CHAPTER SIXTEEN

Chris and her manager were asked to

come to Starstruck the next day for the

signing of the contract.  Chris couldn't

believe that she got the endorsement

which she was initially cheated out of.

She begged her manager not to

announce anything yet until the contract

has been signed. She was so happy that

she called Jay and shared the good news

with him. Jay offered to come pick her

up for lunch as he was in the area. After

speaking with Jay she called Jade and

Candace to also share the good news

with them and they were very happy for

her. Jade asked her if she has seen or

spoken with Doja since she arrived and

that question made her remember that

Doja is the new CEO of Starstruck which

means they will be saying each other

often. After thinking about it for a while

she decided to discard that thought

because he will be very busy as the

CEO and not coming to watch how a

commercial is been shot. Her manager

was so happy that she began to

announce the good news so that

everyone in the building heard about it

before it was noon. A few days ago,

other managers have taunted her by

telling her that her model is going down

and very soon she will be out of a job as

even the other models in her care have

not been able to secure any good deal

since the beginning of the year. Some

models got so jealous that when they

saw Chris passing by, they began to

gossip about her openly. One of the

models named Omotara spoke to the

other one loudly the moment Chris got

closer by saying "at least we get jobs

through our hard work and not through

the back door on the bed. I heard that

many models have been visiting the bed

of the new CEO of Starstruck and that's

the reason he's pushing out good deals

to them." The other model laughed and

said some of them even had a fight a

few days ago and it was all over social

media. Then she said, oh here comes

Chris let's ask her how she got the

endorsement so that we can learn

from the masters. Chris is it true that

many models have been warming up

the bed of the new CEO of Starstruck?

Because I recently heard that,  that is your

only way to get an endorsement from

Starstruck. "Chris looked at them and

wanted to say something but decided

against it as she started walking away.

Tara walked after her and said "why are

you feeling all high and mighty because

you got a small endorsement? We are

only asking you how you got it because

everyone already knows. So stop feeling

like you are some big shot around here.

They followed Chris until she got outside

and they were shocked when they saw

who came to pick her up. Tara

exclaimed "oh my god it's Jay" as she

started to behave like an awestruck fan.

The other model walked up to them and

said, "I thought Chris was only doing

the CEO of Starstruck. I never knew

that you are also among the list of her

lovers. When I read the updates today

and social media, I thought they were

just fabricated stories you know, some

models like to fabricate stories to make

themselves look important." Jay looked

at the model and said "sorry but you are

not my type." He held onto Chris's hand

and said, "baby let's go." They got into

the car and Jay drove the car like he

wanted to crash into the two models

before driving away. The model looked

at the car driving away and stomped her

feet as she said "I used to have some

respect for this stupid Jay and never

knew he was so classless as to go for a

person like Chris." She turned around

and walked back into the building as

she left Tara outside because she was

angry at Tara for behaving like an

awestruck fan in front of Jay instead

of behaving like the celeb that she is.

While driving to his favorite place, Jay

looked at Chris and said "how do you

survive in such a hostile environment

and why do some women always

connive against each other? You

got an endorsement. Aren't they

supposed to be happy for you? Why

hold grudges and try to ruin your

personality in front of everyone? Chris, I

don't think you are safe in that

environment. Don't you think that you

need to leave?" Come on Jay, forget

about what you saw or heard today

from those ladies. If I leave this agency,

where do I go that I won't find the likes

of them? It's entertainment baby, so

there's always competition. I rather stay

with these devils that I know until I get

a better offer somewhere else. Jay drove

down to an exclusive restaurant that

Chris has never visited before. She was

even surprised to know that such a

restaurant exists around here and she

said "Jay I've been working in this area

for quite some time now and I do not

know that there's a restaurant in this

place but you who just came around

here a few days ago has already located

this place. Wow, the life of a star is

sometimes very cool. Jay laughed at

Chris's words and said, "I own the place

and it's not an open restaurant. It's a

place where my friends and I come to

eat anytime I'm in town and can you

see how fate works? I come here often

but I've never bumped into you." Chris

smiled and said, I guess that's because

we don't walk on the streets. We drive

our cars in and out of here, so a chance

meeting will be rare. When they walked

into the place, Chris was surprised to

see that it doesn't look like a restaurant

rather, it looks more like a relaxation

center. There was music, food, drinks,

games, and as usual, women. Chris told

Jay that she would like to have seafood

pasta as she has been craving that for a

while now. Jay looked at the lady standing

beside them waiting to take their orders

and said, "seafood pasta it is then. For

both of us." They were served some

drinks but Chris declined her drink with

the excuse of staying sober. Jay laughed

and said," you don't get drunk easily so

I'm waiting to hear the truth." She laughs

and says not just in the mood. While

they were having their little chit-chat, the

pasta arrived and they dug in. While they

were eating, Chris started to cough and

had tears in her eyes. Jay immediately

fed her some water and mopped up her

face with his handkerchief. She looked

so embarrassed that she said she was

done eating but Jay wouldn't let her

abandon her food, so he decided to

feed her. All these moments were

captured on camera by some people

around and posted on the internet.

Within a few minutes, social media

went aflame with those pictures which

already had a caption that says

"CJ just chilling out." 

