LOVE AGAIN

I went back to my office, sat down then I stood restlessly and went to the restroom.

I washed my face, looking at my reflection, the slap was printed on my face and pink.

“Enough…. I have head enough of people hurting me for being so weak, I won’t let you you with me!”

Her words rang in my head.

I threw off everything I could lay my hands on in the restroom. Then slide to the floor in frustration.

I took the bottle of alcoholic wine I left on the table the other day , I rinsed the glass and poured in a drink.

“Did you do that on purpose? Why do you hit a girl?”

My mother said to me,

I was 13 years old then, and I was reported by the principal for breaking a girl’s neck after getting into a fight with her. She was way older and gave me some bruises but I gave her a life changing lesson.

“She hits me first!”I snapped

“Why did she do that? She can’t hit you for no reason, right?”

“I called her and her mother ug*y botch because they are, ugly b**ches”.

Mother sighed and applied some ointment on my wound.

“You disrespected her mother and her, then went ahead to break her neck? Prince that is not manly at all”.

“You know nothing about being a man! It’s manly to put women in their place “I snapped.

“Then it doesn’t make you a good person. Honey, some day you will find someone you truly love and if you keep hurting them, they won’t like to stay, no one will like to stay with an abuser”.

“But you stayed with my father and you loved him”.

She looked at me with tears in her eyes and nodded.

“You are right but I can’t say the same for your father, trust me no one hurts someone they truly love”.

“Then I will not fall In Love with my wife too, so I can hit her the way I want. After all, according to my father , Love is a myth”.

She looked up and smiled at me.

“That’s a lie, love does exist”.

“How dare you say father lied”.

“I can prove my love for you”.

She said with a smile.

“How?”I said with my brows raised.

“I gave you my kidney and I can as well give up my life for you”.

She kissed my cheek.

“Well that’s not a point because it’s your duty to do that”I replied roughly.

She looked shocked then she smiled weakly.

“Can you do me a favor, just one father, my Prince”.

She was done dressing the wound, and placed a heart stick on the bandage.

“Go on”.

“Don’t be like your father”, she said with tears in her eyes. I frowned at that statement and left her that instant.

I reported her to my dad that same day and he hit her to stupor, that was almost unconscious. I watched the whole scene with my fist crushed , I wanted to stop him.

Each time he dies that I do feel bad but isn’t this why I reported to him, I released my fist slowly.

Father came to me, while mother was lying down there like a tortured slave.

“You did the right thing son, I am proud of you, don’t let her emotionally manipulate you to hate me, women are like snakes, very manipulative . This is the right way to handle a situation like this”.

He patted my hair and left the room.

I watched my mother groan in pain, she was pregnant with Zoey then, and as much as I caused this, that night , she came and kissed him good night like usual, I couldn’t sleep. The only time I ever had a daddy time is him hitting mother, mother was the one with me every day and night, the one to talk to, the one to console me, that night it hit me , how horrible I am as a son to her, I should protect her from father but I am the one putting her on the hook. I cried silently.

Months later, I sat beside her deathbed as she struggled with her life. I apologized countlessly , cried and promised her I would never be like father but it wasn’t enough to make her live, she died anyway leaving a day old Zoey behind, father married her replacement immediately, he said it was for Zoey’s sake.

I stared at the wine and then took another, glass then another one, then another one until I realized I felt tipsy.

I staggered to the office, my telephone started ringing continuously. I can’t even find my telephone, everywhere seems different.

I covered my ears

“Who is that idiot calling!!”

“Piece of shit!!!”

I screamed out.

**VAL’S POV**

I came out of the conference room feeling better, Everyone eyes turned towards me, they must have gossiped about me staying back in the conference room and all that.

I slowly walked to the restroom, , washed my face in the but my red eyes are very obvious, I cried. I got out and headed to my corner, Dan’s face asked a lot of questions.

Also he was suspicious because I didn’t even wink to tell him, everything’s fine.

I went slowly to my seat and bent my head on the desk , clearing my head off. He didn’t come to ask me what happened, he know me too way and he can tell I needed my own space,

I lifted my head from the desk and took my pain relieving drugs then bend my head again to rest.

DANIEL’S POV

I can’t help looking over to Val’s corner. She seem like she’s really working herself up.

I didn’t want to disturb her so I let her be till work’s time over. I got to the garage and waited for her so I can give her a ride home.

“How are you feeling?”

I was concerned. She said nothing just took her drug, I handed her a bottle water.

“Thanks”.

She swallowed and took another drink from the bottle,

I looked at her then back to my car view

I was driving and I find it hard to concentrate.

“If you are really not that strong maybe you should stay home till you are healed completely”.

“I am fine Dan, it’s just a brief pain back there”.

“Back there…. what did you do?”

“Boss … remember?”

“Oh I saw it , I am really sorry, he is just a jerk”

I snapped, really I so much wanted to hit him with my fist, that spoiled brat.

“Let’s just forget about it”.

She sighed putting her hand over her forehead.

“When is the fashion show?”she asked after some minutes.

“I don’t know, we haven’t reached our proposed plan”I replied.

“You are really working hard for this show,”she replied.

I chuckled then smirked at the compliment.

“Well I have no choice, it’s our first chance to prove we can be in the F&F fashion icon team”.

My phone ranged, she helped me pick it up from my side.

“It’s…. mosquito…. calling”

She squints her eyes to make sure she read it corrected, surprised at the caller’s name.

“Oh it’s my babe, we had a fight so I turned her into a mosquito, she’s like a pest especially in the night”.

“That’s bad, what if she sees it, Dan you are falling my hand, that’s not romantic at all”.

I smiled at her.

“Calm down, she first saved mine with premature cockroach”.

Val burst out laughing.

“I guess you must be childish and dirty, cockroaches are dirty and they go anywhere food dumps are”.

“Really you are supporting her now? you know I am very clean , she’s just being bitter”.

She nodded in agreement.

“Yeah I won’t deny the fact you clean but what about the immature part”

“I am 34! I am older than everyone at the company including your arrogant disrespectful boss!!”

“Our boss..”she corrected.

I rolled my eyes.

“Well age is just a number they say, you are still my Dan Dan, sweet Dan”.

She started tickling my side rib.

“We are going to die if you keep doing that, I will loose it “.

She chuckled and let go of me.

My phone ranged again.

“I should answer her”.

“Yeah you better do or you are dead”

She replied and laughed.

I parked by the road side and answered the call.

“Hello mosquito…”

“You… little immature cockroach, where is the wig?”

“Which wig?”

I asked pretending not to know.

“The bone straight wig!! I told you to buy before I accept the apology “She barked angrily.

“Oh that wig I bought with my cockroach money, I gave it to my cockroach sister, Val”.

Val slapped my shoulder holding her laughter.

“You mean your new girlfriend? Are you dating her now, that slut”.

“Whichever one you want to call her”.