“That will be all, Miss Karen,” Mr Hank said and closed his file folder. He looked up at Karen who was equally busy gathering her materials. Karen finished and got up. “Then, I hope you make the necessary changes so I can submit to chairman Jay.”As she tried to step around her seat, the chair abruptly shifted. She lost balance but her hand managed to reach the table and she grasped onto it. Mr Hank’s came around and threw his arm around her waist. “Ooops sorry. Are you alright? You almost fell. Thankfully my reflexes are great!” he grinned. Karen released herself. “Thank you,” she mumbled even though she knew he hadn't done anything worth thanking for. Mr Hank cleared his throat awkwardly. His eyes scanned Karen up and down in a lustful manner. “Erm, Miss Karen. If you don't mind, how about we grab a drink and then I drive you home?” “Thanks for the offer but my answer is no.” Karen turned for the exit only for Mr Hank to grab her hand. Karen stopped and tilted her head at him
Karen didn't know how but somehow in a matter of days the news of Jay banishing him from stepping into his office or reporting directly to him travelled round the office. And was on the lips of every workerBehind her, they gossiped and in her presence, they scrunch their faces in disgust and acted like she was some smelly dung. One time she was delivering a message to one of the offices and heard them talking about her. “Serves her right. Did she think her charm or whatever she used on the chairman would work forever?” One of them scoffed. “She probably seduced him to get appointed. I believe the chairman will soon fire her.”“That annoying bitch carrying herself as if she owned the world when she was just a poor nameless bitch that got only privileged.”Gripping the folio in her hand tight, she turned around. Her legs carried her to the restroom where she wanted nothing but to shed some tears. But at that moment, Jay's words of how she truly deserved her position sounded Inside
Karen felt a hand tap her. She squinted her eyes open shielding it from the sun rays filtering in through the opened window. She felt a pounding headache as if she had been smacked on the head several times the previous night.Lily towered over her with a scowl. “What happened?” Karen asked, forcing herself to sit up. Lily shook her head with a scoff. “Do you even know how you got home last night? You were more than wasted.”Wasted? The memories flooded in. Just as Tina promised, once she had gotten off work they had gone for another round of drinks. She vaguely remembered chugging down the drink as if it were her last day on earth. The thought of it made her head ache more. “Anyways, are you not going to work? You will be late if you continue sleeping. I'm off to school.” “Did you eat breakfast?” Karen called to Lily's retreating figure. “I'm not hungry!”The door closed and silence returned to the room.Karen sighed ready to get out of bed but recalling her previous day mista
“What am I going to do!” Karen kicked her legs and wriggled on the bed. Last night she barely was able to get enough sleep and now she was awake before the alarm even beeped. Her mouth still tingled from the kiss. Mr Jay kissed her back. It felt so good when his lips touched hers. So soft yet masculine. And his scent… oh…He smelt so nice. Had he always fancied me or was it just a meaningless kiss? she thought. Heaven knows she would have gladly wrapped herself inside his arms if she had not come back to her senses. Thanks to the elevator. But the problem now was how she was going to face him on monday. “I really can't face him…” Karen cried softly and further curled herself up in the bed. She missed him. She could not believe she said it but she craved another kiss. She prayed for Monday to come and also prayed for Monday to never come. But time wasn't hers to control and Monday did come faster than she expected. With a racing heart, Karen dressed for work that day. What wa
Jay arrived at the location Karen was held. A deserted area that had a few abandoned buildings in the middle of it. “What do you think you are doing now? Kidnapping a civilian? You should be ashamed of yourself, Carlos Fowler.”He made to charge inside but Carlos's men lined up in his path. Carlos was seated and smoking but stood on Jay's arrival. Jay did not see Karen. For a split moment the fear that he was late and that they had already done something bad to Karen flashed in his mind. He shook the dreadful thought out of his head and faced Carlos. “I warned you not to touch her. Where is Miss Karen? Where is she!” he growled, straining his eyes in search of Karen. Carlos threw the butt of his cigarette and pressed his shoes against it. “Oh, there you are. I didn't think you would get here so quickly. You must have driven so fast. Were you afraid your sweet little assistant secretary would be dead before you arrived?” he said mockingly and then motioned to one of his men. “Brin
Over twenty laser sights flashed on him. Carlos cussed, grabbed Karen up and pointed his gun to her head. “Hello officers. Shoot me and she dies.”On the floor, half battered, Jay demanded the police to halt. “Carlos Fowler. You are increasing your crimes by doing this. Surrender now,” the police leader announced. Carlos laughed. “Surrender indeed. I will be dead anyway. But I won't be dying alone. It would please me to take with me, Jay Adams' little lover. I will need someone to keep me company on my way to hell.” He cocked his gun. Jay grunted and began to force himself up. “If you hurt her, I will kill you!” Carlos chuckled scornfully. “A dying man has no fear. With all these guns pointed at me, you think I am scared of the word of a half battered man?”He started to drag Karen towards the back of the building. He was still speaking when he suddenly let out a yelp. Karen had kicked him in the midst of the chaos. She broke free, shoved him and his gun fell off. Seeing that
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 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