KAREN'S POVJay smiled and took my hands into his own. “I want you,” he said.“What…” I stammered. My heart started to race and I felt this sudden rush of hotness crawl up my cheeks. I threw my gaze away. But I felt his eyes, intense and watching me, making my legs weaken by the second. “I said I want you,” he repeated. It was at that moment I knew I had to escape. But I was too late as the door flung open. Mr Hendrick and Mrs Caro darted in. I quickly snatched my hand from Jay. “Jay!” Mr Hendricks called rushing over to Jay's side. “What happened? Hugo would not tell me anything. I was so worried when I saw the news. And the perpetrator is still on the run.” The worry in Mr Hendricks tone could not be unnoticed. “Sir, are you alright now? Everyone was so worried when we heard what happened,” Mrs Caro said. “I am alright now. No one needs to worry about me anymore. As you can see, I am very much alright.”It was then both Mr Hendricks and Mrs Caro finally turned and noticed my
WRITER'S POVOn the second day after Karen survived a scare and Jay almost lost his life to Carlos Fowler and his thugs, she was helping Jay park his few things. Jay said he was going to go crazy if he stayed one more day in the hospital. Nothing anyone said would change his mind to rest more in the hospital. Not Mr Hugo who promised to watch over things at work nor Mr Hendricks. Karen didn't bother trying. She knew what his response would be. Karen grabbed hold of the bag that held some of his clothes and toiletries and they both stepped out. While Jay met with the doctor for the last consultation, Karen waited outside. A sophisticated woman approached her. Karen thought she looked familiar but she couldn't quite recall where exactly it was she had seen her. “I believe Jay is in this hospital…”The consultation room door opened and Jay walked out before the woman could finish her question. Sighting Jay, she turned his direction.”“Hello sweetie.” She waved at Jay and started tow
KAREN'S POVI sat on the table and waited impatiently. What did Jessica have to tell me? What if Jay found out I met her and got angry about it?There was no reason for him to be. I was there only to meet her just because she requested and nothing more. But why wasn't she here already? I glanced at my wristwatch and sighed. It had been twenty minutes since I arrived at the same place she gave, yet she wasn't here. I decided to leave if she didn't show up in the next five minutes. Almost immediately the sound of shoes sounded and when I looked up I saw Jessica. I took a deep breath and even though I was already sitting up, I adjusted in my seat again. She located me on her own and walked down to my table. “I didn't think you would honour my invitation,” she commented casually as she sat down. “Why wouldn't I?”She smiled. “Weren't you worried Jay would see you with me?”“Jay is a busy man. I doubt he has the time to be watching me and most importantly, he trusts me.”She smiled
KAREN'S POVI parked at one corner of the road and watched as formal Mrs Adams, Mrs George, now Miss Catherine, stepped down from a silver coloured car and entered a store. I had followed her all the way from the hospital. I really hoped she was headed home since that was the only place I could have a conversation with her away from the eyes and ears of people. Mrs Connie had given me an off day and grudgingly agreed to relate my ‘excuse’ for absence to Jay. I wasn't sure I wanted to face Jay yet. I still wasn't sure of the action I was taking. Neither was I confident in telling him just yet about his mother. I rented a car, thanks to Tina and took an off day just for this. I really hoped it worked out. For Jay. Lost in my thoughts, I hadn't seen Miss Catherine walk out of the store but when her car started moving again, I quickly followed it. I was worried that somehow Miss Catherine would have remained in the store and me following an empty car. But when the car turned onto th
KAREN'S POV After what seemed to be forever, the meeting was finally over.While Jay walked the directors out, I couldn't help but feel pity for him. Hardly, he ever showed tiredness. Unlike me, who worked behind a desk most of the day, he received a series of clients in his office, had meetings outside the office and I bet he could sit through another hour of long boring meetings if there was one. But I looked more spent than he looked. Some of these he could have let Hugo handle without getting involved but he would rather see to it. Of course we all knew how much he trusted Hugo and knew Hugo was capable of matching the expectations. Sometimes I wondered if he just enjoyed keeping busy all the time. Thankfully it was the last for the day. Both from Mrs Connie end and Mr Hugo’s end. Like a dutiful assistant secretary, I arranged his briefcase and started outside. He would just meet me on the way with it. Only to be faced with a scene I never expected. One of the female clien
KAREN'S POVEven though Jay assured me no one was in the house, I still tiptoed to the dining room for fear of the unforeseen. “You don't have to tiptoe. No one is around. And why do you have to walk on shells as if you hadn't been here before.”Back then, I was a maid. It was different now. Besides, he hadn't introduced me as his girlfriend nor had he said the three words to me. He pulled out a seat for me. “Sit down and dig in. I made these myself.”“You mean you microwaved these yourself.”He glanced at me and smiled. “With love.”At least he knew his way around the kitchen and made an effort to impress me. That was good for a start. “You owe me a proper dinner, you know that right?”“Now that we are talking about that. When are you paying your debt?” True. My debt. What a refreshing way to demand for your money from your debtor. Capon and the others would cringe at this sight. I almost smiled at the thought. “I thought you weren't very interested in me paying back.”“Remember
