Logan
There was only one person in the world I called my cupcake, Selena.
"Se…Selena" I stammered because I didn't want to believe it.
"Yes babe, it's me" she said from the other end.
"What do you want?" I cleared my throat and asked her.
"I missed you. Didn't you miss me baby?" she asked me
"You must think I'm very stupid to do your bidding again" I said.
I ought to be mad and maybe even yell at her right now but my voice betrayed me.
"You left" I barely whispered
"I will be at our favorite hotel, I'll wait for you" she said
"Why would I want to see you?" I asked her wondering if she had forgotten that she hurt me
"I will wait for you. I will answer all your questions" she said and hung up.
She leaves me at the altar. She didn't show up at our wedding. She calls me almost 5 years later wanting to see me. I wanted to see her and ask all the questions I had been piling up in my head.
I didn't bother asking about the time because I knew when we usually meet, I still remember everything like it was yesterday.
I tried concentrating at work, but I couldn't. I just had to wait till it was 5 pm before I left.
I worked for a few more hours before Kevin came knocking.
"It's time sir" he told me and looked at him clueless about what he was talking about.
"The students sir, they are supposed to present their ideas for the new product today" he explained
"Oh yes, it slipped my mind" I said
"Are they all in the conference room?" I asked him
"Yes sir, we were just waiting for you to start" he said
"Let's go then" I said and walked behind Kevin to the conference room.
They were all seated when I got in. I spotted Mia, she was sitting with that guy from earlier and I'm sure they are partners for this work.
"Why does it even bother me?" I muttered under my breath.
"Let's proceed, guys. Which team would want to go first?" I asked and a hand was raised.
"Yes Olivia, you and your partner move to the front please" I said.
Her partner had a frown on his face. It would appear that he didn't want to go up first, I pitied him. Olivia was the pompous type of girl.
They rambled on and on, I didn't quite get what she was saying. She talked a lot about buying cars, and taking a loan if we didn't have enough money.
"Why would we want to take a loan, Olivia?" I stopped her presentation
"Sir, it's just a suggestion. If the budget isn't enough we could take a loan" she said and I pressed my forehead in frustration.
"You were asked to look for a means to advertise this new product, a means that was cheap but also efficient and you are here talking about loans? how is taking a loan a cheaper approach to advertising a product?" I scolded and she shivered.
I shouldn't be too hard on them. They are just student interns but I wasn't in a good mood because of Selena and someone had to take some of the heat I was feeling.
"Next pair" I announced.
Two different pairs came up to present their work and I tried to pay more attention this time.
Mia and her partner came next to present their work as the 4th pair.
"No matter how poor and broke we are, we try to eat at least even once a day" I heard Mia say. Intriguing startup statement, I was keen on hearing the rest.
"For us to eat, we either buy goods and cook the food ourselves or buy already-made food" she spoke
"Already-made food is sold in restaurants and many of them have a menu. Looking up at the menu is inescapable" she continued
"Imagine getting details of our new product on those menus. It won't cost plenty but we will still be attaining a wider market and audience" she said and I was amazed at how fluently she delivered her piece.
"From my research scoop, the Adams enterprise has about four restaurants in this city and the neighboring cities. Getting our new product on the menu of our restaurants will reduce costs while trying to negotiate with other restaurants that will not deny doing business with our prestigious enterprise" she said and I just kept nodding my head in agreement.
Her partner whom I didn't like, h concluded by adding a few words to what Mia said but I wasn't interested in paying attention to them.
The last pair came to present their work too.
"You all did great with this work, but we can't select everybody's work and you know this. The pair with the best work will work on executing the advertisement of this new product" I told them before getting up from my seat and leaving the conference room.
"The winners will be announced tomorrow in the morning and they will start working immediately" I heard Kevin say behind almost closed doors as I left.
"Give me the car keys, I'll drive" I told my driver and he didn't dispute.
I took the car keys and left to see Selena.
