Ana's POV

Crossing the living room, on my way to the door leading to the compound, I halt in my steps as I recall something.

That being the image of my phone laying on the red duvet-covered bed in my bedroom.
"Fuck!" I clamor as I note this.

Reversing my strides, I amble to the said part of the house, shoving the entrance open. According to my instincts, I sight in the exact spot as I thought it and trudge towards it.

I have the need to examine my reflection so I stroll to the human-sized mirror. Standing there gazing at myself, I catch a glimpse of a red stain, one which at first glance may be mistaken for blood but on a closer look is a smudge of stew from the breakfast of 'Mama put rice' (Roadside rice and stew).

"Christ I'm going to be late!" I exclaim sighting the time read ten minutes past nine in the morning.

Having no other option than to discard the white palazzo trousers, I hike to the wardrobe, fishing out another palazzo rather in a different shade, the blue material complementing the red linen blouse.

I appear neat and okay in the mirror so I go to snatch up the device before I leave for work without it. The instant I lift it, it vibrates, my most recent tone being 10,000 hours by JB begins playing, Ike's name highlighted on the screen.

"Well if it isn't the guy who says he loves me, wooing himself into my pants and getting me pregnant, " I mutter in greeting, setting my butt on the soft mattress as the need to arrive at the office on time dissipates from my mind.

"Well, that's a mode of greeting I haven't heard before," his deep chuckles sound through the phone to reach my ears, bringing a smile to my face at his humor.

"At least I'm not lying," I beam, regardless of the fact he can't see me blushing with teeth flashing which now I think about it is more of a good thing thus I can discreetly preserve my dignity.

"You know you are," he answers. "For the record, I had already gotten into your pants before I began to catch feelings."

"You must be proud of yourself eh?" I taunt, biting the inner part of my cheek.

"Which man wouldn't be proud eh?" He queries, "especially if the lady in question is 'Ana Ogechi Alex."

"Want to woo me again?" I flush while asking.

"Is it working?" He quizzes.

Just after he raises that question, I heed someone calling his name from the other end. "It will always work." I snort.

"Guess my skills never get old," he boasts.

"Yeah sure, let's believe that," I retort, hearing the same voice seeking him, this time a bit louder, that it prompts me to ask, "where are you?"

"At my hotel room why?" he implores, and I sense uncertainty in his response.

"Oh nothing it's just---" I get cut off by the person whom I was internally suspecting it to be. "Ike is that not Emily?"

"No, I don't---" he's stopped by his name being called by the person in question.

"Daniel are you in here?" Emily inquires. "The receptionist said you are present and also gave me a key card."

I keep silent after that, and this enables me to listen to shuffling and footsteps before I hear his voice. "Emily, what are you doing here?"

"You sound angry at my presence, " she blurts and I stay mute, listening in to their conversations. "Anyway, all it did was to tell her you are my fiancee and drop someone thousand naira notes on the counter to complete the job."

"She has to be fired then because I gave strict instructions not to let anyone up to my suite, " he asserts, his manner of dialogue coming off as irritated.

"So who were you talking to while I worked in?" She interrogates, "and don't lie because I heard murmurings."

"How is that your business?" He polls, "because you don't run my life."

"True, it's not, but if it's that slutty baby mama of yours you were chattering with on the phone then she should better know that she has no place in your life far as I'm still breathing, " she says, and somehow I'm tempted to speak until she utters "I'm the one with the ring and therefore the one to be in your life, the sooner the both of you realize that, the better for you."

"Why do you jump at any opportunity to----" I don't let Ike finish as I get tired of listening and end the call, dropping the device in my bag as I inhale a heavy breath.

Not wanting to ponder on the words of a cheat, I snatch the nude purse from my right and exit the room, proceeding to the entertainment room and lastly, the compound.

I think to order an Uber thus I can't bother Glory at this time and Oluchi journeyed to our hometown a few days ago to see her sick mother and Joe must be busy hence I haven't noted any sign of him today.

I bring out the iOS device from my bag, my orbs aligned on its screen as I unlock the small partition of the gate meant for humans and depart from my home.

My focus not around me as I walk in a pair of nude sandals a little distance down the concrete road only to bump into a body, causing the iPhone Xmax to slip from my palm, landing on the floor.

I hold in a scream as I take in the picture of my phone bouncing on the ground and crouch to pick it up. Hissing and lifting myself back up, my eyes trail a pair of black heels to bleached skin thin legs that contain black splotches like the one I have on mine but appearing disgusting due to the tampered skin.

My eyes follow her calf's to the tight-fitting black skirt she's donning till they pass a blinding orange top to meet with a heavily made-up face.

"Ma, can you clarify about the incident that occurred on the 15th of July 2020 at Kilimanjaro eatrie where your Ex clashed with your recent conquest who got you pregnant?" The woman questions instead of the 'sorry' I was expecting and produces a huge microphone I had no idea she was holding, a portable video recorder resting on her right shoulder.

And as if they were lurking in the shadows waiting for a moment to strike, other reporters began appearing from nowhere, some running towards me, others shouting queries from a distance.

"Yikes," I murmur, a fight or flight motive sets in, and choosing flight thus I can't fight off all of them, I make a very hasty turn, adrenaline kicking in as I forget the fact I'm pregnant and dash in the path of my home, the sound of their soles showing I'm being tailed.

Arriving at the metal barrier and grateful that I didn't lock it, I thrust it open, breathing high, the iron producing alerting noises as I shut it hastily securing the lock.

I place my palms on my knees as I bend, regaining my breath and sweating because of my little sprint.

"Ana, what's going on?" Joe requests, rushing out to meet me in that posture.

To answer his question, loud voices bounce at the gates together with their fists as questions are being thrown around and microphones are being reached out by hands through every possible opening.

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Freshy❤