CHAPTER 42

Max was going all around the mall

searching for Rachel because he

couldn't find her. Before he noticed

her disappearance, he was talking

to her and she wasn't responding

so he turned around and noticed

she wasn't behind him anymore and

that was how he began to look for

her. At first, he thought that she

would have run into one of the

departments to pick up something

that she has seen but after searching

for ten minutes without finding his

daughter, Max started having this

feeling that there is something

wrong. He instantly alerted the

security and they also started

searching for Rachel. After searching

for a few minutes and even announcing

her name without seeing a trace of

her, they decided to check the CCTV

and that was when they saw what

had happened.

Rachel ran outside to buy some

flowers from a flower vendor that

she saw outside and a lady followed

her down there. The lady stood at a

short distance and was watching

Rachel. After watching the girl for

a few minutes, she turned around

and walked back to her car as she

opened the door and sat in the

driver's seat without shutting the

door. When she saw Rachel passing

by, she said something to the girl

which made the girl come closer

and was smiling at her. Rachel ran

to the Passenger's seat and got in

before the lady zoomed off.

When Max saw the face of the lady,

he knew that he has seen her

somewhere but he couldn't remember

exactly where he has seen her before.

He tried remembering because he

feels that he knows this face but he

just couldn't place it anywhere.

Suddenly, he dashed out of the mall,

entered his car, and began to drive

towards the direction that the strange

lady's car took his daughter. He kept

driving and when he got to a

crossroad he didn't know what to do

anymore so he parked his car by the

roadside. He knows that he wouldn't

be able to find the car even if he drives

a sports car because it's been over

twenty minutes since the car left the

shopping mall. He sat in his car by

the roadside thinking about what he

will tell his family and Shulamite but

he knew that the longer he stayed

without letting anybody know what's

going on, the more danger Rachel

will be in. He brought out his phone

from his pocket and dialed his

mother's number. Immediately his

mother picked up the phone, he

wasted no time in relaying the bad

news to her as he said "Rachel

has been kidnapped." 

After hearing what her son had

just said, Mrs. George went quiet as

she needed a few minutes for her

brain to decipher the message which

has just been passed. She regained

her senses and instantly began to

rant. "Max just tell me you're joking.

Where were you when she was taken

away and who took her away? Have

you checked the CCTV footage?

Where are you right now?" After

asking him all sorts of questions

she told her son to drive down to

the police station so that they can

make a report.

A few minutes later, the whole family

was gathered at the police station

as everyone was asking Max

numerous questions to which he

had no answers to. While Max was

giving a statement to the police, a

frantic Shulamite ran in, grabbed

Max, and began to accuse him of

taking her child away from her while

crying. "Max where is she? You

promised that you won't take my

daughter away from me so where

did you keep her? I never trusted you

and your family but my parents who

seem to love peace all the time

instead of standing up for themselves

agreed to let Rachel come to your

family. All these years she has been

with us and nothing like this has

happened. Why did you take my

daughter when you know that you

have many enemies who will want to

kill her?" while she was crying and

dragging Max, his mother ran in to

separate Shulamite from her son.

Shulamite was held down by the police

as they try to calm her down while Max

went back to giving his statement.

From where Shulamite was seated, she

could hear Max describing the person

who took their daughter and

immediately, she had a particular

description about the lady, so she

took out her phone and walked up

to him as she showed him a picture

and said "is this the person who took

Rachel?" Max looked into her phone

and was shocked to see the lady as

he looked at Shulamite and said "how

did you know that she is the one?"

Immediately Shulamite heard Max

ask that question, a sudden chill ran

down her spine as her legs couldn't

hold her anymore and she staggered

almost falling to the ground before

she was held up by a few police officers.

Tears immediately began to pour

down her face as she said with a

shaky voice "that is Ima. She was the

one who tried to kill me in a car

accident but unfortunately, it was

Lima who was in the car that night.

I quit modeling because of her yet

she did not leave me alone and still

came after my daughter." Shulamite

began to wail and became filled with

fear because she knows that Ima is

a psycho and could do anything to

her daughter. Shulamite cried more

and said "oh Rachel, what have I done

to you? It's all my fault that Ima found

you. What have I done to my daughter?" 

While she was wailing and muttering

to herself, Mrs. George walked up to

her in anger and began to berate her

"I thought you were a responsible

mother but I never knew that you will

endanger the life of your own child

because you are having silly catfights

with lunatics. If anything happens to

Rachel, you will not escape me. Such

an irresponsible mother." Mrs. George

kept ranting, huffing, and puffing and

Shulamite couldn't take it anymore,

so she stood up to Mrs. George and

shouted at her "shut up! The child we

are talking about here is mine, not

yours. How sure am I that it's not you

who brought me bad luck? Rachel

has been with me for nine years and

nothing of this sort has ever happened

to her until you walked into our lives.

Why are you doing this to me? Can't

you see that I am already suffering

here? I am here not knowing what is

happening to my daughter or what

that lunatic will do to her and instead

of sympathizing with me and finding

a way to rescue her, you are here

blaming me for everything. After I

get my daughter back, you will never

see her again."

Mrs. George looked at Shulamite

intensely, as she forced the words

out between her teeth "I dare you to

take that girl away from us then you

will see what I am capable of. I will

make sure to fight for custody and

you will never have the right of seeing

your own daughter again. If you think

that I am that easy to deal with, then

try me." 

