Chapter 16: A scandal!

And so, the drama begun. On popular TV shows, radios, newspapers and among the chatter of people, news over Nat’s declaration of his new estranged relationship roared in the air. A few of them were good, others laced with offensive, derogatory comments.

Billionaire Nat Wolfe Dating Former Manhattan’s Club Stripper.

He was at his office sipping coffee, when he got the daily newspaper. His Mom called him as if to further his shrieking, sinking despair.

“Nat, tune in to Channel 135” she said.

That was the E-News! channel. It showed the recorded clip of Nat and Zara with a nasty headline

His mom called again. He picked.

“Son, what's going on?”

“Mom, I don't know what they're saying. They are all lying. It's not what you think. Someone’s behind this”

“Oh! really?” his Mom was flabbergasted. “Then tell me—

Mom I don’t have time for this” he said

“You better pull up to the house now, I won’t be going through any trauma again”, she said and hung up.

Zara was seated at her desk just after Nat's office door, mindlessly browsing through a file. A woman came up. She was busty and wide hipped with long natural black hair and facial features that revealed her Mexican roots. She wore a black leather gown that hugged her frame and revealed her curves.

“Here to see Nat, she said arrogantly

Alright. Please hold on, I’d inform him”.

Zara reached for the telephone.

“I said I’m here to see Nat—do you know who the fuck I am?” she said vehemently.

Zara quipped. “Excuse me?” said..

But she had already pushed open the door.

Nat stood up abruptly

“Nina what you doing here”

“What I’m I doing here indeed? Who are you exactly to ask me that mundane question?”

Nat stumbled for words but nothing came out. Then, finally heaving a deep breath

“Nina, how are you ?”

Oh you suddenly care

Your son asks about you everyday. It feels like he has no dad. Sometimes I forget that too

Okay. You know how busy I am. Or do you want me to lecture you again or you pretending not to know

Besides those checks always coming in

Hush! Nat. You’re filling a round sleeping with anything you see. Including that cheap ass wack ass whore.

Nat wasn’t surprised.

“He knew how fast news spreads in seconds. Don’t call her that!” he cut in.

She laughed and leaned on his table.

“You know you’re funny. You make a whore your girlfriend, soon wife. You couldn’t even pick a witty competitor to this!” she smacked her ass and flashed her beauty in his face

“Quite a shame really!”

“For the last time she’s not a whore” he felt angry but powerless

“Oh! cause you had wild acrobatic sexy?”

Nat was too stunned to speak

“Haq! be glad Johnny’s too young to know”

“Look! I don’t care what you or anyone else thinks. I love her and we're together. That's final”.

“Who’s she by the way? she really does look familiar”. She thought.

“Wait—she really does look like your receptionist or I’m I blind?”

She brought out her phone and looked at her photos again

“Omg! Nat”

Nat sighed

She ran out of the office but Zara had already left.

“Game on! bitch. I’d find her and ruin everything you have together”.

She laughed like a maniac and stepped into the elevator.

Nat just sat there, overwhelmed and helpless. He called Zara.

Across town, Zara had run home. She sunk on the floor, crying, her eyes red with tears and the flood was littered with tissue papers. She couldn’t beat it; the comments of ridicule. She felt like a he-goat whose scrotum was left in the open. She noticed the murmur around her and she went into the cafe opposite her office. A woman had come up to her asking

“Excuse me, please are you Zara Carter?”

“Wow bold moves you got there. How does one bag a billionaire that easily?” she smiled and winked at her.

Zara didn’t get it. She checked her phone; the headlines on the news had captions of bloggers and people in the comment section called her Dirty Whore, Desperate Prostitute, Gold Digger, Cheap Slut, Naughty Mistress

Nat rang her for the 63rd time. But she wouldn’t budge.

Isla came in, dressed in Grunge. This time she looked like a vampire energetic with blood—her dark lipstick and black hair striking in its obscenity.

“Zara!”, she dropped her bag at the door and moved towards her in muted shock.

“Zara! what’s wrong”, She came on the couch now hugging in a tight sisterly embrace.

Zara felt comforted and then gushed out her eyes like a hill spring, her shrieks beating the weight of public ridicule.

Zara showed her the publication from the news blog on her phone. Isla took in reading it.

“O! my Zara”, she pitied her. She stopped asking questions, patting and consoling her as if she knew it would take time for her to process the grief.

“Stop! crying”, she managed to say

“Breathe, okay?”

“All those things they’re saying, it’s not you”

“You are not them. They don’t know you Isla”

“Everyone’s calling me a slut” she broke into groans now

“Zara, hear me” she puked her cheeks in her palms, staring deeply into her as if to jolt her from her worry into light of reason.  Zara looked at her steadily and teary.

“You are Zara Carter. You are the bold, strong and incredibly humane woman I know. So stop listening to them. People would criticize you no matter how good you are. Okay?”

Zara vaguely acknowledged her wisdom.

“Do you need water?” She brought water.

Zara gulped it in seconds, and went to bed.

Nat called her all through the night but again, she wouldn’t pick.

She thought of ending things with him. Yes. She will. She can’t keep up with this. Not with everyone thinking she’s privileged to have him. No! Nat’s the ones privileged to have her. “I’m done with this”, she said.