The trip to Lagos was quiet. Nelly sat at the back of the car, staring out the window, her mind full of questions and fears.
Mr. Benson didn't say much - only gave her a small smile now and then. But Nelly wasn't relaxed. Something about his silence made her uneasy.
When they finally arrived at the tall gates of his house, Nellie's heart beat faster. She had never seen a home so big, yet it felt cold.
Standing at the entrance were three beautiful girls - dressed well, eyes sharp, lips twisted into fake smiles.
"So this is the village girl?" one of them whispered loud enough for Nelly to hear.
From that moment, Nelly knew: they hated her.
Not because they knew her. But because she existed.
Yet, in that same house, behind the shadows of judgmental stares, was Julie - the maid.
Julie was kind. She smiled when no one else did. She brought Nelly warm food, helped her unpack, and even sat with her when the silence felt too heavy.
And Nelly? She liked Julie too.
In a house full of strangers and hidden darkness, Julie became her only light.
> That first night in Lagos felt longer than any night Nelly had ever lived through.
Julie, kind as ever, brought her water and sat close, whispering softly as the house went silent.
"Don't ever make the mistake of feeling too welcome here," Julie said, staring at the tiled floor.
"Why?" Nelly asked, barely above a whisper.
"Because this house is filled with people who wear smiles during the day and sharpen knives at night."
Nelly frowned. "I'm not here to fight anybody. I just want to finish school."
Julie chuckled bitterly. "That's why they'll hate you. Because you came here with a reason, and they... they're all lost in pride, secrets, and envy."
She paused, leaned in closer.
"Mr. Benson has three sons. Grown men. All dangerous in their own way. But it's the second one, Jimmy... you should avoid him the most."
Nelly asked softly, "Why him?"
Julie hesitated. "Because he can see through people. He'll find your weakness before you do. And use it."
Nelly looked scared now. "He... hurts people?"
Julie gave a small smile. "No. But he knows how to break them without touching them."
A heavy silence followed.
"I used to like him," Julie admitted suddenly. "Still do. But he doesn't see me. And when he does, it's only to ask me to iron his shirts or clean his room."
Nelly didn't know what to say.
"Just be careful," Julie added. "You're not here to be noticed. You're here to survive."
> The next morning came with no peace.
Nelly and Julie were in the sitting room, quietly dusting the glass tables and arranging throw pillows. Nelly moved slowly, her mind stuck on Julie's warning from the night before:
"You're not here to be noticed. You're here to survive."
But even survival wasn't easy here.
Suddenly, the door burst open.
In walked Luna, Bella, and Clara - Mr. Benson's three daughters, each looking like they had woken up with a mission to destroy.
Luna, the eldest, wrinkled her nose as she stared at Nelly.
> "Who arranged these cushions?" she asked sharply.
Julie froze.
> "I did," Nelly answered calmly.
Bella stepped forward. "So, you're now redecorating our house, bush girl?"
> "She's trying too hard," Clara sneered. "Maybe she wants to replace us too."
Julie stepped between them. "Leave her alone, please. She's just doing what she was asked."
Luna shot Julie a glare. "Did we ask you to speak?"
Julie lowered her eyes, biting her tongue.
> "You know," Luna said, walking slowly toward Nelly, "I've been watching you. You walk around like some silent saint. Acting humble. Pretending. But we see you."
> "I'm not pretending," Nelly said softly, lifting her eyes. "I just don't know what I did to deserve your hatred."
The room went silent.
Clara gasped.
Bella raised a brow.
And Luna...?
She slapped Nelly.
Hard.
So hard that the sound echoed off the marble walls.
Nelly staggered but didn't fall. Her cheek burned, her eyes stung with tears, but she didn't cry.
> "That's for speaking back," Luna said coldly. "You don't talk in this house. You obey. You survive - just like your maid friend told you."
Julie rushed forward. "Luna, please! That's enough!"
> "Stay out of this!" Luna snapped. "Or you'll be next."
For a moment, everything was frozen.
Nelly stood still , her face tilted,the red mark already forming
But inside her ?
Something shifted.
Not hatred?
Not yet.
But a fire 🔥 the kind that only pain can light .
And in the corner, behind the stairs,
Jimmy had been watching everything that was happening. .