so she looked up to meet his eyes which looked like he's going to ask for her life next. In that instant she was a little bit frightened, she'd guess what he's going to suggest.

'You want me to sell the company to you.' She wasn't seeking to know if she's right because his eyes confirmed it.

'You are smart,' Nuga said, 'but not smart enough. Think about it, I won't help you with reasons you should sell the company because you know it's your only choice'.

Helplessness filled Tope because she knew he was right, the shoulders that had always been held high dropped at that moment and her eyebrows dropped with a hint of shame. Nuga walked out of the room without looking at her, defeated people like this weren't worth his time and sympathy.

'His kindness was nice while it lasted,' she mocked in her heart, 'he should have just gone straight to the point right from the start instead of wasting both of our time .'

She contemplated what to do after leaving the draining company, almost forgetting about the earlier confrontations.

'I should change my surname first and start anew, I'm just going to miss my old rich life. Time to embrace the life of a pauper, hope the slums will treat me well.' Her gloomy self from before dissolved and she regained a little bit of confidence in herself. It is going to be a rough battle but she hopes to come out of it unscathed, the old years were nice while they lasted. There wasn't anything else to do so she picked up the black bag she's always used and went out of the door. There wasn't any hesitation in her gait, after all there's no reason to hesitate. She might never step into the rundown company ever again.

Tope walked along the corridors of the company to the exit. At the last step, she paused and looked back. Although the company was losing money, none of the workers had looked at her with scorn. It wasn't anything to be joyful for but she was grateful none of them had been judgemental. Well, she took a taxi to The Shina's mansion.

On getting to the house Tope found out everywhere was busier than usual. There are more workers than she's always known and everyone was busy moving things around, she was feeling dizzy just looking at them. She ignored them and made her way to the living room, where she got even more surprises. There was happiness in the air and everyone had joy written on their foreheads. Someone was telling a funny tale while the audience seems enthralled by whatever the person is saying so they don't seem to realize there was an additional person in there. Until a gentle female voice broke the supposed enchantment.

'The maid standing by the doorstep, can you please get me a jug of warm water. Thank you'.

'Is she talking to me?' bewilderment filled Tope, okay maybe because of her love for white and black made her wear plain clothes everyday but no maid would expensive clothes like the one she's wearing to work.

She was going to correct the beautiful young lady that looks good and seems to be same age as herself but with a little more maturity than Tope could hope to possess in her next life.

'Tope, please get her a jug of warm water.' the interrupting voice sounded sweetly familiar, without even turning to see who it was, she knew it was the woman she's called mother for more than twenty years of her life.

'But ma'am, i am actually not a maiiid,' she no longer felt like calling her mom.

'Know what, it doesn't matter, I will get someone to bring it over.' she no longer wanted to stay in the living where it seems the joyful mood disappeared when everyone in the room noticed her. Apart from the young lady, the entire Shina family was seated and two unfamiliar people of different gender gave an odd feeling of familiarity. It was weird since she had never seen them before.

She walked upstairs to her room, of course she wasn't going to tell anyone to take any water to the living room or wouldn't that be admitting she was a maid. She opened the door and a solemn room came to sight. The walls are painted Gray, a corner was even painted black. The curtains were drawn close and also black in color. The reading table and chair were simple and in gray color. There wasn't much on the table apart from a few books on child education and some hand made teaching materials which seemed out of place because of their vagrant colors. She walked around the room, it wouldn't be long before this room belonged to someone else and she was feeling a bit weary and tired. Actually the room wasn't like this before , she just fell in love with solemn colors ten years ago when everything came crashing down on her.

Sound of the door being opened was made which brought Tope out of solemn state. She looked towards the door and was stunned. It was a beautiful young lady.

'Hello, I am Sola', she said. 'You must be The Tope everyone kept talking about'.

'Well, hello to you too and I am definitely The Tope everyone kept talking about.' Tope replied with a hint of laziness. She'd rather not talk to the lady.

'You don't seem to like me much, and actually you don't have to like me. I don't like you either, I think you should know why.'

'Oh, I am sorry but this is our first day meeting and I don't read minds'. Tope couldn't be bothered to keep being polite with this person that's not talking clearly. Her smile dropped and her posture got even lazier.

'You really want to keep pretending you don't understand.' Sola said, still smiling and unlike Tope's lazy posture, she was standing upright with her hands obediently by her sides. She looked like she spent her entire life taking etiquette Classes. 'Okay if you don't get it, you and I were born 24 years ago on the same day and month, at the same hospital. Everything you have right now should've belonged to me.' Sola said with helplessness in her voice.

'Owkay i get it. Your former family must be poor so you think it was unfair to you that we got switched at birth. Who cares you can have everything here if you want.' Tola said with an eye roll.

'Including my undies too, mind you some are old and worn out. Be careful when you wear them. Others might not size you since I seem bigger in some areas than you.' She finished with a voice filled with sarcasm.

'They are your poor family now you know.' Sola said mildly like she didn't expect Tola to be so blunt. 'I thought you'd be more well behaved since you lived in a family like this your whole life.'

'Is that why you took etiquette Classes before coming to see your real parents?' Sorry to disappoint you.

'I am here to remind you to start packing your bags, your poor parents are here to take you home'. Sola said while walking quite elegantly out of the room.

'Home' Tola muttered quietly to herself. Will she finally get the home she's been hoping for the past ten years?

'I will, right?' she asked herself mirthless. Eyeing the space she's lived 24 years of her life in, Tope decided not to pack anything apart from the books and teaching materials needed at school.

'It's a good thing I am not fond of hoarding things or else moving light like now wouldn't be easy.' she thought blankly with not hint of nostalgia.