Chapter Four:

Maya groaned loudly as she rubbed the sleep off her eyes. She blinked several times to adjust to the morning light and hissed in pain due to her headache. "Drinking so much was the worst decision of my life," she mumbled whiles rubbing her forehead. Tilting her head to the left, she saw a glass of water with a note attached to it making her aware suddenly aware of her environment. She looked around the huge bedroom with her heart beating madly against her chest.

Did she do something stupid after she was drunk? Whose room was she in? Why was she here? Did she come willingly? She quickly pulled up the sheets and sighed in relief when she saw all her clothes in tact. Her head was spinning badly but she needed to get out of her. Just when she was about to jump off the bed, the glass of water greeted her again.

’Maybe the note had a clue’ she thought ripping it from the glass.

"You drunk so much last so you’re probably having a hangover. Take the aspirin and you’ll feel better. I’ll be joining you after work, take care WIFE." Maya’s eyes widened in horror as she stared at the last word. Wife? What does this person mean by wife? What was this person talking about? And he didn’t even bother to wake her before leaving? She had so many questions about what happened last night but for now she has to get home before dad starts calling her.

She quickly grabbed her purse that was on the drawer and dashed out. Once outside, she got into the elevator and soon was on the ground floor.

"Good morning madam, breakfast has been served," A woman in her mid-twenties dressed on black and white uniform greeted her.

"I don’t want breakfast. I’m outta here," she said walking past her.

"But I’ll get fired," the maid said running after Maya but she ignored her and walked out. Of all the problems in the world that was her least worry. Immediately she stepped out, two bulky men stepped in front of her.

"Now what?" She said, throwing her arms in the air.

"The boss instructed us not to let you out until he returned," one of them spoke.

"What???? You guys are kidnapping me? I want to go home now," she yelled out but they stood there looking indifferent. So she knew she had to cause a distraction in order to get out of here.

"Oh my God! Look at the kid," she yelled faking a shocked expression and it worked because they looked away from her. She took that as her opportunity to run. Luckily for her a cab pulled up immediately and she jumped in.

"Please drive as fast as you can, I’m being kidnapped," she told the driver and he did so looking confused.

Five minutes later, the cab pulled up in front of her house and she thanked the driver after paying him and walked inside.

"Wow, look who we have here,"was what greeted her as soon as she stepped inside.

She looked up to see Alfred sitting between her parents. He instantly smirked at her when their eyes met and Maya was instantly filled with disgust.

"What the hell are you doing here? You had the nerve to show up at my house?" She said through clenched jaws.

"See? This is exactly what I was talking about! After all I have done for her, this is how she’s repaying me?" Alfred suddenly bursts out shocking Maya to the core. Just when she thought he couldn’t be more cunning, he found a way to surprise her. How can he put up such a perfect act?

"I’m so disappointed in you Maya," her dad spoke gaining Maya’s attention.

"No dad listen, don’t believe anything he tells you. This man is a lair," Maya said dropping her bag and walking over to her dad.

"Dad I don’t know what he told you but please none of that is true," Maya whispered, tears blurring her vision. It broke her heart that Alfred had gained so much of her father’s trust. Who was to be blamed? Her, of course. She brought him into their lives and now he was messing it up.

"What should I not believe? Huh?" He said calmly and Maya knew a volcano was about to erupt.

"Tell me!" He yelled shaking her violently, the tears she was desperately trying to hold back rolled down her cheeks.

"I loved you Maya, how can you do this to me Maya? We were supposed to get married."

Alfred was playing the victim here and Maya couldn’t stop herself from slapping him.

"I hate you Alfred. I hate you. You go out there and betray me and then come back here to act like you’re the victim?...." Maya scoffed before continuing;

"I knew you were a monster but you go this far.....makes me aware you’re actually a devil." Maya felt a sharp pain in her cheeks as soon as those words left her mouth. She looked up to see her stepmother, Lisa standing in front of her with a triumphant smirk. Maya could only open and close her mouth because she was too shocked to talk.

"Your father did everything a good father was supposed to and this is how you repay him? You’re really ungrateful," Lisa said and obviously her dad couldn’t see the smile on her face because she had her back facing him.

"Shut up you witch, you know nothing about what is going on so it’ll be good for you if you stay out," Maya said angrily before walking over to her dad who was sitting in the floor miserably.

"Dad, please listen to me, I have zero idea of what they’re talking about please believe me. It was all him. Alfred planned this all," Maya sobbed uncontrollably, hoping her dad would believe her but all the hope shattered when he pushed her away.

"From today, I have only one daughter and that is Amanda. Maya is dead to me," Maya’s heart broke into a million pieces as she registered what her dad had just said. Her own father was disowning her? Because of some random stranger? Maya felt the air around her disappear as she was struggling to breath. She wanted the ground to split and swallow her up.

After all she went through, she didn’t even get a chance to explain her side of the story. Where was the father she knew? Where was the dad who promised to be there for her? Where was the dad who stopped at nothing to make her happy? Where was he?

After so many years, Maya suddenly missed her mom. Had she been here, all this would not have happened to her. Even if it did, she knew her mom would support her no matter what. Her mom would have hugged her, showered her with kisses and tell her everything was going to be fine. But now she was all alone because she fell in love. Love is indeed blind because how could she have spent so much time with Alfred without knowing the real him.

A slight cough had all of them snapping their heads towards the entrance.There stood a man clothed in black beat suit with his hands casually in his pocket.

"I hope I didn’t interrupt anything," he said walking inside.

"Who are you and what do you want?" Alfred said shooting him a glare which made the man’s eyes darken immediately. The change of aura he just did immediately sent shivers down Alfred’s spine but he still decided to act tough.

Without saying a word, he ignored all the questioning looks he was receiving and walked straight to Maya who still didn’t have energy to get up. Bending to her level, he brushed the hair of her face and lifted her chin gently.

"Wife have you been crying?" He said staring into her tears soaked eyes. Maya’s eyes widened as realization hit her hard. It was him!