Doja saw this post and asked himself

if Chris had a death wish. He endorses

her and the next thing, she's off having

a romantic lunch with another man. He

felt like canceling her contract right

away but told himself to calm down as

very soon, he will make it very impossible

for her to see let alone meet up with that

artiste of hers. He tried calling Chris but

her phone has been powered off. He

laughed and calmed himself down by

saying "my time will come Chris. At least

now I'm free from that drama queen

who calls herself Ima." Exactly three

minutes after Doja said those words,

his father walked into his office and

asked in anger. "Did you break up your

engagement with Ima? What did I teach

you about hitting a person when they

are down? You made her go through

a nervous breakdown, and like that was

not enough for you, you still went to

the hospital like an evil spirit to give

her the last dose of her death pills."

Doja looked confused and said, "Dad,

I don't understand what you are talking

about." His dad looked at him and

wondered when his son became this

dumb. He pointed a finger at his son and

said "don't be a jerk. I never raised you

to be one. I might have failed in some

areas as a parent but I know that I

instilled good values in you. I know that

you have been after that girl called Chris

but you have to give up on her. Forget

about her and go back to my friend's

daughter Ima. Spots don't marry stripes.

In this life, spots marry spots and stripes

marry stripes. A Cheetah cannot copulate

with a Zebra. You and Ima are of the same

 background but that other model, she

knows nothing about us, our business,

or how we operate. How sure are you

that she is not trying to lure you out

and make you think she is not interested

in your money when in reality that is

what she is after? "Doja sat on his

chair and said "father I can still

remember all your teachings, but

looking down on people because of

their background is not one of the

values you taught me. I am surprised

that you would rather I marry a person

like Ima who I have no feelings for and

it's obvious she can never make me

happy than going for who my heart

wants me to. Dad, don't you think that

you are asking me too much? You are

asking me for my life and I'm sorry

because I can't give that to you, the

business, or anyone. The fact that

you and Ima's father are friends, does

not mean your children have to be close.

We have our own decisions to make

and I have made mine. It will be better

if I end up regretting my own decisions

than regretting and blaming you for the

ones that you have made for me. I am

only trying to be a man and be

responsible for my own decisions and

their consequences because that is

what you have taught me over the

years. Dad you once told me that a man

is called a man not because of the

decisions he makes, but his ability to

live with the consequences of his

decisions. I really do not care about

Ima's mental health or if she has tried

to kill herself. I am sorry for being selfish

or ruthless as you might see it but her

mental health is not on us. If their

daughter tries to kill herself because

someone refused to love her back, it

is a shame on them as parents because

they have failed. They have failed to

bring up their daughter in the right way.

They have failed to make her see that

she is a queen, they have failed to teach

their daughter that her life is precious

and she has no right to take it because

it does not belong to her alone. I won't

let them push their failure or blame it

on us because that is wrong. You can

see the type of selfish family you want

to push me into. Forcing me to marry

Ima is like pushing me to the wolves

and when you push a person to the

wolves, what do they do? They will

devour that person. I am your only

child and I feel you should seek my

opinion before making decisions on

my behalf. Ima's father is your very good

friend but has he told you about his

recent financial situation? Judging from

your face, I don't think he has. They are

broke Dad and they are trying to make

us their golden horse which they can

ride back to riches. But this girl Chris

whom you called stripes or spots, I agree

that her family is not as wealthy as

ours, but believe me Dad, she is not

from a poor family. I have not taken

the time to find out the reason she

doesn't associate with her family but

rather she choose to go solo by doing

her own thing and finding her own path

in life. Now that is the kind of woman I

want. A woman who was brave enough

to venture out on her own. A woman

who takes life as she sees it and grabs

every opportunity that life presents her

way, a woman that does not let failure

get to her. In case you are wondering

what I see in that woman called Chris,

these are the qualities that I have seen

in her. She has gone through some ups

and downs in her life and even after

meeting me but she never allowed all

of that to affect her, rather she is

standing tall and living her life. That

kind of courage is sexy and that's why

I can't stop going after her. I'm sorry

Dad for not listening to you this once."

After doja was done talking, his father

was short of words as he could not

understand when this son of his became

this grown. It might sound strange but

Doja just spoke like his mother is

speaking directly through him. Even

though he never got to know who his

mother was because she passed on

after giving birth to him, Laddan could

see her qualities in their son and whether

he likes it or not, this son of his has

spoken the truth. But he kept asking

himself why his friend never told him

about his financial situation. If his

friend had told him how it was and not

tried to push his daughter to marry his

son for the sake of their own selfishness,

he would have helped him. Ladan felt bad

about his friend's deception but still

decided to help him because they have

come a long way together and showing

his friend how generous he can be, is

something he wants to do to make his

friend understand certain things

about commitment, friendship, and life.

Ima and her parents have been waiting

to hear the good news from Laddan

that his son has agreed to marry their

daughter but they got different news

that shocked them. Doja refused to

have anything to do with their daughter

and instead his father came back with

knowledge of their financial situation

and was disappointed in his friend. Ima's

father was really embarrassed seeing

how disappointed his friend was in him

that he tried to cover up by saying, "I do

not want to tell you about it so that it

wouldn't look like I am trying to take

advantage of our friendship. My daughter

also do not know about my financial

situation because my wife and I decided

to keep it a secret from her."