KARENDespite Mr Hendricks warning, Miss Catherine followed them to the hospital. I tried to stop her but she said she only wanted to make sure Jay was alright. When Mr Hendricks left probably to get something for Jay, she stood behind the door, sullen. “I'm so sorry, Miss Catherine, I think I have made a horrible mistake. I have worsened things for both you and Jay.”“No. Don't say that. I wasn't expecting it to be easy but I would have preferred him spitting at me than what happened. I can't go and see him. Can you please check how he is doing? That is all I ask.”“I will do all I can. For both of you.”“You have done enough already. Thank you so much,” she forced a smile and again she squeezed my hand. She looked like she had given up hope of ever really seeing Jay again. I sighed. I wanted to make things right but only succeeded in worsening things. She started coughing and next she coughed up blood in her handkerchief. “I'm sorry but I must take my meds now.”I watched as s
JAY'S POVNot many people might remember but I wasn't always wealthy nor was I born into wealth.In fact I was born into a poor family. My father was unlucky and never got his chance. He laboured day and night working for a big company. And my mother was the most beautiful woman I knew. People say I got my looks from her. I loved my parents and everyday I studied harder hoping to bring my family out of poverty one day. Suddenly my mother changed. I was fourteen then. That time, I gave myself excuses why she was feeling frustrated. She was a woman and there was so much she needed that my father couldn't provide. But still… still she should have been patient and understanding of my poor hardworking father. She began to neglect my father and I. She insulted daddy to his face always and called him poor. She began to worry and care only about her looks and her desire for money suddenly skyrocketed. Showing no respect to me or daddy, she brought home men. She cared not for our feelin
KAREN'S POV Arriving at Denva after one month of being away felt like I had been away for so long. Like I was stepping in a new place. Maybe it was just that part of me that was feeling a bit refreshed. I got out of the long bus dragging my echolac along. One of the things I wanted to do the moment I returned to Denva was visit Jessica. Glad she was being punished for her crimes. I also heard about Collins Morgan. Maybe at one point, I thought he was cute but not until I learned the other side of him. After I read the things he did to women, I could never see him in a pure light again. He was in jail too. He got what he deserved. As I sat in the visitor seat waiting for them to bring Jessica out, I imagined me being the one on the other side. I mean, it was almost me if not for Tina “I didn't expect to see you here. What is it?” Jessica slurred as she settled down. “Me neither.”“So? Are you here to gloat?”“Why did you do it?”“Why I did it? Because I hate it when bitches like
A MONTH LATERJay pulled up in the empty space of Anderson ‘s front yard which had turned to become his personal parking space in the last month. He had just opened the car door to step down when the frontage of the house opened and both Lily and Mr Anderson poked their heads out. He didn't need them to speak to see the magnitude of disappointment in their eyes. Of course he knew they would rather have Karen be the one appearing in front of the house and not him. And he also knew they always ran out to check each time a car pulled up in front of the house in the hope that it was Karen. They might likely not know because he never showed it but he missed her more than he could describe. He sighed and his teeth grinded in his mouth as he finally stepped down. “Hello, Mr Anderson,” he greeted wearing the smile he had learned to wear in the last month. Mr Anderson, like he always had done, took his hand into a firm shake and welcomed him inside. Mr Anderson offered him his usual kol
WRITER'S POV“You…how…what are you doing here?” Margaret waved a hand as she walked in majestically. “Hello fiancé.” Collins gaped in shock. slowly everything began to make sense. “What did you do to me?” He snarled. “Oh, come on, shouldn’t you say Hi to your fiance first?”“What did you fuvking do to me!”Detective Defoe ordered that Zach and Hunter be taken away from the room leaving only Collins and Margaret. Collins was still clenching and fuming. “You have been spiking my drinks…you are the cause of all this…”“Like how you and your friends have been doing to those innocent girls? Oh, common' you don't think I can stoop to that level now do you.”No matter how much Collins reasoned it, there was no other explanation as to how drugs were detected in his blood. Either detective Defoe tampered with the original results or it was the devil before him. “What exactly did I do to you? Why are you out to get me? Why! Why! No matter how I think about it, I have not offended you in any
