
*THE BILLIONAIRE'S DEBT MAID*
*By Esther Ogechi Pen*
*CHAPTER 1: ONE MILLION NAIRA AND A RED GOWN*
My mother died because of one million naira.
My father, Pa Okoro, knelt on the cold tiles of his boss's mansion and cried like a child.
"Oga Jason, please. My wife is dying in the hospital. Lend me one million from my salary. I will work for you till I die."
The man standing in front of him was not an old Chief. He was *Jason Williams* — 30 years old, tall, handsome, billionaire. No wife, no family, no pity in his eyes.
"Do I look like a hospital?" Jason said, sipping his wine. "If she wants to die, let her die."
Three days later, he threw the money at my father's face. "Take. But if you die before paying me back, your children will pay."
My mother still died.
Seven days after we buried mama, papa too fell and died. Heartbreak killed him.
On the day we buried papa, Jason's black Prado blocked our small compound.
"Your father owed me one million naira," he said, looking at me — the only daughter. "You will come to my mansion tomorrow and work as my maid."
"For how long?" I asked.
He smiled coldly. "Until I say it is enough."
He did not allow me to pack my clothes. He threw a shapeless, long, ugly red gown at me.
"This is your uniform. In my house, maids must cover their hands and legs."
I was angry. That night I took the ugly gown to a tailor and adjusted it. I cut it, shaped my waist, shaped my hips. The ugly uniform became beautiful. It clung to my body.
Next morning in his mansion, Jason saw me and his eyes widened.
"Who told you to adjust my uniform?" he queried.
I have a sharp tongue. I looked him straight in the eye.
"Oga Jason, this is not your body. Stop telling me what I should wear or not. You said uniform, I am wearing uniform!"
No maid had ever spoken to him like that. He was shocked and left.
I wore that red gown every day like a queen.
Until *Sandra* came back.
Sandra — his London girlfriend. Beautiful, classy, wicked. She just returned from a long trip.
She entered the parlor with her big traveling box and saw me mopping in my red gown.
She froze.
"Jason! What is SHE doing in this house? Who is this thing in red?"
Jason said quickly, "Sandra, let's go inside and talk."
I stood up and greeted, "Good afternoon Ma."
She hissed. "Mhmm."
My sharp tongue could not take it. I shouted louder so the whole mansion would hear, *"I SAID GOOD AFTERNOON MA!"*
Her eyes wanted to kill me. That was the beginning of my war.
*THAT NIGHT — THE DINNER*
"Chioma," Jason ordered, "Cook pounded yam and ofe nsala for dinner."
My wrist was killing me. I had dislocation since morning. My hand was shaking and swollen.
I met Sandra in the kitchen. "Ma please, my hand is paining me. I have dislocation, I cannot pound."
Sandra smiled.
"Dislocation? You want to be lazy in my man's house? Oga said you should cook it, you must cook it."
I cried. With one swollen hand, I pounded yam. Tears fell into the mortar. I tied a white bandage to hide the swelling and carried the hot ofe nsala to the dining table.
As I was serving them, my bandage shifted. Jason saw it.
He grabbed my hand. "What is this? What happened to your hand?"
I kept quiet.
He untied the bandage himself and froze. My wrist was swollen — big, red, like a balloon.
"What is this?!" Jason shouted, turning to Sandra. "Didn't she tell you she was injured?"
Sandra stammered, "She told me but I thought she was lying..."
Jason did not eat. He left Sandra sitting alone at the big dining table and ordered me to go to my maid's room.
Later that night, I was in my small maid's room, holding my swollen hand, crying silently. The pain was too much. I slept off on the small bed, still in my red gown.
By 12 midnight, I felt a gentle touch.
I opened my eyes.
Jason was in my room, kneeling beside my bed, holding Aboniki balm. He poured it on his palm and started massaging my swollen hand himself — gently, softly, carefully.
For almost ten minutes, he massaged. He did not look at me with romance. He just focused on reducing the pain.
"Sorry. Bear it. It will go down by morning," he whispered.
When he finished, he covered the balm, stood up and went back to his own room.
Upstairs, Sandra had been watching.
She followed him to his bedroom and started querying him.
"Jason! Why did you choose your debt maid over me? Why did you leave me at the dining table to go and massage her hand? Who is she to you?"
Jason ignored her. He did not answer.
Sandra was angry. She brought out her big traveling box and started packing loudly.
"I am leaving your house tonight! I am leaving! Do you hear me?"
She packed her box and stood near the door, waiting. Waiting for Jason to come and beg her.
But Jason just climbed his big bed, covered his duvet and went to sleep.
Sandra waited. Nobody begged.
She dragged her box out of the mansion and left that night.
what do you think will happen next??
END OF CHAPTER ONE
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