Ben drove into the Young mansion and parked the car where it was expected to be. He got out of it and locked the car before moving to the car's trunk to carry Zach's luggage. He walked into the mansion where he saw the rest of the family waiting for both him and his boss. He dropped the luggage beside him and waved.
" I am back, everyone. " He greeted.
The Madam of the house walked towards him and tried to look outside for any traces of her son but there was nothing. She looked at Ben confusingly.
" Where is Zach? Where is my son? " She asked. Ben stared at his boss's mother before giving her and the family the reply he was told to give.
" Something urgent came up so he went to his penthouse. " He replied.
" He will be back tomorrow morning. " He assured them as he looked from one member to another.
Madam Young gritted her teeth at her son's behavior.
" That liar! Does he not know he ought to be here for family dinner? What is it that came up urgently that he had to forfeit his coming here, huh? " She ranted. She wasn't satisfied with Zach's attitude.
" Aunt, it's okay. You don't have to get yourself worried at all, he must have been caught up in an unexpected business as usual. We all know that Zach never jokes with his family, right? " Delilah, a childhood friend of Zach came closer to Madam and tried to calm her down.
" Even if he couldn't make it, shouldn't he have called earlier? I know how hard I prepared everything just to make him happy. You are also here just to welcome him, he should appreciate you for that fact. " Madam Young continued.
" Jennie, it's fine. Let's get to the dining room and eat something. It's getting late already. " Her husband, Ezekiel spoke. He understood quite well what business could mean and what measures one needed to take just to be profitable so he got along with Zach's excuse for being absent that night since he was once in his shoes.
Madam Young, with displeasure and reluctance, followed her husband to the dining room. Delilah excused herself to make a phone call. Ben was about to take a step when he noticed that there was still someone in the sitting room. He looked up to see the only daughter of the Young family, Rose, staring at him and he felt awkward about what to do.
" Hi. " He greeted.
" Hi. " Rose replied and left. She had a small body frame that could classify her as being a teenager though she was a teenager. She was nineteen years old, had a middle height, and pale white skin. She had a beautiful face that could easily pass her off as a model. Ben sighed as he watched her retreating steps.
On Delilah's part, she went to a corner that wasn't a secluded one though, and dialed Zach's number on her phone. The call was answered at the first ring and this somehow gladdened her heart that even though he was in the middle of his tight schedule, he still found the time to talk with her.
" Hi, Zach. " She greeted.
" Hey, how are you? " Zach asked from the other end.
" I'm pretty good. What about you? "
" Same. "
" We were really expecting you tonight but Ben told us that something came up. "
" Are you at the mansion? " Zach inquired.
" Yes. "
" Oh, okay. I am sorry about that, I didn't know you were around. "
" It's no problem. I just called to check up on you. "
" I appreciate your care. "
" You're welcome. See you tomorrow morning. "
" Yeah, thanks. "
The conversation ended in a neutral way that got Delilah smiling ear to ear as she went back to join the family for dinner.
Zach was scrolling through the news on his phone when Delilah's call came in so he answered. During the call, he saw that Hera's hands were beginning to twitch and she had started gasping so after the call, he quickly checked up on her only to discover that she was having a nightmare.
Despite the air conditioner that was on, Hera was sweating profusely and she whimpered as tears came out of her eyes. Zach, with immediacy, pulled the chair out and sat beside her. He held her hand and stroked it gently. He stood up again and gently lifted her so he could sit beside her. He held onto Hera and she snuggled into his embrace.
" Hey...Hey, it's okay. It's just a dream, nothing more than a dream so calm down. " He pets and gently strokes her black hair that was tied up in a bun before giving her a light kiss on her forehead.
Hera stopped whimpering and calmed down after hearing his soothing voice. Zach then placed her head gently on the pillow and made sure that all the elements were still attached to her body and in the right place. He sighed.
