"Oh my gosh!, oh my gosh! Oh my gosh!" Rosie exclaims, and I desperately Wonder what is making her this excited.
"We've got a gig!" Rosie exclaims again, she's jumping up and down like a child that just received a candy she has long awaited, I can't help but smile. This is a miracle that we've been waiting for, my heart soars with delight.
"It's not just any gig, it's a major gig that can pay for your mum's surgery and you'll still be left with some change to spare"
Her explanation leaves me stunned, and we both begin to hop in excitement, we giggle like school children as our heart is elated.
I drag her towards the seat so she can explain further to me. "Look they said their photographer won't be able to make it because he came down with a flew fortunately for us they saw your work which I put out, that's why they reached out to us", she explains, her green eyes are shining with excitement and her face is red due to the blood that has rushed into her cheeks from the excitement.
"Denise this is big, I mean very big, it's for an elite class of people, they are hosting an event, and a lot of wealthy people will be in attendance, the business class and political class that kind of stuff, you've got to give it your best".
She proceeds to reply their mail, accepting the offer on my behalf while I sit there watching her and smiling like a Cheshire cat. I look at my mum and my heart bursts in happiness knowing that I'll be able to see her go back to her old self again, doing all the things that she usually does, and knowing that Patrick's stupid ass will not be ing the three of us gives me another level of joy.
"Mum, you're going to get your surgery and get out of here soon, I got an offer that'll give me enough money to pay for the surgery, and soon you, Rosie, and I can have dinner like we used too" I tell her.
There's no response from my mother and the machines are still as they are but I smile regardless, knowing that this situation she's in will be a thing of the past once I get paid from this gig. Rosie smiles brightly at me.
In less than ten minutes Rosie gets a response email from them stating all I need to know, the email says that the event is happening during the weekend specifically on Saturday day night by 7pm but the team will be there earlier by 5pm to acclimatise to the environment, the setup team will be there a day earlier, the event is an indoor event with a black and white theme and we are to dress accordingly, It also states that I am to come with my own camera and if I require anything that will make me work efficiently I should send a corresponding email and it will be provided for me otherwise any other set up that I may require will be provided.
After reading the mail. I am short of breath, because the offer is so surreal. The amount they'll be paying is huge and I am still going to be provided with the things I might require.
I look at Rosie and she's staring right back at me from ear to ear. "We need to go shopping for your dress" she tells me. "Definitely" I respond nodding my head like an eager child who is being given an instruction.
Rosie gives mum and I a kiss as she head out again. Once I see she is gone I go towards mum and give her a hug as I cry because we've gotten a breakthrough.
I stay with mum for a while then I head home. The house feels so empty without her. Everything feels so bland, I sigh and head to my room.
I enter my room and close the door, my eyes rakes over every inch of the room to check if anything is out of the ordinary before I can bring myself to strip out of my clothes. The exhaustion of the fews days finally hits me as I peel off my clothes slowly, as I do this I watch myself in my dresser mirror and I see how zombie like I look due to the lack of proper rest, every bit of my body aches because I haven't gotten healed from the punches crazy Patrick gave me, I trace my fingers over the bruises on my body, a reminder of the impending doom to come if my debt is not paid soon.
Eventually, I enter into the bathroom and turn on the shower, the warm water cascading my sore body feels so heavenly. I close my eyes and savour in the moment as mind hits everything that has transpired in a few days. As I eventually open my eyes, I have a real bath and leave the bathroom.
My cotton pyjamas comforts my skin like the way I love them. I head towards my table grab my phone and find my way towards my bed. Comfortably on the bed I begin to g****e the team that reached out to me and the event I would be covering for.
Turns out everything they said about the event was true, this event is held once in 3 years, for the rich to find new alliance and donate back to the society, it is sort of a charity event. I go further to read articles on the previous event and what I should expect from the event.
Feeling my eyes drop, I turn off my phone to sleep. I am tossed into dream land. I am a little girl again and my life is perfect, my both parents are here we are at the park I'm running around both my parents and my dad is smiling at mum the love in his eyes is evident for her, she smiles warmly at him, she doesn't look sick nor does she look weak, they both turn towards me and I smile brightly at them, I am engulfed in so much love that I end up giggling at them. Dad hands me a really pretty doll with long hair, she is perfect and I give both him and mum a hug. As I play with my doll and stroke her hair I move away from the reach of my parents, and I site them sitting on a bench holding each other and having a conversation, I return my attention back to my pretty doll. a little girl about my age approaches me and drags my doll away from me, I try to get it back but I can't. Turning back towards the area where my parents are, I can't find them anymore. I look around the park but they aren't there, I run around to search for them but they are no were to be found, my breathing becomes frantic.
I am awakened from my dream with beads of sweat on my forehead, the bed is damp from my sweat and my alarm is on full blast.
