^^ EVENING ~ MARTHA HOUSE ^^
“Clifford” Susie called as he stood glaring at them both.
“Did you hear everything?” Stanley asked, hating the fact that he had to find out the truth this way.
“Everything? Don’t tell me there’s more to know” Clifford said, his voice deepening with anger.
“Clifford I can explain” Susie said, stopping Stanley from speaking.
“What’s there to explain. I heard it all and to think that I….that I….” He stop wh@ťěver he was going to say and went back to his car.
“Clifford!” Susie called, running after him but when she got to him, he had gotten into his car and was speeding down the street.
Susie made to follow him but Stanley stop her.
“You can’t catch up to a car! It’s best you let him come to terms with what he heard tonight, even if you go to him now, he’s not going to listen since he’s angry” Stanley said, holding onto her arm.
“This wouldn’t have happen if you’ve stayed away. If you hadn’t come here tonight, he wouldn’t have found out this way!” Susie yelled at him, as tears slid down her cheek.
“You are blaming me? You should blame Nina. He should have been with her, but he came here and….”
“Go away”
“What?”
“I want you to leave, go away” she yell and ran up stairs, heading to the apartment.
*****
^^ CLIFFORD FAMILY HOME ^^
“He found out grandma. Susie just called me” Nina said, pacing around the sitting room.
“And?”
“What do you mean by and? We need to tell him the truth, he has to know that Susie have always wanted to be honest with him but we…”
“You are not going to say anything to him!” Crystal said stunning Nina to silence.
“But grandma we can’t….”
“We will. I’d rather have him get angry at that girl than for him to be angry at me. You know how he is when he’s angry” Crystal said.
“So we aren’t going to do anything right? Should we let him believe that Susie is a liar when she has always wanted to be honest with him. I won’t sit back and do nothing grandma” Nina said fiercely and was about to leave when Crystal hold onto her hand.
“Don’t you dare do anything stupid. If you want to keep on living under my roof and you want me to keep on being your grandmother when I have no blood of mine running through your vein then you are going to do as I say” Crystal yelled at her.
“What! You aren’t my real granddaughter. Have you forgotten that when your mother married my son, she already had you and your sister out of wedlock?” Crystal reminded cruelly.
“Even when my son and your mother died, I took care of you and your sister. Repay me back for everything that have done for you by keeping quiet about this. Clifford is the only blood relative I have and I won’t lose him thanks to your deplorable act of trying to say the truth!” Crystal added harshly not caring if she hurt Nina’s feeling.
“For a while I thought you’ve change. I thought that you’ve finally accepted my sister and I as your family but you only kept us by your side for your own gain. You used my sister and discarded her and now that you’ve use me, you want to discard me too, right?” Nina question, ignoring the cold look the old lady gave her.
“Well am sorry. I won’t let you use me neither would I let you use anyone for own selfish reason”
“Is that a thr_@t? You won’t want me doing worse things just to get you to shut up. Your sister is in California, what will you think happen if she suddenly dies from a fall or she suddenly gets into an accident?”
“Leave Tamara alone!” Nina yelled at her.
“I will as long as you keep your mouth shut about what transpired between Susie and us. Let Clifford keep believing her to be the bad guy” Crystal said.
“But why? Why must Susie take the blame. You said you wanted her by Clifford’s side, so why are you turning your back on her?”
“I told you. I’d rather have Clifford h@ťě her than for him to h@ťě me. Keep your mouth shut and Tamara will be fine” Crystal added and left.
*****
^^ TWO DAYS LATER ~ KNIGHT HOTEL TWO ^^
“Selfie time” May said as she pulled Susie and Paul close to take a picture.
It was their first day of work and they were dressed in their courrier uniform.
They were all waiting in a room to be address by their superior so they can begin.
While May and Paul added filter to the pics, Susie stared at her phone, waiting for the call she’s been expecting since the past two days.
After that night, she hasn’t seen Clifford. She has called and text him but all to no avail.
Not even Nina is picking her calls, her only hope is that she gets to speak to him at work.
“Is something bothering you? You look a bit down” May said but she shook her head and force on a smile.
“Am fine. Am just a bit worried that I might perform badly on my first day” Susie invented.
“We are all worried too but everything will be fine. We manage to overcome the interview stage, we will also overcome this hurdle too” Paul who had been listening in on them said, cheering her up with his words.
Some hours later in the employee cafeteria, the three of them found an empty table to eat and talk about their day till the end of lunch break.
“Gawd! It’s so stressing today. It’s been a week since the second hotel has been open and it’s filled to the brim with customers” May said.
“That’s why knight hotel is different from every other hotel. I wonder how much the CEO is making from all this” Paul said wistfully.
“It isn’t going to be little cash” May said jokingly.
“Mind if I join you guys” Stanley said as he sat with them.
