MISLED: My heart didn't know

So here's my warning...

Please don't skip this, it is really important.

First of all, there will be a lot of grammatical error in this novel since it's the first book I am publishing here (first book I've decided to devote myself into writing) but I'll try to minimize it.

And secondly, there would be a handful of flashbacks. Please be patient while reading them 'cause it gives insight to the people's actions in the story.

Thirdly, the characters, scenes, settings, plot, theme etc of this book is totally from my head and hence a product of my imagination, if there is a case of real life coincidence then that's a mistake.

Last but not the least, please, do not pirate this story for whatsoever reason. Like I said earlier, it's a product of my imagination and the first book I am actually devoting myself to write so please do not pirate!

Oh, do not forget to vote, comment and support this book, it'll motivate me to do more.

Also, don't forget to follow me on my social media handle. we can interact and you get to drop your suggestions also.

Let's work collectively together to see each other grow and succeed.

I think that's all for now. So, enjoy your reading!!!

BARBARA'S POV

I kept quiet as the tension in the house swallowed I and Kirsten whole.

Kirsten was mad but I was furious. She had used the toilet and not flushed her poo. I mean how can someone be comfortable with others looking at their poo in the WC and even inhaling the horrible pungent odor of urine and faeces.

I'm at least thankful that she didn't seem to have left a blooded pad in there today although there's no guarantee she won't do something like that another day.

That's the height of wickedness and stupidity but the former is her name so she won't bulge neither would she feel bad that someone called her wicked. As for the latter, it's who she is so it doesn't matter.

I'd confronted her about it and she had insulted me, which I don't mind, but she went ahead and also insulted my parents which was a great turn-off for me.

I had told her to repeat the nonsense she said previously.

"I said," she started counting her words like a ticking time bomb ready to explode soon. Her eyes sparkled brightly with a glint expressing that she was very much enjoying herself. "Your shit of parents" she continued with an evil smirk on her face which I wished to oh so wipe off her face. "Can't even train their teenage daughter into doing the right thing." She's insinuating that my parents can't bring up a child properly. I slapped her without any hesitation. She returned with two slaps of her own. As usual, she doesn't back down.

Before I could regain my stance she threw her fist at my abdomen and I hunched over. I use one of my hands to protect my hair since I knew it was quite vulnerable to her next attack which I already knew due to several scuffles with Kirsten.

I used my other hand to hold my stomach as the blow left quite an impact. Even with the supposed partial protection, I offered my hair, Kirsten still saw some strands of my hair which she held in a fist. She kept dragging my hair and raining curses.

I kept quiet and as still as possible because I knew any attempt of me to free my hair from her tight grip will lead to my hair pulling off from their scalp.

No matter how I yawned to cry, I always kept it in. The thought of shedding tears before my tormentors is unacceptable. I won't cry because of my past mistake. Neither would I cry because the bane of my existence is out to torment me. I certainly won't cry because of something as petty as my hair, ok, it's not really that petty to me. Since I've lived through the torture before I can redo it. Even if I ever would shed tears, not in front of my tormentors, can't give them the impression that the torture is getting through my hide.

Finally, after Kirsten was satisfied with dragging and swearing profanities, she made the mistake of pulling me up so she could look me in the eye, from eyeball to eyeball. 'This my chance' I whispered to myself as I kicked Kirsten in the stomach making her hunch over and hiss in pain.

"You! You!! You miserable..." She screamed as she tried to stand up straight. I kicked her in the knee making her knee down because I know the cuss word that would accompany the word miserable just as always. She screamed and tried to stand up straight again but I know better than to allow her to come wound me again, I kicked her numerous times at her stomach, so much so she vomited blood.

I stopped as realization dawned on me and I immediately ran to my room locking the door. I was scared, what if I had damaged something in her stomach or worst still killed her? I could care less if she died but I don't think I want that...well not yet.

Remembering how Kirsten and Dylan have wronged me is enough for me to wish them dead but yet here I am afraid that I might have gone too far with the little scuffle I had with Kirsten, I must be sick or something!

Dylan was my boyfriend...yes was...he hasn't said anything about breaking up with me but it's obvious it's over between us, it's all a long story to start with.

*Flashback begins*

I can still remember the day Dylan helped me fight off some gangsters that attacked me when I was going to school from home.

I had offended Dad and he had punished me by stopping my chauffeur from driving me to school. He even seized the car keys but that wasn't a major problem since I couldn't drive a car yet because I was underage and hadn't learned the act of driving.

