Plucking off her feathers.

Leia got off the taxi, automatically paying the driver with some cash, and she faces the apartment. She knows her eyes are puffy and red from crying. Although she wiped and washed her face with water recently, the markings of crying were still visible on her face.

With a sigh, Leia walks into the apartment building. She stops at the entrance to her place when she catches sight of Rachel and the landlord arguing over something.

"You have got to be kidding me Mr Jones!," Rachel yelled angrily. "I paid for this building's rent. I have like two years left and you're telling me I should move out tomorrow because someone bought the building?"

"You have to understand me, Miss Rachel. I'll refund your money but you can't stay here any longer because everyone in this building will be evicted in the next two days." 

Rachel's landlord, Mr Jones tried to calm her down but Rachel would have none of it. 

"Where do you expect me to get a building to live in within this short time? You want me homeless? Oh, you do. After all, now you must be rich because you blindly sold your house to someone who would chase us all out of here. But wait, you aren't affected because you have your building." Rachel rages at him and Mr Jones sighs tiredly. He already knew Rachel would be the hardest tenant to convince to leave but he didn't expect her to be this hard. 

She honestly looked like a predator about to pounce on him just because he sold this property. 

Leia stood there, listening to their conversation with a sinking feeling in her gut. She knew that this had something to do with her. She wondered, Why was her life so miserable? Because of her, innocent Rachel would have to be punished for being friends with her.

"Mr Jones, do something about this. Maybe look for a substitute building because I am not leaving here without a place to live. If you don't want to spend the rest of your life in a hospital bed, not able to enjoy that money, do as I say." Rachel yells at him before walking off and almost running into Leia who was looking at her with teary eyes. 

"Oh, Leia. Are you okay?" Rachel rushed to her and Leia snatches her in a gentle hug. 

"No need to worry about anything Rachel. We'll find a house and live there. I have enough savings to carry both of us." Leia says and Rachel just smiles fondly at her words. She opens her mouth to say something but her phone ringing interrupts her. Leia reluctantly releases Rachel from her hold for her to reach her phone.

Rachel smiles before grabbing her phone from her pocket and picking it up.

"Hello?" Rachel says into the device and a panicked voice came from the other end of the phone and answers.

"Rachel, your attention is needed as soon as possible in the office." A feminine voice says and Leia hears the panicky quality of the woman's voice too. 

Rachel looks up at Leia before replying. "Okay, I'll be there soon," Rachel says before hanging up. "I'll be back. Please get some groceries for tonight's dinner and we'll talk later."

Leia watches Rachel rush out of the building with that same sinking feeling in her gut. She could tell something was wrong and that she was the cause again. 

"Madam Leia." Mr Jones calls out and Leia looks back at him as he slowly approaches her. "You know I can help you and your friend if you help me too?" 

Leia raises her brows questioningly, an action which prompts him to continue. "I'm a widower as you probably know and I have a son to take care of and I don't think I can do it on my own." 

Leia hummed, thinking he would even ask them to help take care of his son for a while in exchange for helping them but what he says next almost made her slap him but she keeps her cool. 

"If you become my lover, you can help me take care of him and I'll provide shelter for you and your friend." Mr Jones says with a smarmy smile on his face. 

"I will give you everything you want. I know you want it too, because of everything confirmed on the news…"

Leia couldn't listen to this anymore. She turns to leave but he grabbed her arm, his grip tight and bruising. "I know this is what you want. 

Your husband is in prison and I know how much you would want to have a man with you in your bed. Your brother-in-law doesn't want you to reveal your secret but guess what, I do want you." 

"Let go of me, you filthy old man," Leia shouts in alarm as she struggles against his grip. 

He pulled her closer, not deterred by her struggles, and wrapped his arms around her waist, pressing himself against her. 

"Oh my goodness, you're so soft. I'm very sure you'll be very good in bed and as a mother." Mr Jones groans in delight before using his teeth to remove the cloth from her shoulders. 

Leia grunts in protest but before she can open her mouth to protest again, his grip loosens abruptly and she hears the sound of a body hitting the floor. 

Mr Jones crashes to the floor as a large fist hit him. 

Leia looks up with a gasp to see Mark glaring at the fallen man. He reaches down to grab the man's foreman before he twisted it abnormally. 

Mr Jones screams out in pain and within a minute, the house was already swarming with cops. "Seriously?" Mark raises a brow as they rushed into the place and help Jones up. 

"Both of you are under arrest for violence and physical harassment on his property." The policeman says and Leia looks at the policeman with irritation. 

"No one saw him when he was sexually harassing me?" She yells angrily.

"That's a lie. She was trying to seduce me like she seduced her brother-in-law. She was trying to make me accept her as my lover." Mr Jones denies and Leia looks at him in disbelief. 

"Please ma'am, you have the right to remain silent. Anything you say can and will be used against you in a court of law. Lieutenant, handcuff them." The cop then turns to mark 

"Let's move, sir."

"I can see why they bought this building. You're nothing but bad luck to even your friend. Maybe she'll be as fit as you can't be." Mr Jones smirked. "Ouch, my hand hurts. Now. all the money I was paid by the Sky family for this house would be used for my treatment. She must pay for this." 

"The Sky family." Leia frowns at this. 

she felt people's gaze on her as she was led outside. 

"She has no shame at all."

"After trying to seduce her brother-in-law and it didn't work, she wanted to seduce the old Mr Jones. She isn't fit for a wife at all."

Mark moves closer to her and was about to touch her when she slapped his hand away. "Don't touch me, you bastard." She spits at his face before following the police silently. 

He tries to touch her again when they get into the police car but this time she snarls. 

Rachel and Leia walk out of the police station late that night and Leia turns to Rachel who was looking down and had tears brimming from her eyes. 

"What's wrong Rachel?" Leia asks with worry because this feisty woman never cries. 

"Everything is wrong Leia." Rachel laments, causing Leia's heart to sink as she guesses the reason for her unhappiness. 

"I didn't mean to get in the way," Leia thinks.