C7 She Had Had Enough

For almost ten years since her grandfather died, Denise had lived worse than a maid in that house she was supposed to call home. It was worse than the help because at least those were paid and had leave days. But for her, she worked even when she was sick. She just thanked her guardian angel as she rarely fell sick.

What her family members didn't know was that she was living a double life. Since she had to hide and play hide and seek with her parents and siblings so as to minimise how much they saw each other, they thus didn't know her schedule. They thought that whenever they didn't see her around that she was somewhere in the big mansion doing what she was supposed to be doing: working her arse off for them.

But after school, where she had joined the taekwondo and karate club, she went to a dojo where she had also enrolled for classes in a not so near distance from the estate where they lived. Since her father was a very well known man in the political and business arena of Xela, he thus lived in an estate where who was who lived.

It was known as Nobles' Court where the neighbours were cabinet ministers and big business people in Xela like himself. She was sure that her family's wealth could run the GDP of a small city. This estate was in the capital of Xela called Agila. Since she didn't have anyone checking what she was doing and when, it meant that she could do whatever she wanted provided she never got caught and sh finished all her chores in the house. She had thus known all the secret passages in Nobles' Court and she had also made a secret passage in the garden behind the perimeter fence surrounding their mansion.

Thus, since she never used the main gate when sneaking out at night, she was able to sneak out, go to the dojo, do as much training as she wanted and then go back home without anyone finding out. She didn't have any money to pay for her fees in the dojo and she thus made a deal with the owner: she was to fight for him and they would divide the earnings. And thus, the young girl started saving at an early age theough fighting.

This hardened her because even if at first she was beaten, sometimes very badly, she was determined to become the best and the best did she become. She then started winning every match she participated in. Because she couldn't risk anyone knowing who she was (if her parents found out what she was up to, she would have been killed) she always wore a face mask that masked her forehead and cheeks. The only part of her that was visible was her beautiful hazel eyes that complemented her hair and her beautiful mouth that was shaped like a crescent moon that shone up the room when she smiled. She also didn't use her real name. She used the name D-nice and people knew her as "The Champ - D-nice. Those who knew her agreed that that name really suited her because she shone just like a star and was really nice. Her fame ran near and wide but she was very careful for people not to find out her identity.

She thus juggled her time between school, house work and training. And she never missed any or forsook any. This way, her parents always got an excellent GPA from her, she did all the duties her mother threw at her and still attended training. This meant that she was forced to grow up at a very young age.

When she did her final exam of high school, she passed very well by topping her class and hoped against hope that she would be taken to her university of choice and study performing arts. But a huge disappointment was on the offing as her father informed her that he had done enough charity by educating her up-to secondary school level. He couldn't do any more and her mother added that since she had no more school, she will fire two more maids and Denise should take up all the house work.

Denise didn't speak and just bowed her head but they missed that sly smile that ran across her lips as she walked out. That smile carried bitterness and spoke of revenge. True to her mother's words, two maids were let go the following day. As such, her duties in that house quadrupled. She had to wake up at four in the morning and make sure that breakfast was ready by seven and sleep at twelve in the midnight after everybody had slept.

She was tired and needed a way out. She was tired physically, mentally, emotionally and even spiritually. This meant that she had no more time to attend her matches and she knew she needed the money. She didn't get paid much and thus hadn't saved much but she couldn't wait anymore. She was tired.

Then, the last straw that broke the camel's back was when one night, her sister threw a party and they really did a number on the house. Other than Denise acting as their maid all throughout the party, her sister told her male friends that she, Denise, was their family's help and they could do to her whatever they wanted.

Denise had taken a lot and she couldn't take anymore. She clearly remembered that she had performed way better than her two siblings in school but their father bribed their way into the best university in Xela and they were both in their second year. And she, who had got into a good university through her own hard work, couldn't attend university.

She had had enough and she was ready to cut ties with the Ashfords and live on her own terms.

After the party ended, as usual, her sister asked her to clean by morning. It was one in the morning and that meant that if she started cleaning that mess at that time, she wouldn't get even an ounce of sleep. She then looked at that mess: bottles, wrappers, plates, plastic cups, spit, vomit, and everything you could think of that comes with partying too much.

She looked at her sister and for the first time in years, in fact for the first time since she was born, refused to obey that command. She had had enough of bullying, beating, being overworked all for reasons she didn't know. Enough was enough. She decided not to take any more of their bull crap.

"If you want it clean, you can do it," Denise looked at that girl who couldn't even hold a candle to her beauty and declared.

"You have hands, don't you?" She added and she saw Georgina gasp in shock.

It was time to become independent.