A trillionaire in university

Chapter two: From mere ashes to bountiful Billions

I wasn't always this fabulous. Once upon a time, I was just a scared little girl, drowning in a sea of cruelty and indifference. I know it might be hard to believe. Growing up, I was the target of relentless bullying and ridicule. Day in and day out, I endured the torment of my peers, their mocking laughter etched into my soul like a scar that would never fade.

I was the outsider, the easy target for their cruel jests and malicious pranks. They called me names, whispered behind my back, and made me feel like I was worth less than dirt beneath their shoes. I tried to blend into the background, to disappear into the shadows where their taunts couldn't reach me, but no matter how hard I tried, I could never escape their relentless cruelty.

For years, I allowed myself to be their punching bag, to shrink beneath the weight of their scorn and disdain. People bullied me, walked all over me and I used to let them. Not anymore. The oppressed has now become the tyrant. I transformed myself from prey into predator. It is my turn to watch them squirm, just like they did to me.

It's time for me to tell you a very painful story but don't feel sorry for me. The last thing I need is your pathetic pity.

It was the tenth month of the year 2019 . I had just turned fourteen. Of the five children my mother had for my father, I was the youngest. We didn't have a lot but our love for one another was enough. My father had lost his job so we were dirt poor. Our house was barely more than a shack, with creaky floorboards and leaky roofs that let in the rain.The floors were warped and uneven, shaky beneath our weary footsteps. The roof had been patched with tattered sheets of corrugated metal.

Despite our hardships, my siblings and I still found joy in the simple pleasures of childhood.

One fateful night, as the cold winds howled outside and the darkness enveloped our tiny home, tragedy struck. A fire erupted, consuming everything in its path with an insatiable hunger. I can still hear the screams of my siblings echoing in my ears as we scrambled to escape the inferno. Amidst the chaos and confusion, I lost sight of my family. The flames licked at my skin, searing my flesh with their merciless heat. I was engulfed in a whirlwind of smoke and ash, my lungs burning with every breath. When the fire finally subsided and the smoke cleared, I was alone. In the blink of an eye. In that moment, I felt a piece of my soul shatter into a million irreparable fragments.

I found myself outside, gasping for air, my heart pounding in my chest like a drumbeat of terror. My family was still in the fire but I had escaped. The woods had fallen from the room and were blocking their escape. I could hear my eldest sister, Laura screaming at the top of her lungs. "Help me. Somebody, help me"

My siblings, my flesh and blood, were in mortal danger. But as much as I longed to rush back into the flames and rescue them, I could not. I felt helpless, my hands clenched into fists of frustration as tears mingled with the ash staining my cheeks.

With desperation gripping my heart like a vice, I fled to the neighboring houses, the acrid scent of smoke clinging to my clothes like a suffocating shroud. I pleaded for help from the onlookers who had gathered around our burning home. Their impassive faces offered me no solace.

"Help me, please. Sir, my family is in the burning house," I cried as I ran helter-skelter

To my horror, their indifferent gazes met mine with a chilling apathy that scared me to the bone. It was as if my family's plight was nothing more than a macabre spectacle, a twisted form of entertainment for their amusement. They had a wicked disregard for our suffering. This gnawed at my soul, leaving me feeling like a mere pawn in their cruel game. They rejected me, turning away their shoulders. How could they stand idly by, I wondered, while my loved ones faced imminent death? I realized that the true monsters were not the flames devouring our home, but the cold-hearted bystanders who reveled in our misfortune without lifting a finger to help.

Again, I heard another voice calling out from the fire to me. "Raye, come. We need you."

A jolt of recognition hit me. It was my mother's voice. It had become barely audible and very screeching but I knew it was her. I took a step forward.  The flames licked at my heels, threatening to consume me whole, but I pressed on. As I drew closer to the source of the voice, the smoke grew thicker, obscuring my vision and choking the air from my lungs. But through the haze, I could see my mom's silhouette. Her outstretched hand were beckoning me towards her with a desperate urgency that left no room for doubt.

I plunged headlong into the inferno, the flames roaring around me like a tempest unleashed. As I clasped my mom's hand, a surge of adrenaline coursed through my veins. With gritted teeth and incessant coughs, we navigated the treacherous terrain of our crumbling home. We. dodged falling debris and choking smoke as we fought tooth and nail for our survival.

With my mother safely outside, I plunged back into the fiery abyss for the my remaining family members. I had to save everyone at all costs because I could not imagine my life without them. I found Laura, her trembling form huddled in a corner, her eyes wide with fear.  I scooped her into my arms with all of the strength I could muster up, even though she was almost double my weight.

As I struggled under Laura's weight, my eyes fell upon my elder brother. He looked like he was suffocating in the fire. I hurriedly carried Laura outside and went back in. My brother's stoic facade was crumbling as he fought to lift our father's unconscious form. With a silent prayer on my lips, I rushed to his side. He was fighting to stay alive and also save our dad. Together, we bore the weight of our father's limp body. Our footsteps echoed through the smoky haze.

With each passing moment, the flames raged ever closer. As soon as we stepped out, there was a loud explosion. All the bystanders and onlookers started running away from the scene. They scattered like frightened mice in a mad dash.

The house and everything in it had been burned to ashes. Two of my siblings were consumed by the fire. I won't mention their names because it is a memory I try to forget everyday. Our poor family of seven had been reduced to five.

Our bodies were badly bruised and battered but at least, we were still alive.