“We don’t mind sir” May said quickly while Susie stared at him in silence.
She’s been ignoring him ever since that night two days ago.
She wasn’t expecting him to work in the new branch since he has a steady job at the first branch but somehow, he manage to get Clifford to transfer him here which got her wondering why.
“So how’s work?” He asked listening to May and Paul stories and also bonding with them.
“Don’t you have anything to say, Susie?” She heard him ask and she was about to reply when a movement by the entrance caught her eyes.
There was Clifford and some executives at the entrance.
All the employee stood up to bow at his arrival and that didn’t leave out her table.
She watch him walk past her table without giving her a glance and she would have gone after him if Stanley hadn’t hold onto her hand.
“Not now or you kiss your job goodbye” he murmured and pulled away from her.
They all took their seat and while Stanley went back to talking to May and Paul.
Susie kept starring at Clifford who was now seated at a table, deep in conversation with the men he came with.
The thought of him ignoring her like she doesn’t exist made her feel sad and hurt.
“Excuse me but I need to use the restroom” she said and left the cafeteria quickly.
Susie stared at herself in front of the mirror in the restroom, cleaning all traces of tears left.
She’s been crying for the past two days and she made a vow not to do so today but seeing Clifford got her overwhelm with sadness that she couldn’t stop the tears.
After dabbing her face with the tissue, she left the restroom to see Stanley waiting there.
He stretch his handkerchief to her but she ignored and walk past him.
“Ignoring me won’t change the fact that Clifford wants nothing to do with you” He said and Susie stop, turning to him.
“And you are happy about it right? It’s what you wanted all along, isn’t it?”
“What are you saying? I would never do anything to make you sad, I love you too much to see you hurt” Stanley said.
“But I am hurt. I hurt to my very soul and that’s because of him, I can’t stop thinking about him, I can’t stop wondering how he is doing. If he’s still mad at me or what he thinks of me now? I just can’t….” She said crying.
Slowly, Stanley walk towards her and pulled her into his arms, trying to comfort her.
“You have me, Susie. I love you and you are the only reason why I decided to work here. I won’t leave you alone, I will always stay by your side” he muttered and while she bury her face in his chest, he pulled her into his arms knowing that what she felt for him was gone.
*****
^^ EVENING ~ CLIFFORD’S CONDO ^^
Susie silently say a prayer as she made way to Clifford’s condo.
This will be the third time she comes here and she hope that this time, he will give her a chance to explain.
She press on the door bell but there was no reply.
She knock twice and when there was still no reply, she move towards the window, trying to peep in but there was no sign of any human.
She was about to leave when she saw him standing against his car some pace away, watching her.
“People could mistake you for a thief” he said, his arms folded on his chest.
“I didn’t mean to peep. It’s my third time being here and for a moment, I thought you were in and was…”
“Have been on a business trip for the past two days. I just got back today” he said, cutting her off.
“Did you see my message?” She asked slowly.
“The hundred plus messages you sent? I did see it but I chose to ignore it including your calls” he said, frowning at her.
What she will give to see him smile once again, she thought to herself.
“Why are you here? ” He asked, jolting her out of her thoughts.
“I came here to explain things to you. I need you to know how it all began”
“Is that all? Is that the only reason you are here?” Clifford asked.
“I… there’s something else that I…”
“You know. The two day trip I had made me think about a lot of things” he began softly.
“I kept wondering what I should do when I get back. Should I forgive you or should I just let you go so you can be happy with the man you truly love”
“But guess what I concluded ?” He said waiting for her to guess and when she said nothing, he continued.
“Hold onto her. You love her and even if she doesn’t love you, you can make her fall for you. That was my conclusion but I saw you in Stanley arms and realise how much of a hindrance I must have been to you”
“That isn’t true, Clifford”
“It is! I must have been the stumbling block for you and the one you love. You could have told me, you could have told me to go to hell but instead, you kept making a fool out of me. Was it fun?” He asked with pent up frustration.
“No Clifford. Let me explain, please” a crying Susie said.
“Explain what? More lies?” He asked.
“No. Just give me a chance to….”
“Don’t touch me!” He yelled, moving away from her.
“You’ve hurt my feelings for you and you’ve also hurt my pride and it only right that you pay” he said, glaring at her with h@ťě.
“Honestly, I can’t stop thinking about you and it drives me insane. I don’t care how you feel, I’m going to kiss you, hold you and sleep with you”
“So that I can get sick of you quickly and get rid of you and don’t you dare try to run away. If you do, I will look for you and when I find you, I will make you feel my wrath” he thr_@ten, scaring her to the bones.
He began to go in but he change his mind, walking back to her, he carried her bridal style, making his way to the condo.
“If am to get rid of you, I might as well begin tonight” he said and carried her into the house, locking the door to prevent any disturbance…
➳ TBC ➳💙🤍🧡