CHAPTER 3

Went MIA

" Don't bother yourselves. I will be fine. "

" Ade!!" Violet roared with anger, " You can't even apologize for what you did? How could you throw files in my face? I even waited for you thinking you'd come to your senses and realize your mistake but clearly you are such a spoilt brat! You've been living off the Cleland Family for so long , now your wings have grown and you don't even know your place again."

" Look at what you did Ade." Sandra said, " Most people would focus on repudiating whatever negative accusations have been thrown on them and clearing their name, but you seem to be doing the very opposite."

Ade chuckled. " Shouldn't you be trying to salvage Cleland Family Conglomerates? Or your falling stocks does not bother you? I think it bothers your father Sandra, so it should bother you too. But you chose to have misplaced priorities instead."

Shame washed across Sandra's face, but it quickly morphed into boiling rage. " You good for nothing whore!!!"

Ade moved swiftly, like a lethal cat and landed a loud slap on Sandra's cheeks.

Sandra stumbled back, clutching her face, looking horrified.

Ade's palms left an imprint on her fair face.

She had never expected that this timid, shy lady who never spoke up even once, could now fight back.

Ade had always taken whatever BS that Sandra gave her, but now she held and radiated a fierceness that terrified Sandra and made her rethink attacking back, even though she badly wanted to.

"How dare you!!"

"Ade!! You have done enough!! What is your problem?" James yelled after Sandra. " I understand you are angry with me but you cannot take it out on my family members."

" Goodbye James," Ade said, taking her luggage and stepping out of the house.

"She slapped me James, are you just going to stand there and do nothing?" Sandra wailed behind Ade.

" What do you want me to do? Hit her back? She's a woman. My dignity as a man will be on the line. You should have hit her back when you had the chance." James fought back in irritation.

The last thing he needed was to hear Sandra's voice buzzing on his mind like an annoying fly. He was already in a chaotic state of mind seeing Ade leave.

He thought it would mean nothing if she left. But why did he feel like he was losing something so critical and precious?

But his arrogance wouldn't let him acknowledge that as he watched Ade's figure disappear into the streets beyond. "If she wants to leave, then so be it."

Ade quickly boarded a cab and on the way she held two phones in hand as she stared out at the city's landscape sprawling out in a side view.

Towering glass buildings and conventional apartment complexes dazzled past, littering the streets of Los Angeles

It seemed like she was leaving all of them behind, not Los Angeles in particular but the reason she had come to cherish the place.

It all looked like one big betrayal plot now. Cherishing something that would only plunge a dagger into your heart when you were fast asleep or you weren't watching.

Cars dashed by, the occupants unaware of her pain and misery.

Even if they did, probably they'd offer her condolence utterances, and that would be all.

Everyone would immediately afterwards be occupied with their own daily troubles and issues.

That was how the world worked anyway. And she was fine with that.

An ash-painted building caught her focus. It was Cleland Family's Nutrition faction, the insignia on the facade was headlined in black marble glass.

She recalled how much she had worked hard to revive this particular segment of their business.

The sweat and toil.

She had given James and his family her all, and they cast her aside like she was a societal reject.

An outcast.

This was how the world worked anyway.

She would push the line with that.

She put on one of the phones and made a call, and soon enough the person on the other line answered.

"My God!!! I am dreaming aren't I? " A high pitched female voice rang out. " Did Silent Star just call me or perhaps AI has upgraded to the extent that they can initiate random calls single-handedly now ?"

" Quit playing around Agnes. What's going on?"

" You are seriously asking me that?" Agnes countered. " What do you expect after you went MIA for years. No one ever heard from you again."

" You heard from me ...a couple times. I could never get rid of you." Ade meant it to come out as a joke but she was drained, dispirited, so her voice came out in a flat, droning tone.

"What's happened, I'm guessing there's some bad news that's occurred. Even though we haven't communicated in what seems like a year and I am angry; as your paddy, I can still dictate an emotionless response from you."

" We can discuss that later," Ade took in a deep breath. " What's happening in Hollywood?"

"Since your departure, we have tried to manage and scrabble together who we can, and I am surprised to say we have survived. I didn't think we would at the time though.

"Please....pllleeeeeeeaaaase tell me you are coming back. I've asked you a million times and you have refused, but I will never stop. I'll keep asking. We still need--"

" I'm coming back Agnes."

The line went silent, then Agnes voice came. " Please say that one more time I didn't get you. Like you are coming back here or other places where your different skills are needed?"

