Chapter 3 - Catfished

He had noticed me soon, and was started by my eyes on him, he had averted his eyes on Zoey who was in my arms. But he had snorted and ignored us, moving his eyes to the bus that had just stopped in front of him. Then a little boy who looked almost 6 had run up to him calling him father before he embraced him and left.

I had thought I was over him leaving us, but I was not. I felt my cheeks water for just a few seconds, I think Zoey was crying as well. But I was in a daze to comprehend what was going on, I had loved and know this man all my life until he decides to leave a few months ago.

He fed me, changed dippers for me, helped me learn how to walk. He had been the epitome of a good man in my life, and I had hoped to find a man as loving as him, and I admired him for how much he loved my mother only to leave us at our worst. How dare he, how dare he embrace someone else while Zoey didn’t have the privilege of even having a real family. How dare he?

(Third POV)

Cyan had been in Clayton’s office for a few minutes now. Clayton had been called a cold and indifferent man, but to Cyan he was nothing but a bear, a cuddly bear.

“Can you stop hugging me now?” he grumbles.

“No, I miss you.”

“That is because you have been living with some friends for a month now.”

“I cannot help it, she needs me.”

“It is she? Huh, didn’t know you swing that way.” His brown eyes which made many women swoon irritated Cyan so much she wanted to take them out.

“It is not that type of relationship Clay. Ugh, you are insufferable, I will not forget aunt’s birthday. Just let me have Cain.”

“No, I had offered you an assistant to help you with your art debut and you refused.”

“I will debut later; I am planning on doing a sculpture- Painting show including Kaleah.”

“Is that the name of your girlfriend.”

“Friend, ugh, I am leaving since you are annoying.”

She had bolted out his office, but she didn’t leave the building before seeing a sexy ginger on her brother payroll. Though it was forbidden, she had always dreaded the time Clayton found out that her and Cain’s relationship was not a professional one, but this is Cyan, she would cross that bridge when it arrives.

After a secret make-out session she had rushed to the car fearing Kaleah would get bored and possibly kill her. She had arrived at the car finding Kaleah absent, ‘where could she be now’ she grumbles before deciding to look for her.

She had only taken a few minutes walking around before she saw her friend frozen and crying. There was a lady there trying to soothe her to no avail. And Zoey was whaling as well.

“Leah? Are you okay?” she had asked, but she could not get any response. She had prioritized Zoey first, which she rescued from the tight hands of Leah. Before she could console her friend back to her senses

“Thank you so much for taking care of her ma’am” she had said to the lady who stayed with them. Before driving off, Kaleah still looked dazed and hurt, her swollen eyes still running streams of tears.

She had run Kaleah a bath to cool off when they arrived before bathing Zoey who was stressed as well. It took Zoey a few minutes to go back to her smiling happy self. Kaleah on the other hand had been struggling to even bathe herself.

“Are you feeling better now?”

“A little.”

She bowed her head sadly; her wet dyed hair fell on her face. She had tried to hold back the tears, Cyan could see how she had closed her eyes to stop the tears, but she couldn’t.

“I saw him, he…”

“James? What did that jerk do now?”

“No, not James, Ore, my father. He had, he had another child, he is a boy. Probably born from his new wife.”

“Huh, he has another new born?”

“He looks about five or six, maybe through his infidelity or maybe they are not even blood related.”

“I am so sorry, you witnessed that jerk be lovey dovely with another family when he left Zoey and you to suffer.”

“He will regret it; I will make sure of it.”

The two friends had slept in each other’s arms. Kaleah had cried to her heart’s content and Zoey for some reason didn’t wake up late that night, a true angel.

After a mountain of preparing for the date both mentally and physically, the time to meet Archie came faster than the wind. She did not have time to change her hair into her original brown form, so she wore a wig instead.

She had worn a beautiful black dress with was loose on her lower body but tight on her upper body. Cyan borrowed her the car since she did not want Kaleah to be stranded if the dates turned out badly.

They had chosen the busiest restaurant Sodom which was a famous place or dates. While she had driven nearer, she had felt increasingly anxious, she as out of the dating world for 5 years now and she was not knowledgeable enough to keep Archie interested.

The restaurant was busy as always, but since they had already made reservations, Kaleah was shown to her table immediately. she had pondered for a half an hour before ‘archie’ or should I say Ellen Mule decided to show up.

“Who are you?”

“Archie, you have been talking to me through text.”

“But you don’t look….”

“I am aware, I used my late brother’s pictures since he seems to be very handsome to the ladies.” He explained, “my wife had a crush on him, unfortunately he died before she could live her immoral dream of taking him to bed.” he creepily said.

“How could you?”

“Don’t worry, Archie Mule was the name of my brother, I didn’t use someone I didn’t know for this.” He laughed, “I even talked the way I knew he would, guess that bustard really had game, how glad I am he is dead.”

With his words Kaleah had withdrawn her hands from the table in fear, his creepy laugh made her uncomfortable and she did not want to be in the same space as him.

“You catfished me?”

“Oh, relax, I am still as rich as I said I was, unlike someone who withheld information, I had to hear about you being an immigrant through a private investigator” he grumbles, “but don’t worry we can work with it, your face makes up for all your shortcomings.”

“Pardon?”

“Oh, I forgot I am looking for a sister wife for my egotistical wife, she had been nagging me about divorce that this will shut her up.”

All Kaleah could do was gasp, just the sheer delusion this man was packing made her feel unsafe, she had dug her nails though her thigh in agitation before sighing to speak.

“Sir, are you perhaps talking to the wrong person?”

“No, you are Kaleah Huxley who needs to marry to keep staying at the country and I am Ellen Mule the gorgeous man who is about to save you. You my doll will satisfy me greatly.” He proudly exclaimed.

“We had just met; and I do not think this date will do, we haven’t even gotten our food yet and you are already speaking as if you own me.”

Her distorted angry face and been a giveaway of how much she approved of him, but for some reason Archie, or should I say Ellen Mule couldn’t take a hint.

“Because I do, no other man would marry a woman full of flaws like you, I am doing you a favor.”

“Sir please stop with your delusions, and please let your poor brother rest peacefully by stopping catfishing girls using his pictures.”

“Ah, you are in love with that dead bustard too, how predictable, but too bad for you his already dead, and I am the one who is going to marry you.” He had shown his inferiority complex proudly.

“Goodbye, sir.”

She had heard enough; she had sighed before getting up to leave. “Huh, are you insane? Come back here” he yelled, “tsk, you will come back when you are backed into a corner.” He yelled before sipping the drink the waiter had just brought.