FIVE

I stood from the floor, straightened my dress, and walked out of the gate.

I boarded a cab straight to dad's company.

"Good morning ma'am" some of the workers greeted me as I walked in.

I replied none, right now, I was emotionally unstable.

"Is my dad in?" I asked as soon as I got to his secretary's desk.

"Yes ma'am" she replied and I walked into the office.

Mom was seated with dad on the couch in his office when I got in.

Such great timing.

"Elina did you tell your husband you were coming over," mom asked.

"Which one of you is responsible for the death of Jeremy," I asked ignoring Mom's question.

"Jeremy is dead?" dad asked, looking shocked.

"Why all the fuss, at least his death would make you concentrate more on your husband" mom said with a shrug.

"Nancy!!" Dad yelled mom's name.

"Mom!, are you responsible for the death of Jeremy?" I asked. I hope she isn't.

"Well! I didn't ask them to kill him, I only asked them to stop you both from eloping" mom replied.

"What did you do to Becky," I asked, trying hard to control my emotion.

"Oh her!!, I got rid of her" mom replied and my eyes widened.

"I didn't kill her though, I made sure she and her family returned to the slums where they belong," mom said rolling her eyes.

"Nancy!!, what has come over you" dad yelled at mom.

"What honey!! Becky helped Elina with her escape plan" mom said.

"Mom I hate you so much, you're a monster"

"Even if you hate me so much, even if I'm an unwanted child, why are you always bent on making my life miserable" I cried out.

"You wanna know why, that's because I hated you since the day you were born" mom replied with no sign of remorse.

"From today onward, I regard you as a stranger and nothing more," I said between gritted teeth and ran out.

"Elina!!!" Dad called running after me.

"Dad!"I called turning around.

"I'm sorry if I'm making you go through emotional trauma, cos of my decision of you getting married to Nicholas" dad said pulling me into his arms while I sobbed.

"Everything is gonna be okay," dad said again with his hand wrapped around me.

"Let's go somewhere, I usually go there when I'm passing through stress" dad added and I nodded.

  *******************

"Jenny, we need to talk," Nicholas said, pulling Jenny by the arm after his mom had left the sitting room.

His mom was mad at him for calling Elina a slut.

"What!!" Jenny asked as soon as they got into Nicholas's room.

"Did you put the condom inside Elina's purse?" Nicholas asked.

"Let's not talk about that bitch, let's talk about something else, I've missed you," Jenny said wrapping her hand around his neck and reaching for his lips.

"Jenny!, I'm serious, answer my question" Nicholas retorted, pulling her hands away from his neck.

"Yes I did, so what?" Jenny replied with an eye roll.

"Jenny, how could you do such a cruel thing, you made me call her a slut" Nicholas half yelled.

It's not a big deal, I'm only helping you out in your mission for your parents to see reasons why you should divorce her ``Jenny replied.

"Seriously, even if I hate her, there are other ways to go about it, not make her look like a slut" Nicholas said and Jenny scoffed.

"What are you? her defender", tell me are you having feelings for her already" jenny asked moving closer to Nicholas.

"Why do you always keep doubting my love for you," Nicholas asked tiredly.

"Why won't I, when you aren't fully mine, why I'm I even having this discussion with you?, I'm outta here," Jenny said and walked out.

Nicholas didn't bother going after jenny cos he was tired of her nagging and doubting his sincerity for their relationship.

Jenny is such a hard nut to crack.

Nicholas was feeling kinda guilty for calling Elina a slut.

He sat down on the bed tired, he was already having a headache from everything.

"Nicholas!!"  His mom called pushing his door open.

"Your wife is at the white lake, you should go see her and apologize to her for calling her a slut" his mom said when she was fully in.

"Why are you telling me where she is?" Nicholas asked with a scoff.

"Cos I want you to apologize to her, you dummy," his mom replied.

"But there was a condom in her purse," Nicholas protested.

"I saw the innocence in her eyes, I'm sure she didn't put it there, just go apologize to her and stop arguing" his mom retorted.

"Who knows if you did put it in her purse cos you don't like her" his mom muttered lowly.

"I heard you mom," Nicholas said and his mom rolled her eyes.

"Get going already," his mom said, reaching for the doorknob.

 ************

"How do you feel now?" Dad asked, stroking my hair.

"I'm okay" I replied resting my head on dad's shoulder

"You should come here when you're sad, I always come here when I'm tired of your mom's nagging," dad said and I felt him smile.

"You know, Jeremy died here" I muttered.

"I'm sorry," dad said calmly.

" Can at least forgive your mom?" dad said and I jerked my head away from his chest.

