5. BLAST FROM THE PAST

The door to her office banged shut, causing Louisa to look up in alarm to realise it was only Naa Larley. She opened her mouth to ask what her friend was doing at her office so early in the day but halted when she saw the look on Naa Larley's face.

Standing up worriedly, she asked. "What's wrong Naa? Is everything okay?"

Naa raised a hand signalling for a moment as she breathed in deeply to slow down her breathing. But she realised Louisa was getting more anxious so she whispered in between breaths.

"Will....William is he..here Lou."

Louisa's eyes widened in fear. "Here as in here in the firm?"

Naa Larley shook her head. "No he's back in the country."

Louisa started to tremble. "You're lying Naa...right? Please tell me it's some joke, like maybe its April fool's. It's first April right?" Reaching out for the calendar on the desk, a glance told her it was March 26th, and that's when her heart literally stopped.

"How can I joke about something like this Louisa? This is a serious matter." Naa stated, realising in the process that her friend seemed to have spaced out.

Flashback

Louisa sat at the bar downing shot after shot. She couldn't believe she had allowed Naa Larley to bring her to a club. After her heartbreak during her university days, she had vowed not to let men in anymore, and she had done very well so far. But Naa had had enough....plus she had been talking non stop about one of her clients who was so hot and Louisa couldn't believe that that was why her best friend had pulled her here, only to abandon her in the process. Though a little upset, Louisa understood the situation. The fact that she had sworn off men didn't mean her beautiful best friend couldn't get some when she needed.

Her butt began to hurt from sitting for so long and she decided to hit the dance floor for a while.

"Hey pretty, can I have this dance?" One drunk man uttered as he stumbled into her.

Louisa giggled. "What is this? Prom? And no thank you. I'm not interested."

The man grinned, showing deep yellow teeth and Louisa couldn't help but cringe.

" I see you have a smart mouth...I wonder what else it can do. I like a woman who's hard to get and trust me, I'll have you soon." With that he disappeared into the crowd. Louisa breathed a sigh of relief. Such a creep. She'd actually had enough and wanted to go home now but she had to find Naa first.

After a long search, she found her friend in one of the lounges seated with one very handsome man. Before she could utter a word, Naa spoke up, "Hey Mike. Uhh, I've really got to get going. I have to get my friend Louisa home."

Louisa was shaking her head frantically, but no one was paying her any heed.

"I could drop you guys off. You know." Mike stated, giving Naa his full attention and causing her to shyly tuck her hair behind her ear.

"I wouldn't want to impose. Really, we can manage."

Louisa had had enough of the cheesiness. "Guys!! I'm not ready to go home just yet." She lied. She wasn't going to be the one to ruin such a perfect night for her friend.

"And you can leave without me Naa. I'll be fine. In fact I would have called, but it's too loud in here. Have fun guys. And it was nice meeting you Mike."

"Louisa wait." Naa called out.

"But you're drunk, I can't leave you here alone. Don't do this."

Louisa rolled her eyes. "Pshh...I'm not that drunk, mum. Plus, I'll call an uber when I'm ready to leave. There's really nothing to be worried about."

Naa Larley sighed. "Well alright. But call me in case of anything you hear me?"

Louisa grinned widely and mock saluted, causing Mike and Naa to break out in laughter and with that she left.

She headed towards the bathroom lost in thought. She needed to take a pee before she headed home. Naa and Mike looked so cute. You could really tell they like each other. Louisa almost even missed men because of their cuteness but pshh, who was she kidding? That was a locked, and extra bolted area. She and men were done. D-O-N-E. Done.

She stumbled slightly and let out a giggle. She must have drunk more than she usually did to have stumbled and find that funny.

"Well well well. Who do we have here?" A voice called out causing her to break out in a sweat. It was the creepy man she met on the dance floor. She looked around nervously. It was quiet..the only sign of people were quite a distance away. She prepared herself to shout for help but he quickly read her actions. "Ah ah ah...no babe. I wouldn't do that if I were you." He drew her close and pressed what she felt might be a knife at her side. "All I wanted was teach you a good time. Why you gotta make things so hard?" He breathed into her ear and she almost gagged. His breath was horrible and she was going to be raped if a miracle didn't happen.

The man pushed her to a wall nearby and trapped her curvy body with his. Running his lips across her neck, he breathed her in. "Mm. You smell so nice."

Tears were running down Louisa's face now. She should have just kept her pee instead and just gone home. She couldn't shout for help and she was too weak and drunk with both fear and alcohol to put up a fight so she settled for the next best thing.

Plead.

"I'll give you whatever you ask for, please don't do this. I'm pretty sure you're a good person and it's just the alcohol making you behave like this." She reasoned. The man let out a laugh

"Oh I'm a bad man honey, and I'm going to do really bad things to you." He said as he licked his way down her neck towards her cleavage.

Realising that pleading wouldn't get her anywhere, she threatened him next; her voice hoarse with fear and tears.

"You're going to regret ever laying your hand on me, you savage, twisted brute." She cried out but the man was too engrossed in his ministrations to pay her any heed.