My heart beats violently in my rib cage like it's about to explode, I stretch my hand and put off the alarm. My feet land on the floor and I am met with the biting cold of the floor. I rush towards the bathroom, brush my teeth and quickly take a bath. Heading to work like someone in a marathon I hit Starbucks for coffee before getting to work. The day is characterized by me taking a photo shoot of a month old baby, the session wasn't as stressful as my other ones because the baby was asleep throughout the entire session, the family session was next and that was a breeze in the park for me " what can I say I'm good at what I do", I later went further to edit their picture in preparation for print and soft copy.Rosie and I are at the hospital to see mum. As we walk towards her room, I notice that the door is ajar and the doctor is talking, my eyes widen in surprise, mum's awake and the doctor is talking to her as I stand there staring in awe, Rosie rushes towards her and gives her a hu
"Jesus! Who is this man" the alarms in my head keep buzzing, he isn't even talking to me anymore but I'm feeling hot and bothered, wait a minute is this feeling people get before they sex with someone?, Because if it is, then this means trouble, the guy isn't doing anything and I m so bothered by his mere presence"."Sir" some one utters breaking the silence we were in, we both turn around and a man in a well tailored suit is standing meters away from us, Gregory gestures for him to come forward and he does so, going straight to whisper in his ears."Excuse me err Denise, I have to attend to something", the way my name rolls out of his tongue, hmm good heavens, I don't think anyone has called my name better. I nod to his request since I'm too distracted to respond with my voice. As he steps away from me I can't help but watch him leave, my eyes linger on his firm back, moving down to his long legs that carry his body with grace. " Well that's a fine…. specimen" my inner self concludes
My body responds to his instruction as my legs carry me towards the area he is leading me to. Before you know it, we are standing before a black Chevrolet Corvette, despite my tipsy state I recognize it. I know this because I love cars even though I cannot afford one even if I wanted one so badly."Step into the car" Gregory tells me. "Gosh does he speak only few words", my mind wonders.The ride was quiet, not an uncomfortable one, on the contrary it was peaceful like the calm before the storm. I can't fully process my surroundings and all I know is that I am in an elevator with just Gregory and I in it and he is staring at me with those unfathomable yet beautiful gray eyes, like I'm the only thing that exist. He takes a small step forward and I take one back and my back hits the end of the elevator wall. My breathing is has become heavy as I stare into his eyes. He leans towards me despite his height and kisses me on the lip not just any kiss but a deep kiss. I k
The hurt I felt in my chest burnt like an inferno. Unable to hold my tears, l let it flow from my eyes like a river as I quickly dress up. I looked back at the door I came out from before turning to find my way out of the penthouse.The ride back home seemed fast because of the state of my mind when I rightly knew that it took an hour plus. But who cares how many hours it took when I just experienced this level of embarrassment. As we reach my home I pay the driver and rush out towards my flat and into my room. Immediately I got into my room I shut the door and I cry, like a child in pains I cried. sliding down the door unto the floor I cried. The scene of everything that transpired playing and replaying in my mind as I cry my eyes out. Regret and hurt the prominent thing I know as of the moment and I cry. The first time I decide to give myself to a man and he treats me like nothing, after everything we did together. After making him my first everything. I thought he actually liked
Rosie and I got to the hospital and the doctor immediately informed us that my mum needs to conduct her surgery as soon as possible. No matter what has happened to me between last night and this morning I am still grateful that I got that gig and I have money for mum's surgery. I rush to pay for the surgery and mum is prepared for surgery and immediately taken to the Operating theatre. The whole time Rosie is with me as we wait for the surgery to be over. Hoping for only the best. Rosie goes ahead to inform the studio where I work that I won't be coming in for some time. And my boss, being a nice person, accepts and sends his support. Calls have equally come in from my colleagues and she has been the one in charge of answering all the calls on my behalf. When God put her in my life he knew what he was doing because having her here supporting me all through has been wholesome and I am grateful.Three hours and some minutes later the doctor comes out and I rush towards him "Doctor how
Morning comes fast and I push myself out of bed to begin my day. I look at the mirror and inspect what's left of my face and the only difference is that there isn't blood all over anymore. Setting aside my usual routine of self pity I prepare for my day and eventually leave the house.As I arrive at the hospital, there is a little crowd of reporters in front of the hospital trying to get the attention of a man. But he is fast enough to escape them. I laughed to myself at how annoyed the reporters looked. I stride into the hospital and head straight to get my face checked. The doctor attends to me and I get a stitch where I need one. I know my face doesn't look like how it used to after the beating but I know my face will return to normal after a few weeks. After my checkup I moved in to see my mother.As I walked down the hallway I saw him, the man that made me feel so many emotions, the man that made me feel special one moment and feel so worthless the next. The man that took my pri