WRITER'S POV Jay spoke to the lawyer in charge of Karen's case. What the lawyer told him worried him. Karen risked being detained in the holding cell after twenty four hours. He had already hired a private investigator to investigate the case. His eyes appeared weary. He had not had a moment of rest ever since Karen was taken in. Adams group needed him but Karen needed him too. Against Hugo's wishes, he had opted to stay back in the police station while he let him hold the forte back at the company. Even though Karen sent him away, he had refused to leave. He knew she was upset at him and he completely understood. All he wanted more than anything was to get her out of here. Later he spoke to the officer to let him speak to Karen again. To his relief, Karen permitted. “I spoke to your lawyer,” he said when they were given privacy. “What did he say?”“It's more difficult than we thought. The hitman maintains you sent him. We need solid evidence to disprove his claim and I asked t
WRITER'S POV “Your hands at the back of your head!”Zach's gleeful laughter was booming in the room when the door burst open and a team of policemen barged in. Instantly it seized. Pistols aimed at their faces.Alarmed, Collins sat up. Hunter and Zach frightfully pushed away the girl who looked half dead from the drugs she had been made to shove down. “Who called the cops?” Collins gritted, shooting glares at Zach and Hunter. “We should be asking you that!” Zach slammed back.“Your hands at the back of your head!” The officer repeated his warning. Collins could feel his shirt soak with sudden perspiration as he looked around in utmost disbelief and fear inside. He had been arrested for a lot of things but had never been caught right in the act and why in this place of all places. “Shit!”Detective Defoe stepped forward, a victorious smirk lingering in his lip. “Is there a need for us to read your Miranda rights…this wouldn't be your first rodeo,” he said and pressed the cuff firml
WRITER'S POV A FEW HOURS AGO BEFORE KAREN'S ARREST “What!” Jessica's yelp and her palm finding Craig's face happened in quick succession. “Say it again. What did you just say?”Craig’s jaw grinded. It pained him how he had been foolish to want to accept the challenge of tolerating a spoiled brat. Now he was too deep into the shit to take a step back. “It was Miss Tina that was shot. The hit man mistook her for miss Karen as she saw her coming out of Miss Karen's house.”“Simple job! Just a simple thing to do. Useless people! Can't get anything done right.” Then she spun at Craig, “You brought that idiot to me. You told me he was skilled. What happened? He couldn't take care of one person, just one person! He has been caught and he shot the wrong person. Who did you fuvking bring to me!”She stalked to the wine rack to grab a drink, each step she took fueled by barely contained fury. She had to do something before the man said a word to the police. She had to do something. She had
KAREN'S POV From learning that my friend got shot to hearing the worst news of my life. My friend of many years had wanted me dead because she wanted my man. I couldn't move in my seat. I couldn't, even if I wanted to. I shut my eyes hoping to wake up and find out that everything was all a nightmare until I felt my hand being grabbed and the cold metals clasping my wrist. Maybe it was because I was already numb of any feelings at all that I didn’t feel a pain as the thing locked my arms together. As I was being cuffed, I heard Jay try to speak to one of the officers. Didn't make out his exact words nor the officer’s response but soon they started to take me away. Down the hallway, the pitiful and judgemental gazes of people washed me head to toes. I followed humbly as they led me outside. “I'm coming to the station with her,” I heard Jay say to the officers as they pushed me into the hilux. “No. You don't need to. Officers let's go,” I refused. The last thing I wanted was to wa
WRITER'S POV“What’s wrong?”Jay asked frozen Karen. Karen didn't move. Her hand dropped lifelessly beside her. Every bit of colour was drained from her face as she struggled to process what she had just heard.“I’m sorry, but I have to leave now,” she mumbled absentmindedly and her legs broke into a run. “Wait, Karen!” Jay rushed and grabbed her arm.“You are going the wrong way,” he said. Karen looked and saw she was heading towards the back of the building. She let out a shuddering breath. “I have to go…”“Please, tell me. What's wrong?” Jay demanded softly. “Tina was shot in front of my house,” Karen murmured. “Shot? How…”“I need to leave now. I need to go to her…Tina needs me…” Maybe this was the answer she needed. Tina was more than a best friend. She was her family and she would not have to be made to either choose her or not in order to be with a man. If there was one person who had always been by her side and she would never want to lose, it was Tina. “Jay, about what y
KAREN'S POV It was one of the fewest times I ever wished twenty four hours didn't have to end so quickly. After the exhilarating night, it would have been exhausting if I had to wake up early the next day for work or anything at all. It was already mid day by the time my eyes saw daylight. It was the warm light rays that woke me up. The window, although still closed, allowed a generous trail of sun rays trickling inside. Jay was nowhere to be found. Thinking he would be somewhere in the suite, I called out to him but no response.Something in me kicked. I had seen a similar scenario. Like those times when a man brought his lover for a vacation only for the woman to learn it was actually supposed to be their last time together. Stepping outside the suite and I was welcomed by the workers going about their duties with the nice smell of food and fresheners. I walked up to one of them. “Hello. Excuse me…have you seen a man…”“Yes. He is somewhere around. How about you sit in the wa