II. Who is she?

The music ended some minutes ago and Myla had to go out of the stage for the next song. She seats in front of her makeup mirror and feed her thoughts with Jamal.

‘Why are you here Jamal? Isn't that what you wanted? To stay away from me.’

‘Why can't you just leave me alone? Don't you see what you're doing to me? Just when I'm trying to forget about you, you pop in out of the dark’

Tears fill her eyes but she blinks them away for the one hundredth.

...

Jamal waited for this moment over an hour now and he can't wait anymore to get in there and talk to her.

He excuses himself towards Gabriella and Patricia and they give him space.

He snipes into the artist section where Myla is. He waits to get pass some securities and once he knows her exact position from eavesdropping what some ladies were talking about, he doesn't hesitate to find her room.

Everyone went out so she is the only one in there. Myla shuts her eyes trying to flush out her thoughts and Jamal comes in from over shoulder.

He stops as soon as she opens her eyes. They stare at each other through the mirror for more than a second.

Her eyes growing wide as she keeps ogling him. She whirls on her seat and stands to make sure her senses are not fooling her or the mirror.

He is still standing there and he walks further towards her.

“Don't come any close!” she warns but he doesn't stop.

Her eyes water up instantly and her breath becomes rapid. “I said-”

“Shut up.” his voice comes out a lower octave but very dominant.

She pauses her lips and he continues. “You wouldn't mind if Shae was here right? Besides, I'm already in anyway.”

They are inches apart. His colon has filled the spacious room. His hair is messy as part of it falls against the side of his forehead.

He's wearing a black suit, white loose shirt and a pair of blank pants.

His sleeves are also loose as he jams his hands into his pants staring at her brown orbits.

“W-what do you want?” she quivers when asking.

“I'm here to congratulate you” he answers shortly.

She looks away. “Is that all?”

He slants his head studying her body language. “No?”

She looks at him nervously. His expression turns into a very serious one.

“I wanna know . . . what you gave Shae in return to take you up that stage”

Myla squints her eyes. “W-what-what do you mean?”

“You know what I mean Myla”

She blinks her eyes in complete disorientation. “I'm sorry I don't know what you're talking about”

Jamal clenches his jaws and takes a step towards her. She takes one back. He takes another step and she takes one more.

“You need to stop acting up right now you know. Everybody knows Shawnee is capable getting any lady he wants. And so I am not surprised he got something from you in other to help you archive what you have now”

She hits her back against a wall and he places a hand over her figure and stares down at her.

“Uhh? Am I right? You sold yourself to him for fame! Because that's what you've always wanted. To gain popularity”

‘Pang’

A sound slap meets his cheek as she breaths out bitterly.

“Don't you ever talk to me like that!”

Jamal's face is still angled as he uses his tongue to massage the walls of his mouth.

That hurt a little.

“I worked hard to get where I am. I'm not a chip woman that men take advantage of. I would've lost my dignity years ago if that is who I am. You have no idea what I've gone through. So this should be the last time you ever disrespect me”

He looks at her and she keeps her head high. She doesn't look away this time around.

“I let you insult me years back. Accuse me of all sort of things. Even to the extend of saying I killed my own friend. Isn't that enough? What else do you want Jamal? Tell me! Ain't you tired of all the false accusations? What do you want from me? What? Can't you just leave me alone? This is my life for God's sake!”

He yells. “No it's not! Not anymore!”

She blinks her eyes trying to input what he just said then chuckles. “Have you gone knot? Are you even listening to what you're saying?”

He becomes conscious himself. What did he just say? That her life is not hers?

He takes his hand off the wall and rakes it through his hair.

“You better stay away from him. Because he's not of good to you.”

‘What is he even saying?‘

“You don't order me around. Just leave this place before I scream” she commands.

He exhales heavily. “Ok. If that's what you want”

“That is what I want. Out!”

He gawks her for a while before turning around and vanishing behind the close door of her room.

As soon as he's out of sight, she breaks out in tears.

Jamal comes across Shawnee on his way but doesn't stop as he walks off angrily.