Her body relaxed in defeat and the evil man took that as enough consent and relaxed his stance too, and that's when she struck. With a quick prayer to God for help, Louisa kneed him in the groin as hard as she could and took of running.

"YOU BITCH!!! JUST LET ME GET YOU! I'D KILL YOU WITH MY BARE HANDS!!" he roared in pain.

"HELP!! SOMEONE PLEASE HELP ME!" Louisa screamed as she ran, the corridor-like area was all of a suddenly empty, she could have sworn there were people around, though far away. Now there was no one. She risked a glance behind her, the creep was quickly gaining in on her and her heart almost shredded to pieces with despair. There was no saying what he would do when he caught up with her and she wasn't going to let that happen too. She bumped into someone all of a sudden causing her to come to a halt. Grasping his hands in a plea, she managed to breath out, " P..please help...h...he wants t..to rape me."

Turning to face the creep as he approached, Louisa relaxed as the man pushed her behind him.

"I believe the lady said to leave her alone." He called out causing the creep to halt in his tracks. The creep laughed, "Oh boss, don't mind my silly wife. She goes berserk when she's drunk."

Louisa's hands squeezed her savior's biceps as she screamed. "YOU RAPIST!! Please I don't know him from anywhere, don't believe him. Please don't leave me here with him." She cried.

The man's gaze never left the creep. "Even if she were to be your wife, I wouldn't let her leave with you. I'd suggest you leave while you can." He uttered menacingly.

The creep stared back. "I'll have you know I'm armed, and I won't hesitate to hurt you. Just let go of her and be on your merry way." He quipped.

Louisa did not know how it happened. Perhaps the alcohol had weakened her senses more than she thought; for by the time she realised, the creep was on the floor knocked out and her saviour stood gallantly wielding the other's pocket knife.

Louisa threw herself in his arms both out of relief and gratitude, she really felt warm and cozy and safe in his arms. But then silly her had to go ruin the moment by puking all over the man. In shame she burst into tears.

"Oh my God, I'm so sorry, I-"

"Hey, it's alright, just come wait for me at the entrance of the male restroom while I go freshen up." He assured her.

They stood outside now; she a little sober, and he more freshened up. It turned out she had lost her phone in the chase but luckily, she knew Naa's number off head and William, her saviour had his phone on him. Naa Larley had been so upset over the phone, and had promised to be at the club in fifteen.

Louisa had assured William that he could leave her and she'd be fine but he'd have none of it.

"I can't leave a vulnerable, drunk, pretty woman out here all by yourself. My conscience wouldn't even allow me." He argued and Louisa only sighed and nodded in appreciation. Normally, she'd go all feminist on his ass but the encounter had shaken her up a bit. More like a lot and she was thankful for the company.

The duo were mostly silent but just when the conversation started to pick up, Naa Larley arrived in an uber.

She flew into her poor friend's arms and squeezed her in a hug."

"I'm so glad you're alright. If anything ha.... wait. Did he touch you? Cos if he did I swear I would hunt his stupid ass down and kill him with my bare hands." She spewed out. William calmed her down assuring her that he dealt with the creep and Naa Larley thanked him from the depths of her heart. Without him she could only imagine what would have happened to her friend.

"Come on. Let's get you out of here." Naa whispered to her friend but it seemed she was lost in the gaze of her saviour. "Thank you very much Will." Louisa voiced out. "And it was nice meeting you. You really are a good man."

William threw her a grin that warmed her heart and almost made her forget today's ordeal. Almost.

"The pleasure is mine Louisa." He said.

During the drive home, Naa Larley didn't say a word. She assumed that her friend needed the silence but Louisa's mind was not on what had happened but on the handsome man she had met as a result. She pictured his fair skin, curly hair and bright smile and for a moment she felt a pang of regret. She forgot to take his contact and now she'd never see him again.

Weeks flew by after the incident. Louisa went to the mall to pick up a few things and happened to bump into William in the process. She decided to not let a second chance pass her by and invited him out for lunch where they talked and laughed for hours. They saw each other consecutively after that and eventually started dating. She had been so much in love and felt like he was the one so she gave him her virginity and then just like that, he disappeared from her life.

Just vanished into thin air.

His landlord said he had moved out, his phone was disconnected. No one knew where he was.

This second heartbreak had been worse, but thankfully, Naa had been there to see her through it. She was just beginning to recover when another bombshell broke her. She discovered that she was three months pregnant.

End of flashback.

When Louisa snapped out of her thoughts, she was in her seat with Naa Larley staring worriedly at her.

"How did you know he's back?" She asked.

Naa Larley shifted uncomfortably in her seat. The news she carried was grave. She feared it would shatter her friend even more. She could remember what happened almost fifteen years ago. They had finally gotten word from a friend that William Blankson had gone abroad.

The news had helped her friend Louisa recover, as it gave her closure and all. But unfortunately, she kept to her word this time and steered clear of men and Naa was afraid that might be because she still harbored feelings for her child's father.

The thing was, Naa was going to plan William's wedding ceremony and she had no idea if she should tell her friend or not.