Obsessive

Chapter 1

Chapter 1

Brenda's POV

"The information on the billboard and the designs were impressive. Great work." Desmond smiled my way before accessing the image again on his iPad. "Thank you sir. I'm happy the investors liked it. I spent many nights on it." I said shrugging it off like it was nothing. Desmond chuckled, "That's pure hardwork Brenda. Keep it up and you'll be out of here pretty soon with your online degree." I was very elated to hear that. I only had a few months till my online graphics design course was up. I couldn't believe I had made it this far. 

"Am excited about it sir," I gave him my best toothy grin before he walked out of our department. "Wow girl. You're stepping up the ranks pretty well," Emmy walked up to my cubicle and leaned her elbow on my desk giving me a weird look. 

"What's with that look?" I narrowed my brows. 

"Don't act dumb girl. You're very pretty and that quality of yours would be working in your favor so fast," Gladys chuckled behind me. I rolled my eyes and quickly noticed Ria trying to pick up something in my bag but I thought fast and pulled my bag with my heels to my left giving her a duh look. 

"You sure are mysterious Brenda," Ria shaked her head at my act and got to resuming eating her salad. "Okay guys my boyfriend just texted me and he's inviting you all to his birthday party over at his place tonight. It's a two storey building." Ana gasped and informed us about it. As predicted, every one of us squealed in our department. 

"Hey Brenda, would you accompany me to the party?" Conan leaned his chair backward and turned to me. I smiled and turned to Ana humbly declining her invitation as well as Conan. Ana snorted at me and rolled her eyes. "You know I wasn't going to invite you anyways since you never want to hang out with us. You're a nerd and are way too busy to have fun. No wonder you have no boyfriend."

"Ana, don't be like that. Am sure Brenda's occupied in her personal space that's all." Emmy defended me but I didn't need it. I could defend myself but chose not to. I couldn't care less about what Ana thought of me. We weren't even that close like my closeness with Emmy, Ria, Gladys and Conan. Ever since I could recall, she always had an issue with me but I wasn't going to allow anything affect me with my goal. I had made a promise to my mother and myself. 

"So why don't you have any boyfriend Brenda? I know for a fact you're not gay." Gladys chuckled and Ria nearly choked on her salad because of laughter. 

"Am...just busy with a lot right now and honestly don't have time for any man or being in a relationship," That was the best answer I could come up with. I couldn't tell them I had a strong phobia against men. I had a firm opinion about men. They only wanted one thing and that was to always have their way with a woman. They were selfish beings. 

"Are you sure or is that no guy wants to date a nerd." Ana mocked but no one in our department found her lame remarks funny. Who could blame her. She managed to grab a hold on a financially stable guy who claimed he loved her. 

"Quit it Ana. I believe you're just jealous." Conan retorted making Ana more curious and she threw a glare right at me. I wanted to put her in her place but my ringtone made beat me to it. I saw it was from James, my foster brother. 

I stepped out of our department and got to a secluded area to answer the call. 

"Hello James, is there a prob...."

"Brenda! D..dad's been arrested." James cut me off and blurted out. I could hear him crying over the phone. My heart thumped inside my chest and my body felt heavy and had to hold on to a pillar to support myself. Dad was...arrested? What happened.

"What do you mean dad was arrested?" I asked and held my forehead feeling anxious. My palms were sweaty and I couldn't think straight at the moment. 

"The police came and took...him away. Mrs Melrose is angry and has followed the police to help dad. Come home soon..." My heart swelled for my dad and I wondered what happened and how my dad ended up in jail. He was a sweet and kind man and wouldn't dare to harm anyone even in his thoughts. I practically owed him my life and where I was today. 

"I'll be home soon. Okay?" I wanted to sound strong and collected. I didn't want to break down over the phone and alarm James and my rest siblings. We were five together in foster care with Mr Matteo and Mrs Melrose. They were our foster care parents in charge of five of us. 

I clutched my phone tightly and close to my chest taking deep breaths trying to calm down my nerves. Whatever the reasons, I knew the charges against him was false. I had to rush back home and ease the tension. It wasn't in me but I assumed responsibility since I was the eldest among five of us in foster care. I knew Mrs Melrose would throw a fit at home. 

