Chapter 2
Synchronising my phone with my car Bluetooth, I scrolled through the music section and soon 'Never give up' by Sia filled the air while I wait for the traffic light to turn green.
I hummed along to the song, swaying my head from side to side as the feeling of liberation spread its warmth inside me.God knows how long I have felt caged in that relationship.When I confessed my feeling to Paul, I had been mentally preparing myself for rejection, knowing I have a low chance of getting his attention with all the stunning women flocking around him. So, imagine how surprised I was when I got his positive response the next day. Thrilled was an understatement. I felt like the universe had given me what I want on a platter of gold like I had won the lottery even though I didn’t deserve it. My mom and my only best friend Kira thought I had gone crazy when I went shopping even though I am struggling financially. I took my time getting everything Paul loves and even got groceries so I can go to his house at any time to cook meals for him.Now that I have the time to think about the event of the past year, I realized everything is my fault.The thing is, I was so excited to be Paul’s girlfriend that I let my emotion get the better of me. I let him see right through me, let him see how I desperately need a shoulder to lean on and he took advantage of that.Paul has never taken me out on a date, he didn’t treat me like he treated all the other girls around him. Even though Paul’s monthly income triples mine, he made me spend everything on him. From the clothes, he wears to the food he eats and the dinner dates.Yes—I am the one who pays for all the dates we’ve been to. I confronted him one afternoon and asked him why he hasn’t asked me out on a date or even try to take me out just once, even though we are dating. He excused his actions by telling me he is saving his salaries to give us a better future and I was gullible enough to believe him.Looking back now makes me realize I have been nothing but a fool, I let my emotion get the better of me. The loud, hooting sound of cars honking snapped my attention back to the road, the traffic light had turned green. Muttering an apology to the angry drivers behind me, I ignited the car and speed away before I can hear them curse at me.The street is bustling with activities, parents driving their children down to school before going to their places of work, some students getting into public buses, others walking in pairs, laughing, and joking about all kinds of stuff as they made their way to school. Hence the reason for the heavy traffic.Workers hurrying to catch up with the buses, so they won’t be late to their places of work, and street shop owners opening for the day while some are still shut. Exhaust fumes from cars tainting the air, and voices of people screaming, calling, and laughing once again fill the streets of Dravilsberg.I wouldn’t say I live in the worst part of the country, but it is also not the best part of it. Dravilsberg is a small country on its own, having just ten states and seventy-eight cities and I live in the parts of the city called ghetto.You see, each city in every state is classified under three classes. We have the slum, ghetto and upscale. The slum is where poverty-stricken people live. People like me who can afford to get some kinds of stuff themselves live in the ghetto and you know those who live in the upscale part of the city. The rich ones.Taking one last bend onto Cavern Street, weird name, right? I pull up in the garage of my parent’s little villa and stepped out of the car. Delivering two rapid knocks on the door, it swings open to reveal my mom’s smiling face.‘Did something good happen?’ I stared at her in confusion.‘Yes,’ she is so breathy, her eyes darting everywhere all at once.She is acting like a teenager suddenly and it is weird. Since the moment we received that call of dad dying in an accident, I saw the light in her eyes dwindle until they no longer exist. I had no choice but to be the shoulder for her to lean on.It has been five years now, so seeing her excited brought a smile to my face.‘Well, I also have good news for you,’ I told her, and her face brightened even more.‘What is it? Did something good happen at work? Did you find someone interested in investing in your father’s construction company? Is that why you left the house so early?’My stomach rumbled with laughter, and I doubled over by the force of it.‘That is so many questions,’ I stopped laughing to stare at her. ‘You are right, I left home early for it, but it has nothing to do with the company.’‘So, what is it?’ She raised her eyebrows, gazing at me with so much focus.‘I broke up with Paul,’ I announced.It takes a while for the news to sink in, but then her eyes widen, and her left hand move to cover her mouth as she screams into it.‘Oh, my God! I can’t believe it finally happened,’ she says, pulling me into a hug.‘Me too, I feel so happy knowing I don’t have to put up with that bastard anymore.’‘I am so happy for you baby, you don’t know how much I hate what that guy is doing to you,’ she swallows. ‘The fact that he keeps making you doubt yourself and keep putting you down makes me so angry.’‘Well, it's over now,’ I told her. ‘Now tell me what good news you have for me.’I don't know if I imagined it or not, but mom's face lit up like a bulb, I knew without being told that the reason for that is what she is about to say to me.‘Come on— I'm dying with curiosity here.’‘So, the thing is—I’ve been seeing someone for a while now, we fell in love with each other and decided to get married.’ She wiggled her left hand in front of me, displaying the golden ring that is wrapped around her ring finger.‘What?’ I felt like a bucket of cold water just smack me right in the face. ‘You’re getting married?’Of all the things I expected her to say to me, I didn't imagine it would have anything to do with marriage.