MAYA“I promise you that you will never be kicked out of the palace again,” Donovan assured after our intimacy. I didn't want to assume that it's because he had just finished sleeping with me and wanted to say something that would make me happy. I chose to believe him. “Okay, I've heard you.” I slowly nodded, my mind was being taken aback to how he stood with Georgina and Julia, his mom, alongside Alicia to kick me out. Let me give love a second chance and see how it turns out. This time around, it was almost like a fresh start. The next morning when we were going to leave and fly back to Vermont, my parents with my brother, Nate and Gordon assembled. I didn't know what I'd do with him. If I should take him back with me. Perhaps I'll need to have a word with him to hear what he wants. Not now though but after the meeting. “When will you guys come for the wedding preparation?” Mom asked. “This is how I lost my first daughter, Alicia, she traveled abroad and since then has never re
ALICIA**ALICIA'S DIARY**Working for my mistress is a cruel and excruciating experience, I can't help but to ask why I'm poor. It's easy to blame being brought up by poor parents but each time I remember I don't even deserve the little they are capable of offering me, I do feel grateful. I was abandoned as a baby by the wayside and this lovely couple had taken pity on me out of all that might have seen me. Though they didn't have money, they offered me accommodation, care, food and everything I might need which they can afford.Having completed high school and staying home for a while, I had to leave home and travel abroad in search of a job to save for my future and support my parents. We are not rich but we try hard to pay our bills and fight to survive. The quest to find something to keep my hands busy with led me to work for my mistress, The Luna here in Vermont after traveling to find work here. She is widely known as The Luna but I do call her Ma'am. She is a wealthy businesswo
ALICIAAfter he threw me down, I injured my hand, the side of my face and worst still is that I had a dislocation which made my leg feel as if they would break if I stood up. I attempted to leave the room to go rest on my bed since I couldn't work again for the main time but Donovan stopped me. He forced me into kneeling at the spot where this happened for almost four hours. It was 1 PM when this occurred and I had to kneel till 5 PM.When I heard the car horn outside the apartment and the reel of the car engine, my heart almost stopped. The Luna is back! What will she do to me when she comes inside and sees what has happened to her cherished flower vase and the painting she really suffered to produce. Oh! I'm dead. There's nothing I'll say nor do to avoid punishment, that's not possible. If The Luna is harsh enough to starve me for any minor offense, what would stop her from punishing me more on this. Well, there's nothing I can do now but to accept my fate.Few seconds later she wal
ALICIA I finished my domestic assignments by 8 PM just as my mistress had threatened. It's dark outside and the time of the night you hardly see a soul outside most especially due to the recent attacks of robbers and serial killers. Other strange occurrences likewise happen, it's night and the time for criminals to roam about seeking one evil or the other to do. I kept praying in my heart that The Luna would not be as good as her words. I lingered around after I completed my work hoping that she would ask me to stay for the night since it was already dark."What are you still doing in my house, I thought you were done?" She roared like an angry lion, picking up a stick and I got chased out. "Do you think I was joking with you earlier when I said you won't stay in my house?I fell on my knees pleading hard for her to let me in. "The street is dark and dangerous Ma'am, I might possibly be attacked by some robbers or rapists." "Who cares about you or what happens to you." With this she
ALICIA I didn't answer for a while and he was getting uneasy. The truth is that I don't know him, he is a complete stranger to me and worst still he tells me, he's a serial killer. How can I be friends with him? I'm just confused and don't know what to do right now. "But you said you're a serial killer?" I asked in a shaking tone afraid that he might get angry but he wasn't. "I'm not actually one, I was just trying to scare you!""What do you mean?" I'm bold to say from his submissive tone. "You have a gun in there, what do you use it for?" He has to defend this if he's not a serial killer."Just try to understand me here, I'll tell the whole truth, nothing but the truth!" He stresses the last phrase like he wants me to pay more attention to that. "After I ran away from my aunt, I came to live in the streets. For a while I'd tried to keep up to the morals which my parents taught me but I soon got overwhelmed by the influence of all the bad boys in the street. I was the only good chi
ALICIAAs expected, I experienced hell from the hands of The Luna and her son, Donovan. Although I tried my best to please them for the few days I have to spend in their house. The Luna tried her best to humiliate me while Donovan mocked, scorned and insulted. Each time he came close to me, I would end up crying my eyes out. Davis, the younger son would always sneak out of the house to comfort me when he sighted me sitting out alone and depressed. When I had nothing to do in the meantime, I had to sit down outside under the blazing sun or drowning rain."I have no power, if I had power I would make sure you enjoyed the best out of this house!" Davis told me, tears flushed out of my eyes. I really get puzzled at how he would have an accurate sense of injustice and sympathy towards a mere domestic maid like me. We continued chatting, he got to be the only joy I had at the moment, and each time we chatted. Though I have no reason to be happy sitting out and spending my afternoon with n