He'd been caring enough to have given me extra pocket money so I could take a cab to and from school. I'd decided to walk to school since my school was a trekkable distance from my home.

Halfway into my journey some gangsters attacked me and started bullying me. They wanted to take my money and other valuables with me- yes valuables, I go to school with my gold necklace and anklet although I hide them from the school authorities since they aren't allowed in school.

I had refused to let the gangsters take my properties which earned me a stinging slap. The slap made my vision hazy and I could no longer see clearly.

After the first slap, numerous punches and hits had come from all directions. They'd me cornered.

Someone shouted out something I can't seem to hear. Soon I was carried to somewhere secluded. Lord Jesus...I need help.

What if these people want to rape me to teach me a lesson of better giving up my things than fighting?

'Call for help.' My conscience surmised but I shook the idea off my head. It was a quiet road and people barely noticed this road not to talk of passing through it.

'why did I even pass here in the first place?' I lamented

'yes, you wanted to play stingy so you decided to walk to school, passing a shorter road.' I berated myself as if I wasn't me but someone else. Simply put, the beating was affecting my brain already. Aiye!

More hits came, and when I feel one on my cheeks before I can get over the pain another would land somewhere else in my body.

I was hopeless but... suddenly the hits I was receiving significantly reduced. Finally, a savior has come to save me. It felt like my breathing wasn't normal, not as if am expecting it to be. I tried hard to open my eyes and saw red thick water everywhere. Red thick water?

It later occurred to me that the red thick water was my blood.

My uniform probably would be a mess now. So I decided to go home rather than go to school. It's funny how school is what was on my mind now other than the physical pain I am feeling.

My whole body felt hot inside and out. I tried to stand but my feet felt like jelly and gave up on my weight. I started to fall, I looked for a wall or anything for support so I could avoid falling but it was too late...or was it?

Someone, probably my savior, caught me before I hit the floor.

"You are safe." Was the only thing I heard from the person carrying me before my eyelids flutter closed into a dark abyss.

*Flashback ends*

I jolted from my memories as my mobile phone rang. I answered the call without checking the ID of the caller.

"Hello"

"Hello, am I speaking with Barbara Darren?" The caller asked quickly which unsettled me because apart from Jackie's school where I filled my name with Barbara Darren all my official documents still carry Barbara Williams.

"Yes, you are" I answered hastened, feeling a little bit anxious about what the stranger had to say.

"Ma, Jayceline suddenly started shaking chills while also sweating profusely here at school, we've called an ambulance and we've administered first aid treatment..."

"I'm on my way." I interrupted his long talk and quickly walk to my wardrobe to pick an easy-to-wear dress and walked out of the house.

*************

So this is the first chapter, please comment on what you think about the story and our female protagonist (Barbara), and our female antagonist (Kirsten). And why is Jayceline shaking chills and sweating profusely?

"Where's my daughter?" I asked panicked when I got to Jackie's school and couldn't find her or any ambulance in sight.

"Madam please follow me to the head teacher's office." A man dressed up in security attire told me gently. I assumed he was the security guard in charge so I inhaled and exhaled to calm down before giving him a signal to lead the way.

I walked through a wide corridor, I could see different teachers in different classes either giving lectures or sitting down on a chair probably scoring the children based on the drill given to them.

I walked into a wall or so I thought until the block caught me saying 'Madam'.

"I'm sorry." I apologized

"Are you okay?" The security guard asked me.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm fine."

"I was saying that the door over there" he pointed his index finger in a direction I couldn't see because I was muddle-headed at the moment. "Is the head teacher's office." He finished.

He turned again and sighed, maybe he noticed I was too worried to pay attention to what he was saying. I heard what he said but my brain can't process that into something reasonable.

He continued walking to where I thought should be the head teacher's office he was talking about.

"We're here." He said plainly.

My mind wasn't with me but I can hear everything being spoken to me. I remembered that I haven't spoken a word of appreciation to him after his last statement. What can I possibly say?

"Ah...sorry I was deep in thought, thanks for helping me," I say unsure of what I was doing.

Jackie's cute pudgy face covered in baby fat formed in my head.

'How could you have forgotten about your daughter?' I scold myself as I ran straight into the head teacher's office. I walked in without knocking. Is that even a norm? Focus! Miss.