" You heard me. I'm getting my life back, one step at a time."

Agnes couldn't believe her ears. Ever since Ade had found some Mr. James of the Cleland Family she had disconnected from everyone else, including her.

She had respected her decision and still kept in touch as much as she could. Mostly because Ade had explained that her man wasn't okay with her lifestyle choices.

He had said she was spending time away from him, and she wouldn't even explain what she was doing, so he wasn't okay with it and needed her to drop.

Agnes had suggested Ade come clean to him about who she was since he was her fiance, instead of keeping the Silent Star pseudonym.

But Ade had refused, she had argued that keeping her career private prevented anything about her identity from going public, and she could avoid the online commotions, criticisms and scrutiny that followed famous people.

Now she didn't know what happened, and why she was suddenly returning, but she was so glad about it. It was like much needed furcoat in Antarctica to shield a shivering soul from the frigid cold.

"Stop me here," Ade said, and the car slowed down to a pause. "I'll call you later Agnes. Gotta go now."

She ended the call, and descended down onto a low asphalt-decked-pavement before paying the cab fare.

As she turned, a busy pet shop stood mediocre before her. It's glass doors wide open and welcoming.

A couple clad in uniform denim jeans strolled out leashing a white coated Lhasa.

But it seemed the little whelp wasn't used to the ropes, because as it's owners went right it took to the left.

The lady had to scoop it up into her arms and cuddle it affectionately.

She seemed to be the one endeared to the dog, while the man on the other hand appeared to have somewhere better to be, judging from the disgruntled look on his face.

Ade frowned. Men!

Why couldn't they just be upfront and tell women how they truly felt? Why did they feel the need to deceive women? To string them along only to shatter their hearts in the end? To be caught cheating before they agree they were ever even cheating?

Ade shook her head as both of them walked past.

But maybe she could string them along too, just as they did to women?

A small smile played on her lips as she ruminated on the cruel thought and then shook it away.

She wasn't one to keep evil in her heart, so she didn't have any malice towards men.

They ought to thank their stars she wasn't that kind of person.

Something caught her attention to the left.

A moving shroud of white--wierd white, limping with crutches.

CHAPTER 4

Bandages

It was a man wrapped almost completely in bandages from his legs up to his neck. He limped on a pair of crutches.

He approached a young woman and gesticulated for some water.

He looked famished,drained and tired. But the woman scrunched her face and hurried away, not wanting to be seen with him.

The man dejected, kept limping along and Ade hurried to him. "Mr, you need some water don't you? I can get you some."

The man was really handsome and tall. She considered. What had happened to him? How had he ended up this way?

He maintained a cold look. " I know you saw that. If you just want to show me how much you pity me it's fine. I'll pass. Just move along like she did."

She was a bit taken aback after he spoke, but her resolve was firm. " No Mr, I really want to get you some water. Please let me?"

The handsome man observed her. Was she really genuine? Or perhaps she had recognized him?

Did she really not know who he was? If not why was she being persistent?

She could have frowned down at him and walked away. After all that was what every other young lady he had met under his deceptive display--his disguise, did.

Well maybe he'd see to the end of it, and decide if she would be different from the others.

"Okay, I consent," he grunted an answer .

The both walked just a short distance to were a provision store sold it's flashy enticing edibles to passerbys.

After purchasing the water, she began opening the bottle lid.

The man frowned. "What are you doing?"

Confused, she stuttered. "I uhh ... want to give it to you."

"You don't give someone a drink by opening the lid," his voice was cold.

A bit stunned, she shook her head, looking down at his completely bandaged hands which firmly depended on the crutches for support. " Your hands are ...not ...strong"

He scoffed. "I can manage. You don't get to decide."

" Please, let me, please," she begged, and he narrowed his eyes.

What was it with this woman? Why was she so adamant? Was this really a front? Faux? Or was it real? If it was real then she really was different.

A gem.

A sudden chancing upon a hidden trove of gold.

Something that happened once after a thousand moons came and went.

"How can a man like me allow you to feed me like a little kid? You want people to laugh at me. Seems like you're a cruel lady."

She smiled," you won't be laughed at. I'll chase them away. Whoever they are."

That made him want to smile, but he blocked the expression from ever reaching his face, and instead the cold look intensified.

He took the water from her and opened it. "I can drink comfortably thank you."

The disappointment didn't stay long on her face when she watched him gulp down the water.

He must have been really thirsty. How long since he last had something to drink? She wondered.

