6

VIVIANNE

When we entered the apartment, holding ourselves, I showed Shania around the new apartment.

It had a living room, a bedroom attached to a bathroom, a walk-in closet, a kitchen, and a built-in vanity table in the bedroom. I pulled her towards to the best part of the house. At least, it was my best part of the house.

Pushing the curtains apart to reveal the window, the view that greeted us was pure beauty. The bustling city of London could be seen from the floor-to-ceiling window in my room. I saw a young lady driving a bicycle down the park and I smiled. I wish I could do that without worrying about being seen by a paparazzo.

"This apartment is so nice, just sad you could actually lose it in a few days. Along with your job." She gushed.

"Shay!"

It sounded like she had lost all trust in me to persuade Russell.

"What? You know it's true. We need to find something to do about him being angry at you. Did you see the look on his face?" She asked, and I sighed, dropping on the sofa with a loud thud.

"I saw it. It sent shivers down my spine and chills down my body. That man is scary!" 

"You saw how scary he was and you still confronted him. Sometimes, your boldness scares me." She said as she also dropped onto the sofa, sitting directly beside me.

We sat there staring at the blank Television, unlike our minds filled with different scenarios of what he can and can't do. Rich people are scary. I mean, I am a rich person, but richer people? They're scary as hell.

"Okay, no more moping around. We need to brainstorm and think deeply. How do we fix this?" I said sitting up.

Shania pushed herself off the bed and turned to face me.

"Girl, I have no idea how you people think. You're the rich one, you should know."

"Never been so clueless in my entire life. I at least, always knew what was going to happen next. But not this time."

"Oh lord." She exclaimed.

I didn't say anything in response, then she jumped up.

"I need a drink."

"If you'd find anything in the fridge, be my guest," I replied waving my hand.

"Who said anything about your empty fridge?" She asked. I whipped my head around so fast. Whenever she talked like that, she had something up her sleeve. Pulling out the best whiskey I had ever tasted, she waved it around.

"Do you have a cup somewhere around here?" She asked, and I nodded, jumping right off the couch.

I pulled out two glass cups and handed them to her. She collected it, popped the bottle open, and poured us both a drink.

"If this is going to be the last time we get to enjoy a drink this expensive, let's make it count, shall we?"

"Shay! I'm going to convince him."

"Okay! Okay! Good luck with that. Let's cheers to that!"

We cheered and then drank till we dropped and cursed Russell all night long, wishing Bankruptcy on him. We woke the next morning with a terrible hangover and we were lying on the floor with our legs entangled. Gosh, what a life! I checked, and Russell was still rich, probably even got richer while I drank my life away.

Over the next few weeks, I tried everything humanly possible to get Russell's attention. I was now doing what he accused me of, begging and seeking his attention. He, however, did everything in his power to avoid my presence. I brought him a fruit basket at 4 in the morning, but he wasn't home.

I brought it by 12 on the dot, but he wasn't home. I bought him a new set of the most expensive perfumes, even I didn't use these perfumes. I couldn't see him, talk more present it to him.

I stayed very close to the door, and at the sound of the elevator stopping on our floor with a ding, I jumped up to look at the monitor. It was never Russell yet I never stopped looking. I went to work and would return home tired since the London Fashion Week was coming up. Even though I was tired, I looked out for him. It was like this man vanished off the surface of the earth.

But something told me deep down, he was avoiding me. Toying with me. Playing me like a rag doll. He wanted to see how far and how desperate I was. And I was VERY desperate.

After two full weeks, I dragged my feet out of the elevator one evening after work, thinking of what to have for dinner before I went in search of Russell like I have been for the past three weeks! Suddenly, a door opened up ahead and I heard the tune that played whenever any door was open in the apartment. I wanted to ignore but I was curious. I looked up to see someone standing in front of the door adjacent to mine, holding a trash bag in his hand. He was dressed in a white sweatshirt and he wore black pants underneath it. Black home slippers sat on his legs, and he held the door open, staring back at me.

Who was that? His physique looked familiar but I didn't recognise him

I opened my eyes fully and stopped looking through my lashes. I raised my head up, and standing in front of me was the man I was starting to grow grey hairs looking for.

"You!" I yelled pointing at him. He raised a brow and I slapped my hands to my mouth when I realized what I said. 

Shit.

"Hello to you too."

"Oh, I've looked for you everywhere!" I yelled as I walked past my door.

"For me? Why?" He asked. I opened and closed my mouth like a fish.

"Did you want to invite the police to my home again?" He asked closing the door behind him.

"No! No, whattttt? No! Why would you even think such a thing?" I asked smiling and waving my hand frantically like I was trying to shoo away the memories. Of course, he remembers.

"You like the police, don't you?" He asked and I looked up at his face.

"Huh?"

"Just when your ex was harassing you, you finally managed to get away from him and the next thing you're saying is that you'd call the police."

"I don't remember that."

"Hm.", was all he said. He walked away from me and I frantically ran after him.

"Are you in a hurry to go somewhere?" I asked batting my eyes at him.

He stopped, turned only his face towards me, and then a trash bag appeared in my line of sight.

"I was going to throw out my trash, is something the problem?" He asked bringing his arms down.

"I wanted to talk to you."

"Well, you can take my trash out and I'll give you 5 minutes of my time. You should know by now how busy I am." He said.

My eyes widened.

I should do what?

"Take out your trash?" I repeated.

He nodded his head and stretched the trash bag to me. With a smile, he said,

"Here you go."

This fucking rich bastard! I hate him!