Chapter Five

CHARLOTTE'S POV

"So let me get this straight, he offered to give you fifty grand to date him?, Huh?"

Anika asked, but I shook my head

"Not to date him, to be his pretend girlfriend" I corrected, sipping my coffee.

After the events of yesterday, I called Anika, and she quickly came with baby Neyo, who was teething and very cranky and hadn't have enough sleep,lil dude was crying so bad, Anika felt like crying too, but after I held and petted him for a while, he's been sleeping for over thirty minutes, Anika always said I had my magic with babies, but I'll say they just love me.

"And you refused!!" She scolded with wide eyes, almost shouting,

"Shh .. you'll wake Neyo up, and yes I refused, he was trying to buy me" 

I replied with a roll of my eyes.

And he body shamed me, I mused, there was no need to tell her that, I knew he never meant it but I couldn't help but feel that way, I knew this was going to be Anika's reaction, she wouldn't try to be reasonable when it comes to money.

"You refused fifty grand, because you think he is tryna buy you? Sorry to say, but you've never made Fifty grand in your whole life, and you just rejected one thrown at you ? !!!, How in the hell am I friends with you?" 

"Hey!!!"

My mouth was hanging open at her statement and I was a bit hurt. Sometimes I wonder, if Anika was truly my friend, why bring up the fact that I've never made such money in my life. As much as I try to deny it, she was right, such money only comes in the dream or it's dirty money. 

Now I know why a few days ago I had curdled milk in the fridge. I've never believed in omens, but this was a sign, right?

"What about your dream ?," she reasoned.

"With fifty thousand, you could start up-"

"I'll earn a good money for that, as for this offer, I won't do it"

Anika rolled her eyes at me as she slurped her coffee probably tired of telling me to take up the job, if you could call it that , her eye bags was evident, you could see the toll of her not sleeping, she rolled her neck and shoulders, and earlier she complained of having a stiff back.

"You go home and rest, go on a date with Leo or something..." I mouthed

"What did you say?" She asked, stiffling a yawn, damn she was tired, baby Neyo has really stressed my baby girl, this is the little I can do for her.

"You go back home, take a bath and a much needed nap, you look like a truck ran you over, when Laila gets back from school, bring her over so you and Leo could go on a date"

Her eyes teared up, as she pulled me into a momma hug, her voice filled with emotions as she squashed me.

"How did you know I haven't been getting some ?" 

I chuckled, I knew it wasn't about that, Neyo was an unplanned baby and has taken so much of their personal lives, Anika had to quit her Job to be a stay at home mom and Leo is working twice his hours now just to provide for the family, they both love each other, I know, but I also know what the lack of intimacy for both of them could cause, and I've always rooted for the both of them.

" Thank you so much"

"Yeah, yeah, now leave before Neyo wakes up" 

She took her purse, giving me a peck on the cheeks before she hurried out the door.

Since I got nothing to do, I'm here with one toddler and a crying, teething baby, Anika was right, it got worse at night, after giving them dinner which was made up of mashed potatoes and carrots, I also fed Neyo some baby food because he refused to eat the mashed potatoes,I  helped Laila with her homework and listen to her little rants about her teacher and classmates, then we coloured on some A4 papers I had at home, and I tell you Laila was really good, she drew a colourful picture of I and her Mom, and I'm so framing it, it's like her little mind knows that I and Anika were best friends and then we watched bluey for two hours, that show is really great and addictive, because after they both fell asleep and I put them in bed, I watched four more episodes.

Although I tried to get the fact that I was unemployed and I had an offer that seems irrefutable, my thoughts kept going to what I could do if I had fifty thousand dollars, maybe not everything I wanted, but half of it will be done.

I looked through my phone again, scanning through my mail, hoping I'd received any mail, I had applied for a job at over ten different places, and none of them had called for an interview, I was beginning to get depressed about it, why isn't anything going on well in my life, I slumped my shoulders putting away my phone, a deep sigh left my lips as I rubbed my eyes to relieve the itch, just then a knock on the door interrupts me, I sauntered over to open it,

Oh shit.

It was my landlady, Mrs Ford and she was pissed, I knew there isn't any excuse that I would give to her, she coming by this time means she's at her wits end and won't take any excuses.