It's been a month now and Patrick hasn't come for his money. I have been living in fear because I don't know when he'll show up demanding for his money. I haven't been able to raise the complete money yet. I'm jumping at the slightest sound, looking over my shoulder at every opportunity. The thought of him popping out at any moment clouding my sense of reasoning. The anxiety is making me sick, I can't seem to sleep properly or even stomach my food. My mum has been pretty worried but I try to shut down her concern. I try as much as I can to act normal around her in order to ease her worries. I'm trying to edit some pictures in the studio but I cannot seem to concentrate, so I decide to take a stroll to feel a little bit at ease. The stroll doesn't seem to be working. I seem to be spinning, My eyes can't focus on a spot. Nothing prepares me for the impact of the floor as I hit it with force and immediately black out.I don't know what's going on but I can feel that my body has been pla
"Who sent you to sabotage my reputation huh?. How much did they pay you to do this to me?."I look at him confused, look, Mr Gregory "I don't know what you are talking about. As far as we are both concerned we are strangers"."Oh cut the crap Lady, you were in my bed some time back and now you're pregnant. Do you know what could happen if the press gets a hold of this, forget the press? Do you know what my enemies would do if they got a hold of this information? For years they haven't seen me slip up or have a dent on my name and now you come up and want to give them an opportunity to clap back"." Who told you I am pregnant?, And so what if I am. I never said it was yours so you don't have to worry." At this point my voice was shaking, I was scared. I don't want him to suspect that it's his. He is a wealthy man. He could hurt me and the baby just to keep his reputation clean. God knows I don't want another Patrick in my life, I only want some peace. His voice was eerily calm as he s
DENISE'S POVNot long after we woke up did my greatest nightmare walk in. Blood drained from my face and for a split second, my heart forgot to beat.“Patrick”“Why, Hello there sweet peas” his smile broad as a Cheshire cat.“Never thought we would meet in these circumstances, what can I say the Lord is good”. It's sickening, him mentioning the Lord. This brute knows nothing about the Lord.“Now, now, don't be sad, this will only last a few hours and we can be happy. We could even play hide and seek if you like”.He stalks closer to us, no me.“Get away from her you psycho” Luke screams. Patrick pays him no mind as he moves even closer. He raises his hand to graize my temple, I flinch in reaction. “Get your hands away from me”. He laughs heartily at my reaction.“And why would I do that, huh, sweet peas”.“I owe you nothing, I paid all of my debts with interest. So. Get. Your. Hands. Off. Of. Me”. I seeth.“Come on sweet peas”. He draws. “This isn't about debt, this is about how muc
“Dee…” Rosie badges into my room. Luke called, he said he has something to show us. My eyes widen a fraction. “He has figured out something” I murmur. Rosie nods her head frantically at me. I waste no time picking up my bag as we dash out.“Carolina…, we will be back soon”. I hollered at Carolina who was cradling Ivy in her arms.“Ra tat tat” Rosie knocks on Luke's door. There is no answer at first but the second time the door swings open. Luke stands there with an awkward smile that doesn't reach his eyes. He looks kind of nervous. “Come in” he opens the door wider allowing us enter.“Luke are you…” the words are choked shut in my mouth as something hard hits my head. I hear Rosie scream before I black out. The pain at the back of my head is heavy. I try to raise my hand to rub the spot but I can't, my hands are bound.“Ah…” A wave of pain shoots through my head. I blink slowly several times to get the black dots out of my vision.“Ro…..” I call out to my best friend. She is lump
"Target has locked in”. Luke the tech guy tells me on the phone.“This is going to take roughly thirty minutes to one hour. Rosie found a way to get me invited, being Gregory's wife propelled it though. They gave me front row seats but I declined. I opted to sit behind. Sitting behind will keep me away from the prying eyes of Ellie. My eyes are on Ellie the moment she steps in. She's wearing a cream coloured A-cut short gown. She is wearing a black heeled boot to match. She looks good, I won't lie. She greets Peggy Ross. They exchanged pleasantries soon after the show starts. I take subtle glances and I notice how she suddenly feels uneasy after checking her phone. Is she unto us.? Has she found out her phone is about to be tapped. I quickly text luke. He doesn't respond, this gets me worried. My fear bites deeper, my legs bounce on their own accord revealing my anxiety.Ellie puts down her phone focusing on the models as they walk down the runway. I watch her for a long time and
The sad thing about me is I tend to forget too quickly. I forget how he can be and then I get hurt. I need to constantly remember my place. In less than three months I would be gone from this life.My ears perk at the sound of my name. Rosie pokes her head into my room. “Denise” she calls me in a quiet manner. Her eyes stare directly at me as she walks in. “Denise, l knows you are mad at how Gregory reacted towards our suggestion. She sits down on the bed getting comfy. “And just because he says it doesn't mean we are going to stop. You have my full support to pursue this to the very end”. She stretches her hand placing it tenderly on my arms. I wrap my hands around her instantly. Having a friend like Rosie who supports you is a big blessing. “What are we going to do?. We don't have the necessary information to help out”. I detach myself from our hug. “I was banking on our alliance with the guys to get info”. Worry plasters my face as I tell her this.“Don't worry we will figure
Denise's POV: Gregory and Isaiah have been avoiding Rosie and I. Purposefully if I might add. We know the reason they are avoiding us. It's so they don't get to give us details on what's going on with the Ellie thing. They leave the house pretty Early and return late at night. We are asleep when they return and we don't get the needed information. Tonight is going to be different though. Tonight we are not sleeping a wink till they return home and tell us all we need to know. “Dee, I'm not sure I can stay up any longer, my eyes are closing on their own”. Rosie yawns. Her eyes shutting down completely as she yawns. “Common Ro, we need to stay awake if we want to know what's going on.”. Rosie nods her head at me with her eyes still shut. When I look at the clock for the fifth time this night, it shows it's just eleven forty five. I sigh in annoyance knowing any moment from now I'll be falling asleep. I need to stimulate myself in order to stay awake, not just me but Rosie as well.