"Where's my daughter?" I asked skipping greetings and courtesies, going straight to the point. She looked at me as if I were a psychopath but I could care less, I certainly look like one anyway. She sighed.

"She's at the hospital." She finally said after keeping me in suspense for a few seconds. Like seriously?!

"Which hospital?" I asked impatiently. Why can't she just give me a piece of complete and proper information? I'm in serious need of it.

"The central hospital" I need not be told before rushing out of her office.

I ran-walked through the corridor I used earlier. I could see some curious eyes-pupils and teachers alike, staring at me. I just moved on considering the fact that my baby girl is in a hospital–all alone. I came out of the school to stop a cab when a car suddenly drove in my front.

"Hop in." The driver of the car said as he wound down the window.

"I'm going to the Central hospital." I said as I entered the car. I took a look at the driver and froze. It was him. One of my numerous spies. I tried to open the door to get down but it was too late as he'd locked the door and sped off.

Yes, I have a spy-scratch that I have spies. I never noticed until Val informed me of strange people following me. At first, I thought or more rightly wished that my parents sent them to look out for me but no, that wasn't the case at all. I and Val made up a plan to catch and question these spies individually. Although we didn't get any information we were able to make a deal with them. The deal was for them to stop following me about.

At the end of the day, there was this really stubborn spy amongst them, he didn't leak any information nor could we make a deal with him. I threatened to involve the cobs but unfortunately, this guy was good at his work.

He knows a lot about me and knew calling the cobs was never really my thing. With the amount of information he had on me, I was lucky he hadn't blackmailed me then.

Unfortunately, I just 'hopped in' to that same spy's car. Yeah I know I'm pretty careless–and I'm sorry for it–can be the death of me.

What was I thinking? Hopping into a stranger's car-a man at that!' I bashed my head on the window of the car. I felt dizzy but I continued nonetheless until I felt or imagined the speed of the car picked up. Soon the car came to a halt.

"You owe me." He simply said and unlocked the car.

"Say what?!" I blew up.

"I came to help you, you needed a ride to meet your daughter but you won't see a cab back in that busy street." He said staring intently at me. His look made me chicken out in my heart but I dare not show it physically.

"I never asked for your help" I retorted.

"Yes, You never asked for my help with your words. I'd prefer you to be more direct next time" He asserted sarcastically. I opened the car door to my side and alighted. Too shocked and stupefied by his vane utterances.

"What a rude piece of punk." I heard him say just before the door closed and he zoomed off.

So let me get something straight he isn't just arrogant but also psychopathic! I feel so sorry for him.

Me a piece of punk? impossible! I made a reflection of his words as I stared daggers at the fast-disappearing car for a while before I came back to my senses.

I looked at my surroundings and the place I was quickly registered in my head. I was standing just outside the Central hospital.

I rushed in and walked to the receptionist.

"I'm looking for a Jayceline Darren." I said.

"I'm sorry, who?" The female receptionist present asked, after typing away on the keyboard in front of her, giving me a weird look.

What does she mean by I'm sorry, who?

Did I not hear the head teacher well? But the head teacher told me Jackie Is at the central hospital.

I looked around me to be sure I was in the right place and I was. I knew through the blue wall and white ceiling interior deco it has.

The only difference between the now central hospital and the previous one I've seen is that the painting now looks new and clean.

"Excuse me." I heard someone with quite an arrogant voice say from behind me. I turned around to see a Middle aged woman looking elegant, had it been Val hadn't come into my life I probably would be wondering why someone would dress up so nicely to come to see a person at the hospital.

"Hello?" I heard the same voice speak again. I slowly moved out of the way.

I walked into someone in the process.

"Sorry." I whispered before walking to sit on a chair in the corner to think.

Someone followed me from behind probably the person I walked into but I didn't raise my head to take a look at the person. I already apologized.

The person sat quietly beside me while I recollect my thoughts.

I don't know the name used in checking Jackie in, I could only imagine it's her full name since her school is the one who rushed her here.

Could it be she was checked in using her pet name? That's right, I should check with her pet name or just describe Jackie to the receptionist.

I was about to stand up when the person sitting beside me held my hand.

"Madam." I heard a familiar voice call out to me which prompted me to look at the person beside me.

It was the security guard from earlier. How did he get here?

"Please follow me." He said politely as he aid me up after standing up himself.

I started following him as if compelled by an unknown force.

***********

Wow! So our female protagonist has a spy, sorry spies and we just encountered one. What do you think of the spy?