" This is going to be a long night. "
The night soon gave way to the brightness of the day. Hera's bright blue eyes fluttered open. She blinked them severally as she looked around her. She had no idea where she was but judging from the monitor, she got to know that she was in a hospital. Then it suddenly dawned on her what happened last night as the memories flooded back like a river and clashed against each other like swords on a battlefield. She felt a headache coming and she hissed.Her son. He must have been scared when she didn't come home last night and her nightmare wasn't good because it was all about him so she lifted her stressed body from the bed and looked around her only to meet a strange pair of light brown eyes staring at her. She seemed confused at first but because of the motherly instinct in her, she just wanted to go home. " Good morning. Here, have a cup of water. " Zach gave her a warm glass of water which she collected and drank at a go. Zach was about to start explaining why she was in the hospi
Hera paid the cab driver out of the money she had stolen from Zach's pocket and the driver left. She had calculated everything, she had no money with her, and not even her purse was with her so Zach was the available option. From his looks, he was the rich one... stealing a little cash was definitely nothing to him. She stared at the gate of her home...pft, her mind cracked into miserable laughter. Home? This was no longer the home she was born into. This was just a house...a building meant to shelter her and her son.She moved closer and the gateman opened the gate for her to enter. She walked into the small mansion eagerly. The first thing she noticed was her so-called family having breakfast while her son just sat at a corner with a piece of bread watching them eat. There were no words to describe how she felt about this. She ran towards her son whose face was now lifted a little bit after seeing his mum. " Mom? " He spoke, getting the attention of the family members. " Aus
Zach met the family having breakfast when he arrived. Delilah stood up to welcome him with a hug and a huge smile on her face. " Welcome home, Zach. " She greeted. " Thanks. Good morning, everyone. " He greeted. " Morning. " They chorused. " So, are you done with the business now? " Jennie asked as she puts a piece of meat into her mouth using a fork. " I am not done with business and I will never be as long as I am alive. You didn't let me enjoy my stay and meeting there as if I was gone for a year, mum. " Zach spoke as he pulled out a chair and sat on it. He wasn't going to eat breakfast in his state, he just wanted to have a chat with the family. " I am your mother of course, what do you expect? " Jennie glared at him and Zach chuckled. " How was the business trip? " Ezekiel asked his son. " It went well. The contract was sealed and they proposed to invest more in the business. " Zach replied with a smile. Everyone was happy at the news and made a t
Delilah climbed each of the stairs with care so she wouldn't slip and fall. She got to Zach's room and knocked, when there wasn't any reply she opened the door and entered. The sound of rushing water could be heard from the bathroom which meant that he was taking his bath. She placed the tray containing his morning meal on one of the side tables and took her time looking at the room.Zach's bedroom wasn't just any bedroom, it had a mini sitting room, mini library, and kitchen. His closet was quite wide and just from standing in the room, one could view the beautiful lawn that added beauty to the Young Mansion. The room had several portraits of art and decorations. There were only a few pictures of his family and friends. Even though he was a male, he was the type who strongly believed that both genders should have the mindset to be clean and to keep their surroundings neat.While Delilah was still admiring the room, Zach came out of the bathroom and this got her attention. She turned
Hera was walking down the busy street with Austin. Her eyes were red and all swollen up. It was already afternoon and they still had no place to stay but Hera's hand never released Austin's. " Mum, where exactly are we going? " Austin asked. He was starting to get tired of walking to nowhere. Hera looked at home, trying to find the right words to say. " Don't... Don't worry, Austin. I will figure out something. " She assured him. She stood at a spot and looked around for any sign of a phonebooth which she found nearby. " Hi. " She greeted the aged woman who was attending to the customers at the booth. " Good afternoon, ma'am. You're here to make a call? " The attendant asked. " Yes. " Hera replied and gave her the fee. She was directed to where the telephone was fixed to the wall and pressed the number keys before placing the phone in her ear. It rang for a while and it was picked up from the other end. " Hello. " Anna, her best friend said immediately after the call connec
The tides of the day soon changed and it was dusk. Hera's eyes were now wide open and she glanced at the wall clock. It was 7 pm already. She was surprised she did sleep that late but concluded that it was normal since her body needed the rest. Austin was no longer in her arms. He sat opposite her while watching an ongoing cartoon, he looked relaxed and was even singing along with the cartoon characters. The doorbell rang and Hera stood up to open it. There was Anna, carrying a huge load of shopping bags. She was excited to see Hera but sad to also see the terrible state that she was in and this saddened her a lot. She entered and closed the door with her right leg. Anna dropped the bags and pulled her into a tight hug. " Hera...oh Hera, I missed you a lot. " Anna's eyes were beginning to weaken with tears as she held onto Hera firmly. " I also missed you, Anna. " She replied. They released each other and smiled. Austin used this opportunity to get in between them. " Godmo
Inside the Williams' Villa were the mother and daughter pair in the sitting room which was furnished and decorated, it had a taste, and sense alongside the feeling of being wealthy. Most of the things in the house were either gold or diamonds which showed how rich they were. Two maids came into view carrying different plates of snacks and classic wines of their choice. They served them and left the pair alone. " Mom, what is the meaning of this? How many times do I have to tell you that I am on diet? I need to watch my weight, I practically need to! " Delilah whined to her mother. "Come off it, Delilah. I won't because of your career see you starve to death. Just eat some snacks, it won't hurt that much or never hurt at all. " Her mother, the only wife of Cyril Williams, a famous business tycoon, Elizabeth Williams chided her daughter. Delilah rolled her eyes a bit at her mother's words. " Whatever. " She mumbled. Nevertheless, she opened the bottle of wine and poured herse
The next morning, Anna had already woken up as early as she could, to be precise, it was around 5 am. She went to the next room where Hera and her son were and knocked on the door. She would have preferred to call her on the phone but Hera had none so she went for this option. " Hera. " She called her name softly. " Hera, are you up? Can I talk with you for a few minutes? " She asked. " Coming. " Hera replied from within and went to open the door after stretching a bit. " Hi, good morning. " She greeted and came out fully so she could close the door. " Good morning. I am sorry if I disrupted your sleep but I couldn't let the thought slide past. " Anna looked at her pleadingly. " No problem, Anna. Let's sit and talk. " Hera suggested and they went to the sitting room. They sat opposite each other while Hera slightly opened her mouth to yawn. " I wanted to discuss this with you last night when we were talking but the time and situation couldn't allow it. It's