ALICIA Leaving my job here took my mind back to the past, leaving my family home, my parents and siblings with me. My mom and dad have been taking care of me right from when I was a baby. I had told them that I will leave once I turn eighteen, I thought it would work well serving The Luna. When I first heard of the work, I was glad because of her wealthy status, little did I know she was a devil inside. Well I don't need to worry myself too much, it's because of her treatment I've learnt to look elsewhere, without her I wouldn't be thinking of going to the city to start a new life. The new business idea I have in my mind now wouldn't have been birthed. The Luna's abuse had awakened my spirit to the reality that I needed to start a business of mine rather than depending on people.I can remember what I told my best friend and schoolmate, Emily, the last time I visited her, which was actually the last time before I pack out to begin a new life in the city. She asked me, "What are the
ALICIA "Don't be bothered baby, I think you must have been trained and well equipped to handle your life. We are not sending you away, that you should always keep at the back of your mind. You see," he paused as a way of placing great emphasis on what he was about to say. “The only option we had was to sacrifice pleasures and our goals for you, so you could be a great person one day. How many individuals do you see sacrificing their pleasures for someone who is not related to them?" He turned and directed his gaze towards me, I knew he needed an answer. "No, not much dear. They're not much." I do call him dear whenever I felt so much indebted to him, whenever he revealed extraordinary kindness to me. He smiled at my reply and continued."Good!" He emphasized the word. "I want you to know that I didn't do all those together with your mom for nothing, we need one thing from you." When I looked at him, I was reflective on what he wanted me to do. I was afraid I might not be able to do
MAYA I sat in my hospital bed, feeling a mix of emotions swirling inside me. Cheryl stood beside me, her expression stern but concerned."Maya, you need to apologize to him," she said, her voice firm but gentle. "You were really harsh on him, and he didn't deserve that."I shook my head, feeling a surge of defiance. "No, I won't apologize," I said, my voice firm. "He cheated on me, Cheryl. He broke my trust, and I'll never forgive him for that."Cheryl's expression softened, and she placed a hand on my arm. "Maya, maybe he didn't cheat on you," she said, her voice hesitant. "Maybe there's more to the story than you think. You need to talk to him, confront him about what happened."I felt a pang of uncertainty, but I pushed it aside. I was hurt, and I wasn't ready to listen to his excuses. "No, Cheryl," I said, my voice firm. "I don't want to talk to him. I don't want to see him. He's dead to me."Cheryl sighed, her expression worried. "Maya, please reconsider," she said. "You're not t
DONOVAN I stood there, my mind reeling with confusion and anger. What was Maya's problem? Why was she attacking me like this? I thought we had been making progress, that we were finally starting to understand each other. But now, it seemed like she was determined to tear me down.I felt a surge of anger rise up inside me, but I pushed it down, trying to keep my cool. I didn't want to escalate the situation, didn't want to make things worse. But it was hard, so hard, when Maya was being like this.I looked at her, trying to understand what was going on behind those beautiful, angry eyes. But all I saw was a deep-seated hurt and anger, a sense of betrayal that I didn't understand.I felt a pang of sadness, knowing that I had somehow let her down. But I had no idea what I had done, or how to fix it. All I knew was that I wanted to help her, to make things right between us.But as I looked at Maya, I realized that I was at a loss. I didn't know how to reach her, how to get through to her
MAYAAs I lay in the hospital bed, I could see the concern etched on Cheryl's face. She had been sitting with me for a while, trying to lift my spirits, but I could tell that she was feeling sad. I didn't know what was wrong, but I could sense that something was bothering her.Just then, Donovan walked up to us, a look of concern on his face. "Hey, what's wrong?" he asked Cheryl, noticing that she looked upset.Cheryl hesitated for a moment before speaking. "I think I need to give you two some space," she said, her voice barely above a whisper.I felt a pang of anxiety at her words. I didn't want her to leave. "No, stay," I said, trying to sound calm.But Cheryl just shook her head. "I think it's for the best," she said, standing up to leave.Donovan looked confused, unsure of what was going on. "Maya, what's wrong?" he asked, turning to me.But I just shook my head, unable to explain. I didn't know why I was acting this way, but I just felt like I needed to push everyone away. It was
