Chapter four

Zaphrina did the everyday routine; Walked straight to the kitchen after a sleepless night, where her mum secondarily resided considering that time of the day. She hung her purse on a chair next to the one she plopped on. 

"Good morning mama."

The mid-thirty coal-black haired gentlewoman who was backing her at the moment pivoted her head to her daughter with a smile. "How was work?"

Usually, the question won't bother her as it was usual for her to just give it a casual answer but this time the question to her sounded like intolerable screeches into the ears as a flash of awful images came jogging in and out of her mind.

A cup of hot coffee was deposited in front of her followed by a plate consisting of two slices of peanut butter sandwich.

"Are you ok?" her mum questioned again this time pulling a chair adjacent to her.

"Yeah, I'm good, work was fine," she said as she sipped into her cup of hot coffee. "How's your leg by the way?" she asked, trying as much as possible to divert the conversation.

"It's getting better." she replied whilst struggling to stretch her legs.

Her mum had been on crutches for as long as a year and a half. She was trying to adjust the drainpipe from further damage using a seven-year-old ladder which decided to give up the ghost once she was at the top of it. A broken rib, two dislocations, and a compound leg fracture were what she ended up with. Three-quarters of their savings were buried in operations and medications leaving them with practically nothing. 

No one dared tell her to stay in bed unless you meant trouble. 

"I'll reach the drugstore after work." she said, biting into the sandwich.

Kate's eyes suddenly watered and a quivering mouth followed seconds later.

"What's the matter, mama." Zaphrina dropped the slice of sandwich to reach for her mother's hands from across the table. "I'm sorry for the inconveniences I put you through it's all my--"

"Mama, hey, stop," she whispered. "I don't want us to talk about it right now. Don't blame yourself for it. No one saw it coming ok? Stop crying."

Kate nodded vigorously. 

Zaphrina reached for her mama's cheeks and wiped a tear off her face. "It is well," she said.

Her mum worried about her engagement in two jobs: Waitress at night and a supermarket cashier at day. The fact that she didn't create time for herself or did what the girls of her age normally did; go to college, hang out with friends, go shopping, watch movies and having a boyfriend. Talking about the latter, Her phone buzzed breaking her from the trance she was in. Eyes glancing the screen for a split second and bounces back to kate who had a worried plastered look.

She rapidly reached for the reject button without second thoughts. Her eyes met her mother's once more accompanied by a reassuring smile. Minutes later the phone came buzzing again. This time her mum urged her to pick up the call which she had found out to be Mason's.

Again, Zaphrina rejected it.

"Why don't you pick up his call? Perhaps he wants to apolog-- "

"Mum, we are not going to start this conversation." She took her purse to head to her room. "Excuse me."

It's always been all about Mason with her mum.

She gave Mason what he wanted thinking it'll get him off her back but she was wrong. Accepting his apology was like throwing grains around her to get the bird's attention. she never understood the saying ' love all but trust none. ' until her encounter with Mason, with that, she decided to formulate her own saying ' Love none( besides her family), trust none.'

**

Nothing could be more soothing than being in the company of a sister and best friend. 

Liza was presently at the coffee shop flooding in her own tears while narrating to Zoe what she recalled of the previous night. The young brunette's mouth dropped at the mention of the words "unknown" and "bloody sheets"

Being the caring and loving friend she is, Zoe walked to the other side of the table where she took liza into a comforting hug.

"I don't get it," Zoe said, once the atmosphere returned to tears free. "You did as I taught you didn't you?"

She was answered with a nod. "And how did this happen? I mean I'm lost here. Did the guy know you had him all planned or what?"

She was answered with a shrug.

"I can't believe this. Hey, look at me." She said as her index finger lifted Liza's chin so she could meet up her eye level. "I got your back whatever happens ok? Now you stop crying, what happened didn't kill you but will only make you stronger," she said, as she wiped the last drop of tear rolling down her cheek.

"One more thing bothers me." Liza said. "what if..." she trailed on the words but managed to push through, "what if he didn't use a condom? I was so off to even notice, oh God!"

'We need to talk,'

'That can wait. I just want to enjoy this moment with my heir to be,' Marley retorted the girl lying on the maternity bed as he kept himself busy caressing the baby's chubby cheeks while he was peacefully asleep in the cot.

'will you just listen to me?' Her voice rose to an unusual baritone.

His head quickly snapped to her direction concurrently with the door creaking open. Marley's head shifted from the a mid thirty man in grey tuxedo confidently making his way into the room.

His eyes almost fell off their sockets when the man owned the girl's lips like he wasn't in the room.

'What's happening here?' Marley quizzed, perplexity jubilating in both his interior and exterior.

'I want you to meet Dexter, Zac's father. I...I'm so sorry Marley.'

Marley stopped signing the stack of papers before him, seconds later his pen went flying at the other end of the room. He hit his desk a couple of times before sweeping away the desk's contents in total rage. Josh and ken ran their way in before he turned his office into a key missing zoo.

"Hey hey hey. Chill man." Josh said with a firm grip on his left arm while ken gripped the other.

"Fuck! You should get over this Amanda of a bitch. Look at what you've become." he added. His actions weren't new to them as It was an exercise he did whenever his mind drifted off. 

With an Uncontrollable breathe, Marley forcefully detached himself from their grips, straightened his navy blue suit and walked to his leather chair like nothing just happened. 

"You need a psychiatrist. You can't continue this-" Ken said.

Marley shot him a deadly glare which caused him to stop in his track. 

"I do not need anyone."

"You do bro," Josh added.

"Fine." He didn't know why and when he said the next words but he did anyways, "I need the pastel hair stripper as my psychiatrist then."

She was another reason he reacted the way he did. He needed to see her. He had a thousand questions balling up in his mind which only she could answer. Amanda too happened to be the negative feedback in all that just occurred.