What about something to eat?

"Have you eaten anything?" she asked.

"You want to feed me?"he finished drinking and threw the can away.

"If you ...don't mind." She answered.

"Never mind that," he looked around, adjusting on his crutches. "Where are you headed?"

Image of the pet shop's glass doors slapped her memory and she wondered why all thoughts of why she had come had disappeared from her mind."I came to get a pet."

He studied her. A pet? Interesting. After coming across her, he had decided he wanted her to be his big pet, that he'd pet.

He wanted her.

And this treasure he'd found? He was zeroed in.

He was locked in. It was an added bonus that she didn't know who he really was.

He worried if she knew, she might not be happy with his guise.

Maybe it would be better to reveal himself later on.

When? He was not sure. For now, he still needed to appraise her--just to be sure she wasn't fronting.

"Really? Let's go then." He maintained a straight cheerless face.

"You want to walk with me?" Her eyes enlarged. "Won't that cause you pain and stress? You need to rest."

" I wasn't complaining was I?" He moved forward, as he grumbled.

Ade chuckled and kept pace beside him. "What happened to you?"

"Don't ask," came the cold response again.

There was silence as Ade pondered why he wouldn't want to tell her. Was it that bad?

"You said you'll chase people away if they laugh at me," he looked at her." You are such a naive girl. Don't you know you'll be the one who will be laughed at?"

" That is nothing new. It's happened before."

He looked at her again, as he fought a smile. " Maybe they do it because you are too beautiful and they're driven to envy."

A blush reddened her cheeks instantly. " You think so?"

"I don't think so," he growled. "If you don't know how extremely beautiful you are then you are foolish."

" Fair enough. You're handsome as well."

"With my condition?"

She looked at his legs then up at him. "Oh please. That doesn't make you any less of who you are. A human . And every human has ailments ...some are external ...some are internal. There's no difference"

" Interesting. You appear to be a date-worthy material. Someone I'd like to keep for myself, at all costs."

She blushed again, " really?"

He nodded.

In as much as his compliments were sudden and her heart swooned, she felt like she didn't deserve any of the things he said.

She felt much of an imposter, taking someone else's praise.

" But ...I'm not sure you'd still want me if I told you ...if I told you I got cheated on. My ex left me for another woman. Guess I wasn't good enough for him. I don't know. I don't know if I'm good enough for a man."

As he listened to her, a strong, burning desire in his chest awoke. A wicked urge to order for a manhunt and track down the miser who had broken her heart, and break his too-- literally.

But he tamed down the idea, considering she would see him in a bad light if he did that.

Something twinkled in his eyes and he decided to poke her playfully.

" You got dumped? Wow. Guess I have to reconsider my decisions then." He feigned a serious, disappointed expression.

A sullen look flashed on her face, just a little, and she looked down. " It won't be bad if you do. I guess I understand. "

His eyes glittered with adoration and wonder at this pure hearted beauty queen in front of him.

This amazing woman he'd met today, he didn't plan on letting go of her. Not at all.

He thought to tell her it was a joke but considered against it. "C'mon ... what pet are you buying?"

He asked as they entered the shop.

" I want to get a dog." Her face brightened when she said the last word.

"Dog? Interesting. Let's go."

Shiny small steel cages greeted their sight as they walked in. Rows of pet food, treats, toys and bags of litter littered the floor close to the cages.

Scents of dog shampoos and kibbles hung heavy in the air as kids ran, trying to catch the black puppy that escaped them.

Some adults were scattered in front of the cages observing, and two stood, stroking a Chihuahua the shop owner had just released from the cage.

Cats meowed and scratched at steel, dogs yowled and pigs snorted.

"Not my favorite place to come to," the bandaged handsome noted as he poked his clutches into the hard tiles of the store.

He hadn't trained well to use these for his ruse, so he was praying to whatever gods existed, that he wouldn't be caught before he even had a chance to explain himself.

The store owner, a short man with a barren head and med glasses to match his stern look, warily watched them come in.

Who was this man walking in looking like a character straight out of a necromantic horror novel? He wondered.

But before he could ask what they wanted, two other customers walked in.

It was Sarah, James and Violet.

CHAPTER 5

Cats and Dogs

Sarah was the first to spot Ade and her face changed into a sneer. "Ade what are you doing here?"

Ade turned to see the three of them and the temperature of her mood dropped immediately, but she didn't show it on her face.

She was not going to let them see through her. To let them know that they affected her; that the sight of them made her reel with sadness.

