Chapter 9
Valerie’s POV
“I don’t understand,” I said. I had paused from my work to understand what she just said.
“I know you don’t. I wasn’t expecting you to understand anyway.” Jade replied.
“Could you please throw more light? Who exactly are you?” I asked again.
“I pictured you as a dumb person, but I didn’t know you’d be deaf too. I can’t believe Damian settled for someone like you. I just said Damian is my boyfriend. Not just my boyfriend, my fiance.” She snapped.
At this point, my chest was beating furiously. Boyfriend? How? If Damian had a girlfriend, he would tell me. Maybe she is just lying.
“How possible is that? Damian and I are getting married.”
She burst into laughter.
“Ha! You wish…I thought as much. I knew you were one of those girls that just flock around him because of his wealth and good looks. Well, let me just inform you that his rightful owner is back in action. So you can go back to the streets where you belong.” She sneered.
“With all due respect Jade, you can’t walk into my firm and say whatever you like…”
“And who said I can’t? You can’t tell me what to do and what not to do.” She cut in.
I was so enraged. I folded my fist in anger while struggling to maintain my cool.
“Let me give you a little briefing on my relationship with Damian. We have been dating for more than a year now. I am a model and I travelled to the UK for a photoshoot a month ago. Now, I assume you saw that as an opportunity to meander into his life as a golddigger which you are.”
“Jade…” I cut in.
“Don’t interrupt me. You will listen to me until I’m done talking. As I was saying, whatever plans you may have laid out, has to be cancelled. For your own good. Because your fake marriage with Damian will not happen as I am carrying his child already.”
That was a bombshell. Shit.
Valerie, you fool. How foolish of me to trust Damian. He had a girlfriend all along and he didn’t inform me. He even slept with me the previous night.
It all dawned on me now. Damian had previously said I’m not his type of woman. What then did he take me for? A slut?
Why on earth did I trust him? And I was already developing feelings for him because I thought he loved me.
I have been deceived!
Jade just sat there, watching me as I was ruminating on what she had just said. She was obviously reading every expression on my face.
I felt dizzy and leaned on my desk.
“I believe you have gotten my message. You know what to do next.” Jade said as she stood up and wore back her sunshades. I could still hear the clacking of her heels as she walked out of my office.
After shutting my door, I bent over my desk and sobbed bitterly.
I was so pained. Why would life treat me in this manner? When I thought I had found love finally…why would Damian lie to me? I thought he loved me?
He said he loved my personality and had wanted us to know each other better.
I had even cancelled my travelling plans. I changed my mind from travelling to Texas because I wanted to give him a chance.
What am I going to do?
The memories of the previous night kept flashing back. I remembered everything he had said and how he made love to me. Now, it will all go down the drain.
Life can be cruel.
*******************
Damian’s POV
I had just closed from work and was about to drive home. I was still in my car when I dialled Valerie’s line for the fifth time and she didn’t pick up.
I texted her an hour ago to know how she was faring but she didn’t reply. I was beginning to get worried.
Maybe I can drop by her store and check up on her.
I was about to start my car when my phone rang from an unexpected caller.
“Hey, Babe,” the female voice rang out from the other end as I picked up.
Jade. After a whole month.
“Jade, I warned you not to call my line again, didn’t I? Why then are you calling?” I asked.
“Good evening to you too. Damian, that is not a good way to welcome me back from my trip. I missed you, Babe.” She complained.
“You have not answered my question.”
“I called because I missed you. Sweetheart, I’m sorry for what happened between us before I travelled.”
“You’re apologising now? After making me look stupid. You made a fool of me. Your pride and ego just didn’t allow you to accept your wrongdoings.” I bellowed.
I remembered what separated me and Jade.
Jade, as a model, was very popular. She is so beautiful that every company wanted to sign her in. She was a millionaire on her own , flying to different countries and living the life she wanted.
She had an affair with her colleague in their company and she felt I wouldn’t discover.
When I eventually found out, I confronted Jade about it which she denied at first. Later on, she owned up and told me to my face that it wasn’t a big deal. She said I was being childish to think I’ll be the only person to have her.
The last time I saw Jade, we agreed that the best decision was for us to go our separate ways. She stormed out of my house that day and never called again.
A week later, I heard she had travelled to the UK.
The memories rushed in and out of my head as I tried to shake them away.
“Honey, I couldn’t apologise back then because I was still a child. Now, I have acknowledged my wrongs and I’m saying that I’m sorry.” Jade continued.
“I’m sorry, Jade. But it’s too late. I meant it when I said it’s over between us.”
“Too late? Is it because of that gold digger they called Valerie? What have you seen in that girl anyways?”
“How do you know about Val?
Jade laughed.
“You underestimate me, Damian. I did research about her and I got a handful of information about her. But Damian, she is not your type. You and I know that. I know she can’t make you happy the way I do”
“Shut up, Jade. You know nothing about her.”
“You’re asking me to shut my mouth now right? Well, just say goodbye to your girlfriend because if I can’t have you, no one else will. I will make sure of that. You can’t ditch me for that low-life.” Jade said.
“Don’t underestimate me Damian. You can’t leave me for that girl. I have made sure that she won’t have any reason to desire you again.” Jade said as she bursted out in a sinister laugh.
“What do you mean, Jade?”
“Okay, Sugar boy. Let me give you a hint. Haven’t you wondered why she has not picked your calls yet and she hasn’t called you either? I knew she’d do just that. Don’t ask me what I did. I simply put her where she belongs.” Jade hung up immediately after that.
Her last words kept ringing in my ear. What could she have done to Valerie? I called Valerie again but this time, her line was switched off.
Shit.
I ignited my engine immediately and sped off to Valerie’s store.
In twenty minutes, I was outside and I could see that she had already closed. I headed to her place.
I knocked for the first three times but there was no response.
From the lights in the house, I could tell that she was at home. I called and called but she never picked my call.
I kept knocking but she didn’t open up. I was so desperate to see Valerie. I called out her name from the door but there was still no response.
I stopped knocking and just stood there for close to ten minutes. After a while, she turned off the lights in her house. I couldn’t see any light from outside.
That gave me the conviction that someone was really inside.
“Valerie!” I called out.
“Val. I know you are in there. I don’t know what Jade must have said to you but if you can listen to me, I’ll explain. Val. You mean a lot to me and I don’t want to lose you. Please give me a chance to explain things to you.”
After saying that, I expected her to open up, but she didn’t. I waited for another fifteen minutes before I went back to my car and drove home.
When I got home, I got a text message from Val.
It read:
“Damian, it hurts to think that you just used me for your satisfaction. Your girlfriend told me the truth about you and I don’t want to come in between the two of you. Enjoy your life with her and please leave me alone. Pretend I don’t exist and I will do the same.”