I glanced at my watch while taking deep and anxious breaths. I sighed a relief lowly. It was almost closing hours. I picked up my pace and happened to hear Ana gossiping about me. 

"How can we all converse with a person that's so mysterious. Brenda hasn't once invited us over to her place. Neither does she have a boyfriend nor anyone around. Don't you find that strange. Sometimes I feel bad vibes coming from her and I even fear if she's from some psycho family or a serial killer." I couldn't believe my ears when Ana said that but that wasn't what struck me. 

I heard Ria say, "It is true that she's often secretive about her life. I mean I even feel she's hiding something dangerous about who she is and that's why doesn't want anyone to get close. It's a thought." I blinked my eyes dumbfounded at what my ears were receiving. 

"She's not bad guys but...I'll admit she's really weird and keeps to herself. One thing's for sure. She's definitely not who she claims to be." I hanged my mouth hearing Conan whisper. "And here I thought you liked Brenda?" Gladys asked furrowing her brows. "Sure I liked her. She's hot for an Asian right. But damn her curves are tight and her huge boobs are to water for." I felt sick to my stomach hearing Conan's remarks and what he actually thought about me. This only confirmed my belief about men. They were all the same and trash. My mother made the same mistake years ago but I wasn't going to copy her. I was to be exceptional.

‍​‌‌​​‌‌‌​​‌​‌‌​‌​​​‌​‌‌‌​‌‌​​​‌‌​​‌‌​‌​‌​​​‌​"She's all nice and a brain freak. I coo with her just so she could help me with difficult tasks concerning the designs. She's a good friend for that but asides that...i can't trust her. Who knows where she goes after closing hours." Emmy said and munched on her burger. "She might act tough and honest but I strongly believe that she uses her huge cleavage and ass to her advantage." Emmy added adding to my distaste for her. 

I had it with them. I didn't care what they thought of me but at the same time it hurt knowing you didn't have anyone by your side. Anyone to call a true friend. I wasn't fortunate to have that at all. If only they knew what I had been through and what trauma I had to go through when I was a girl of twelve years old. They wouldn't understand my life. 

Ignoring their comments, I recalled my dad in jail and wiped my face that threatened to spill out tears. I walked back into the department and I could tell their faces went all pale seeing me barge in. "Em...Brenda?" Emmy smiled her fake toothy grin but I ignored her and grabbed my bag before walking out. 

I signed out early and quickly hailed for a cab taking me back to my foster home. Surprisingly it was my only home I could call that. On the way home, my colleagues' words affected me. I thought I had friends I could confidently say at my program but I knew today that I was alone. I had no friends nor a real family to call my own. My only family was my mother but she wasn't with me anymore. The only person I could say was close to was my foster dad Mr Matteo. 

I felt down with the news for my father's sudden arrest and my friends who I thought were mine were talking trash about me behind my back. I leaned against the window and heard the radio in the cab. They were talking about Jane Siller, the famous actress. My favorite actress on television. Sabrina and I loved watching her movies. She was a natural at it and it was on the news of her premiere happening in two days for her next movie. Normally I would have been over the moon but my body and mind weren't at ease because of my dad's case. 

I reached a nice housed and built duplex. The cab parked in front. I rushed down from the cab and I saw a few of our neighbors outside and close to our home muttering among themselves. I approached Mrs Thompson. "What happened here," I asked. Mrs Thompson opened her mouth to speak, "Your d...."

"What happened! My husband got arrested!" I heard Mrs Melrose yell out behind me as she walked towards me. She was very upset and her eyes were red from crying. I walked up to her and tried to console her but she pushed me away angrily making me almost stumble in my place. An elderly man held on to my shoulder preventing me from falling. 

Mrs Melrose looked at me angrily and her eyes were telling me how I was to blame. I couldn't get her stare which were throwing all kinds of accusations at me but I let it slide off believing she was hurting.

"My husband got arrested because he was framed. The people at his workplace accused him of stealing confidential information and leaking them to their opponents." She told one of our close neighbors and cried profusely. "Arrested him for leaking information? But dad won't do that..."