So she kept a nonchalant face. "I came to get a pet."

James scoffed, stepping forward but still wrapping his arms with Violet who was excited with the gesture---anything to shove shit in Ade's face.

To make her jealous.

"A pet? So I leave you alone for a moment and you are trying to live your life anyhow? You think you are independent enough to be a rascal now don't you? I told you no pets, and now you want to disobey everything I said just to ridicule me isn't it?"

Sarah sighed," you know things have been a little rough for James, Ade. Can you be a little less heartless? Daniel has not had it easy on him since the company stocks took a hit. Daniel keeps calling him 'useless' because of what you did."

" I don't see how that is my problem?" She was here to restart her life. To take back 'herself' from everyplace she had lost it in choosing what someone else wanted above her own desires.

She didn't see how that, was hurting anyone?

Violet huffed. "She's so bold and daring isn't she? Denying that you didn't do anything to the Cleland Family business is so shameless of you Ade. You should be very ashamed of yourself."

Sarah looked to the man who was beside her, giving him and his wrappings a once over. But she didn't think he was with Ade, maybe a customer who just wanted to catch in on the fun so she left him alone and looked back to Ade.

After all, everyone had gathered now to watch the ongoing drama, so it was a nice opportunity to humiliate Ade. For slapping her and bringing disrepute to the Cleland Family business brand, she needed to teach her a very big lesson. And everyone was welcome to see it, including bandaged men.

"I can't even believe that you'd still be like this," a hurt demeanor decked Sarah's face as she put on her best acting skills. " I and my family are still recuperating from the devilish attack you orchestrated on us. You put out evil news out there just because you wanted all of us to go down. Why did you do that Ade? All we've ever wanted was to see you grow. We took care of you for so long, and this is how you repay us!"

Her voice echoed loudly, bouncing off the walls of the pet shop so much that the animals stopped their noises and watched, curiosity twitching their muzzles.

Murmurs broke out from the crowd.

"Why would she do that to them?"

"Are they her family? Who does that to their own family?"

" Hmmm. Some people can be so ungrateful and wicked."

Ade closed her eyes and reopened them. " James, you've chosen Violet over me, why not just let me be? Why do you still follow me about? I merely withdrew myself from Cleland companies; if what followed was a crash in stock then it clearly points to my contributions in the Cleland Family. It's all over the news. It's not like I am making anything up. All of you know that, so why won't you leave me alone?"

Their countenances squeezed as the truth of Ade's words clubbed them in the face.

It was more shocking to them that Ade could respond back this way.

James wondered where the timid obedient girl he had been with all these while, had gone to?

Ade couldn't even talk back all the times he would lash out at her and point out her frailties and flaws, but now she stood her ground.

It made him uncomfortable in ways he couldn't express. The more he saw this side of her the more his stomach riled with grief, with regret.

Should he have let her go? Why had he been so restless since she left? Why had he considered countless ways he would have prevented her from seeing those text messages from Violet so that she would have stayed.

As if realizing what he was thinking, Violet tightened her grip on his arms, thinking it would stop him from looking at Ade that way.

But that only helped keep her in James' good graces, as for the audience they were beginning to mutter again.

"So he had actually left her for another woman?"

" She's not from their family then. She was right to leave and remove herself from them."

" Is the new woman the one holding on to him?"

Violet felt a little self-conscious now. Shame struck her like a bullet and she wanted to hide behind James as the eyes of everyone in the room shifted to her, but there was no room for that.

If she did so then her actions would show she was admitting to their claims.

Ade was never meant for James, she was too low class to keep James' attention.

Violet was the only one James had pined after, and rightfully so because she had all the qualities and qualifications.

It was just that she herself did not rate James like that. In fact the only reason she was in the picture right now was because she was interested in bringing Ade down.

Ade had always acted like the one who had it all, thinking she had James for herself.

Violet hadn't been happy that James stopped chasing after her and tolerating her BS, and going for Ade instead.

She wasn't happy that Ade was doing everything right, pretending to be such a good woman, a great lover. It irked her so much when she thought James had found someone better than her.

So that was why she started pestering James all of a sudden, wanting him back.

She was planning to dump him again after their kiss, but she couldn't turn down the chance to see the gloom on Ade's face. And if she was being honest, this whole situation was beginning to make her a little endeared to James--just a little.

But right now Ade was trying to shame her and embarrass her in front of these people and she could not let her.

She had to do something.