Chapter five
Her face looked like she had been crying for a while as Elena starred at her ex-boyfriend's door. She stretched her hand to open the door but she was hesitant. Hopefully he won't be home and she could get her belongings without facing him.
How hard will it be to pick up the only evidence of her dead relationship? It was only five years of her life. She took the key George gave to her and opened his door. And one by one she picked her stuff and with each one she picked, it reminded her of George, like the golden necklace he gave her on their first anniversary, the engraved cup he gave to her that clearly stated 'you and I forever'. Clearly forever is five years old.
She sat down on her favorite sofa and her eyes darted to the longer sofa beside her. If it was possible for someone to strangle a sofa, Elena would have. Flashes of George's body entangled with another girl on the next sofa played repeatedly. Elena blinked twice to refocus her eyes and mind. Sorry sofa, she wanted to say. Sorry it wasn't your fault.
Elena was going mad.
Her best friend entered George's apartment and sat close to her. McKenna was a rock and a fountain of everlasting encouragement and strength. Elena looked at her.
"Why are you so civil and calm? You need an outlet, Ellie. If you are angry, break something"
"I…I can't' Elena murmured and looked away
"You can't hold it together all the time, Elena. That piece of trash will get what will come to him" McKenna left her best and went outside. Elena needed some time alone.
Elena took her time to painstakingly examine every single item in George's house that held memory for her. It didn't help her pain and tears rushed down her eyes. On the shelf, next to the dining table was a picture and Elena was smiling in it, George had his hand around her and he must have whispered something to her because the picture was taken by a photographer nearby when Elena was unaware. She had framed the picture and had given it to George on their third anniversary.
She took the picture and smashed it. Elena screamed and went for the engraved cup next. She tore up his sofa and smashed his plates. Elena turned on his stereo and started dancing as she remembered all the mean things he said to her "you should be grateful I like you because you are worthless" she broke his framed picture "you are a disgrace to womanhood" she broke his priceless vessel, she thought about all the things he said to her and McKenna was right she was done letting fear dictate her life and she was going to have fun trashing his things.
McKenna patiently waited for her friend to come out, she could hear her break things and she didn't make any effort to stop her. When Elena finally emerged, McKenna looked at her.
"Do you feel better?" she asked
"Yeah… breaking his stuff helps" Elena replied
"Do you want to break some more?"
"I ran out of things to break" Elena simply replied
"Ice cream will make you feel better, or we could hire someone to kill him" McKenna suggested half kidding.
"I think I prefer ice cream, because we won't survive prison"
"That is probably a good idea" McKenna said and both smiled
The two friends went back to Elena's house for the sleepover; McKenna bought popcorn for the movie and ice cream for the heartbreak. McKenna wanted to tell her friend what happened with Jason but she couldn't. Her Friend was hurting and it just wasn't a good time. When her friend finally slept off, McKenna took the presentation she had typed and read through it, she made corrections where it was necessary and she added her own suggestions to it too. And for a little while before she went to bed she wondered what Jason was doing and for the briefest moment she prayed for their future.
The next morning, Elena was feeling better and she prepared for work with little enthusiasm. She made breakfast for McKenna and herself.
When they got to work, she was a bit distracted but she worked anyway, Elena remembered how they met, she was in two hundred levels in the university when she was approached by George and he was just the stability she needed. He was so kind to her and considerate that it didn't take her long to fall for him. Even her best friend was against the relationship but she didn't care, all she needed from him was love because money was never her problem. She was Elena kamsiyochukwu Obimmadu and she was the last child of late Senator Obimmadu and barrister Charity Obimmadu. Elena's father died in the same accident that crippled her mother when she was in three hundred levels and since then she has been taking care of herself and her crippled mother.
Elena saw herself through school with the help of the trust fund her father left in her name and the fact that her older brothers send money home every month for her upkeep.
George wanted the fame that comes with dating a senator's daughter and when Elena's father died a year later and she had to plan her life so as not to squander her trust fund, she reduced the amount of money she gives to George and that was when the trouble started. He would talk to her rudely and get away with. He would call her names and she won't say a thing. Common sense told her to end it but she had already suffered loss and losing her father was all the loss she could handle , so she stayed with him.
Around noon, Elena decided to go and have her lunch and McKenna was busy, so she went to her favorite restaurant alone. As she sat there, absently picking her food she heard a familiar voice.
"Who do we have here?"
"George" Elena murmured, he was standing there with his 20 year old, looking gorgeous
"Well, after destroying my property, I wanted to hunt you down and have you arrested but then again, I decided against it. you are just an old fat frustrated lady who will die alone" he whispered to her. Elena flinched and she was close to tears but tried to control it, she wished McKenna was there. McKenna would know what to say to this jerk.
"There you are sweetheart…. I told you not to eat without me, didn't I?" a voice said and kissed Elena's cheek. She looked up and there he was. It was Chike, her boss's best friend. She was surprised and why was Chike calling her sweetheart?
"I'm sorry" she replied Chike in her confusion
"Don't be my love. I know how much you love eating and seems we have visitors" he said and turned to face George "Hi, I am Chike, Elena's boyfriend and you are?"
"Are you not Chike Samson Anene? Oh my…" the 20 year old asked Chike as she bounced up and down like a child.
"Yes, I am" he replied
"I follow you on Instagram. I really want an internship in your company. It been a dream of mine to work for you" she said obviously intrigued
"Here is my card, call me. Is he your uncle?" Chike asked the girl as his hand gestured towards George who he already knew was not her uncle.
"Yes, he is" She said and that brought smiles to Elena's face.
"In that case, waiters… get a comfortable table for my new friends and bills on me" Chike said to them.
The look on George's face was priceless. He looked like he had been slapped as his new girlfriend dragged him to their table and started ordering food. George couldn't take his eyes off the Elena and her rich new boyfriend. How could she replace him so easily with someone that was... obviously better than him?
Elena was speechless, thank you was all she could say. She had encountered Chike in her place of work numerous times and she had never given him a second thought for obvious reasons. Apart from being in a serious a relationship, Chike was way out of her league with his cheerful face that held eyes that seemed to stare into her soul, his supermodel body that was lean and firm and he was rich, easygoing with good manners. Unlike Jason Yagazie that was strict and always formally dressed, Chike's attire consists of casual wears and T-shirts but he was striking anyway.
"My pleasure, I like putting arrogant egotistical ignorant fools like him in their place" he sat down beside her "Are you okay, Elena?"
"I will be, McKenna said there is nothing time won't heal" Elena answered
"He is not worth your pain. You deserve so much better" Chike said
Chike watched Elena go through her emotions. She was trying to get herself together.
"Do I? Because when someone tells you, over and over again that you are worthless, there comes a time you actually start to believe them" she said sipping her drink to buy herself few seconds to calm her nerves.
"Well you shouldn't… because you are beautiful, smart and intelligent. You should own it and keep your head high" Chike said and ordered more food for them
"Yeah, maybe I will" Elena said and smiled.