Excerpt
"Hey, what's up?" Muya answered on the other side of the phone.
It's Penny," Shelly conveyed.
"What! Again!" Muya asked, and he sighed with fatigue. "What's the plan?" he said, sounding tired and disappointed. "Okay, so what's the way forward?"
CHAPTER SEVEN.
Stridha's PoV
I need a fresh one; see to it that it's arranged okay."
Do you have anybody in mind?"
With his deadly glimmer shining across his eyes, he replied, "Or do you rather say Erica, when you fucked it all up?"
No, Benj."
"Are you telling me all the girls are done, Shelly?"
She swallowed in frustration. Why can't Stridha be content with just one girl all the years she was with him? She had hoped he might gradually fall for her as she agreed to sign that contract, but it seems he is not the one to fall in love; he was stone-hearted about emotions and feelings.
"I'll arrange one; how do you want it to be? Shelly asked in a horror voice.
"An outdoor one would make sense," he plainly said.
"Sure, Benjamin, it's taken care of. By the way, I need to recruit more female employees; this girl will be the final addition. Stridha questioned, 'Why do I need to know?' His face looked ominous as he inquired, 'What's next?'
"Since you wanted to be kept in the loop," Stridha chuckled tauntingly. "Shelly, are you feeling worn out? Perhaps I should consider hiring someone else."
Despite the challenges, Shelly enjoyed the stability of being Stridha's girlfriend and the financial support she received, but she wasn't ready to part ways anytime soon.
No Benja...
"Then do your job, dear darling Shelly," he spelled mischievously, rubbing her chin with his thumb. "You well know that love is never in my vocabulary, don't you?"
Shelly nodded in submission.
Even though he was from having her, he never thought to be content; anyway, he is like that to every girl he comes in contact with." That thought comforted her.
Once more, Shelly wondered, Why did he mention Erica? Is it a significant issue that he never had her? What's going on with Stridha? Does he aim to have every girl in the world, or something?
Despite two years of being together, Shelly never completely grasped Stridha. Approaching the elevator, her phone buzzed, and on checking, she found her boyfriend, Benjamin, calling. "Yes, Benjamin," she acknowledged, "I nearly forgot to tell you to head directly to Erica's place and return the job to her."
Consumed by anger she shut her eyes before she replied "yes sir" with a bitter tone. "Erica when will you the thing of the past?" She exclaimed heading to the elevator.
Shelly's PoV
With a heavy heart, Shelly sighed,
"Yes, sir!"
Erica's name again! Well, I'll organize Erica as his next task, if only to erase that name from his lips once and for all.
"Hello madam"
A voice jotted at her as if one of the workers had greeted her.
As she turned to see who it was that greeted her, she widened her eyes to see who it was.
"you !"
"Yes, me," she replied with a stubborn attitude, "and I am not here to see you; I am here for your boyfriend, Mr. Stridha." To her surprise, Shelly smiled mischievously. "Oh, really! I see. He is in his office. You can go right ahead."
Without wasting time, she went straight to his office.
Shelly called him right away.
Yes!"
"Benjamin, Penny is heading to your office as we speak, and I think it's what I suspect it to be."
"I'll take care of her; just ensure you reach out to Muya," Stridha affirmed before ending the call so she can contact Muya.
"Hey, what's up?" Muya answered on the other side of the phone.
It's Penny," Shelly conveyed.
"What! Again!" Muya asked, and he sighed with fatigue. "What's the plan?" he said, sounding tired and disappointed. "Okay, so what's the way forward?"
"Stay prepared; if it reaches that point, I'll give you a heads-up. Your brother wanted you to be informed, so I'm letting you know ahead of time.
"Okay, then." Muya ended the call.
Muya's PoV;
"Why does this keep happening?" Muya analyzed as he dialed his brother's number to address the issue. He couldn't shake off the notion that his mother might be right, suggesting that Stridha's abnormal behavior was the result of a cold heart.
"Muya," Stridha responded as he picked up the call.
"Is what I heard true?" Muya asked urgently.
"What did you hear, kid brother?"
"Just answer me!" Muya demanded, his tone escalating.
"It seems so," Stridha replied casually. "Seems, you say?"
"Yes, but I'm yet to confirm it, kido."
"Don't call me that, Benjamin. If it's confirmed, what are your intentions?"
"What has always been Muya? It's not like I do it; they choose to."
"You leave them no choice, moron!" Muya exclaimed in frustration.
"Does that even matter, dear brother?" Stridha questioned.
Pissed off, Muya hung up, muttering, "I don't know why I bother with you."
Stridha's PoV;
Get straight to the point, Penny. What is it that you want from me?"
Penny thought he might want to touch her again. "I am here, Stri."
"You mean, sir?" Are you pregnant, Penny?" Stridha interjected, cutting her words short.
Bewildered, she was hanging her lips apart. He looked at her without smiling, seriously waiting for an answer. "Either you're pregnant or you need money, but whatever the case, you can only walk out of here with one and have absolutely nothing to do with me after that."
Penny remained astonished the entire time he was talking, not believing it. The man who was so much in love with her just weeks ago is behaving like a total stranger. Wow!
"Answer me, Penny, or I'll be forced to make that decision for you and sill your lips."
The statement filled her with fear. 'What does he mean by that? she thought. "Well, I am not pregnant. I only came for some pleasure and some money, sir," she spelled, sounding nervous.
"If you're not pregnant, I'll know. Should I call the doctor on you, or are you having second brains, Penny? He asked her.
"Okay," he said, reaching for the phone.
Penny thought of running out of the office as she kept datting her eyes to and from the door.
"The doors are on auto-lock. Penny, unless I agree to it, you can't leave. Now answer me," he said, getting up from his luxurious chair and seeming agitated.
Penny thought he was coming to harm her or silence her, as he stated earlier. With fear, she disclosed, "Yes, I am pregnant, sir."
"I know, now; answer me," he said, standing a few strides away from her face. "I, sir, if I keep then...
"That's not an answer, Penny."
Thinking of the fact that he will have nothing to do with her, she suggested going back with the money over the pregnancy.
"How much will it be, sir?"
"How much do you want, Penny? I'll give you enough to do what you want with it.
He then unsealed some kind of sweet and put it in his mouth before he advanced to kiss her lips passionately, alluring her to bed her. She complied; Stridha was good at everything he did; they had it in his office on his cultch, and he left her sleeping there.
When he left his office letter, he met his brother Muya. How is it that you're here?" Stridha asked him.
Where is she?" Muya asked.
Stridha tilted his head to the side. "Penny, I meant," added Muya.
"In the office,"
Muya became worried as Stridha said, Office,
"have you?"
No Muya What do you take me for because I haven't?"
Muya drew heavily. "Thank God," he said.
"Thank God?" Stridha seemed dissatisfied. "What?, meaning? Sridha asked.
Muya ignored him as he went to his brother's office. "Or you can't enter now; it's a bit disturbing in there?"
Muya glared intensely at Stridha.
"I meant she was sleeping necked; you can't look at her; maybe until she wakes up." He finished speaking and continued with his movements.
"Benjamin!" Muya yelled in his heart.