chapter 1
âDaisy come have your breakfastâmy mother called.Daisy is the official nickname mom gave to me which is now my middle name.
âMom am late for school alreadyâI said rushing down the stairs.
âThatâs because you woke up lateâ
âMom I need to leave ASAPâ
âBuy some food for yourself at schoolâmom gave me some money.
âThanks momâI pecked her cheeks before leaving for school.
Thatâs my mom,Ellie Johnson,the best mother I could ever ask for.It's been eight years now since she and my dad got separated.
Our family was a happy one,until a woman came and stole the love of my father and the worst part,she already had a child for him.
Some weeks later,my dad filled for a divorce.My mom pleaded with him not to destroy our family but he divorced her anyways.
The once happy family we had got shattered.I was just ten then but I understood perfectly all that had happened.
My name is Claire Daisy Willows but call me Claire.Not one to brag but Iâm pretty,smart and Iâve got a lush body.
A body that most guys want,large curvy hips,big round butts and a medium size perky breast but Iâm not really into boys.
Mom says boys are distraction and I think sheâs right.Get a boyfriend and your grade drops.
I sigh and boarded a bus to school.Iâm in Senior year in high school with just few months to graduate.I really canât wait to get into College.
School was quite stressful today coupled with the fact that my bestie Danielle wasnât in school.
It gladdened my heart as the final bell was rang.I picked up my books and stuff them in my bag.
âHey Claire.You look stunning as everâLevi smiles licking his lips.One of the hottest dude in school and he has been trying to get into my pants for months but Iâm not giving him that chance. I guess guys will always be guys.
âThanksâI smile and walked out on him.He tried calling me back but I ignored him.
On getting home,I met mom giggling and laughing with a man.This is unusual cause sheâs supposed to be at work.
âGood afternoon momâI greeted and turned to the stranger.He was a middle aged man probably in his late 40âs.
âMom whatâs going on here? Who is he?â
âClaire Iâm getting marriedâmom giggled showing me her ring.I really donât know if I should be happy or sad.Iâve always wanted a fatherly figure but now I feel weird.
âTo him?âI asked.
âYeah youâve got a problem with thatâ
âNot reallyâ
âClaire this is Logan.Logan meet my daughter Claireâ
âClaire? Youâve got a beautiful name that suits your person.Itâs so nice to meet the daughter of the woman I loveâhe smiled.
âThanks.Mom I should be in my roomâI gave him a weird look before walking out of the sitting room.
âShe doesnât like meâI heard him say.
âJust give her time.This is all too new to herâ
I sigh and shut the door off my room.I take off my clothes and headed to the bathroom to freshen up.
I put on a white crop top and denim shorts after bathing.
âIâm starvingâI mumble rubbing my stomach.I get out of my room and head to kitchen.I saw mom kissing her supposed husband to be,he sights me as I walk into the kitchen.
Something about him seems off but I shrugged it off.What makes mom happy should also make me happy.
I serve myself with a Jerk Turkey Burger with Mango Slaw, deep dish pizza and an orange juice.
I sat at the three seater dinning table set in the kitchen.I said a short prayer and starting eating.The food was delicious,momâs food is always the best.
âDaisyâI heard momâs soft voice as she advances into the kitchen.She sits on the chair opposite me.
âClaire whatâs wrong? Donât you want to have a daddy?âshe asked.
âI doâI sighed.
âThen why the attitude?â
âMom it feels weird,I mean Iâm used to it just been the both of us now they is gonna be a third party? Itâs all too sudden to meâI tell her truthfully.
âI understand how you feel Claire,but trust me Logan is a good man and he will make a good father to youâshe says and I nod.
âAnything that will make you happyâ
âThanks Daisy.By the way youâll soon have a step brotherâ
âA step brother too?â
âYes honey you will get to meet him soon.I know youâve always wanted a complete family and we are gonna have that soonâ
âThanks momâI smile at her as I continued with my food.
âYou really want to know why I named you âDaisyâ?âI raise my head up to meet her eyes.She never told me why before.
âWhy?â
âItâs because you are beautiful Claire.Daisies are always beautiful,remember this Claire no matter the challenges life throws at you.You must not give up but stay strongâshe says holding my hands firmly.
âYes momâ
âNow thatâs my Claire.Iâll be in my roomâ
âOk momâI smile as I watched her leave.I finish up my food and cleared the dishes.
