004

Tears ran down her face as she watched him bask in glory while he looked at her miserly.

“You are a beast." 

“One of the sweetest compliments I have ever heard," He said nonchalantly and snapped his finger in the air.

     Was this the man she had loved all her life? Her heart was being torn apart, into shreds and he didn't care.

“Leave my house!!" She ordered calmly, pointing a finger at the door.

 He clicked his tongue, “I will, my love. But first, we have unfinished business." 

    Kensington squinted her eyes. 

“I have no business with a monster like you. Now, leave!!!" She barked loudly.

 Sander heard her voice. She jumped to her feet, wore her flipflops and skirted out of the room.

“Did you read the terms and conditions of the agreement you signed with Mr. Henry?" Jerome asked with a mischievous smirk on her face.

   Something snapped in her head. Mr. Henry had asked her this as well. She didn't read. She never had time to because Jerome was on her neck to get the deal signed.

“Well, you didn't. Why would you know about it?”

"What are you talking about?” Kensington questioned, her tear stained face etched with a curious look.

"Kensington, You have signed a lifetime deal. In the agreement, You promised to never pull out until I say so,” Jerome rasped, a triumphant grin spreading widely across his face.

 Her face blanched. Time stood still.

"What?”

"Yes. You will be my worker until I am satisfied.”

  Jerome threw his phone into his pocket and dug his hands into his back pocket, "Right now, Young lady I need your services.”

“I won't work for you, Jerome. You are a jerk…” Kensington snapped.

"Call me whatever you may but you are doing your part of the deal. Whether you wish to or not.”

   Kensington held his gaze. His gaze was a light haze of black and a smile perched the corner of his lips.

"I will be waiting at Henry's. Be there by seven pm.”

 He swirled around. A few miles to the door, he turned back, "And, don't you dare act smart,” He winked and left the house.

  Kensington stumbled to the floor, devastated and heartbroken. Her face was coloured with tears. Veins popped in her eyes.

Sander drew close to her and knelt next to her, “Kenzie?!" 

 Kensington remained mute, staring blankly into space. Her orbs swirled emotionlessly.

“Kenzie?" 

“What did he say?" Sander asked her while rubbing her shoulders tenderly.

“I have to go to Mr. Henry's. I'll be right back," She jumped to her feet and dust her skirt.

“Again? I thought you agreed to never go back there," Sander shunned, strolling behind her.

“Sander, I'll be back," Kensington urged and picked her bag and turned out of the house.

  Sander bit her lower lip worriedly and watched Kenzie go out of the house. She watched her hail a cab and drove away.

…

“Cut!" Mr. Henry yelled at the top of his voice. He was in the middle of another shooting session.

   A girl dressed sultry wearing just a pantie and loose wrap top let out an exasperated exhale.

“Come on man, This is like the sixth time. Am I doing it wrong?" She queried in a deep American tone, her nose flared up.

“Oh yes, You are," Mr. Henry replied and lit up his cigarettes. He stepped aside and whispered a word to one of the men who was bare naked and had only a towel tied loosely around his waist.

“Kensington would have been a better character for this," He mumbled afterwards and sat on the chair, puffing air through his nostrils and mouth.

   Kensington stepped in. Her stomach growled noisily in irritation. Her nose wriggled at the disgusted place. The room was dimly lit by a red incandescent light. 

  A shoulder bumped into her and a loud hiss followed, “Hey, What do you want?”  

  She turned in the direction of the voice. Another girl with red lipstick smeared on her lips, mascara packed on her face and chewing gum scowled at her. She gave her a once over and hissed again.

"We have got a spy here,”She announced and everyone began to scamper around. She held Kensington’s wrist tightly and made sure she wouldn't break out of her grip.

Clothes flew around as they all tried to pull some clothes over their bodies.

 Mr Henry walked up to them with the stick of a cigarette hanging from his lips, “Hell…” His loud bellow was lost somewhere in the air when he saw Kensington.

   "Hey Kensington, I wasn't expecting you today,”He said with surprise.

    Kensington hated the surprised look on his face. She hated the smirk glued on his face.

"Can we talk?” Kensington asked with a straight face and yanked her hands free from the girl's grip.

“Clear," He bellowed to his crew and puffed some smoke through his nostrils. Kensington inhaled some of it and it clogged her throat. She began to cough and moved out of the room.

 It was suffocating being in a place she loathed so much.

“Come on, Pretty lady. What happened to you?" Mr Henry implored leading the way to his office.

“I couldn't reach you on the phone. You didn't come back again. Jerome has been here asking after you….”

"Can I see the agreement I signed?” Kensington cut in finding his information unimportant at the moment.

"What agreement?”

"The one Jerome made me sign. I want to see it,” She said with tears breaking her voice.

"No, We don't do that here. You have your copy of the agreement. I can't give you mine,” Mr. Henry refutted with a wave of his head.

  Kensington swallowed hard. She felt a huge lump in her throat. She was supposed to have her own copy right, but she never thought of that. She was so blinded by love.

"No, I don't,” She admitted in shame with her head bent over her shoulders.

    Mr Henry studied her for some seconds before he began to move around. His footsteps echoed through the wall. 

"Is anything wrong?” 

  Wrong. Everything is wrong. Everything has gone south and her life is a total mess.

"Please, let me have it for a minute,” she pleaded.

"What do you want to know?” Mr. Henry asked and crossed his hands over his chest, he stood next to her and leaned against the table. The cigarette butt laid on the ash tray with the cigarette stick burning slowly.

"I have been trapped. He deceived me," Kensington intoned.

“I can't do this anymore…” Kensington confessed, raised her gaze to his face.

He looked down at her piteously. Her brows drew high.

"You don't have a choice.”

   Her heart dropped with a thud. 

"You gave your consent to it. You can't break the agreement.”

"Please help me, I don't want to do this,” Kensington went down on her knees, pleading in tears.

"You will have to.”

   Mr. Henry pushed himself from the table and walked around the table.

   That was it. She was stuck. Stuck in Jerome's deception with no way to pull out.

   A wad of notes plodded on the table before her, “There, I reserved some for you. That's your share of the last shoot." 

  She was reluctant to pick. But as much as she didn't want to take it, she needed money. She didn't have a note on her. All she has ever earned has been thrown into rescuing Jerome from his debt.

 Reluctantly, she picked it and stashed it into her bag.

“I will be waiting for you tonight. Jerome says you will be here." 

  Kensington rose to her feet. Anger built up in her. Hearing that jerk's name made her anger shoot up.

“Kensington," He called her as she was on her way out. She held the door knob and turned about her heels.

  “Don't do anything stupid. Jerome will hurt you," He warned, his eyes filled with sincerity and care when she looked him in the eye.

 She nodded and walked out.