‘Yes, baby. Balthas and I have decided to start living toge...' she trailed off when she noticed the expression on my face, her eyes darting to the ground and refusing to stare at me.I feel the ground shift beneath me, the air in the room is suddenly not enough for two people.‘Baby,’ mom called but I pay her no attention.How could she do this to me? How could she betray her daughter in this manner?‘When?’ That was the only thing I could think of. ‘When did all these start? I asked.‘Lexi—’‘When!? My voice took on a hard edge, startling her.‘It has been over two years now,’ she says, still not looking at me.Christ! Over two yearsMy mom has been in a relationship long before my first boyfriend asked me out on a date, and she didn’t think to tell me. ‘Say something, honey,’ mom urged, her voice shaky.‘What? What do you want me to say? Do you want me to say congratulations on your engagement or I should tell you that the shock from the bombshell you just dropped on me still hasn’t faded?’‘I didn’t mean for things to happen this way, honey, you’ve got to believe me,’ she pleaded.‘I can’t believe this,’ I pushed one hand into my hair and ruffled it. ‘All the time I thought you were going through so much pain because of dad’s death, you’ve been seeing someone instead!‘You’ve been busy having fun, going on romantic dates, and having the best time of your life while I put my life on hold just to support you and help you get back on your feet.’‘No, no, that’s not what happened,’ she says, stepping forward to hold my hands but I moved out of reach.‘And while you are having so much fun, did it occur to you that I was also suffering from losing one of my parents?’‘Oh, honey,’ she wanted to say something else but decide otherwise.‘Did it ever occur to you that I have my dreams as well? Did you try to think of what running dad’s company alone and at such a young age would do to me?’She said nothing and just continue to stare at the ground.‘Of course, you didn’t even have the time to think of that, you were too busy having fun with your boyfriend to care about your miserable daughter.’‘Don’t take that tone with me, Lexi, I am still your mother,’ I scoffed at her warning.‘Oh! Now you remember who the mother is between us when you neglected my feeling and left me to deal with my pains and that of yours alone,’ I seethed. ‘You should have thought of that when you left me to shoulder everything while you hide away like a coward.’I turn around then, and rushed into my room before she could see the tears in my eyes. Once I slide the door shut behind me, my knee buckled under me, and I fall to the ground. Desperate for a break, I tried to remind myself that my mother didn’t think of me or my well-being after my father left us in this cruel world.Trying but failing to give myself reasons why I should be crying my heart out instead of sitting here on the floor like I am the last person on earth who should feel hurt. But then reality comes crashing down on me and I know I can’t afford to be miserable right now.Even if no one cares about my dreams, my ambitions or what makes me the woman I am today, I can’t afford to lose myself. If I lose my father’s company to the loan sharks, I’ll lose whatever shred of faith I have in fulfilling my dreams. Wiping away the tears threatening to fall, I pull myself from the floor and over to my table.With a soft flick, I pull my laptop open and turn it on. Right there on the screen, waiting for me to put a finality to it, is the proposal I have been preparing for months. I have rifled through big names company and only ABM stands out, they have the capacity to help me fulfil what I have planned to achieve within a short period of time.Moving the cursor over the proposal, I clicked on it and continue drafting it with the intention of forwarding it this time before I get cold feet.Chapter 3[CORNELL’S VILLA] TIME: 1 P.M. LEXI CORNELL ‘Tell me what you think, Kira. I want your honest opinion,’ I questioned as I moved to the window of my room.I swept my gaze over the little garden I had grown with my mother, as I settle down on the windowsill overlooking the compound. Bright light from the sun illuminates the whole place, creating a burst of colour from the beautiful flowers and the vegetables in the garden, giving them a vibrant glow, and a smile finds its way to my lip.The sound of footfall fills the room, and I turned my head to look at her. ‘It might not be as bad as you are trying to make it, Lexi.’ Kira walked over to the foot of my bed, collected the gold necklace spread on it and twirled it around her finger.‘How did you feel when she announced it?’ she asked, and I frowned immediately.I couldn’t decipher my feeling at the time since I was bombarded with various emotions. I felt angry, sad, betrayed, and shocked. It was so much that I couldn’t latch
Chapter 4Kira stared at me in anticipation. Her eyes shone as if she just won the lottery.‘We already talked about this a lot of times babe, I am not just cut out for this outing shit, okay?’‘But you need to unwind Lexi, you need to let off some steam,’ Kira whined.‘I can do that by going over some of the projects I have at hand, I will get over this engagement thing in no time.’‘You really won’t get out of this room, right?‘I am so sorry to disappoint you,’ I looked at her and gave her the most apologetic expression I can muster. She smiled as if nothing happened and pulled me into a hug.‘Since you don’t want to leave this house, then I would just have to stay my angel then, right?’ She mused and a sigh left my lip as I wrap my arms around her.‘So, what is it you are doing?’ She sounded excited and her eyes shone as she stares at me.‘I need to come up with some awesome designs that I would submit to ABM industries, they want me to do the interior designing of their new office
