Ana's POV

"Good morning," I say to Glory who happens to be busy on her desktop as I walk into the building after the Uber driver dropped me at the foot of the entrance this time, as a result of my pleading to be pregnant and tired.

Fortunately for me, he agreed and did my bidding. I didn't lie though when I said I was tired hence I woke up that way, I seem to be having a lazy day and that coupled with pregnancy is not a good combination.

"Morning girlie," she beams, her reading glasses hanging on her nose as she lifts her face to peep at me. "I'll be with you shortly once I'm done arranging this spreadsheet."

"Hm, did I tell you I needed you?" I question, scoffing playfully.

"You hurt me," she gasps dramatically, making her eyes glassy and her lips quiver as she presses a palm to her left breast for emphasis.

"Drama queen," I chuckle, urging my legs to move towards my office. "You that is coming for amebo [gossip]."

"I swear I've taken an oath," she raises an arm in all seriousness as she speaks. "Amebo is not for me anymore, I'm a changed person."

"Owuya," I mock, pushing the door open. "I'll go crazy the day you do that."

"It'll shock you!" She yells, her voice sounding like a murmur as I bang it behind me.

"God, my feet," I moan, slumping in one of the orange plump cushions meant for visitors in my office.

Crouching a bit to the extent my stomach can let me, I free my toes from their cages which are in the form of ballerina black shoes. As comfortable as they are, they do not do much to help with my large soles.

It's been three days since that meeting held by Pencildecimo, the same day I saw Emily looking strange. Despite Oluchi and Glory assuring me she was the person I saw, I can't seem to recognize the fact that she actually looked unhappy.

Oluchi later began to concur with my theory hence we've both known Emily for more than half a decade, and have never for even one time caught her showing any other feelings apart from happiness, anger, and hatred.

Glory on the other hand argues with us, stating that everyone can feel down at certain times, some are experts at hiding them while others can be read like an open book.

Her other notion was that even if we were right by saying that Emily can never be sad, we should know people change, thus I never foresaw that Emily would have an affair with my boyfriend at the time 'Ken' under my nose.

She made a valid point but I find it hard to believe, I think it's the fear of not accepting that revelation hence I'll end up feeling bad for her and somehow find a way to reach out.

Dragging my mind back to the present and out of my thoughts, I clamp the armrest to help me rise and like a duck, waddle to the desk in a bodycon long sleeve ash dress that makes me look good despite my body state.

I can vividly remember how I was smiling at my reflection after I wore it. It brings out the swollen curve of my ass and breasts as well as my belly, provoking a pregnant but sexy look particularly as my blonde curly wig strands hang just above my butt.

Shaking my head as I recall Ike's reaction to the picture I took in the mirror, provokes a giggle from me. The realization that he even went to the length of calling me makes my heart flutter at his sweet words and loud exclamations.

As to the reason why I sent him the picture or even took it in the first place, I have no idea, I guess I was just feeling good at my appearance.

Placing my black Fendi bag on the table, I switch on my laptop, as it boots, I produce my phone from the black satchel and check on my POPINK app to follow the most recent story I began reading yesterday.

A noise dings, notifying me the device is done booting, and so I go over the plans for the day.
Hopefully, we will commence marketing the lotions today. If I'm not mistaken it is being packaged now to be handed to the distributors on their arrival to carry to wholesalers who will spread it to retailers and final users.

I spend some time monitoring my money on the writing platforms I'm signed with, at the same time following up on the performance of my books and observing if the hateful comments have stopped. My hope gets shattered as I see the hateful reviews, their half to one star affecting my star rating.

"Ana?" Glory calls, jeering me from my task such that I shake a bit. "Is everything alright?"

"Everything is fine don't worry," I say, putting on a smiling mask. "Whatsup?"

"I thought you would hear," she states, opening the door wider to lean in the doorway, her sandal-clad legs crossed in front of her as her shoulders that are covered in a white and black striped blouse tucked into a slit brown leather skirt helps to sustain her posture.

