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Chapter 5

The call ended leaving Ava in a trance that made her forget she was in the car with Luther. She couldn't believe that her stepmother would hastily wipe off her father's savings just like that all because she rejected a marriage that wasn't going to work in the first place. Everything looked so surreal and sudden.

"Are you okay?" A single tap from Luther jolted her out of her reverie.

"Huh what?"

"I've been asking where you want to get down but it seems your mind is somewhere else." He said, concerned.

A fake smile formed around her lips and she pointed to a place, "There… please drop me there."

"Are you certain?" Luther asked again to be sure she was in her right mind.

"Yes, I will find my way from here." She replied softly.

Luther was about to talk again when she cut in.

"I'll be fine sir."

Feeling helpless, Luther parked and dropped her off. He watched as she walked away from the car without a simple thank you but that didn't bother him. She looked pitiful even from behind. The make-up meeting he had with the investors was the only thing that held him from calling her back.

He sighed and drove away, watching her image in the rear mirror until she became smaller and vanished.

Ava took another route and ended up in front of Trent's house. A small mini apartment that could only fit two people, any more than that would be suffocating. She knocked on the door the first time but there was no response. She knocked again, and she got the same result.

She was confused. The door was locked from the back and that means only one thing, Trent must be inside. She went around the back to the glass window of his room.

Ava could hear two people speaking to each other. The voice of the first was obviously a girl's voice and she was laughing hysterically. The second voice was so low that if one did not move closer, they wouldn't hear a thing but the vibrating baritone gave off the fact that it must be a guy.

After concentrating for a few seconds, she was certain it was non other than Trent. The voices were more audible now and she could hear what they were saying.

The girl said, "I told you to dump her a long time ago. I'm glad you did now."

She tried to peep through but the window was higher than she was so she looked for a footstool to climb on. Finally she was able to reach the window but another thing stood in the way. A white curtain dancing seamlessly to the sound of the wind.

Determined, she stretched her hand in through the window to pave way for her vision by parting the curtain apart. Almost there, her leg slipped and she fell down, dislocating her shoulder.

The loud rumbling of the stool and her whims to the pain that was coursing through Ava's body alerted Trent who recognized the voice and immediately stood up to check what was happening but he couldn't tell where the noise came from.

He opened the front door and saw nothing. Just the usual silence and stray cats wandering about. Just before he clo

Just as Trent was about to close the front door, he thought he heard someone sob.

“We paid for this apartment together. How could you do this to me?”

“No!” Ava sobbed louder and Trent finally got to know someone was indeed at his place. And it’s no other than Ava.

Getting to where her voice came from, surprise flashed in his eyes as he saw her sprawled on the ground.

In haste, he rushed to help her get up from the floor but suddenly stopped when he remembered how he was mercilessly dumped by her as she got married to that scrawny bald man.

His face hardened immediately and he stood just a few feet away from where she was.

Ava, seeing he has no intention to help her get on her feet, gritted her teeth as she struggled to get up while trying not to rest on her dislocated arm.

Pain coursed through her arm as she tried getting up but she bit her lips very hard in order not to cry out loud.

Trent stood watching her in a scrutinising gaze as he watched her struggle to get up. “Serves her right.” He thought.

Finally, Ava stood up. She knew she was covered in dirt and she tried to take them off as she continued to dust them off her.

Trent, placing his hands in his pocket, continued to look at her without saying a word. But Ava couldn’t bear the silence much longer.

“Don’t you have anything to say to me? She asked bitterly

“I should be asking you the same thing.” Trent said, sounding beyond pissed.

“I mean…

“Oh I see he has already started showering you with pleasant gifts.” Trent appraised her in a mocking tone.

“Listen Trent, I can explain everything to….

“Explain what?!” Trent cut her off again.

“Tell me, was this how much you were worth? You know if you had told me you wanted fancy clothes and shoes, maybe, just maybe I could have worked triple harder than I am currently working to get them for you.”

“But I guess I can never satisfy you.” He said, smiling bitterly.

“Trent, you know that’s not true. You know you’re the only one I love.” Ava said, trying her hardest to reason with him.

“You speak of love yet you’re here as someone else's bride. You didn’t even fight for us. You didn’t try, did you?”

“Trent! Enough of your insults!” Ava cut him off this time.

“You speak of betrayal?” She asked in disbelief.

“Who did I run to when my step mother started plotting about how she’s getting me married off to that old sly fox?”

