I entered the house to meet it dead and quiet, I knew Mom was definitely somewhere around the house.

The piece and quiet was what I needed to comfort myself, having walked out of this house as an employee yesterday, I was entering it jobless.

One question I kept on asking myself was if the end result was worth it. The pleasure and moans, was it worth the exchange for my job?.

A night of pleasure with my boss! Ex boss where he couldn't even remember that he had broken my hyphen.

I remembered how he didn't even look at me once while sacking me, he knew my story but yet he did this all for the sake of keeping the rules.

Did I disgust him so much that he couldn't even tamper justice with mercy for my mom's sake.

I wondered what I would tell her, I was nothing without her so therefore I wasn't going to sit back and watch death snatch her away from my hands while I watched.

Like a zombie, I walked to my room before sinking on my knees and crying my heart out.

All for a night!, My subconscious kept on mocking me for years, I had always looked up to him with eyes full of affection and adoration.

At this point it was safe to say that I was stupid and in love with the devil himself.

After working faithfully for him for two years, he threw me out like I was trash and he had no value for me.

I heard footsteps making me stand up and practically run to my closet to wipe my tears away from the searching eyes of my mom.

Just as I dropped the cloth I had used to clean my tears, she walked in.

All thoughts and worries about loss of job flew out of the window as I saw how frail and thin she was looking and I couldn't help but ask, "Mom are you okay?".

She chuckled, pretending to be okay but I could see right through her.

It made me wonder how I much I had sunk into my job that I couldn't even recognize my own mom any more.

"Is there a reason why I'm not okay?" Mom asked playfully but I could see behind those fake smiles.

"Have you seen the doctor lately?" I asked her not pretending to flow along with her plain lies.

"Hmm No but..." Mom began but I stopped her immediately from selling those lies, when would she understand that she was so transparent as easy to see right through.

"But what Mom?" I asked her making her frown at me.

"You don't get to shout at me young woman, I'm not some baby, I'm your mother and I demand respect too".

That move also wasn't going to go past me either, "Mom, just promise me that you'd see the doctor" I said pouring my emotions into my words before hugging her tightly.

I would have probably cried on her shoulder but I had to be stronger than that for her.

She needed me most at this time and the best I could do was to smile and pretend all was okay.

Shortly after mom left, I laid on my bed thinking of how things ended up this way.

My mind began to carelessly wander towards the issue that led to all these, last night.

A party to remember was the theme of the night and surprisingly to me, it was indeed one.

A phone call immediately drew me out of my thoughts, bringing me back to present. With high hopes that it was probably my boss calling to inform me that he needed me.

Upon seeing the caller, I frowned and decided to let it ring because we had nothing to talk about anymore, she should be pretty aware that I no longer work for fiancee.

Mom would pop in my room once in awhile to check up on me and everytime she did, I smiled.

The night soon dawned on me and I quickly retired to bed to avoid mom's calls.

Tomorrow was another day to get a job even though I knew it would pay less, a job was still a job and was far better than being jobless.

_________________

Next morning

___________________

I woke up feeling lighter and hungry, last night after retiring to bed mom popped in an tried waking me up.

My stomach grumbled and make me frown, I was so hungry that everything was beginning to look like food.

Grudgingly, I walked downstairs and then straight into the kitchen.

Upon opening the fridge a paper fell off and I would have normally ignored it but then Mom's name caught my attention.

It was a doctor's report, if I can remember clearly mom's facial reaction to my worry and then to my question on seeing the doctor,she surely looked suspicious.

I could hold back from myself from peer inside and seeing the report I saw make my heart thump fast against chest.

I started reading out, "Patient have been diagnosed of high levels of white blood cells and low platelet, at stage four of leukemia…" I paused and frowned.

Stage four of Leukemia?

I wondered how bad it was and how long more, just leukemia alone had reduces her years of survival to 5 years.

My appetite disappeared and was immediately replaced with the zeal to work

It was this zeal that had me standing in front of a restaurant nearby after two after hours

There was something about this place that assured me that I was getting nothing here.

Starting from the way they had received me in and the rude remarks that was thrown my way before the interview.

I knew there was no way I was going to be called back here after the stunts that was being pulled in there, a tear slipped out of my eyes as I walked through the door

All these happened after a night with my crush and ex boss, my phone rang interrupting my thoughts.

I looked on ignoring the call and I was grateful that I had brought along with me a pair of sunglasses.

One part of my mind still hoped he was the one calling, that alone would show me that he had cared a little bit.

If not for anything but for the night we had spent together tangled together in each other's arms savoring the moment.

I let the phone ring not wanting to pick the call from anybody just yet and it could also be possible that it was Liam's bitch.

