Chapter 19

Mirabelle, surprised by what she saw when she came into Georgia's room, laughed out so hard that Georgia had to come back to her senses and she came down from the bed.
"Mirabelle, when did you get in here?", Georgia asked looking at Crystal who was standing on one side of the room leaning on the wall as she watched her friend go through what she has gotten herself into laughing.
"Sorry Ms. Georgia, I just came in to put up with the platter of foods I left for Ms. Crystal", she let out picking up the platter and walking out of her room.
" Mirabelle, can you get me some fried vegetables and a glass of beetroot juice with ice blocks?", Georgia spoke out as her stomach began grumbling.
Mirabelle nodded in agreement as she walked out of Georgias cottage.
Crystal's phone came to be heard from her bag as it was echoing none stop.
The incessant pounding from the ringtone of her phone made Georgia wonder who it was as she was waiting so much time to get her phone.
Georgia searched for her friend's bag on the bed, git hold of it, and brought out her phone reading the caller's name on it.
"Crystal it is your uncle who is calling", she said walking to her friend to hand over her phone to her.
With some hesitation, she finally took the phone and picked up her uncle call,
" Hello uncle Max", she responded inclining her head on one side ready to listen to what he had to say.
Max was concerned about Crystal as Gina had related to him that she had left the house since morning.
Crystal told her uncle that she was in Georgia's house as she did not want to talk about her encounter with Blaze in his office and how it was unsuccessful once more.
Avoiding that topic as much as possible, but Max had to go straight to the point as to why he was calling.
"Crystal, my baby niece, were you able to pay Mr. Blaze a visit like you were supposed to?", he interrogated as his lips could be heard smacking each other as though he was eating something very nice.
Crystal grinding teeth as she realized the reason why her uncle was calling her, she freaked out in anger asking her uncle once again if all he ever cares about is the money.
Max who was sitting in his office on his chair, stood up and asked if she was okay but it seems like Crystal was beginning to get things straight and also noticing that her uncle will never love her as she deserves but rather have all the time for his selfish gains.
Crystal raised insight on what her uncle was saying to her, also stated to him that she is tired and wants to complete what she was doing before he called and she hung up the call.
Max shocked at what had just transpired, opened his mouth in unacceptance to the fact that his niece just hung up the call ok him.
He slammed the table in anger, as he breathe in and out like a wild beast, squeezing his fists.
Georgia who had witnessed everything that had just happened fell into a state of tremor as to what could be going on between Crystal and her uncle.
" Is everything okay friend?", Georgia asked her friend who did not look okay to her at all.
Crystal trying as hard as she could to control her tears from running down, finally gave way for it as she burst out into tears.
Georgia walked towards her, took her by the hand, and letting her to the couch so that she could have a sit, rubbed her back with her left hand while wiping off her tears with her right hand.
"You need to calm down my friend and take to me, what is eating you up?", she raised a question glimpsing at her friend who was flooding in tears already.
Breathing in and out like someone who was involved in a marathon, Crystal held on to her dress as though she wanted to give up the ghost.
Georgia felt so bad catching a glimpse of her friend in that condition as she could not understand what could be happening between her and her uncle.
" You know you can tell me anything right bestie?", so told her friend pleading with her to calm down and breathe properly.
She was aware that, whatever was going on between her uncle and herself, must be something very huge as it was impacting on her enormously.
Crystal kept crying but she also knew that it was not the right time for her to tell her friend anything because the shame and guilt she was feeling inside was going to kill her before time.
Gathering herself together, she finally found the strength to ask her friend,
"Georgia, am I a bad girl?, have I not been obedient to my uncle knowing that he is the only parent I have left since my parents died in that car accident?", she mumbled with tears running down her eyes.
Georgia could not comprehend where her question was going to but one thing she was certain about, was the fact that Crystal could not be asking a question for anything so she responded to her,
" You have been a very good girl, right from our school days you remember? she said with a gloomy face, holding her friend close to her as she was herring weak already.
Georgia told her friend to recall how she made her leave her friends that always dodge from classes and also helped her with her grades in school.
"You were the perfect student though you had all the wealth that some of us did not have Crystal", she proceeded with her solace to her friend.