Chapter 5 Dinner was splendid, mom and I were able to converse well though none of us mentioned what happened in the morning.I guess we didn't want to ruin the happiness, so we kept that aside and enjoyed the meal.‘We have to go back to the designs, Kira,’ I reminded Kira who wasn't ready to stop talking about the new movie she just watched.‘Oh!’ Her eyes dimmed as she looked down at the plates on the table. ‘Let's get this into the kitchen and wash them then,’ she got up from her seat.‘It’s okay, you girls can get back to work, I will do the dishes,’ mom was on her feet, but I stopped her.‘We would do the dishes, you just go in and get some rest, okay?’ She looked at me and I knew she wanted to say something but decide against it.Kira and I packed the plates and cutleries and headed into the kitchen.‘I am glad you talked to her, even though you said nothing about the engagement,’ I could feel her smile, so I smiled in return. ‘I told you I will talk to her but not now. Beside
Chapter 6 Kira's car stopped in front of the extensive building exactly ten minutes before nine.‘You are one hell of a reckless driver,’ I scowled at her, but she shrugged her shoulder. ‘At least, my reckless driving got you here in time for your meeting,’ she unstrapped her seatbelt and got out of the car after me.‘I'll go in now. You should get to work before your boss screams off his head.’A ghost of a smile brightens up her features, and she pulled me into a hug.‘You've got this girl. Go show them what you are made of and win the deal, okay?’I shook my head–smiling. ‘Thank you, babe.’ I pulled out of her grasp and turn to make my way into the company.Having just a few more minutes to get to meet the CEO, I ran as fast as I can toward the elevator, my feet propelling me forward over the marble floor of the company’s lobby. With my gaze fixed on the door of the elevator, I silently pray for a car to stop on this floor as soon as I reach the metal door.To my relief, the door
Chapter 7Six, seven, eight...I counted the second between each number change in the elevator indicator on my mind. That is how I preoccupied myself after I moved away from Mr green.It didn't make sense but at least it helped me focus on why I was here in ABM in the first place. I made it my mission to figure out how many seconds or minutes it takes for the elevator to get to each floor.Ten seconds for each floor.The irony of the situation is that I couldn't get away from him even though we aren't close, I could feel his gaze on me this whole time, his scent filled the elevator as if it was out to taunt me and remind me that I am in an enclosed space with a man that is out of my league.His presence deterred me from my mission, but I forced myself to pretend he didn't have any effect on me. I offered a quick thanks to God the moment the elevator stopped on the last floor.I was out of the car as soon as the door slid open, attempting to escape him before I do anything I would regre
Chapter 8‘Lexi,’ his husky, implacable voice pulled me out of my daze, and a deep frown marred my head.How did he know my name?Then I remembered that he’d scheduled this meeting with me, which means he must have found out everything about me beforehand. My brain lurched back into action when I recalled his greeting.Without looking at him, I greeted him, tilting my head a little.I felt his gaze slide over my profile, but I kept my attention trained on the file in front of me. My heart was racing in my chest, my stomach quivering madly until I was forced to start twisting the button on the wrist of my right sleeve.‘Shall we begin?’ He asked. The question wasn’t directed at me, but his gaze didn’t leave my face.The management team leader gets up and started to brief everyone on what the meeting was all about. Due to the bankruptcy my father faced over his company, I didn’t get the chance to go to college so I took online classes on interior designing to he Apparently, my job is to
Chapter 9 Aziz Mustafa, I repeated the name in my mind.Not only was I fantasizing about someone that could never be mine, but I also just met and had a meeting with someone out of my league.‘I know what you are thinking?’ He said, effortlessly putting a stop to my thought.‘What?’‘Your face gave everything away, you are thinking. What does a man so powerful and rich want with me?’ His face was impassive, it was hard trying to figure out what he was thinking.‘If I should tell you that isn’t what I am thinking, then you would know it is a lie.’ I swallow hard. ‘So, I would like you to tell me what it is you want.’Schooling my face, I looked into his eyes and tried to keep my emotion at bay. He had seen into me in ways that even my mother never did, and I would not let him see anymore.‘Now, that is exactly why I handpicked you for this job,’ a smile graces his lip briefly and then it was gone.‘Handpicked? That means the meeting wasn’t necessary.’ My confusion was apparent in my vo
Chapter 10I tossed and turned on my bed for the umpteenth time, my mind filled with his words.‘I need your help, and I need you.’He didn’t elaborate on exactly what he needed my help with but the deep meaning behind those who didn’t go unnoticed. He sounded like he was in trouble and desperately need someone to save him and that is what confuses me the most.What kind of power do I have? How can I help him? Why did he choose me of all the sophisticated ladies that would die to worship him?‘Argh, fuck it,’ I cursed, getting down from the bed. Sweat covered my whole body, soaking through my flimsy nightgown. I felt feverish suddenly as I made my way to the bathroom to have the sixth shower tonight. His words refused to leave my thoughts. Weighing down on me, the more I try to shove it aside.‘What the heck is that supposed to mean?’The cool water hit me hard, grinding my teeth as I forced myself to stay under it just to get my temperature under control. I slid down to the ground, r