He called Floxy into his house.'I wish to speak to you Floxy concerning something really important', he started.'I am all ears'.Joel nodded wondering where he was going to start. He had not really thought past calling Floxy over to ask her what Shandy must be up to.'Floxy, I know that I knew you through Shandy but you see, there is something that I heard and I just wanted you to confirm it'.'What is it?' Floxy was becoming apprehensive. She kept twisting her hands, though there was no other sign that she was agitated.'I heard that Shandy feels deeply for me. I didn't know that but as her friend, you should. I just wanted to know so that I will a oud rejection if it is not so'.Floxy burst into laughter.'Men, you are all so blind. But why would you fear rejection?''Every man is afraid of being rejected. It deflates the ego, you know', Joel said feeling that he was getting somewhere.'Well, you'd better ask her yourself, she will explain better to you. I do not have the right to
As Shandy was about leaving, Joel drew her back. 'Please Shandy. Do not be angry I value our friendship much more than you can imagine but you know how much I love Mirabel', Joel said tiredly 'She was supposed to have visited two days ago but did not get here'. 'Then call her and find out what the problem is rather than suspecting people of being the cause of your misfortunes'. 'You are not listening. She set out to come here but did not get here and for the past two days, her line has been switched off. I ran mad searching for her because my father said that she had actually set out for London to visit me. So what could have happened to her along the line?' 'Did she meet with an accident?' Shandy asked in horror. 'No but apparently, she decided I was not good enough for her anymore and that we are through. But I can't accept that'. 'But how did you know this if you haven't been able to teach her?' she asked, pleased with the news that she just heard. 'I finally got her in ph
It was during one of such searches that Shandy happened to see Mirabel though Mirabel do d not see her and the way she saw her, Shandy could not believe it. It was almost as though she had turned herself into a commercial sex worker.What could cause a drastic change in someone like this?It could definitely not be just because of the act she staged.She was sitting on the leg of one man and Shandy quickly turned away. But looked at her again to assure herself that it was indeed Mirabel and not just her look alike. But she was climbing the stairs with the man.She asked who the girl was and how long she had been there.The day corresponded, though they said her name was Shandy and the real Shandy was shocked because Mirabel must have chosen her name as a form of protest or rebellion.Shandy had not planned to tell Joel if she saw Mirabel The farther they drifted apart from each other, the better her chances of willing Joel's heart.Why did you go through all the trouble then? she tho
As Joel ascended the stairs, smiling at Mirabel, she considered if she actually wanted to see him or not. The pain of his betrayal came to the fore in her mind and heart and her face shuttered.Looking at her, Joel noticed her face close up and knew that he was in for a real tough time but he believed that he was equal to the task.Any task was better than not finding her and going out of his mind.She went into her room and Joel followed immediately so that he would not lose her just when he had found her.He was just in time, else Mirabel would have locked the door but he put his foot in and wedged the door, stopping it from shutting.Realising that the purpose for which he had rushed into her hotel room was defeated, she went and sat on the bed.Joel entered the room and came to her on the bed.'Mirabel, it is me, Joel. You are acting as though you do not know me anymore. What has happened to you?'Mirabel looked at him and didn't know if she should yell at him, hit him with somet
'Ryan Bricks, the time we spent together the other time was really very fulfilling', she stated looking Joel straight in the eye. 'That time, I mistook you for someone else but today, I am in full control of my faculties and I know exactly who I am having fun with. So are you willing to do to me again what you did the last time?'Ryan hesitated. He would very much like to but he did not know if this was a trap or if she was serious and using him to make the gentleman standing there jealous. He had not thought of anything else but her, waiting for when she would invite him but this invitation with another man present was not making him comfortable at all.'Don't be shy now, just sit on the bed with me.', she said and like a robot, Ryan obeyed and Joel could not believe what he was seeing. It was bad enough that she had been doing this behind his back. Was she going to allow this attendant have her in his presence too ? Had she lost all sense of shame?He wanted to turn back and leave b
As Joel said that, he walked to the bed and filled a cup for himself, still looking at Mirabel who was already feeling heat in her veins and was both apprehensive and expectant. She was ready for anything he was willing to give her. She had missed him so much. Even after all he had done and all she had done too to town her pain, she still felt empty, yearning for his touch, for his love and if she was going to get it through this guise, well, so be it.Joel downed the cup of wine without taking his eyes off Mirabel who was also staring back at him as though hypnotized.After that, he took her wine glass from her a d placed on the tray beside his and pushed the tray away.Still looking at Mirabel and she was sure that he must hear the throbbing of her heart and see the desire reflected in her eyes.He pushed her into the bed and fell on her. He caught her lips with his and kissed her and she shut her eyes as the heat started spreading to other parts of her body, that delicious warmth.
