Dearest Diary,

Dearest Diary,

I know that that term started out as my way of being sarcastic, but I must say, you are beginning to grow on me. I love our conversations including your incredible sarcasm and horrible sense of humour. Yea,yea, I know. I haven't been that great either, but hopefully, maybe things will now change for the better.

So, I have a riddle for you.

What? It's shoot not fire!

What happens, when you have so much money and nothing to spend on?

No. No. No! You save or invest it! I don't even know how you don't get these things.

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I wake up late.

So late, that when I look at the clock, I jump out of bed and into the shower with no second thoughts. Normally, usually, I fix my room and bed before showering and I also secure my bedroom door, just in case...Within five minutes, I am done showering and I shuffle through my closet to find something decent to wear.

I finally settle for a brown and red, asymetrical, floral print, chiffon dresstop and black jeggings, before turning back to my bed to dress.

"Aaargh!" I let out an involuntary scream as two green orbs and a mop of black hair rises up from beneath my covers.

"Briella Rosalia Durnham! You scared me!" I yell holding onto my chest, where my heart should be and racing really fast. Bri chortles back before diving back under the covers, clearly amused and I'm sure that that went better than she had originally planned. I look at the little mound that the girl has created and I shake my head laughing as I take my clothes to dress in the bathroom.

"Where's the baby?" I re-emerge from the bathroom singing. From the size of the mounds on my bed, I am sure that Bri is still very much around. She probably rushed back under there when she heard me coming.

"Where's the baby?" I call out again, reaching for a quivering mound in the middle of the bed and it squeals out with laughter.

"Mummy! Mummy!" it screams as I continue to tickle her.

"Okay," I say releasing her. "Let's make the bed then." she nods her head at me and holds on to a corner of the sheet to start pulling. I let out another chuckle and reach for the middle of the sheet before helping her straighten it. The covers and the pillows follow next and I'm finally able to settle down on the vanity and put on my usual layer of light make up with a curious Briella spectating.

"Shall we?" I ask her, holding out my arm like I saw on of one Bri's Barbie fairytales. She drops into a curtsey and I let out a laugh. She then takes my proffered arm and we walk out of the room and down the stairs, marching to the tune of the wedding march until we make it to the living room. I leave Bri seating infront of the television, watching her usual Barbie cartoons and grab a bite in the kitchen before walking back into the hallway to go into my study. As if my morning isn't shrouded with enough drama, I walk into my study to find my mother seated before my desk and computer.

The first thing that crosses my mind is that she's snooping and my heart jumps into my throat with the fear of being discovered. That emotion is then followed by intense anger and I about to storm over and confront her when I notice two things. One, my things remain untouched, including the copies of the manuscripts that are beside the printers and two, my mum seems to be in an intense skype conversation with none other than Monica White.

Her shoulders seem slumped over and the pleading tone in her voice gets me curious.

Despite this, I still decide to give her privacy. However, as I'm about to turn around and leave, I hear my name mentioned and not in a very nice way.

To paraphrase it, it's something about me being a gold-digger and using Bri to get money from Troy. Monica is also very furious about me taking Bri out of the country. She is threatening my mum and telling her that she'll take me to court and sue me for Bri's custody while also filing for a name change at the same time.

"This again?" My jaw drops as I stare at the malicious woman who is busy dramatising on my screen! I wait for my mum to say something, to defend me at least, but she looks more broken than I am and after some seconds, I find out the reason why.

Monica, my mum's 'best friend' loaned her some money and it seems that my mum has defaulted on the payments. I don't know what it was for since I never paid that much attention when I was still back at home, but now it is clear to me that Monica is using that as some sort of excuse to manipulate and treat my mum like shit.

"Listen Monica, You will not disrespect my mother like that!" I say prowling towards the screen in anger. "Call me whatever you want, you are entitled to your own opinion, but do not manipulate my mother or use my name to bring her misery." The both look at me shocked, but it is mother who recovers first.

"Attara," she whispers tagging at my hand urgently. Monica looks at us through the cameras and sneers.

"Fine. Just get me back my money!"

"How much?" I ask and she laughs at my question.

"Twenty thousand dollars." she replies and this time I turn to look at my mum, shocked. She nods her head in confirmation and Monica cuckles like the evil witch she's proved to be. "And that is minus the interest."

My mother groans beside me.

"How much interest?"

"About five thousand dollars...?"

I am tempted to ask more questions, but my mother's embarassed state makes them die on my lips.

"Okay, I'll get it for you." I finally say and Monica lets out another outrageous laugh, laughing like that is the most ridiculous thing she's ever heard.

"My son's money?" she derides me. After all, I am just a gold digger to her.

"It doesn't matter where it will come from, but you will get it and within this new week."

She shruggs her shoulder with a frown and loggs off, leaving me to deal with my mother.

"I won't ask, what it was for out respect, but did you write up an agreement?"

My mother nods back at me.

"It was Dom's Idea. He has a copy."

At that, I get even more curious, but tone it down.

"Fine call him. Ask him to send you a copy and I'll get to the issue of the money." I tell her as I begin to organise my study for the upcoming meeting. My mother gets up from the seat and walks towards the door. She stops for a moment before turning to face me.

"Will you ask Troy?" I shake my head no, still bent over my work.

"Okay," she hesitates and I lift up my head to look at her. "Thank you, Attara." I can't help the smile that forms on my face. This is like the first ever, that she's approved of something that I have done post leaving Troy.

"Don't thank me yet mother. I still have to find the money and pay." I tell her and she looks stricken by the thought. "but don't worry. I have an idea." I add reassuringly before taking the seat infront of my desktop.

Finally she turns around and leaves the room giving me the privacy I need to contact my banker and iron out the matter.

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"Hallo?" I speak into my phone receiver, rising up from my seat to walk towards the study window.

"Attara!"

"Hi Davis." I reply, smiling at the source of the very excited voice. He can't see me, but I can. The huge windows and the black grilled gates, give me

an unobstructed view of his black mercedes parked in my driveway right outside the front gate.

"Guess what?" he jokes.

"What?" I chuckle back, pressing the remote key to open the front gates.

"I'm back!" It's such a corny joke, but I laugh anyway. Davis impersonation of Anorld Swarzenegger in Expendables 2 is spot on. I watch him drive the mercedes into the empty slot right next to Bridget before closing the gates at the touch of another remote button. I then put the remote controller back into my desk drawer, before heading out to meet him at the front door. Once again, he is carrying a bouquet of fresh roses, this time red and they are accompanied by a box of very expensive looking Swiss chocolate. "I hope you like it dark?" he says as hands me the box of chocolate, the flowers and a hug for a greeting.

"I love it." I answer truthfully as I unconsciously flip my long brown hair back.

"I am glad." he replies, taking in my appearance appreciatively and it sends a shivers down my spine.

"This way." I respond showing him into the house. He walks past me into the house and I close door behind us, before leading him down the hallway to my study.

"Linda said that she'll be running late so, we may have to start this without her." he say placing a black leather binder on the my desk. I almost let out a silent groan. Sure, I'm glad to see Davis. After the weird morning I had, his presence is very welcome. However, Linda's matchmaking efforts are never welcome. In fact, I wouldn't be surprised if she didn't show up at all. After all, she didn't even bother texting or calling to inform me of the new development especially after begging me to have this meeting today.

"Okay, Let me put this away and then we can start." He nods at me and I turn towards the kitchen, hoping to find a vase for my flowers.