Chapter 03: I will never be related to trash like them

As soon as the chauffeur had brought the obsidian blue pearl Honda Odyssey to a stop, Leonard got out and headed for the house, ignoring Felida who was calling out his name.

Sighing as she watched the seething, tall young man storm into the house, Felida turned to her sister in law.' I hope you are happy now.'

Arching an eyebrow, Elida, who was about to step out of the luxury van innocently spoke up. 'Me? What did I do wrong?'

'Enough with these childish games of yours

Elida. Your actions were so embarrassing. Don't you realize that what you did not only humiliate the Mvula's but our family as well? How are we ever going to face them as our in-laws?'

Elida reached for her Kiss Lock clutch on the seat next to her and unfastened the clasp as she listened to her sister-in-law tirade with an amused expression. She dug inside for a few seconds. When she pulled her hand out, she held a small black cigarette case inscribed in gold with her initials E.N. Selecting a single cigarette from the dozen sticks, she deftly mounted it at the end of the antique Ivory cigarette holder, stuck it between her lips and lit it. Felida frowned at the habit she found unhealthy and disgusting. Elida took a long puff on her cigarette, crossed her long legs at the ankles, threw back her head against the comfy seats then blew the smoke out. As the wisps of smoke curled upward, Elida's expression turned hard and resentful, as she looked in front and her eyes locked with the driver's in the rearview mirror. With a smile that did not reach her eyes, she opened her mouth and spoke,'And whoever the hell told you that I will let myself be related to trash like them?'

Felida threw the driver an apologetic smile, grabbed Elida by the elbows and roughly dragged her away from the driver's ears to the garden. Noah, the family chauffeur was married to Taziona's eldest sister Grace. Grace also worked for the Nkhoma's as their chef.

Elida's cheap antics to get Taziona to break up with her son included tormenting all of Taz's loved ones. First, she has had her sister who worked as a chef at Diamond and Duke's hotel fired; months later, Noah who was a teacher at an elite private school lost his job. Elida, whose word was law in Mafinga town had made sure no one hired the duo. Even if they sympathized with the couple's situation, they knew better than to go up against Elida.

As if that was not enough, Elida took it a step further and had Dalitso, the girl's father who worked in one of her mines, fired. To date, the quite and peace-loving family man was yet to find a job.

It was at this very time that the couple received the devastating news that turned their world upside down; their four-year-old second born child was diagnosed with stage II Wilms tumour a type of kidney cancer. Despite the great support they got from their families, the expensive medical expenses left them in a financial bind. Elida swooped in and offered to loan them the money they needed in exchange that they go work for her.

It would have been nice if the sly and cunning matriarch had offered her help with good intentions but Elida's malicious intent was to show Taziona how much power she had over her. To her, Taz was below her and did not deserve to breathe the same air as she did. In the two years that the couple had worked for them, Elida had made it a point to humiliate and maltreat Noah and Grace in hopes that if Taziona saw how she looked down on them, she would quit and give up on Leo.

However, it only frustrated her more that no matter what she did, Taz and Leo's relationship grew stronger with each trial she threw their way.

Riled up with the thoughts of what lengths her sister-in-law was capable of going to, to get her way had Felida glaring at Elida through narrowed eyes making her speak to the woman through clenched teeth.' What the hell is wrong with you? Have you lost all sense of reasoning? How could you be so disrespectful? Just because they have less money than us, that doesn't make them any less human. What is happening to you Elida?'

'I am doing what any mother in her right mind would do to protect her son from a gold-digging slut like Taziona," she spat out and took another drag of her smoke.

"Tax is not like that and you know it. You are just prejudiced against her."

"Ha!" Elida exclaimed. She pulled out the cigarette from the antique ivory holder , threw it on the paved ground then crushed it under her heels. In her mind, she was imagining it was Tax under it. " That slut has gold digger written all over her."

'Enough! Stop persecuting the poor girl already. Haven't you realized it by now that there is nothing that you can do to stop Leo from loving her?'

'Oooh, but how can you ask me to stop when I haven't even played my trump card yet?'

'Elida, I will only say this once. Stop this right now while your son still has some respect for you. Don't come crying to me when you wake up one day and realize, you alienated him from you.'

Elida clicked her tongue at her and turned to walk up the stairs into the huge mansion.' The only thing that idiot nephew of yours will be doing is thank me.'

'Oh, you really can drive an angel up the wall!' an exasperated Felida groaned as she pinched her glabella and turned to head back to the car.

The plump and stylishly dressed woman found the chauffeur, cleaning the car.

'Noah, I am very sorry for what Elida said, please don't take it to heart. She doesn't mean half of the things she says.'

'It's okay Ma'am.' No matter how much he was insulted, Noah could only take it all with a smile.' Are we going back to the shop?'

Felida nodded to his question. She had had to close the shop for the day as she had to attend the meeting. If she had known Elida would sabotage the meeting, Felida told herself she wouldn't have bothered going. Noah opened the door for her and she got in. However just as he was putting the car into motion, she asked him to stop and got out. Something about Elida's earlier statement had been nagging at her. She told Noah to go rest and would later drive herself into town.