***
"Is that room service?" I heard her voice from inside when I knocked on the hotel room door. It was Selena, she was there.
"Logan" she said when she opened the door
"You came" she beamed but I just pushed past her and went in.
"What do you have to say for yourself?" I asked her when she joined me inside.
"I missed you, stop acting up" she said trying to come close to me
"Oh, so I am acting up?" I raised my voice.
"Keep it down, please. I know you are furious but I can explain" she said
"Yeah, you should start talking" I said
"I found out one week before our wedding that your father was the man who hurt my mother and made her lose her mind" she said with a pathetic face and looked at me
"Go on" I asked her to go on
"I have a cousin, he loved my mother like she was his mother because she took care of him when he lost his mother. He suggested we kill you or extort a huge sum of money from you and flee" she said with tears in her eyes.
I wanted to go over and console her. I loved this woman excessively but I restrained myself from doing that.
"But I couldn't do that to you Logan. You are the only man I have ever loved so deeply so I had to leave and cool off for some time. You have no idea how many times I wanted to call just to hear your voice' she sobbed.
"You are good, you are a professional at this" I said to her
"What do you mean?" she asked me after patting her eyes dry.
"You told me your mother was dead when we were together Selena. You never mentioned she lost her mind and, I saw the video where you confessed everything to your friend" I yelled.
"I just said that because I know how people will react if I told you I had a mad woman as a mother. That video, it wasn't me. Someone photoshopped my face" she defended herself.
"You are a liar" I wailed again
"You didn't know your cousin was working in the company too?" I asked her
"I didn't know, my love I'm telling the truth" she said and tried approaching me but I took a few steps backward.
"Believe me please" she begged me
"Let's assume you're telling the truth. It doesn't change the fact that you left me, you humiliated me in public so why did you come back?" I asked her
"I came back for you, I missed you" she tried holding my hands
"After four years, it's now you are realising that you love and miss me?" I asked
"No, stop being difficult. Don't you love me anymore? I have been keeping tabs on you, you're still single you are not married. You are not even in a relationship" she smiled
"That's where you are wrong Selena, I met someone" I said.
I couldn't give Selena the satisfaction of thinking I couldn't love anyone while she was gone.
"That's not true, you are only saying that to hurt me" she said
"Hurt you?" I asked her
"I'm not like you who takes satisfaction in hurting others. I'm seeing someone and she's better than you in numerous ways than you could ever think of" I said
"So why are you here? why did you come?" she asked me
"I needed closure. I wanted to know why you left, for a minute I thought maybe I was the problem but it turns out it's just you. I'll take my leave now, bye Selena and she knows that I'm here" I said walking towards the door with my whole body shaking from inside with each step that I took.
"I won't let you walk away from my life Logan, it won't happen. You are mine" she said just when I was about to open the door.
I stopped in my tracks.
"I don't want to see you anywhere near me or my family, I'm warning you nicely now" I warned
"When did you start talking to me in this manner?" she asked quietly like she was going to burst into tears any moment.
"Since you became evil" I said and we were quiet for a while
"Logan, I'm sick" she said
"We'll look at that, God decided to punish you" I said. I knew she said that to make me take pity on her.
I opened the door and left.
***
Kevin
My boss was very impatient in the conference room today. I have worked with him long enough to know that something wasn't right.
He hung up abruptly on call today when I came to call him for the meeting.
"Is someone blackmailing him?" I asked myself
My fear levels grew when I saw his driver walking towards me.
"Where is he?" I asked
"He left. He said he didn't need me to drive him" the driver said
"And you let him?" I asked
What was I expecting him to do?
"Did he say where he was headed?" I asked him even though I already knew the response
"No sir" he confirmed what I knew
I reached for my phone and dialed his brother's number
"Kevin" he said once the call got connected
"I think your brother is in trouble" I panicked
"What do you mean, how Kevin?" he asked me
"I think someone is blackmailing him. He received a call today and he left without his driver, he never does that" I told him
"Ok I will check on him, don't say a word to anyone" he told me