Denise's POV:Gregory mentioned Ellie has returned to her parents house. She must have figured something was up. I mean it is obvious non of us are home anymore or she is simply evading being caught either way she is out of the house. You would expect us to return hom but we didn't we are still staying in Isaiah's mansion. Isaiah has refused to let Rosie leave as well. I don't blame him though, after the whole incident he wants us to be safe. Not that Gregory's Mansion was not safe but Isaiah's mansion is on another level. The place is surrounded by so much bodyguards that are armed, I mean heavily armed. It's scary sometimes. The men don't look friendly, they all have similar tattoos but it's located on different parts of their body. It makes me wonder what agency Isaiah found such terrifying looking men. Men that have access to such heavy weaponry. Then again he is a billionaire, money can buy alot of things..Rosie and I step into the balcony were Gregory and Isaiah are having a
Denise's POV:Flashes, blood stains, pleas. I jolt up from my sleep breathing heavily. My forehead is covered in sweat despite how cool the room is. “You're awake” Gregory says, stepping out of what I assume to be the bathroom. His voice scared me a little since I wasn't expecting him here. He rushes over to my side. “You look frightened”. He noticed my fear. “I-I had a nightmare. My voice comes out hoarse. Gregory rubs my arms affectionately. “It's just a nightmare you are safe”. I nod my head and he wraps his strong arm around me holding me in a warm embrace. “I made a warm bath for you. Figured you'd be waking up soon”. He kisses me on the forehead, breaking our embrace. “Ivy”. I say. “She's fine she's downstairs with Rosie and Carolina”. Gregory holds my hands to help me out of the bed. I notice that I am still in the clothes I wore yesterday. The site of the dried blood raises bile to my throat. I close my eyes for some seconds to pushing it down. Gregory is patient with me.
CHAPTER ONE HUNDRED AND ONE (Anger)Gregory's POV The blood within my veins like molten larva ready to give way, ready to melt these people with my rage. The only thing holding me back is Isaiah and the thought of harming the mother of my child in my blind rage.Isaiah and I move closer. Isaiah takes two precise shot. The shots are faster than I anticipated. Two of the men surrounding Denise fall flat on the ground. The last guy pulls Denise fast, holding her captive by the neck with a gun pressed by the side of her temple. He cannot see us but he is certain of where the bullet came from. Her captors eyes are wide in shock and fear. His expression almost mirrors that of Denise. Hers are rounded in fear of the unknown. I can see her visibly shaking in his hold.“Come out or I'll kill this slut”. He roars, eyes focused on our location.“At the count of three if you don't come out you'll pick up her carcass”.My eyes dart to Isaiah and he has an easy smirk. In this horrible situation m
I turn my head to Rosie and her eyes are round and wide mimicking my own. “shit” I mouth. “Who’s there?”. Someone shouts from inside. The sound of footsteps approached us. My heart is beating faster than I can process. This wasn't how I planned it. I was just going to sneak up on her and find out what she's up to. The sound of a gun being corked is heard and colour drains from Rosie's face. I bet my face mirrors hers “On the count of three we run”. I mouth to Rosie. She nods to my suggestion like an understanding child. “One, two, three, run”. I mouth to her. We both rose, hitting down the cans we hid behind. They have all realised that people were indeed in their territory. Various footsteps are heard as we run; they are after us. “Boom, boom, boom”. Shots are fired at us but luckily we've taken a left. Soon enough I find some men hot on our trail. “Rosie”. I call out to Rosie as we run. She briefly looks back at me before keeping her eyes on her track we need to split up. “what!