Looking for a job at a restaurant looked bad enough as i was once worked as the secretary of a billionaire, a job I took pride in.

A cat horned loudly behind me making me jump out of my toes in fright.

I turned to face the driver who had pulled up beside me, ready to give him or her a piece of my mind for doing that, what if I was hypertensive?.

The driver wind down making me frown visibly, "you don't look so pleased to see me Natasha" Arielle said, the way my name was came out of her mouth made me roll my eyes.

"What are you doing here?" I asked her, she no longer had right to boss me around as I no longer walked for her fiancee.

"Nothing, just stopped by at my cousin's restaurant" she said making my eyes widened

There was no restaurant on this street except the one I had visited to apply for a job.

I wanted to burst out laughing, Arielle was definitely referring to my failed interview here, she was the reason why I wasn't given an opportunity to get interviewed at all.

Why I was judged at the entrance of the door even before I spoke?.

"What do you want from me?", Wanting to leave here, the sun was damn hot.

"Why don't I drive you home?" She asked with a smile, it looked sweet but I knew Arielle was more like a wolf in the sheep's clothing and wasn't one to be trusted at all.

Even if she'd offer me a job immediately, I would decline because she was like the devil who would offer you the world but in exchange of something far more worse than it.

"No thank you, I'd rather pass" I replied and moved to pass when she said, "you'd rather walk under the sun to the bus station than accept a free ride".

"Do you hate me that much?" She asked making me frown as she added, "that you can't survive a minute in my presence".

There was something about the way she said it that made it feel like a dare. It was almost like she was saying 'you are so scared that you can't even spend a minute with me'.

With so much reluctant, I entered her car and almost sigh in relief as the air conditioner wiped away heat.

Arielle smirked before driving off, I was wowed by the interior of her car and honestly I didn't even know what car is this but it was beautiful.

"I called you today Natasha" she stated making me roll my eyes thankful for the coverage the sunglasses provided.

"And even a few minutes back" she added.

"Yeah and if you watched I missed it unconsciously" I replied before looking out of the window.

"Why?".

"Why?" I asked her back unable to understand if she was asking me why I had ignored her call or why I didn't checked the caller ID.

"Yeah, why? There has to be a reason as to why you are ignoring people's call Tasha" she teased.

Just then I knew exactly what she was talking about and was referring to, it was no doubt the fact that I was disposed from her fiance's company like trash.

I wondered how she got to find out?.

"What do you want?" I asked her looking away. I smiled immediately I looked out of the window, we were so close to my house and with the way she was going, I'd be home in a jiffy.

"Look no need to continue beating around the bush, whatever shit happened between you and Liam last night should be in the past just as your job has become a thing of the past" she began as she pulled up in front of my house.

"Just so you know my ears and eyes are everywhere and I'm fully aware of your mom's ailment or should I say condition?, Whatever!".

"Stay away from my man and I would stay away from your business too"

I scoffed in disbelief, could it be by any chance that I was actually called by her to be threatened.

"Are you threatening me?" I asked her making her laugh.

"Threatening you say, all I have to say for you is for you to stay the further away from Liam, the more you stay away from him, the safer you are, now get out". And that was what ended our conversation that evening

(Three days later)

It was three days since Arielle and I had that confrontation and I was so tired of staying home.

I tried calling up a few friends to find out if they had any opening or job for me and planned to give up if Sandy answer is negative too.

"Hey stranger" she greeted and without letting me speak, she said, "I wonder why you haven't called even after calling all of our friends".

I tried apologizing but I honestly had to response for her yet.

"There's a job offering and if you can met me in five, it's yours".

"You're kidding right?".

"Yeah tell that to me in two hours" she added before hanging up.

I ignored the nauseous feeling I had been feeling since morning and the lingering taste of vomit in my mouth.

I ignored mom and sneaked out of the house, what was going to my response to her If she asks why I skipped work all this while.

Liam was my past now and so was the depression I had almost fell into.

I was going to walk back to the top and hopefully higher than before, this job opening was a sign that the universe was indeed smiling in my favor.

**Arielle POV**

I watched her leave with a smile plastered on her face, wherever she was going to must be the cause of her smile.

She had no cause to smile after ruining my home even before it happened.

My wedding to Liam was finally fixed this weekend but yet she ruled his mind.

Liam even told that lousy friend of his that he was thinking of meeting up with her and give her back the job, he told them he felt pity for her cause of her mother's condition and he also got to find out she was a virgin before whatever they had.

He even compared me with her

He had compared me with this nobody and thought I'd let it go just like that?

In rage the first thing that came to my mind was running her over and driving off but then that didn't seem like the best way.