Weeks later,mom got married to the man of her dreams.After then,I experienced what a complete and happy family was.My step dad and brother Owen were really nice to me.I cleared all the doubts I had about him,mom was right after he was a good man and a good father too.
âYippe finally Claire.We are out of highschoolâDanielle giggled.It was my graduation party,its so good to be finally out of college with good grades too.
âI know right.I really canât wait to get into collegeâ
âI heard they are a lot of cute dudes in collegeâthatâs Danielle for you,boy freak and also crazy but I like her a lot.
âYou really never changeâ
âLife is short dear,so you got to live it to the fullest.You see that dude over there,cute right?âI just stared at her dumbfounded knowing where she was headed.
âI really canât wait to be pounded on his bed tonightâshe said faking moans.
âSeriously? Danielle!âI did the sign of the cross.
âHoly mary.See you laterâshe giggled away.I look at her as she flaunted herself over the guy.
I smiled when I sighted my family.
âMomâI hugged her. âI thought you said you werenât comingâ
âOfcourse Iâll come.Iâm proud of you Claireâmom said to me.
âTo celebrate this,how about a family dinner to the best resturant in townâmy step dad.
âIf its food.Iâm so in for itâOwen said smiling.
âYou and foodâI giggled drawing his ears.
âOuch.Claire stop itâhe pouted and I giggle.I like Owen a lot,and Iâm so happy to have him as my brother.Heâs actually in college but he goes to school from home.
âEllie are you okay?âLogan asked when mom staggered abit holding her head.
âMom whatâs wrong?â
âI donât know⊠I just have this headache and my eyesâŠâshe suddenly fainted but dad caught her from falling.
âEllie! Ellie !â
âMom momâeveryone was now fixed at us but I didnât care.I needed my mom to be alright,sheâs my world.
Sitting outside the ward mom was taken to,I cried my eyes out.Owen tried consoling me while dad was pacing around confused as we awaited the doctor.
âDoctor whatâs wrong with my mother?âI rushed at him as he came out of the ward.
âHow is my wife?â
âNot good.She suffered from hemorrhagic stroke and will need to undergo a brain surgery urgently to stop the cerebral bleeding or we may loose herâ
âDoctor go ahead with the surgery as long as sheâs alrightâ
âIâm afraid chances of her survival are slimâ
âSo you mean my mom may not survive even after the surgery?â
âIâm afraid soâhe said sadly.
âI want to see my momâ
âYou can see her.A nurse will bring the necessary surgery papers for you to sign.Surgery will commence in ten minutesâ
I rushed into the room and my heart bled when I saw mom.She was on a ventilator machine and two nurses were busy adjusting her drip and taking records of her heartbeat.
âMomâI cried holding her hands and she opened her eyes slightly.
âDonât cry for me Daisy.I want you to strong.Donât ever let your problems bring you down and donât let people see your tearsâher voice was muffled because of the oxygen mask.
âMom I canât live without youâ
âOf course you can.Claire I donât think I can make itâ
âDonât say a thing like that Ellie.You canât just leave us like that.We need youâdad yelled abit in tears.
âLogan you are a good man and I wish we had more time together.Please take care of Claire for meâ
âOwen be a good boy ok?âmom said to Owen who was in tears.
âYou are gonna make it mom,you are not gonna dieâshe smiled faintly.
âMr Logan please sign these papersâthe nurse said dad and signed the papers.
I watched my mom being wheeled into the theatre room but she never came out alive.I felt like my whole world crumbled and I felt my heart shatter into a thousand pieces.
After the burial,my biological dad refused custody of me since my mom was no more.My step dad and brother treated me like family and let me stay with them.
I thought I could be happy as Logan and Owen continued being nice to me but course of my life changed in one night.
The night I will never forget,the night when my pride and dignity was ripped off my by a man I trusted,a man I called my father.
My eyes part open when I felt hands on my breast.Turning to my side,I was shocked to see my step father on the bed with me.Worst part,he was just on his boxers.
âDad what are you doing?âI asked smacking his hands off my breast but he held my hands and got on top of me.I tried to struggle with him but he pinned both my hands above my head.
âI want you Claireâhe kissed my neck roughly.
âDad please donât do thisâI cried in tears.
âClaire darling just be a good girl for daddyâ
âDaddy pleaseâI tried fighting him off but I received a resounding slap.
âDaddy!âI cried as he ripped off all my clothings.His hands fondled with breast as I cried even more.
âPleaseâI cried but all my pleas fell on deaf ears.I tried struggling with him but he was always stronger.
âThis is going to be funâhe groaned.