As Mirabel thought that it didn't matter anymore how they both made each other feel, Joel saw grief and hurt in her eyes.He wondered what it was that had hurt her so much this way and why she was taking it out on him but the pain in her eyes, reached out to him and he drew her close, cuddling her, kissing her and she was so overcame that Mirabel did not know when tears started rolling down her cheek. It was when Joel started kissing the tears away from her eyes that she realized that she had been sobbing silently for what could have been and all she had lost, including Joel the love of her life.She tried to push him away. She had shown enough weakness for a lifetime but he wouldn't bulge.'Mirabel, don't you think that we are worth fighting for? Whatever has hurt you this way, couldn't you fight for our love and if you fail, at least you will know that at least you tried'.'Am I the only one who should be fighting for our love everytime? Shouldn't you be fighting for it as well?' Sh
Joel finished dressing and looked questioningly at Mirabel.'What are you waiting for?''Nothing. This is where you found me and this is where I'll remain'.'But you know we're meant for each other and no other person should touch you. You cannot be satisfied by any other person but me just like I cannot feed my hunger with another person but with you. It is only with you that I gain the real joy of true love and companionship'.'Quit pretending or lying to me and yourself. We know that there are other people you satisfy your hunger with just like you have done with me. So let's quit the pretense. You know what your actions have turned me into. Anytime your lovers bore you, you can come here and find your diversion. I shall be here waiting but next time you come, you must bring some cash with you. It cost so much to maintain myself and make myself presentable and desirable including paying for my stay'.'Is this business more respectable than the one you were doing formerly? Do you w
Jonas woke her as they got home and she was so sleepy,that she did not see the person standing by the door, welcoming them with a smile.She had almost passed him by when he grabbed her hands thinking that she had intentionally ignored him.She looked up to find Joel there. She was shocked. She had not expected to see him, then she recalled that he had not come to court. He could stay at home bit not come to court. It could only mean that he was ashamed of her and didn't want to be identified with her. Jonas had left them tactfully and gone inside.Mirabel tried to snatch her hands away but Joel held on tightly.'You make a wonderful speech. I did not know you could beat that lawyer at his own game', he said laughing.Mirabel was surprised. How did he know? They had just got home and Jonas had not had the time to speak to him, except of course if he had actually been there. But how could he be there and at home at the same time? He must have followed it either on TV or newspaper but i
'The accused lived with us after her mother's death and since she was going to be working full time with us and living in, I put her through alot if tests and she passed them all'.'Sorry, ma'am what kind of tests are we talking about here?' Chapman asked warming up to his cross-examination.'To determine her honesty, I would leave wades of currency, jewelries and other valuables, that someone coming from a humble background such as hers would have taken advantage of and hidden but she always brought them back to me thinking that I had misplaced them unintentionally. This caused me to come to trust her and I took her as my sister and treated her as such but little did I know what was going on under my nose'.Everyone in court knew what was coming next. The woman was going to say how Mirabel seduced her husband for money.'I did not know that the husband whom I had done so much for and loved dearly and trusted with all my heart was not only cheating me outside our home but disrespectin
Mr. Taylor had let her question sink in and have the desired effect before asking Mr. Chapman to cross examine Mirabel. He had not expected her to ask the question but was glad that she had done that and in a very cool detached tone that was very effective.Mr. Chapman himself had not known that the girl was as intelligent as that and was determined to throw her, though he did not know how to get about it except of course trying to get her angry so that she could lose that very chilling confidence she had.' Miss Cole, is it not true that you had secretly desired each one of your friends?''What do you think? That a girl could like all five or six of her friends romantically at the same time even if she were a nymph?''I was coming to that. You are a nymph, Miss Cole are you not?'Mirabel was getting impatient with this prosecutor but she refused to give him the satisfaction of showing her annoyance and impatience with him. She was going to throw him, defeat him by being patience pers