"Dad please don't ruin this peaceful moment by talking about her" I retorted and dad nodded.

"Good evening sir" a voice greeted and I snapped my head in the direction of the voice.

Shockingly for me, it was Nicholas.

What was he doing here?

How did he get to know I was here?

Different questions ran through my head.

"Nicholas!!" dad exclaimed.

"I'll leave you two to have some time alone" dad added, winking at me, kissing me on my forehead before walking off.

Nicholas took his seat beside me, I felt him staring at me.

"What do you want?" I asked with a sign.

"I'm sorry" he muttered and I took my gaze to his face.

"I'm sorry," he said, more audibly clenching and unclenching his fist like it was hard for him to say.

"Sorry for what exactly?" I asked.

"sorry that you called me a slut?", "sorry that you made me cry"? or "sorry that you're partly the reason my boyfriend died" I listed out.

"I'm sorry for everything" he replied and I nodded.

"okay" I muttered.

"Can we go home"? he asked.

"Yes," I replied standing up, while he stood up after me.

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

                 

I yawned a little and opened my eyes.

My gaze went to Nicholas who was sitting on the bed and I sat up.

"Good morning" I greeted rolling up the blanket which I had used for sleeping but I got no reply.

Maybe he didn't hear me.

I placed the blanket into the wardrobe and turned around.

"Good morning" I greeted again but got no reply.

Oh!! I think we are back to where we were.

I'm sure he only apologized yesterday cos he was asked to.

Well, I don't care if he ignores me cos we weren't on good terms before anyways.

I walked into the bathroom and brushed my teeth.

I came out afterward and left the room to look around or maybe do something.

"Good Morning ma'am" a maid greeted me carrying a basket of clothes.

"Hey!!" I called and the maid turned around.

"You have a red stain at the back of your gown," I said and watched as her face flushed in embarrassment.

"Oh!!" When she found out what the stain was.

"Go change your uniform, you can take the rest of your day off, hand me over the basket," I said, stretching my hand to her.

"Ma'am......, I can't...." She stuttered.

"You were about going to do the laundry, right?" I asked and she nodded.

"I'll do it" I offered and she gasped.

"But ma'am...." She protested.

"It's not like I'm gonna use my bare hand, so why all the fuss, go get changed," I said pulling the basket away from her grasp.

I signed after the maid scurried off and I made my way into the laundry room.

There were different sizes of washing machines in the laundry.

Back at home, even while we had maids, mom always made me do my laundry.

I opened one of the washing machines and placed some clothes inside.

The door to the laundry room and Jenny came in looking around.

"Where's the laundry maid," she asked but I didn't reply.

"I'm sure you're not deaf cos I just asked a question," she said again but I kept mute.

" Hey!!" She called nudging me by the arm.

"Don't you ever in your godforsaken life touch me" I snapped at her.

"Now she's barking, I'm gonna make sure you get thrown out of here soon," she said and I let out mocking laughter.

"Don't bother about that cos I'm gonna make sure I throw you out before the week runs out" I said and she glared at me.

"Good morning ma'am Elina, good evening ma'am Jenny" a maid greeted walking in.

"Where did you go you animal" Jenny yelled at her.

"I'm sorry, I'll take over from here" she apologized trying to take the clothes but Jenny flung the clothes at her.

"What's your problem, why yell at her when she has apologized" I yelled at Jenny.

"Mind your business cos I wasn't talking to you" Jenny snapped at me making me scoff.

"Make sure the clothes are properly washed or else I'll make sure you go back to the streets where you belong," Jenny said with a snare walking out.

" Go drop the clothes back in her room, don't wash them" I instructed.

"Huh"!! The maid gasped.

"It's an order, if I find out you washed them, you're gonna lose your job," I said ignoring her face which held fear.

#Later_in_day

I walked into my room and walked into the bathroom.

I took off my clothes, walked back into the room, and dumped them into the laundry basket.

I went back into the bathroom and went into the bathtub enjoying the feeling of the cold water.

After some minutes later, I came out of the bathtub and wrapped a towel around my body.

Gosh!!! I didn't bring any underwear or clothes into the bathroom.

I came out of the bathroom but stopped in my tracks when I found Nicholas sitting on the bed taking off his shoes.

He was back from work.

He shot me a stare and stood up walking to the wardrobe.

I felt nervous, I turned back trying to go back into the bathroom but I slipped with my towel coming off my body but a hand caught me.

I looked up with my mouth wide open, Nicholas was holding me while I was naked.

I stood up straight and ran back into the bathroom banging the door hard.

My towel was still lying on the ground in the room, that wasn't my problem now, my problem was that Nicholas saw me naked.

Even Jeremy never saw my nakedness.