Crystal who could not help but cry as she was thinking of all the things she had been through asked her friend why she always felt like a failure when she is with her uncle.
Georgia was now certain that she was having issues that she did not want to talk about and she was ready to find out what it was as she is her friend.
Raising her hand and touching her friend's hair with it, she whispered with a smooth voice,
" You know that you do not have to go home if you do not feel as to right?", Georgia told her friend as she added that she can always sleep with her in her room.
But Crystal knowing who her uncle was, declined her friend's offer as she said that she had to go back home if nig her uncle was going to be mad at her.
Lifting her head, she had realized what a true friend she had in Georgia and she made a promise to her that, if Uncle Max tried anything funny with her, she was going to call on her immediately.
"You promise?", Georgia interrogated feeling so sorry for her friend and Crystal nodded in acceptance saying that she promised.
Crystal rose to her feet and picked up her bag on the bed and taking her car keys from the table, she told her friend that she had to go back home.
Georgia not been happy with her decision though she could not tell what was wrong with her friend, hugged her and asked her to be fine as she was going to fix her problems with her uncle.
Crystal let out a fake smile and left her friends room.
Walking out to the balcony, Georgia stayed to catch a glimpse of her friend leaving her compound while she waved her goodbye saying,
"Do not hesitate to call me at any time if you need me".
Crystal entered her car and drove off to get to the house. The dusk could be seen already as places uncle's getting dark.
Crystal had spent her whole day out of the house and she was getting tired of her uncle's excuses and assignments.
She had made up her mind to stand by her words this time and confront her uncle to return her rightful place in her father's company, but what she did not know, was the shocking news she was going to receive the moment she was getting on Into the mansion.
Arriving at her Mansion, she drove straight inside and Parked her auto.
Stepping out of it, she could already feel the tension in her heart as she was about to confront her uncle one last time.
Crystal decided not to fall into his manipulative acts again as he was aware of his game and what he always does just to bring about compassion into her heart, but this time around, she had to be firm in her words.
" I do not want to be a thief anymore for your lies Uncle Max", she spoke out as she moved into the house.
Crystal's hurt was beyond understanding as she was soon to be 24 years of age, but her main existence has been to steal from other people under the pretext of giving rise to her company to grow more before she eventually takes over.
Walking into the house, she met Gina who had listened to her car come in and she was so worried all day.
Catching a glimpse of Crystal, she came up to her looking all fearful and Crystal could not understand why she was peeping that way so she was forced to ask as she put up with a grip of her shoulders,
"Gina, what is the matter, why are you afraid of, and why are you talking in a low voice?", Crystal raised all these questions wondering what was happening.
Gina, who loved her Mistress a lot, asked her to follow up into the kitchen as she took Crystal by the hand.
On reaching the kitchen, Gina closed the kitchen doors and told Crystal not to be in that house again.
Crystal was confused and wondered why she had to say that but Gina, who could not stop creeping, said that she was feeling bad about the situation that she was finding in with her uncle and wished for her to start for some time till her uncle cools down.
" Gina, you are not making any sense, if there is anything that you want to tell me, just go ahead and say it, why are you acting as though my life was in danger in my own house", Crystal inquired looking at Gina in the eyes.
Gina explained to Crystal, how her uncle had come back furious and was in his office scattering everything in anger.
"Maybe he had a bad day or something and you know how Uncle Max is right, he can be very difficult to understand sometimes", Crystal spoke out but Gina had something in mind that she was making an effort to relate to Crystal but she could not as she feared to lose her job in the Taylors Mansion.
Extending her left hand and touching Gina by the shoulder, she told her not to worry as she could handle herself in case of anything.
Gina did not still convince as her face was pale but she could not do much as she had nowhere to go if Max decided to relieve her of her duties.
Crystal telling her that she had to go upstairs and shower, thereby instructing Gina to bring her a glass of juice to her room, turned to leave the kitchen but noticed that she was just standing on the same spot like a statue so she called out,
" Gina, I will be fine nothing can happen to me in my house, okay, and my Uncle is not a bad person so chill", she spoke out as she left for her room.
