Chapter 67

Chapter 52


Kharis POV


After I left Frederick's mansion, I took an Uber to the Alaska airline. I was going to meet ma Cleopatra in Canada. It was the only place I could go to at the moment. Going back home to my step-mother and father was not an option. I couldn't possibly go back to that torture den. I would rather sleep on the streets or stay in care homes than go back to a place that would force me to regret my existence.


I waited for the Uber driver outside Frederick's mansion. I was tapping my foot on the floor in response to the song I was listening to. My hands were folded as I stood, looking for the Uber driver to appear from the right lane (yeah, Google map alerted me about his direction.


As I stood, dressed in a headwarmer, trouser and sweater, I saw Lois approaching from a corner. Lois was the last person I wanted to talk to. Somehow, I suspected him for the rumors spreading on social media. He never really opened up about his feelings for me. But his actions screamed love and care everytime.


Maybe, he was jealous that Frederick, his boss, was the man in my life. Maybe, he thought of ways to sabotage our relationship and coming up with fake videos and pictures of me and him did sabotage the relationship. I hated him already. I felt disgusted. I had trusted and laughed with him, multiple times.


I guess nobody was ever meant to stay in my life or love me or care about me. It was a constant reminder that trusting someone was a bad idea. Everybody I had ever loved and genuinely cared about, broke me!!! No one had ever fixed me and if they ever did, they later broke me in the end. Maybe, that was my fate and destiny.


I prayed the Uber driver would get to me before Lois did. I wasn't in the right frame of mind to have a conversation with him.

Thankfully, the uber driver drove into the street from the right lane and pulled over just in front of me.


I felt the lump in my throat that formed as a result of seeing Lois, disappear. As I opened the door of the back seat, I heard Lois scream "hey, hey Kharis" and he started running to me.

I gave him a hand wave ad a gesture that matched 'i do not want to talk' and got into the uber.


"Alaska airlines. Drive now", I said to the driver. He looked at me quizzically and began driving his car.

I looked through the window and saw Lois stamp his foot repeatedly on the floor. Taking a deep breath, I relaxed into the chair and plugged my earphone back into my ear.


"Is everything okay", the driver asked me.

Oh no, I hope he wasn't thinking I stole something and was now on the run.


"Everything is okay. It is my boyfriend. I do not want to talk to him. He broke my heart, shattered it into tiny pieces", I lied to him, almost sobbing.


He handed me a white paper towel. I looked at him and his hands quizzically, wondering what the towel was for.


"Here, you can have it", he said to me as he was concentrating on the road. He looked at me through the rear mirror for a second and I took the towel from him.


"Thank you", I muttered softly.


The ride to the airport was quiet. I was busy listening to different songs echo through the earphone while the driver was busy driving and paying attention to the radio station. Occasionally, he did look at me through the rear mirror. As uncomfortable as I was, I wondered why he looked at me like that.


"What's wrong. You keep looking at me", I asked him, pouting my lips.


"You look familiar, Madam."


"Familiar"?

"I'm not a celebrity, just some girl living in New York City.


"Are you not the woman trending on social media"?, He asked me.


My jaw dropped, my heart beat tripled. I know I bit my lips twice and my body felt numb.


"Your sex video is everywhere. How could you do Mr. Frederick Hudson like that? No offence though but the dude is a good man, I don't know what to say about you and that driver guy.


"That's not me. That's not me", I muttered silently.


Who the hell was ruining my life like this?. I didn't want to be famous for something as terrible as this. If there was something the world was ever going to know me for, it shouldn't be such a scandal as terrible as this. How about creating world peace? Being an activist? Saving a life? Stopping global warming?


There were lots of things the world could possibly know and remember me for! Not some girl who cheated on a billionaire by sleeping with his driver in his mansion!!!


I could imagine how my parents would see me after they watched the video. They would totally conclude that nothing good can ever happen to him: that I am a terrible daughter: and that I deserve all the pain and torture that they put me through.


I wished there was someone I could talk to for real. My best friend, Jessie, was far away from me. I didn't know if ma Cleopatra was the perfect person to vent to.


"We are here", the driver said and looked at me through the rear mirror.


I checked my purse and brought out a 10 dollar bill for him.


I stepped out and pulled out my luggage from the trunk of the car. I stood there, outside Alaska airlines as I watched him drive away.

My confidence level dropped to a zero. What if thousands of people inside the airport knew about me already because of the news.


I prayed for the strength to avoid every wandering eye and talking lips pointed in my direction. I took a deep breath and walked into the airline.


My eyes wandered around, trying to find the right desk to move to.


"Hey, watch where you are headed", a woman said to me.


"Oh sorry", I said in hushed tones. I sighed at how clumsy and distracted I was already. I queued in a line to clear my papers and get ready for the trip. It was add avoiding the many stares. I even saw a teenager point at me.

I took my face down and began walking to a chair. My flight was stated for 20 minutes later.


While I waited, a man sitted close to me tapped me on my lap. I swear I wanted to tell him to backoff. I felt he wanted to remind me about the videos and photos. I really needed people to stop talking about it.


"Listen", he said and pointed to a direction. I unplugged my earphone and heard a flight attendant giving the pre-boarding announcement.


"Good afternoon passengers. This is the pre-boarding announcement for flight 16A to Canada. We are now inviting those passengers with small children, and any passengers requiring special assistance, to begin boarding at this time. Please have your boarding pass and identification ready. Regular boarding will begin in approximately ten minutes time. Thank you."


Well, that wasn't for me. There was no need to start boarding the plane so I relaxed a bit into my seat. I shut my eyes, not to sleep, but to reminisce about Frederick. I didn't even know when I started smiling.


After ten minutes, the flight attendant gave another announcement for the plane to take off. I picked my luggage and walked till I got to the plane with all other passengers.


I fixed my bag in the compartment and just as I was about to sit down, the flight attendant made another announcement. I took a deep breath, sat, and turned to look at the person sitting close to me. It was an elderly woman. It felt good, at least, she wouldn't recognize me.


"Ladies and gentlemen, welcome onboard Flight 16A with service from New York to Canada. We are currently third in line for take-off and are expected to be in the air in approximately five minutes time. We ask that you please fasten your seatbelts at this time and secure all baggage underneath your seat or in the overhead compartments. We also ask that your seats and table trays are in the upright position for take-off. Please turn off all personal electronic devices, including laptops and cell phones. Smoking is prohibited for the duration of the flight. Thank you for choosing Alaska Airlines. Enjoy your flight."


I called ma Cleopatra immediately before the plane took off. Thankfully, she picked at the first beep.


"Good afternoon ma Cleopatra", I said.


"Are you at the airport already", she asked.


"I'm in the plane, I'll call you as soon as the pIane lands", I said.


"Alright Kharis. Do have a save trip", she said and I dropped the call.


I switched off my phone and played music. I needed the music to stay calm. I relaxed into my seat and slept off.