'Is it not true that since you share a daughter - father relationship with Miss Cole, she will have confided in you what her plans were?' Chapman asked.'She told me that she would teach them a le....''... a little lesson, bla bla bla like you have told the court in great detail. it being as close as you are with her, could this not be the excuse you both came up with, a plot to mislead the court?''Objection, my lord'.'Sustained. Prosecutor, limit yourself to questioning the witness and not forcing your assumptions on him'.'Mr. Jonas, how is it possible that a girl who claim to have adopted as your daughter would be gang raped and you do not feel inclined to report to the authorities to ensure that they are punished?''I respected my daughter's wishes and you we'll know how women who have been ravished are looked on as spoilt goods. All these made me reconsider'.'Is it not possible that you planned all these with your daughter to escape justice? Being gang raped indeed!''Do yo
Two regular customers of Mirabel were called to the stand and both of the testified that she did not behaved abnormally and that she was very cheerful and respectful. She treated her customers with courtesy and even when they were rude and hard to please, she still devised meNs to satisfy them and keep them happy and coming. That was why the patronage of her eatery kept growing which would have been otherwise if she had had any mental problems.'That is not a kind of problem you hid for long'. One of them said.Chapman had no questions for them and then Taylor calked Dr. Rutherford to the stand.'Welcome doctor, may we meet you?' Taylor said, this was to establish the authencity of the man.'I am Dr. Peter Rutherford. I work at the General hospital here in London as a consultant and a specialist in the field of psychiatric and neurology'.'Please doctor, have you under any circumstances examined the accused Miss Cole?''Yes I have'.'What was the basis of the examination?''Well to de
Chapman was almost gloating and Taylor could not blame him at all. 'Your witness, Taylor', he said knowing that any question Taylor threw at Liam would only implicate his client further and aggravate the already angry spectators.'No questions!' Taylor said looking straight at Liam.Wise! Chapman thought.'Well I have one other person to call to the witness stand, Your Honour'.The judge nodded though praying that it was not another witness with a slashed penis. The case against the innocent looking girl was becoming very gruesome and he just wanted to be done with it.'I call Curtis to the witness box'.Curtis walked confidently to the stand, sparing Mirabel a glance that seem to say, you will have what is coming to you today as we take our revenge on you.'Curtis, could you tell us what your full name is?''Curtis Trowler'.'How did you meet the accused?''She came to my mother's shop to buy some groceries and it was much and I happened to be going the same way as she and I helped
The court was adjourned till the next day and Taylor was determined to get some witnesses to testify on their own behalf.He had made a call to a doctor he knew and asked that they met, and taken Mirabel to him for an examination and asked that the paper work be ready. He was sure that the doctor would be pleased to come to court to attest to the fact that Mirabel was not mentally unbalanced as the testimony against her seem to indicate.Mirabel was not very happy that Joel had not been attending the proceedings with them. His presence no matter how disapproving he might be would have given her more moral support.Jonas as though reading her mind had assured her that Joel was following the proceedings as he records and sends to him due to the demands of his job that had hindered him from coming personally.Mirabel knew that he was just saying that to console her. If she really meant anything to him, he would allow by gones be bygones and would have been there to lend his emotional sup
Adam Taylor, Mirabel's lawyer was impressed at the way the boys gave their testimony. It was evident to him that they had had enough coaching and from the best as well. He was almost convinced himself but he was going to fight back now that he had seen that they were fighting dirty.Chapman, the plaintiff lawyer called the next witness to the stand and this was James Abrams.It was evident to all present that James was indeed a very handsome boy but there was this scar on his face that belied his good looks as you looked at it but out of sight, you would love to keep looking at him.'You are James. James what?' Chapman asked.'James Abrams'.His voice was as sweet as his face was handsome. The deep timbre of his voice caused all eye to be fixed on him, it was hypnotizing.'I want to know if you know Miss Cole?''Yes, I do. We are acquinted'.'Oh, you are not really friends but acquinted?''Yes. I had met her when she parked newly into the neighborhood. She had looked so lost without
Mirabel had wanted to shout at the top of her lungs that Adam was lying through his teeth during his testimony but looking at Jonas in shock, he had gestured for her to calm down, telling her there would be time for her to state her own case and then people will have no option but to sympathize with her. He said this to convince not just Mirabel but himself as well because though he did not want to lose faith, it was not looking promising at all as their lawyer had foreseen.Mr. Chapman decided to call another witness to the stand. The quicker they were done with the heating, the better. He was sure that they had no witnesses and it was going to be difficult for people to take the testimony of a girl whose reputation was in doubt over five young boys who had injuries yo show for their efforts. She could get off with a less sentence of being mentally ill to inflict the boys with such injuries and would have to be taken to a mental clinic which was not a little sentence st all.'I wish