"Hear what?" I cock my head as I ask, and rest my back on the seat. "I don't understand what you are implying."

"Guess you were lost in your head once again," she snorts. "The sound of the distributors, arriving with their vehicles."

"Are they here?" I inquire, standing.

"Of course they are here, if not do you think I'll be here having this conversation?" She taunts playfully.

"Oh, so I'm not your friend anymore?" I pout, walking to where she's standing.

"Why won't I be your friend," she chuckles, her posture now perfect as she pushes herself off the wall.

"I don't know, maybe because you said you were gonna show up at my office but you didn't," I recall, making my eyes watery.

"You forget this is a place of work!" She exclaims in pretense shock. "Sometimes I wonder who's boss around here."

"For now you are," I shrug, prompting her to give off a stunning expression. "I don't do much work around here in the meantime so."

"Why didn't you tell me so I could exercise some authority," a wicked look enters her eyes as she grins

"Now this is why I didn't tell you," I cackle gesturing to her.

"Let's get moving," she giggles and points in the path of the exit. "After you."

"Chivalry ain't dead," I tease, hurrying forward in case she decides to chase me.

She doesn't and instead shuts the door of my office and angles behind me as I pull the entrance of the building ajar to go through. I glimpse the distributors she indicated and see them in action with John and the rest as badges of the lotion are being transferred into the trucks.

"Good work everyone," I wave at them and the only thing they can do is to nod in retort as they are all busy at their various jobs.

In less than an hour, everything is completed and the vehicles are fully loaded. The amounts of goods and their prizes are recorded by John to monitor the profit and losses.

"Bye!" I call at the drivers, and two of them grin, the other two waving at me before they drive off.

"Here are the figures your highness," John says, wearing a black armless vest that displays his muscled sweaty biceps above knee-length jean shorts, handing me a piece of paper.

"You know that statement should be directed at me, I'm the boss for now," Glory blurts in an octave, pushing out her chest.

"What is she blabbing about?" John raises a question, gazing at her in a baffled outlook.

"Don't worry," I whisper, an idea popping into my head as I whirl to her, handing the sheet to her face. "Here are the figures your highness, which you'll use to scrutinize the sales of this first distribution."

"I- I- um- did- I-" she stutters and I smirk, ogling her.

"Sorry boss, I didn't hear you, what were you saying?" I ridicule, almost chuckling at her tensed mood.

"Nothing," she gulps, returning the paper to my location. "You can handle it for now dear."

"I thought as much," I assert and swerve to John, the both of us bellowing in laughter afterward.

"Noo, be the boss," John teases, clapping his knees in humor as he tries to hold his balance and not fall due to the number of chuckles he is releasing. "You think say e deh easy to be boss? [Do you think it's easy to be a boss?]"

"I hate you guys," she wails, stomping her feet as the other employees hanging around join us in laughing.

"You brought this upon yourself, babe," John proclaims, strolling to her.

"Don't come an inch closer," she commands stalling him. "I hate you too."

*******

"Hello Ana," a timid voice greets, not sounding like that of its owner.

"What are you doing here?" I jeer, emerging hastily from my seat as I can tell who it is.

"Ana, try to hear me out," she begs, her face not looking like the one I've been accustomed to, the lack of makeup and slutty attire doing wonders to her appearance.

"There's no way you'll expect me to do that Emily," I declare, bestowing her a fierce gaze that channels all the anger, betrayal, and hurt she caused me.

"Just give me a chance I beg of you," she pleads, striding closer discreetly, her body quivering.

"How did you get in?" I quiz, dismissing her statement as I don't allow myself to take pity on her disheveled self, which consists of the tattered natural weaves, her pink cheeks that appear smudged below swollen eyelids, and eyes that have no shine in them.

