Chapter 2:To Our Advantage.
1676 Words
It was my childhood best friend Michelle, she rushed over to me. She showed up even now? I ended our long term friendship after she advised me to leave Marcus three years ago.
“Nyla calm down” she said patting my back slowly
“I am finished Michelle, I am ruined” I choked out amidst sobs “Marcus left with everything all our saving years of hard work" I was choking on my words, I burst out in tears again.
“I saw everything online, Nyla, please just breathe, we will figure this out.” she said calmly, while wiping my tears
“How! how!” I cried out, hitting my hand on the floor helplessly. “I can’t believe Marcus will do this to me. He told me he loved me and that we would get married. He promised to take care of me. Why did he choose Isabella? What did I do wrong Michelle?” I sobbed out staring into her eyes, like she had all the answers to my worries.
One hour later, I was sitting weakly with my legs shaking vigorously on the ground, I rested my head weakly on the wall with tears rolling down my eyes, my head felt heavy and my eyes felt like they might bulge out from hours of crying . Michelle sat directly opposite me speechless she was just staring at me
I need to tell everyone what Marcus did, I will go live and show everyone proof of his betrayal. I picked my phone wiping my tears with the back of my palm. I opened my page and found out all my accounts had been suspended, apparently some people have been reporting my page because of what Marcus said.
A loud cry tore from my lungs, I have built my life around my social media accounts this was how I feed “What is left for me Michelle? Let me just die, give me poison, please I am tired”
“What the f**k is wrong with you Nyla?” Michelle’s voice came out louder this time like she already had enough “You want to kill yourself because of that coward” she paused more like she was trying to find the word “As for that Isabella? I will make sure that fool have it rough, but it won’t be at your expense. Imagine the joy that will be on the both of them face when they see you this devastated"
Tears rolled down my cheek as she said those words, I was holding my breath to prevent me from breaking down completely.
“You know what? let’s go out”Michelle suddenly stood up try to pull me up
“I don’t want to go anywhere just leave me” I sobbed out
“Nyla!” that was a warning call “you know me too well I will go and bring people that will bundle you out of this room now” Michelle threatened
“I said I am fine here” I said starring away
Without warning she jacked me off the ground. Michelle was a bit chubby, more reason she could do that. I collapse weakly on the bed with no energy.
“I came here because I knew how drastic you can go, look at you looking like a maltreated child with swollen eyes. You know I warned you about this stupid Marcus, but that will be scolding for another day” she said all this while she pulled my wardrobe open. I found myself sobbing even harder, because I remember how Michelle used to warn me, first about having a joint account and about loving him too much. I thought she just hated him, now I knew I was the fool.
She came back with a hoodie and shorts and dropped it on the bed.
“Put that on” she instructed
“I don't want to go anywhere” I refused, still sobbing quietly.
“Nyla you had either wear that clothe yourself or I dress you up like a kid” she threatened
I knew Michelle more than anything, she was going to do just that. I swallowed hard and slowly pulled on the hoodie and shorts. My hands were shaking so badly, I could barely tie the drawstring.
Michelle grabbed her car keys. “I am taking you to eat at my friend's big restaurant."
“I’m not hungry.”
“You don’t need to be.” She said curtly
In the car I rested my head weakly on the window staring at the street. At intervals tears would roll down my cheek. We stopped at one high end restaurant with all my years of being a popular social media influencer. I only came to this kind of restaurant when I had brand deals because Marcus kept insisting we save.
Michelle parked “I can’t go in there,” I said immediately. “People will recognize me.”
“So what?” she replied, unbuckling her seatbelt. “Let them at least see you alive.”
Inside, the restaurant buzzed with low music, clinking glasses and soft laughter. The smell of food hit my stomach and it turned painfully from hunger.
We were led to a table, I had my hoodie cap covering my face so hard anyone would recognize me.
She excused herself to go talk to her friend, leaving me alone at the table. I kept my head down, focusing on my hands, trying not to cry again.
From the corner of my eyes I noticed someone videoing me from the side of the table. This was what I wanted to avoid, so I decided to excuse myself into the toilet. I stood up looking down only to bump into a waitress holding a hot cup of coffee. The hot coffee splashed forward.
“Oh my God…..!” I gasped as the liquid spilled onto a man sitting at the next table. It soaked his shirt, splashed across his tablet, dripping onto the floor.
I panicked and immediately lost my balance.
I would have fallen if an arm hadn’t wrapped around my waist to steady me. The contact snapped something in me I didn’t know maybe because he was a man
“Why are you touching me?” I yelled, pushing away violently. “What is wrong with you?”
The man froze, clearly startled by my loud outburst. He didn’t mention any word to me, he sat down back on the table like nothing had happened.
I turned and walked away, my chest tight, tears threatening to spill again. I must have overreacted, but I just felt irritated that a man was getting that close. Marcus already ruined my life enough.
Michelle rushed toward me by the door. “What happened, why are you not seated?”
“Let’s go,” I said. “Please.”
Without another word Michelle drove us back home and she decided to prepare some homemade food. I laid down hopelessly on the bed staring blankly at the ceiling. My body felt hollow and empty at the same time the pictures of me and Marcus still hung on the wall. I wanted to smash them down but I didn’t have the strength to stand on my own.
Just them Michelle’s voice rang out
“You need to see this Nyla”
Michelle rushed out from the kitchen holding her phone towards me, I took the phone only to behold another blog post
‘BILLIONAIRE SPOTTED WITH NYLA HOURS AFTER MARCUS’ CHEATING SCANDAL …..NEW MAN?’
My heart dropped as I scrolled down quickly. The picture underneath was from the restaurant. The exact moment he held my waist when I almost fell. The angle made it look like something else entirely like we were some intimate lovers.
“What is this again?” I whispered out in frustration as tears threatened to let itself out. Just in one day I had made two headlines. What exactly did they want from me?
I handed the phone back to Michelle in confusion.
“This is a lie,” I said immediately, running my hand scatteredly in my hair. “I need to correct this. I’ll make a video and explain everything.”
Michelle shook her head. “Have you seen the comments,” she asked me
I frowned. “What do you mean?” I took the phone back with trembling fingers and scrolled through the comments. I expected people to drag me again.
But the comments were different.
‘Oh my God! I am so jealous of Nyla, she bagged the richest guy in the country.’
‘No wonder Marcus broke up with her, he knew he couldn’t stand a chance.’
‘See how it didn’t even take long after Marcus left her for him to claim his woman, what an intentional man.’
‘Wow they actually look good together.’
I was shocked. I knew this was how social media was, but I didn’t expect it to be so soon. I couldn’t allow this, I had no idea that guy earlier was the richest business tycoon. I had seen his pictures a ton of times but earlier I was so overwhelmed by my pain.
“I need to correct this immediately. I’ll do a video and explain everything.”
Michelle shook her head slowly.
“No, don't do that,” she said.
I blinked in shock “It’s the Wilson’s family we are talking about here, I can’t bare to mess with them”
“I know,” she replied. “But because of this. people are supporting you again.”
I swallowed. “So what are you saying?”
She took a deep breath.
“Why don’t we use this to our advantage?.”
My heart started beating faster.
“How do you intend to do that Michelle?” I asked like a confused child.
Michelle gave a smile which immediately turned to a serious look “You will have to become what you aren’t”
- Writer