While the two were busy exchanging

words, the police came in between

them to calm them down as a search

party has already been dispatched to

go and look for Rachel and Ima.

 Ima's father was listening to the 6:00

news when he suddenly heard his

daughter's name and saw her on the

screen. He thought his ears weren't

working properly anymore when he

heard that his daughter had kidnapped

a little girl. He shouted his wife's

name as he called her over to come

and see what their daughter has done.

Ima's mother ran over and also saw

the news as she began to cry. She

tried reaching her daughter on her

different lines but none was

connecting and all she could do was

pray that her daughter does not harm

the little girl so that her daughter

will avoid life imprisonment and the

little girl's parents will be able to

have their daughter back in their arms.

Ima's father placed his hands on his

head as he began to ask himself

where he has gone wrong in the

upbringing of his daughter. He looked

up at the ceiling and said "God please

save the child and bring my daughter

back home. When did my daughter

become this bitter and why? People

are meant to have issues in this life,

they are meant to step on your toes

and you are supposed to let go after

the fight. Why is my daughter acting

on it? Why can't she let go of a simple

catfight between her and the former

friend? I spent so much money on

raising my daughter and even sending

her to school abroad. I have been

very supportive of her career from

day one and we have given her

everything that she asked for except

Doja's heart which we do not own."

After speaking, he sighed deeply

and looked at his wife before asking

"what do we do now?"

Before his wife could answer, one of

the maids in the house walked up to

them and told them that some police

officers are waiting for them outside.

The couple looked at each other

before telling the maid to send them in.

 The officers came in and began to

do their job. Ima's parents were asked

numerous questions to which they

gave answers to and they also let the

police know that their daughter has

been struggling with her mental health

for quite some time now and she is

also on medication.

The press was everywhere outside

Ima's parent's house as everybody

wants to get a scoop of what's going

on. The news was all over social

media and people were talking. Many

people could not believe that Ima

could take a simple grudge to the

extent of kidnapping an innocent

child. Many began to refer back to

the death of Lima in Shulamite's car

and it started becoming clear to

people that Ima was the one who

perpetrated that accident.

 The people struggling with mental

health who she was invited to speak

to were also surprised to see that

their role model never really got

over her problems or ever got better.

The internet was buzzing and it was

all about Ima's story.

When Chris saw the news, she also

got scared as she told herself that

if Ima could go after her friend

Shulamite because she had sex

with Doja, that means Ima is also

coming for her who is pregnant for

him. This realization really made her

skin crawl with fear and for the first

time in forever, Chris picked up her

phone and called Doja telling him

that she will like him to come and

stay with her until Ima's case has

been resolved.

 What Chris did not know was that

Doja never needed an invite to

come and pick her up to his place

because after seeing the news of

Ima with a girl, he knew within him

that the next person that she will

come for will be either Chris or

himself. So the best way to protect

themselves is to be together and

double their security. Doja has

promised himself that even if Ima

somehow manages to get herself out

of this mess which she has created, he

will make it his duty to see that she

ends up in a psychiatric hospital

where she will never be able to escape.

He couldn't believe that this was the

Psycho that his father wanted him to

marry a few months ago.

When Ladan also saw the news, he

called Ima's father who is also his

friend, and began to ask him some

questions because he felt betrayed

once again by his friend. He made a

phone call to Emma's father and when

the call was connected, he said "I

thought you called yourself my

friend? So why did you want to push

your daughter to my son when you

know that she is struggling with

mental health and can turn on anyone

at any time? You knew that your

daughter was a walking time bomb

yet you wanted to unleash her on us.

Right from the time I knew you, I have

been a very good and honest friend

to you but I can't say the same about

you because time and time again,

you've proven to me that you can

cheat me at any time as long as you

feel like it." 

 Ima's father could understand his

friend's anger and frustration towards

him as he began to speak to his

friend and was trying to calm him

down. "Ladan please listen to me at

least. I know that I have done some

things that have made me look

untrustworthy in the past but I would

have never tried to get my daughter

married to your son if I had known

that she had a tendency to be this

violent. It was after the break-up with

Doja that we started seeing this trait

in her and even had to get a

psychiatrist for her. Her mother is

devastated right now because we

all thought that the medication was

working not knowing that it wasn't

and that she was only pretending to

get better, but she wasn't getting any

better. She has not only pulled herself

down but she has also pulled me down

because I can see some calls from

my business partners already. I just

don't want to pick up these calls

because I know what they are about.

I know that they all want to start

bailing out on me because of what

my daughter has done." While Ima's

father was speaking to his friend on

the phone, his voice began to tremble

as he said again "who can tell me

where I have gone wrong in the

upbringing of this girl? She is our

only child and we have always treated

her like a princess. I empowered her

so that she can be one of the most

influential women in society but look

 at what she has reduced herself to.

She has brought herself to the level

of a common criminal and a child

kidnapper. The police now come

in and out of my house like it is

their station and the press have

decided to have a permanent place

outside my building so that I won't

be able to go outside or come into

my own house because I have a

daughter. Ladan believe me when I

say that I would have been grateful

if I had no child than to have this one

who has brought me no joy or pride.

I spoke to her some time ago and I

told her that she was headed to jail

if she doesn't stop and I was right.