"I pleaded with Tony to let me in, and thanks to God he must have taken pity on me to grant me leeway into the premises," she explains, fiddling with the stained large yellow t-shirt she's donning atop a pair of black leggings. Her appearance coming off as someone who hasn't showered for days.

"Oh so you know his name," I scoff, not believing my ears.

"I know I've been unmannered and uncultured for a long time and I'm sorry," she aims to pacify, noting the resentment radiating off me.

"What about Glory?" I investigate, knowing for a fact that there's no way Glory would have let her into my office even if she's on a death bed, yeah, that's how Glory loathes her while Oluchi would take it as an opportunity to finish her off.

"She wasn't at her cubicle," she says, confirming my thesis.

"I knew it," I nod, biting my lip to prevent scornful words from flying out of it in contempt at her existence.

"I'm truly sorry for all that I've caused you, I acknowledge it's difficult to---" I don't allow her to get to the end of that sentence.

"Are you 'truly' sorry?" I poll, using air quotes on the sorry to ridicule her actions. "Hm? Answer me, Emily, are you?"

"I am, Ana," she beseeches, about kneeling in front of my desk.

"Don't do that!" I shout in outrage at her movements. "I'm not God and kneeling won't help your case in any way."

"I'm doing it to show my extent of remorse, you know I haven't done this, so please," she goes on to say.

"You have no idea the pain and suffering you have caused me Emily because if you do, fear won't allow you to be here this moment hence I can kill you this instant!" I yell, hitting my fist on the table, anger not allowing me to wince at the impact.

"Kill me if you want, as far as it would make you forgive me," she whimpers, a teardrop kissing her cheek which she wipes with a finger that's devoid of any artificial nails or nail polish.

"Killing you won't do you justice," I sneer, hitting rock bottom as all I see is red. "The first man I loved, you chose to have an affair with him, why? You knew I loved him to death but you went ahead and scorned me!"

"I'm sorry!" She cries, sobs surging through her as her shoulders shake. "I didn't know what was wrong with me at the time, I didn't like the way he gave you all the attention when I was in the room and so I needed to prove to myself that I was better."

"Can- can you just hear yourself," I laugh hysterically, my hands locating my wig to pull it from my head in irritation. "You are a sick person Emily, you are fucking sick!"

"I accept that fact," she sniffs, shuddering in her misery. "That is why I've set up an appointment with a psychologist and she advised me to come to ask you for forgiveness."

"Wait," I pause, realizing something. "So if your psychologist hadn't told you to seek my mercy you wouldn't be here?"

"No, it's not like that I---"

"Get out Emily!" I order the veins in all aspects of my body popping out in anger.

"It isn't--"

"I said get the fuck out of my office before I smash your head on the freaking wall!" I scream, striving to control myself from hauling the flower vase on the right end of my desk at her.

"Ana I heard screams what is---" Glory halts, observing the person present in the room, her mood changing from one of concern to bitterness as she speaks to her. "You heard the lady, get lost."

"Please Glory, I apologize for everything, can you help me get through to h--"

"She said she would smash your head on the wall which you may survive from, but do you know what I would do?" She raises a question, her words sounding deadly. "Imma haul you by the hair, drag you around the whole compound of this establishment and set you ablaze while I watch you burn, enjoying your shrieks and pleas for mercy."

Emily getting the message dashes upright in a nanosecond, panic in her grey irises as she peeks between the two of us, her last words being "I won't stop pleading," before she scurries out of the office.

"Ana, I'm sorry, John and I were having lunch at the canteen and I," she sighs, her head bent. "I'm sorry."

"It's fine Glory," I growl, the rage taking its time to leave my body.
"I'll need you to take me to Helena, I've got a checkup today."

"But I don't know the direction," she confesses.

"I'll navigate you," I announce, picking up my bag. "We should go, this place reeks of Emily and her betraying self."

"It's okay," Glory smiles. "You've got everything you need?"

"Right here," I tap my bag in answer.

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