"Hello, Mrs Ford" 

She scrunched her face, not taking my greetings,

"It's the second week" she scowled

"I know, I promised to pay the rent last week, but something came up-"

She snapped at me, her wrinkles becoming evident as she glared up at me

"I don't want to hear your silly excuses anymore, I'm giving you until tomorrow morning, you either leave on your own, or I do it for you"

I was shocked

"Mrs Ford, please, just give some time, I promise I'll pay up when I have the money" I pleaded.

"And I can't listen to your excuses anymore, if you can't provide the money by tomorrow, please find somewhere else" she said, her eyes were sad, Mrs Ford is known to be grumpy, but she's nice too, I've lived in this apartment for two years and even though I haven't been behind on my rent like this, I understood why she's doing this, Mrs Ford's children are all grown up and have families on their own, they've all ignored her and her only way of survival is through the rent from this house which belonged to her and her late husband.

She's been patient with me.

"Mrs Ford...I'm really sorry, but I got laid off, and I've not gotten a new job, if you could give me some time," I reasoned.

But from the look on her face she was resolute, and was standing on her decision.

"And I'm sorry too Charlotte" she turned and left.

I needed to think of something fast, now I've been evicted and I have literally no place to go, should I move back to my mother's?, No, that would be an emotional suicide mission and I don't want to impose on Anika, her and Leo got a lot to deal with and joining an Adult with so much baggage would be a problem, what should I do?.

A soft click could be heard as I closed the door, swaggering down the room, I whispered to the ceiling,

"Why isn't anything working out for me?"

Just then, my ringtones began blaring, I didn't want it to wake the kids up, without looking at the caller, I quickly swiped right.

"Hello" 

'Charlotte'

When I heard the voice, I glanced at my phone to confirm the caller and I regretted answering the call. It was my mom and I've been ignoring her calls all week. Now isn't the time to listen to her endless demeaning insults.

"Hello Mom"

'Charlotte, why haven't you returned any of my calls all week ?' she asked, I could imagine her raising her brows like she always did when I was younger.

"I'm sorry Mom, I've been busy"

I said, as I sauntered over to the kitchen, pulling a chair to sit down.

'You've been so busy, that you couldn't return one call?'

"Mama, I'm sorry ok"

'well whatever, Lottie,' 

She's calling me Lottie, which means she needs money from me, her voice softened as she begins to ask me.

' Lottie, I need some money for the medications the doctor prescribed for my anxiety '

That's a lie, there's no doctor or prescription, she may have seen a nice purse she wants and needs money to get it or worse she is owing where she bought it.

' It's worth two hundred dollars'

Now, what kind of medicine for anxiety cost this much.

"Mama, I'm in a pinch right now-"

Her voice becomes loud and condescending.

'is there a time where you ever have money, I'm just asking for a little money'

"Mom, if you need that much money, give Cora a call"

'everytime call Cora, Cora takes care of the house bills and every other things'

Nope, another lie, that's me, I pay all the bills, Cora uses her money to go on vacations to Barbados and Dubai, living a life to impress the rich friends she makes.

'Cora makes sure I feed and-' I cut her off, not willing to hear her pathetic excuse she always gives for Cora.

"Cora makes thrice the money I make, so she can afford to get your prescription if you ask her"

No, Cora wouldn't, my dear little sister spends her money on herself, you can never ask her for money and she gives.

'why bring your sister into this, will you give me the money or not?'

I was annoyed now, my mother never cared for my wellbeing, she doesn't ask questions like how's your day?, What went on during the weekend?, She only calls to collect money.

" No, I won't give you any money, you know why?, because over the weekend I was fired" I croaked, as I held the tears in.

There was a pause for a while, before she said the most hurtful thing.

'you don't have a good job and then you got fired from the one you had, does anything good work out for you?'

"Mom!!!"

'you can't keep your job, you can't do anything right, why in the hell am I calling you' she criticized like always, before hanging up.

The phone was on my ears, and I couldn't hold it in any longer, I burst into tears, sniffling so as not to wake the children up.

Just then, something in my brain clicked, I'm about to get evicted and I lost my job, meanwhile there's an offer that could help me out of these, I got to the waste bin where I threw away the card, I picked it up and dailed the number, with a single ring, his gutteral voice booms through the speaker.

"Hello".