DONOVAN "Mr. Donovan, the test results are in," he said, his voice serious. "Maya is running a very high fever, which is causing her a lot of discomfort. Additionally, the cut on her forehead is quite deep, which is contributing to the severe migraine she's experiencing."I felt a wave of concern wash over me. A high fever and a deep cut? It sounded serious. "What does this mean for her recovery?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady.The doctor hesitated before responding. "We'll need to keep a close eye on her fever and make sure it doesn't spike again. We'll also need to monitor the cut and make sure it doesn't become infected. But overall, with proper care and treatment, Maya should be able to make a full recovery."I nodded, feeling a mix of relief and worry. I was glad to hear that Maya would be okay, but I was also concerned about the road to recovery ahead of her. I knew it wouldn't be easy, but I was determined to be there for her every step of the way."Can I see her now
MAYA I lay in the hospital bed, feeling weak and drained. Cheryl sat beside me, her face etched with concern. "Hey, sweetie, how are you feeling?" she asked, taking my hand in hers.I tried to smile, but it felt more like a grimace. "I've been better," I admitted, my voice barely above a whisper.Cheryl nodded sympathetically. "You're going to be okay, Maya. You just need to rest and get your strength back."I glanced down at the drip in my arm, feeling a slight sting as the medication flowed into my veins. "I guess so," I said, feeling a bit helpless.Cheryl smiled and squeezed my hand. "I'm going to get you something to eat, okay? What would you like?"I thought for a moment, my stomach growling with hunger. "Just a cup of tea, please," I said, my voice a bit stronger now.Cheryl nodded and stood up. "I'll go get that for you. And maybe some toast or crackers, okay?"I nodded, feeling a bit more hopeful. Maybe, just maybe, I was going to be okay after all.As Cheryl handed me the c
DONOVAN As I sat by Maya's bedside, I couldn't help but feel a sense of joy and relief wash over me. She had finally woken up, and I was grateful to be by her side.I had been visiting her every day since she was admitted, bringing her favorite flowers each time. The hospital room was now filled with a colorful collection of blooms, and I had taken to arranging them in a vase by her bedside table. It was a small gesture, but it made me feel like I was doing something to help her feel more comfortable.As I gazed at Maya's face, I couldn't help but think about how much I loved her. I knew I had made mistakes in the past, but I was determined to make things right between us.I reached out and took Maya's hand in mine, feeling a sense of warmth and connection. I had been so scared of losing her, and now that she was awake, I felt like I had been given a second chance."Maya, I'm so glad you're awake," I said, my voice filled with emotion. "I've been so worried about you. I love you, and
MAYA I slowly opened my eyes, groggily taking in my surroundings. I was met with a blur of white coats and scrubs, and the faint smell of antiseptic. As my vision cleared, I saw that I was surrounded by three personnel - two nurses and a doctor, I assumed. They were all staring at me with concerned expressions, their eyes scanning my face as if searching for something.I tried to speak, but my voice came out hoarse and barely audible. I cleared my throat, trying again. "Where… where am I?" I managed to croak.The doctor, a kind-looking woman with a gentle smile, stepped forward. "You're in the hospital, Maya," she said softly.I frowned, trying to recall. But my memories were hazy, fragmented. I remembered arguing with Donovan, feeling angry and hurt. And then… nothing.I shook my head, feeling a wave of fear wash over me. What had happened to me? How had I ended up here?The doctor's expression turned reassuring. "Don't worry, Maya. You're safe now. We're going to take good care of
DONOVAN As I sat there, trying to catch my breath and calm my emotions, I couldn't shake off the feeling of guilt that was suffocating me. I kept replaying the events of the past few days in my head, wondering what I could have done differently to prevent this from happening.Why had I been so distant and cold towards Maya? Why had I let our relationship deteriorate to the point where she felt like she was walking on eggshells around me? Why had I not been more supportive, more understanding, more loving?The more I thought about it, the more I blamed myself for what had happened to Maya. If only I had been a better husband, a better partner, maybe she wouldn't be lying in that hospital bed right now.I felt like I was drowning in a sea of regret and self-doubt. I couldn't forgive myself for my mistakes, for my shortcomings. I felt like I had failed Maya, like I had let her down when she needed me most.As I sat there, consumed by my guilt and regret, I knew that I had to find a way
DONOVAN I paced back and forth in the hospital waiting room, my mind racing with thoughts of Maya's condition. I couldn't shake the image of her lying on the floor, her hair matted with blood.Finally, after what felt like an eternity, a doctor emerged from the treatment room. I rushed over to him, my heart pounding with anticipation."Doctor, what's going on?" I asked, trying to keep my voice steady. "What's wrong with Maya?"The doctor's expression was sympathetic, but his words were guarded. "I'm afraid we can't say for certain yet," he said. "We're running some tests, and we'll need to wait for the results before we can determine the extent of her injuries."I felt like I was losing my mind. "What do you mean you can't say for certain?" I pressed. "Can't you tell me anything?"The doctor shook his head. "I'm sorry, Mr...?" He paused, looking at me expectantly."Donovan," I supplied."Mr. Donovan, I understand your concern, but we need to wait for the test results before we can gi