"He's not your father you i***t!" She lashed at me throwing few strands of her blonde hair to her back. "So what did the officer tell you at the station?" Our neighbor asked. Mrs Melrose only cried more. "They aren't letting him go. He's innocent and an honest man. He's too honest for my taste and I know deep in my heart that he's innocent and wouldn't do anything of that sort," 

I was torn apart by her words. Mrs Melrose hadn't been the best mother figure for us but she still played her part in the home as a foster mother. Seeing her in that state really got to me. 

"Brenda!" I turned around and saw James and Yesenia running in my direction. I smiled at them and knelt down to hug them both. Their eyes were all teary and worried for dad and when he will get back home. "Brenda, the cops took away dad. Is dad in trouble?" Yesenia asked in her little voice. I tried to restrain myself from letting tears fill my eyes in front of them. They saw me as their elder sister and backbone if dad went away for a few days. 

"Tell us Brenda. Will dad be home soon?" James asked this time. I didn't know what to say knowing the unknown. I wasn't sure if our dad would return back home today. After all he was accused of a terrible crime which was strict and punishable by the law. "I don't know if my husband will return if I don't arrange for it." I heard Mrs Melrose converse with her friend. 

"And how much is the bail?" Her friend asked and Mrs Melrose shooked her head and sniffled.  

"Since he's a first time offender, the bail was put down to five thousand dollars." I widened my eyes hearing the amount. "That's too much for a first time offender," Mrs Melrose sighed having shed out all her tears. "The charges are serious and they could only bring down the bail this low considering his first time." She answered and I then sent James and Yesenia back into the house. I didn't want them to hear about this. 

I got up and asked Mrs Melrose if there wasn't any way we could pay bail. She looked at me with horrid eyes. If looks could kill, I would have been dead by now. Her gaze was very heated and stern. I was sure she was blaming me for this happening to dad in her head. She always had the habit of passing blames. 

"Where do you expect me to get that kind of money Brenda? I could have payed the bail and my husband will be here if I had the money but no! And it's all your damn fault." I was appalled by her accusations. We were both upset about dad's arrest and supposed to think of a solution together and Mrs Melrose was passing the blame to me. I couldn't wrap my head around that but I should have gotten used to it by now. 

"If Matteo hadn't wasted all his hard earned money on sending you to that fancy program studying some stupid graphics design whatever course. Am sure we would have arranged for bail and Matteo will be home right this instant. What use is your program anyways. It's useless." She yelled at me and I gulped. My body shooked violently and tears were peeping out. I didn't  want her to see how much her words had affected me.

My legs carried me rushing into the house. I heard her screaming my name but I ran into the house and accelerated up the staircase stepping into our room. 

I bounced on my side of the bunk bed and let all the tears slip out from my eyes freely. Sabrina and Evan weren't back from school and not aware of the situation. They were going to be sad as well. Mr Matteo loved us all equally. He was the one who treated us well and opted to have all five of us stay in one house. He was the best person in the whole world and I was indebted to him. He was the one who saved my life that night. That dreadful night I had long forgotten until today. A reminder of where I was today.

I clearly recalled that night after running on bare feet on the road. I was lost and had nowhere to go. I remembered looking back as I ran carrying my heart up to my throat in fear. He was after me and I shrieked thinking if he had caught me then....but Mr Matteo came to my rescue after that and saved me. I owed him where I was today and Mrs Melrose's words hit me. He spent a lot on our education and what made us happy. 

We could literally ask him for what we wanted and he was sure to come through. Now I was blaming myself for him not being home. He spent a lot on my program. I loved designing and wanted to be a graphics designer for big companies. Mr Matteo shared my passion and gave me the go-ahead and now I was regretting it. 

Mrs Melrose was right. If Mr Matteo hadn't spent a lot of money into my program, they would have been money in the bank to withdraw that amount and gotten him released out on bail. I curled myself into a ball and felt alone. Guilt ran through me as I blamed myself for dad having the possibility of spending the night in jail. 

But I couldn't sit by idle. I needed to do something but what could I do? My online degree wasn't going to be available for me until after a few months and I graduate from the program. I was trapped with what to do.