She wouldn't be able to feel what I was feeling and I knew the perfect punishment for sleeping with my man.

Her Mom.

**Arielle's POV CONT'D**

I laughed maniacally at my thoughts, Liam was mine and so was every other part of his body.

To have him ogling another lady when we haven't married yet was bad for me.

Ever since I overhead his discussion, it had my thoughts flying in so many directions.

I didn't come all this way to lose him to that thing, if it was a lady of better class and was way better than me, it would have been better but then it was her, Natasha.

I parked at the driveway and surveyed the area for a while before entering her compound.

For a moment I contemplated doing this myself as the possibility of this thing not working out as planned.

I wanted to do something that would break her so much that she'd hate the name, Liam.

A word was enough for the wise.

I walked towards Natasha's door and knocked. No one responded making me frown, I was pretty sure that her mom was in the house.

"Just a minute! I'm coming!" I heard her shout from the inside making me smile.

I heard her hurried footsteps before the door opened, the woman looked at me quizzically and then asked, "Uhm hello?".

"Good Morning Mom, sorry Mrs Banks, I'm Ari, Arielle in full, a friend of Natasha" I greeted.

The frown on the woman face surely meant that she was very suspicious of me.

"Okay dear, is there a problem?" She asked me with raised brows and I knew her next statement was to say that Natasha wasn't around.

I laughed softly and tried as much as possible to calm her suspicions, "I guess I'm not welcome here, I…".

"Sorry dear, pardon my manners come in" she said before moving slightly so I can pass.

"It's no problem mom" I said softly before entering the house behind her. The stench of poverty in this house made me frown.

"Hmm okay, I guess you are welcome to our humble abode, you don't look comfortable" her mom began before she added.

"I'm sorry for acting in that manner, it's just that Tasha has never mentioned any of her friends to me".

I looked at the frail and sick looking lady in nothing but disgust, she coughed softly and immediately I ran to her side in fake sympathy.

I discreetly thanked my stars that she coughed because I had no response for her honestly, my stay here alone was infuriating me the more.

She didn't stop but rather coughed the more, here I was thinking earlier on that it was going to be hard to kill her while the universe was in my favor.

"Let me get you water" I said sadistically but she was in a coughing fit to notice.

I walked towards the direction she had pointed out for me. This was all for a greater good, Mrs. Banks needs to go to rest and I was going to help her.

My reflection on the shining knife smiled back at me.

**Natasha's POV**

I knew that fate definitely had good plans for me because I got the job.

There was nothing much again maybe all this had happened for a reason.

My heart stirred in pain making me frown, what was happening?.

For some weird reasons I felt something bad was going to happen as it was going to happen now.

"Are you even listening to me?" Sandy asked, pulling me out of my thoughts.

"I'm sorry, I was just lost in thoughts" I apologized immediately.

She sighed and opened her mouth to say something before shutting it, "you look troubled, go home we'll talk later".

"I owe you ".

"Yes you do but only the living can speak" she said softly.

I smiled at her and hugged her muttering thanks.

Having a friend was good but a friend that understands you even before you speak was a blessing.

I said my goodbye before flagging down a cab.

My heart thumped so weirdly against my chest as he drove home, something was definitely wrong and I knew it but what?

I tried calling mom's line but then it kept on going to voicemail making me more worried.

As we approached the house I could hear sirens making my heart thumb and I perked outside to see cops car parked in front of my house.

I quickly got down from the cab ignoring the calls of the driver towards my house.

My Mom was the first person that came to my mind and immediately I let it out.

"Mom!" I called out as I ran, she was all that mattered in that house and nothing else.

"Ma'am, I'm sorry but you can't go in there" I heard someone said while holding me back from entering the entering the house.

"My mom is in there!!" I screamed before running away from their hold.

I haven't gone far when I saw someone being wheeled out in a stretcher.

I held my breath hoping my mom wasn't the person being wheeled out in a stretcher even though my mind was ringing otherwise.

As I saw the face of the wheeled out person, my heart crashed into pieces and my eyes shut before my legs gave way for me to slump.

I could hear them rush towards me and pick me before I could fall but my subconscious mind was still on mom.

How come she was dead?.

I was just about coming home to share the good news with her, we haven't even talked about what I had seen.

(At the hospital)

After spending a night in the hospital and I still haven't come in terms with the fact that Mom was dead and was never coming back to me.

No amount of tears could too, no amount of pleading too, she was gone and I was going to have to leave with it like that.

Upon waking up this morning, the police became my friends, asking questions and so much more.

They said it seemed more like a suicide attempt which I could understand, Mom didn't want a painful death so she made it more simpler for us.

All that filled my mind was the fact that she was dead.