“I told you over and over again how scared I was and that I didn't want that old man. But guess what Trent? When my stepmother came to take me away suddenly out of nowhere, you only stood by watching how she dragged me out of your house.”

“And here you’re speaking about me not fighting for us. You could have fought beside me when I desperately needed you.”

“And to think we cried in each other's arms before I was taken away by force, I feel so ashamed.”

“Do you think I want all these? That I want to be married off to an old man? Can’t you see it’s you, I want?”

“I want you so much it hurts right here.” Ava said, pointing towards her heart.

“I don’t want no other and that’s why I am here. Let’Qs start all over. Remember you promised that you will love only I. And I promised the same.”

“Right now, I'm free from that forced marriage and here for you. P—please don’t chase me away.” Ava said while breaking down into fresh tears.

Trent was about to say something when they both heard a quirky voice shout his name.

“Trenttttt, was keeping you for so long?” She half screamed.

“Either way, I'm coming outside.” She added.

Ava finally remembers there’s another girl. Wiping her face in surprise, she asked “who is she?”

“Look, I can explain.” Trent said in a fit of panic.

“Well, that’s why I'm asking.” Ava said, feeling her heart constrict in anticipation of the truth she already knows.

“I—i….

“I was barely gone for two days and you already have another woman?” She asked in disbelief.

“Tell me something. Is this why you were giving me those insane attitudes? Because of her?” She asked again.

“Yes hun, because of me, he no longer wants you. If you’ve got a problem with that, then get lost quickly.” The other girl said, suddenly appearing beside Trent.

“Babe, please go inside. Let me handle this.” Trent said facing the other woman while urging her to go back inside.

“Babe? She’s the babe now?” Ava thought she might pass out any moment from now as her heart has been getting a lot of shocks lately.

But both Trent and the other woman ignored her completely as she watched them get cosy in front of her.

“Okay, I'll go inside only if you promise not to stay out too with this scum.” She said, eying Ava viciously.

“It’s okay babe. Just go on in.” Trent cajoled the lady.

Ava watched as she kissed and pecked Trent and she couldn’t feel more disrespected and betrayed.

“I have nothing more to say to you. As you have seen, I've moved on. I expect you to be with your husband already and not outside my home.”

“T—-trent?” Ava’s voice broke as she feltQ her head spin and her heart jerk violently against her ribs in pain.

“H–how?”

“How could you do this to me? To us? W—we, we promised ourselves forever. I promised to be back, didn't i? So why?”

“Ava! Get a grip over yourself, will you?” Trent said

Shaking her head violently in self-denial “No no i can’t. How can i? How will I when the one I've loved has chosen to betray me in the most painful way ever.”

“I'm sorry if you feel some kind of way. But we can never be together.” With that, Trent turned around and never looked back.

Not until Ava heard me shut the door did she recover from her shock.

“I just got rejected.” She thought and began sobbing aloud. At a loss for what to do, Ava crotched on the floor and bawled her eyes out.

After a while, she stood up looking messier than ever and began walking. Her mind blank and her spirit gone. She felt lifeless even as she continued walking.

She soon saw a spot and her face beamed a little. Sitting down, she tried to take out her phone and dial Luther’s number only to realise she didn’t ask for it in the first place.

Which means, she’s going to be stranded. “Holy shit! What should I do?” Ava thought, as her heart picked race.

But in the end, she had nowhere to go. A sense of dread washed over her. It’s so dark already and she has nowhere to go.

She definitely can’t go back home as her step mother will skin her alive. Deciding to spend the night outside, Ava hugged her legs to herself tightly as it got chilly.

She soon dozed off into a dreamless sleep but woke up shortly after when she heard something.

Her heart began hammering violently to her chest as she continued hearing the strange sound.

“Dad, mom, I'm so scared.” Ava whispered tearfully as she hugged herself more tightly and shut her eyes.

“There she is!” Someone suddenly shouted and adrenaline coursed through her body and she began trembling violently.

“I have to get out of her.” She thought shakily but before she could take any step, a rough hand already covered her mouth to prevent her from shouting.

A handkerchief was placed on her nostril. Soon, she felt herself beginning to lose consciousness and she kept struggling with her captor.

“No, I can't lose consciousness just yet.” Ava kept shaking her head in an attempt to remain conscious but she was no match for she had been drugged.

She soon went limp in her captor's hand. Then he lifted her and carried her on his shoulder.

On getting to where their sedan minivan was, she was shoved violently inside the van and the mini van drove off leaving in its wake, dust.

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