Gina, staring back and trembling in fear of the unknown, prayed to God to please keep her and Crystal safe from the hands of her boss.
Crystal, running the side of her neck as she walked upstairs to her room, suddenly felt like someone held her by the arms firm behind, making her unable to move forward.
Turning to catch a glimpse of who it was, she was dumbfounded by her sight as it was one of her uncle's sentries.
"Hello, Ms. Crystal, your uncle Max wishes to have a word with you", the security spoke out with a seriousness that Crystal could not comprehend.
Tongue-tied by what was flashing before her eyes, Crystal asked the man whether he was okay, and what could be giving him such wings to hold her part like that in that manner.
She pulled out her arm and turned to walk up to her room, he held her again taking her to please follow him, or else he was going to be forced to apply force on her.
Crystal had not yet understood what was going on till then as she thought that the warden was joking.
" Wait a minute, is this some kind of sick joke or something? you are in my house Mister and you do not have the right to harass me in the way that you are doing", she raised her voice and that attracted Gina who was in the kitchen.
Unhurriedly, slotting her door on one side, she pushed her head out a little so as not to be caught a glimpse of as she looked at the scenario that was happening on the stairs.
Murmuring to herself, she spoke out,
"I warned her to go back but as usual, she is always stubborn and she does not have any idea about the man she called her uncle", she thought.
While Crystal was still trying to find out what all the disrespect was all about, the guard moving closer to her, hauled her up and went down the stairs putting up with the direction to her uncle's office.
Crystal's skirmishes to get down from his arms were all in vain as her punches did not mean anything to him.
" You are seriously sick in your head you psychopath, let me down, I will sue you for trespassing you imbecile?", she yelled out with all of her strength but the man kept on striding till he reached her uncle's office.
When they were at her uncles' office, the warden put her down while knocking on the door, and in listening to the go signal indicating that he could go in, he pulled Crystal into her uncle's bureau, bringing about a very angry side of her.
"Stop pulling me young man have some respect you idiot", Crystal yelled out.
Max was waiting for her and turning to welcome her as she walked into his office, Crystal could not believe that her uncle was at home and he was listening to her scream all this while but did a bit bother to come out.
" So uncle Max you are here and you could listen to me shouting out in the living room but you sat here", she spoke out giving a disgusting look to the guard.
Max let out a mischievous smile, asked his niece how her day had time and what she has been up to lately, but Crystal was too angry with the treatment she had received and just yanked her body to the sofa in his office and sat down as her legs hurt so much.
"I asked you a question on the phone but you did not answer back and I all going to ask you again, have you gone to get my balance from Blaze Jadiel?", he let out once more.
Crystal who did not have any idea of responding to him again looked away and be hanged like she had not heard his question.
Walking to the other side of his office, he took out a bottle of whiskey and a glass, opening the bitten and pouring the gulp in the glass, he paid attention to his niece's attitude and could notice that he gave birth to a change.
Crystal asked her uncle if he had to go to the end of instructing a guard to dehumanize her just do bring her to his office, but Max proceeded towards her with his glass in his hands took a sip from his glass, and whispered,
"You are going to experience worst as from now if you decide to be stubborn and not do as I say, you will experience worst than what you just did".
With her eyes opened in shock, she raised her head thinking that she was dreaming after giving attention to what she had just listened to.
"What did you just say Uncle?", Crystal Spoke out with tears in her eyes as she could not believe what she had just listened to.
Max wiping out his mustache with the back of his right hand, he mumbled as he told Crystal that she was becoming stubborn these past few days and it was beginning to get on his nerve.
Crystal who had just confirmed how selfish her uncle is, held her head in pain as she yelled out for him to stop with his nonsense.
" You have never loved me genuinely as all you ever care for is your position in my father's company and your reputation", she cried out.
Crystal went ahead to tell him how he has destroyed her life by making her do be a thief and not being a good person. "If I was your daughter will you let me go through all these things?", she raised a question being hard but little did she know that Max did not look after such things as if he wanted to have a kid he would have.
"You are such a despicable man uncle, I did everything you asked me to think that you were going to hand over my properties to me but it is obvious that you have no intentions of doing so", Crystal went on.