Prologue

Smoke from cigarettes welcomed her as she stepped into the room where the party was held. The room was nice and had beautiful artifacts, it was dimly lit too. She was about to take a seat when she bumped into her old-time best friend. They exchanged hugs and kisses on the cheek before settling down to talk over a glass of champagne. Callista expressed much joy as she sat across from her beloved best friend chattering happily. They were in the middle of a discussion when Callista excused herself for the bathroom which left her alone. Her eyes danced around the room in search of something interesting when she got interrupted by the voice of a man which caught her attention and she fixed her gaze on him.

"Yes, mister?" She finally spoke up after much staring that seemed endless.

"Izla." He said with an outstretched arm.

She stared at him, she had recalled where she last met him. He had insulted her earlier due to a little mistake and she needed a place to cool her head and so, she left for the balcony. She didn't expect to see him again after walking back into the hall.

"I know you."

She glanced away and kept her eyes focused on the wall paintings.

"Oh, you love them? I had those painted." He expressed with a big smile playing on his lips. She looked at him sternly before looking away. "Fascinating." She murmured in a low voice.

"Yeah."

"I'm quite surprised this beautiful piece of art came from a person of your sort." She sighed.

"I beg your pardon?"

"Excuse me, mister, I'm sort of busy here." She said and returned her gaze to the art.

She politely flagged down a waiter and reached for a glass of tequila before walking out of the room.

She walked into a room that felt and looked more like a secret chamber. It had more art, graffiti, and even glass artifacts. She reached for a glass artifact of a bunny. "What do you want, missy?" a voice thundered, causing her to drop the artifact as she shuddered. The sound of glass crashing and shattering to pieces on the floor was heard as she stood there, staring at it in shock.

"I'm sorry. I'm so sorry, how much does it cost? I'll replace it."

He gave her a stern look as she bent to gather the pieces. He walked over to her with a dustpan and brush in his hands, he handed it over to her.

"I'm so sorry, I'll replace it."

"You have no respect for people. It's your kind of clumsy person that goes about sniffing. I don't want your apology. It's how paupers like you do, it's probably your first time seeing a glass artifact."

She narrowed her eyes at him before getting rid of the glass and cleaning materials. She placed a $5,000 note on the table and turned on her heels, about to walk out the door when his laughter filled the air, causing her to stop abruptly.

"I'm sorry, what's this?" He asked tossing the note in the air.

She looked at him with hurt in her eyes for a moment, before it switched to anger.

"What were you thinking? Those artifacts don't cost $5,000 ma'am. That artifact you broke isn't $5,000. Now, you walked into my chambers uninvited, touched my stuff without permission, broke it, even, and then tipped me $5,000. I call it a tip because it isn't worth it! Excuse me, I think you dropped the money accidentally, so, accidentally come and pick up your tissue paper, please?" He said chuckling.

"How much more mister? I apologized and yet you're embarrassing me because of a worthless glass artifact."

"Uh uh. Not worthless. That artifact cost me half a million dollars!" He said.

She pulled out her chequebook and quickly wrote him a check for $460,000 to add up to the $5,000.

"Suit yourself, mister. Keep the change. Excuse me." She said and walked away leaving him in utter disbelief as he stared down at the check that sat on his table.

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She was starting to enjoy the party and her tequila when he came along.

"Hey pretty, I guess I didn't introduce myself properly."

She glanced to her right side to see who it was. It was the guy from the chambers.

"I'm Mateo." He said anticipating a reply in return but all he got was cold silence, she acted as though he didn't exist.

"I'm Mateo..."

"I heard you before, Mateo. I'm sort of busy and I'm not ready for another session of embarrassment." She said and took a sip of her drink.

She had already taken about 5 glasses of alcohol and it was starting to get the best of her. He sat across from her, enjoying his drink and observing her as she drank a lot. Callista hadn't returned from the bathroom or maybe she had, but, she didn't come looking for Anisa until now.

"Anisa," Callista called out.

"Anisa? Pretty nice name you've got there." He complimented.

"Duhhhh." She said and resumed drinking.

Callista already left having seen Anisa having a fun time with Mateo, she had concluded that they were so indulged in a conversation and she didn't want to interrupt, so she left.

Mateo lifted her in his arms, she was fast asleep, wasted from all that drinking and it hinted in her breath. He took her to the room he had booked for himself earlier.

He laid her down gently, adjusting and covering her up after which he resumed drinking. He tried hard to drink and act like he was alone but it failed him. The room was dim lit with blue lights which made the wallpapers appear a shade of purple, like the periwinkle type. He sat on the bed, drinking his wine and observing the room. It took a few more minutes before he too, was wasted, he looked at her in his drunken state, she seemed to have gotten more beautiful.

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IN THE MORNING

Rays of sunlight fell on her eyelids and she rolled over to the other side of the bed but was hindered at a point, she wasn't sleeping by the wall side, and there wasn't any pillow beside her. What seemed to be an obstruction to her movement didn't feel pillow-like. She sat up immediately after realizing it was the guy from last night.

She fixed an angry gaze at him, sulking and hitting herself for all that happened. Her anger spiked up when she realized that they were both naked. She grabbed her pillow and hit him with it.

He rolled before peeling open an eye.

"What the hell is it? Crazy woman!" He spat out.

"You fucking took advantage of me and you're calling me crazy?!" She half yelled.

"We were both wasted." He said nonchalantly.

She gave him this daring look before calming her nerves. She walked over to the bathroom with the bedsheet, leaving him completely nude in the room, ignoring his calls as he pleaded to have the sheets. Waterfalls on her skin as she smoothened out her hair whilst in the shower. She was very mad and felt the need to kill that perv immediately but how would she?

It took her extra 30 minutes to finish up.

The room was cold and he was also fast asleep. She eyed him from the corners of her eyes before walking over to the closet to put on her clothes.

She left the room shortly after, in her mini blue gown.

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"Fells street." She stated before hopping into the cab. The ride to her house was quiet and lonely, she lay on the seat, recounting all that took place the previous day, but all that she could remember was sipping her wine in the balcony.

She alighted the cab and her little darling came running to her with outspread arms, screaming "mommy" as she gradually approached her.

She lifted her baby in her hands, smiling back at her.

"Sophie, how are you?" She replied with a *fine* for an answer before they walked into the house.

She settled down on the sofa with Sophie, playing with her before fixing herself and Sofia two glasses of fruit juice respectively.

"Where...sleep...mamà?" Sophie asked.

Sophie's a 3-year-old blonde girl, small, has a very beautiful rare type of blue eyes and a small mouth too. She's just too attractive and cute to behold.

"Oh, mamà went to a party last night honey, but mamà's back now. She slept at a friend's." She replied, placing a kiss on her daughter's cheek.

"They....taunt me....in school.....because of pa...pa, mamà." Sophie recounted to her mother as they were talking about her dad.

"Hey, don't mind them. Daddy is here okay?" She said, taking Sophie's hand and placing it on her chest. "Daddy is right in there. So, when they taunt you again...."

"Tell them...I have a daddy." Sophie spoke up and giggled.

"Yes baby." She cupped her face with her hands as a smioe played on her lips. "Andaline!" Anisa yelled and Andaline came running toward her.

"Yes ma'am."

"Take Sophie to sleep, please. Tell Grace to cook me something please, I'm famished." She said and Andaline left with Sophie in her arms.

The living room was well furnished and neatly arranged, it had black and white wallpapers and it looked outstandingly elegant. The furnitures were placed in their respective orders and were cleaned every day.

"And where are you coming from? Anisa?"