Scared, Hopeless, Unhappy, yet alive.

"Drake." Jessica exclaimed. She couldn't believe her eyes. Her legs started to tremble, unable to hold her up anymore. Her heart felt like it was being pounded, with something she couldn't identify. She now understood why she had a bad feeling coming here, Drake was in there with another woman.

How could he do this to her? What had she done wrong? He had been so romantic, not once acting out of place. He had been so caring to her, loving and never absent when she needed him. He had been a responsible partner, one who goes over the extent to do anything for her. But now seeing this with her own eyes proved that it was just an act.

He had been cheating on her, with no one else but this despicable, filthy woman. What did she give him that she hadn't? Her mind flashed back to the picture she had received from the unknown number. The fundamental truth was before her eyes but she rejected it.

She now believes that Drake only wanted to use her and then later cut the ground from under her feet. She should have believed her father when he said men like him use women to their own advantage, now she felt more stupid.

Drake, still in his vulnerable state, managed to pull Victoria away from him, but couldn't catch up to Jessica before she dashed out of the room. He was about to run after her, but got blocked by Victoria who didn't care more or less about what just happened and wanted to get his attention back. Drake gave her a deadly glare before running out.

"Jessica please, stop." he called after her but got ignored. Finally getting the chance to stand in her way before she could reach for the car door handle, he held her right hand but she wiggled it out of his.

"Jessica please, let me explain." He managed to say with the drug having more effects on him now. But she didn't seem to notice that he was in a different kind of pain altogether which was happening now.

"You fooled me. You played with my heart when I gave it to you. You are well aware of all that I have been through, yet this is what you do to me. Fill my heart with pain and sorrow, break it into pieces and repay me back like trash. I want nothing to do with you anymore, not now, not ever." she said with finality and proceeded to get to her guard.

Drake wanted to stop her but got blocked by her guard. He wanted to push past him to her, but his vision became blurry and he fell to his knees. She didn't mind seeing him like that at all and just gave her driver a nod and they drove off, thinking he wanted to plead with her.

Meanwhile, Santo saw his boss in his

knees on the floor coughing. He quickly rushed to his side but what he saw made him panic. His boss wasn't just coughing, he was coughing blood. He called out to the other guards who came rushing towards them while others called an ambulance.

Drake felt aggrieved, indisposed and furious. Aggrieved because Jessica had not even given him the chance to speak. Indisposed because he felt like dying just there and furious for being drugged. Why did he even allow her to serve him the drink? Why didn't he sense something wrong when she had insisted he take the drink.

He wished he could run Into the house and choke her to death. But didn't have the strength to even breath well. The breathing itself was becoming difficult for him, and next thing he saw was him being dragged into an ambulance.

Jessica couldn't control the tears that forced itself out of her eyes. Fresh tears of remorse coursed down her cheeks

and she felt this was the end of her world. Nothing she could do or say would change what she was going through. She felt used, betrayed, hurt and devastated.

She was trying her best to control herself, but couldn't any longer as she sobbed quietly on their way home. Albert felt sorry for Jessica as he watched her. He was also very hurt to watch the girl he had played and driven to school at her young age in this state.

He remembered when Alonso had personally appointed him to be the driver for his kids, how he had been filled with pride to be chosen by his boss to take care of his boss' treasures. And now seeing one of those treasures in so much pain caused him some as well.

They arrived and as he stepped down to open the door, Jessica didn't even look his way and walked into the house. Her parents were seated in the living room having what seemed like a fun chat when she walked in. Her mother saw her and smiled, but when she noticed tears running down her daughter's cheeks, the smile faded.

Standing up she asked, "Jessica, what's wro..". Before she could finish the sentence, Jessica rushed into her arms, circled her arms around her mother's neck and wept violently. Her father became alarmed that something bad happened between his daughter and Drake since he is the only reason his daughter ever wept this way.

"

"

TWO WEEKS LATER: Drake wore the clothes which were brought to him by Santo to go out. After being devastated for days by the accident, he finally made up his mind to come out of his hideout.

He had disguised himself to look like a vagrant, one with no hope, no life within him, for indeed that's how he felt. He felt disgusted with himself, dirty, unclean, in fact, he had no idea on how to call himself.

He wound through narrow streets, heading to the southwest , walking slowly and quietly looking at how things went on for the weak, the poor. This reminded him of his old days, when he used to be like them. He used to run across the streets, sending goods and newspapers to people who needed them. He smiled at the thought, and guessed that was how his life was supposed to have started.

Thinking about those days made tears form in his eyes. How could a broke, disbarred, disgraced young man like him become this meritorious, prestigious and substantive in the life of others.

While thinking about that, his eyes caught something. He saw a little girl picking up snails from the ground. Then abruptly, the little girl ran to an elderly woman. She climbed onto the older woman's laps , circled her neck with her small arms and placed her head on the woman's bosom.

Tears welled up in his eyes as his mind began to drift to Jessica and his soon to be born child. How would he be able to see his child now, if she doesn't even let him near her doorstep? She had rejected him, hurled all kinds of invectives at him, and he felt he deserves them all.

It was a sombre moment for him on that day, especially when her father interfered and said one of the most hurtful words anyone could ever say to him, the mentioning of his mother. Those words had gone deeper into his heart, and he felt he was going to have a seizure. His heart had been utterly crushed that day, leaving it in pieces.

He felt like commiting suicide, ending his life right there where he stood with anything that his mind could come across. Of course, he could just walk to the middle of the road and allow himself to be run down by a moving vehicle. Who would care if he drifted away anyway.

He had no one to share his pain with apart from his old man, who could get another heart attack if not taken care of, and Drake didn't want to be the cause of that as well. Sighing, he continued his journey as he went from place to place, neighbourhood to

neighbourhood, and one house to the other.

He felt faint, and there was no doubt he had just spent hours scouring the city from different cafés, trattoria and restaurants. He walked through some narrow streets till he came across an orphanage.

He confidently walked in but lost it all when he was allowed in. He had noticed some weird glances he received from some people there to adopt, but ignored them. If only they knew who he was. He asked for permission to play with the kids, but wasn't allowed as the woman thought he was a dangerous man to the kids.

After persuading and being rejected, he decided to show himself to her. He looked around to see if anyone was looking his way, and was satisfied that all seemed to be minding their own business.

Slowly, he removed his cap and turned to look at the woman. A gasp escaped her lips as she realised who it was. Drake was quick to wear his cap back before being noticed by anyone else. Of course, someone who was known by everyone and his pictures almost everywhere, doesn't have to be out dressed like this.

Immediately, she allowed him in without any more questioning. He smiled at her and then left to where he mostly came. She kept staring at his back, unable to move her gaze off him.

Drake sat in-between a lot of kids who kept staring at him. He felt slightly uncomfortable at first, but when he opened up his arms to them, they collided into it. He later felt just like them, scared, hopeless, unhappy, yet alive. This brought some ray of hope into his heart, one which made him believe something good was coming his way.