"So tell me, how has school been? Anyone you like or do not like?" Hazel and her son, Jermaine were talking about random things while they enjoyed their fruit salad.
"School is fun but we have bullies, especially in the senior class" he responded while shoving a piece of watermelon into his mouth.
"Who bullied you??" Hazel asked, ready to defend her son. Jermaine chuckled;
"No one can bully me, Mom. I'm a strong boy! You always told me that"
She smiled proudly, "Of course, you are a strong boy"
Still curious, she asked, "So who bullies who?"
"Well, when I went to get some snacks at the cafeteria, some seniors were hitting a girl in my class. Then, I pushed them away to stop and I took her to the school nurse to treat her for injuries"
Unknowingly to Jermaine, it was a proud moment for Hazel. She was happy and satisfied that her boy was a kind-hearted person.
"That is so sweet of you baby. I hope you reported to the authorities" she inquired but he shrugged it off "No mummy. I just did not want them to hurt her"
"You should report them so they won't be able to do it again to someone else okay?"
He nodded "Yes mummy and thank you for spending today with me. Nanny Nora can be boring sometimes and I get tired of playing games"
Hazel felt a pang of guilt in her chest. She was hardly there for her son because she was always too busy trying to make sure he didn't lack anything. It gladdened her heart that he appreciated the little time she spent with him today and she promised him she would take off days to be with him.
She kissed his cheek and packed their plates to the kitchen while he followed behind her. They were singing together while washing the dishes when they heard a knock on the door.
"Who could that be by this time?" She asked herself but Jermaine responded following behind her to check who was at the door
"Maybe Uncle Ethan".
Ethan didn't tell her he was coming. Whenever he wants to visit, he usually calls first even though Hazel thought it was unnecessary. She opened the door to reveal the last person on earth she was expecting.
"Damon?"
"Mi Amor"
*****
"I admit I enjoyed this exhibition so much. Thank you for bringing me here. It means a lot" Ethan thanked Anna.
"It's not a big deal. You've been a wonderful man to my friend" she replied.
They drank a little more before Ethan said he was tired and wanted to leave.
"I can take you home" Anna offered. Ethan quickly refused, "No, you should stay back and have fun, I'll just get a cab"
Anna was assigned the task of making sure Ethan did not get in contact with Hazel. She already swiped his phone while he was carried away with a conversation.
"I'm tired too, let's go, I'll drop you"
Ethan still rejected her offer. He felt she had done more than enough by bringing him to the exhibition and didn't want to bother her again.
"Fine. You should hurry home before it's too risky to be outside"
Ethan nodded and left the exhibition center.
He got to the bus stop and could hardly get a cab going in his direction. He got tired of standing and decided to sit and wait for a cab at the bus stop. Just then, it occurred to him that he hadn't called Hazel.
He reached out to his phone in his pocket but couldn't find it. "Where could it be?" He thought to himself. He remembered the only time he brought it out was to collect a man's number and he probably dropped it on the table they sat absentmindedly.
Anna was the only person that sat beside him. "Anna? Could she have taken it? Maybe she helped me keep it when I carelessly dropped it" he thought but he still wasn't sure. He thought of going back to the exhibition center to check.
"Maybe if I go to Hazel's, I can get her to call Anna to ask if she is with it," he thought before waving down a taxi.
Getting a taxi in the direction of her house was quite easy.
"Take me to Bedford"
****
"Jermaine darling, why don't you go up to your room, mummy has a visitor"
Jermaine tried to see who was at the door but Hazel was quick to gently shove him away.
"Who is that mummy?" He asked, concerned.
"It's nothing to worry about baby, just work"
Satisfied with her response, he went up to his room to play.
Hazel watched him go up as she shivered in fear of what was next. Damon smirked while he said,
"Work? Is that how your so-called clients come to visit you so late in the night? Well, that's the least of my concern because I did not expect anything less from a gold-digging whore like you"
He effortlessly pushed her away from the door and found his way into the house.
"Nice house, I must say but mine is better and bigger," he said as he walked around the house, examining everything.
"You have to leave now. I don't know what you want to do but this is not the right place! My son is upstairs"
"Shut up silly. He's my son, your weak, fragile body just managed to carry him. I will teach him all he needs to know so he will take over my empire someday" he smiled proudly.
Hazel felt the urge to punch him in the face but she still wanted to live longer. She rolled her eyes at him and asked "What do you want?"
"It's simple. I want you" he started moving closer to her but she stood her ground so he didn't think she was still as weak as she used to be.
"Damon, drop it. I would never and can never have anything to do with you!" Just then, he slapped her across her cheek and she fell to the ground groaning in pain.
"You think too highly of yourself. Do you think anyone would be foolish enough to love someone like you? Because a random painter is showing you little care, you think he loves you? He's just having fun until he gets tired and leaves you!" He said while moving closer to her, taking slow steps.
Hazel tried to drag herself to shift away from him, the more he came closer.
His words hurt her deeply, causing tears to well up in her eyes. It was really tough for her. This is what she faced the whole time she was with him. He never showed any form of affection, just dominance.
"Leave me, please. Please, I beg you. I promise you won't even hear from me or see me" she pleaded to no avail.
He went to her and grabbed her by her shirt, pulling her with him to the kitchen.
"Leave you?" He said, "Why shall I leave the mother of my first fucking child!"
"Please keep it down, I don't want him to hear us" she begged.
"Shut up woman!" He picked up a knife and turned her back to him, holding both her hands to her back and pointing the knife to her neck.
He observed her body. She added in the right places. Her body enticed him.
"I see what our painter friend enjoys" he dropped the knife and began to caress her body.
Hazel heaved a sigh of relief when he dropped the knife but couldn't bear the irritation she felt when he touched her.
Regrettably, she was dressed in a tiny nightgown that he effortlessly removed, revealing her full curvaceous breasts and shapely behind.
He bent over to sniff her neck and shoulder. He cupped her breasts and placed her head on the counter. He used one hand to hold both her hands and used the other hand to rip her panties off her.
"Leave me alone Damon! You good for nothing fool. I hate you so much. I hate you!" She screamed and cried and fought as hard as she could but he was too strong for her.
"I'm going to have a taste of what our painter friend enjoys and you're going to be quiet and take it like a good girl, okay?"
Just when he brought out his manhood, they heard a voice from the corner of the kitchen,
"Mummy?"