Shawnee just stiffens for a moment before walking in from where Jamal left.

He opens the door and finds Myla in tears. His eyebrows knit.

“Myla?” he rushes to her and takes her into his arms.

She falls in as she keeps weeping.

“Shush. I got you” he assures. He doesn't need to ask her anything. He apprehends what is happening to her.

From the stage when she got distracted after seeing Jamal and now he just left this place to meet her like this.

...

“We're living” Jamal blows in.

“You went for so long. Is everything alright?” Patricia questions.

He doesn't respond to her inquiry as he moves pass her.

Gabriella wakes up and follows him while Patricia sluggishly does the same.

Out of the hall Patricia voices out. “What's wrong with you Jamal? The program is not yet over. I came over here just for this and now you're telling us to leave”

He still doesn't say anything but gets into the car after Gabriella had gotten in.

Patricia gives up and fits herself in the backseat. Jamal starts the car and drives away.

The whole time Gabriella is silent. Jamal seems to be the one who shouldn't be spoken to when he's angry. So she thinks.

But she doesn't get what's keeping him so obsessed. Did something happen from where he left?

Once in a while she glances over at him to check if he's calm. But no.

Suddenly, Patricia smirks over their shoulders which doesn't misses the eyes of Gabriella. She wonders what's amusing the young lady as she looks from the rare view to her own side of the window.

“Someone is freaking out because he's jealous”

Jamal looks at the rare view of his little sister and she's already staring back.

He returns his gaze ahead of him completely ignoring her.

“I should've known you were going to confront her. You know . . . If I was her, I wouldn't choose you over Shawnee. Like common he's every lady's superstar.”

Jamal tightens his grip on the steering being very uncomfortable by Patricia's provoking words.

Gabriella studies his dilemma very carefully. So all along he's been acting because of that lady on the stage!

'Who is she?'

She rather keep this question for later at home. Maybe his mom will better explain things to her.

...

They arrive home and Latif waits in the living room as they walk in together.

Latif carries shock upon seeing her last enemy on planet Earth.

Gabriella halts on her steps when her eyes meets with the lady in front of her.

She recognizes this face. How can she forget who Latif is. Everything she did to her.

Her memories come pouring in all at once as she reflects on the accident she had.

Gabriella doesn't portray any form of recognition. But her heart bleeds to revenge on what this lady did to her.

This makes a lot of sense now. The reason she tried to kill her was so she could own Jamal. It's all because of her she lost her memories of him.

But now she's fairly back. She'd get back everything she lost. Anyone who's going to stand on her way will be cut out.

“What is she doing here?” Latif inclines, unhappy to see Gabriella.

“Latif!” Jamal's mom scolds approaching from a corner while her son rapidly rushes to the stairs.

Mrs. Mehdi frowns and looks at the two women. “What's wrong with him?”

Patricia is not welcomed to see Latif in her brother's house so she doesn't respond to her mom.

She walks away after Jamal. Mrs. Mehdi's brows cringe as she watches her daughter leave her presence.

“Dear, do you know what's wrong with Jamal?” Mrs. Mehdi turns her attention to Gabriella.

She shrugs her shoulders. “According to what Patricia said in the car the new musician was someone close to him. And she was singing with Shawnee. He didn't like it.”

Jamal's mom reflects. “Who could that be?”

She had already forgotten about Myla.

“Well, she was introduced as . . . Myla?”

Mrs. Mehdi sighs and rest a hand on her hips. “That girl again”

Gabriella takes the advantage to ask her about it. “Who is she mom?”

Mrs. Mehdi brings her gaze to the child. She's not sure she'd want to tell her who Jamal had been with when she wasn't present.

Though they weren't together but for this reason of him being Jealous, it may hurt the poor girl.

“She's not important”

Gabriella frowns. “If she's not important then why he so mad?”

“Maybe he's mad about something else” his mom tries cover her son's emotions.

She knows for sure that Myla is the only reason he could be this way. Nothing else.

To be continued . . .