Three.

Two months into her marriage, she hadn't heard from her parents, not her sister. Her husband had travelled out for a business trip; she thought she might get some freedom, but she was wrong; he had made sure his staff and P.A. watched her every move like a hawk.

The only things that kept her sane were school, Penny, and Alianna. Penny and Alianna got along so well and she was glad for that.

“Xara, you zoned out again?" Penny said pausing the movie that they were watching.

“I'm fine." She tried convincing her.

“No, you aren't; your mind is somewhere else." She

pressed.

“It's just that two months ago I was a struggling poor student, but yet I had my freedom to do anything, but now that I married a rich man, I am regretting every bit of it. This is not how I pictured my happy ever after." She cried out.

“It's going to be fine, " Alianna said, standing at the doorway.

“Could this get any worse than it already is?" She whispered.

“You know, I hate to see you like this," Alianna said to her friend.

~

~

“Kai?" Xara's sister, Mabel, called out as she bumped into him on the streets of New Orleans.

“Mabel?" He said, shocked.

Mabel was his first love, a woman after his own heart. Yes, they were worlds apart, but what he felt for her was stronger than anything anyone would say or do. He was willing to fight for their love, but it turned out she wasn’t.

When things got tough, she eloped with another man, leaving her heart shattered into a million pieces. Bumping into her stirred up mixed feelings. He was mad, relieved, happy, and confused all at the same time. She hadn’t changed much.

His demeanor changed from a happy one to a cold, angry one.

“What do you want?' He fumed.

“Calm down, can we talk?" She motioned to the coffee shop they were standing beside.

She walked in as he followed behind her, with mixed feelings. They sat at a table and ordered some coffee and croissants.

“So what do you have to say for yourself? Was I that bad that you had to elope with another man?” He asked.

“Kai, I don't have any reasons for my actions. I was just scared, and my emotions were over the place. I didn't know if I loved you anyway. That was the only thing that came to mind back then. I am sorry." She explained.

” Why didn't you reach out to me all these months? I would have understood. You made me believe I was unlovable. You pushed me to marry a girl I don't love, and anytime I see her, I get angry, furious, and mad. She doesn't deserve all this." Kai's voice broke.

“I am truly sorry; it was after some months that I realised I loved you, but it was too late since I got married and you did the same." She sobbed.

“We can still be together; after all, we are all in loveless marriages." He laughed dryly.

“I can't divorce Mike; I do care about him; maybe I love him." She confessed.

“Who said something about divorce? We can see each other without them knowing." He caressed her hands. Mabel was unsure of this, but her heart kept pounding hard.

Besides, they wouldn't find out, right? She thought to herself.

“I would get back to you on that; I need to get back to work. Here's my card. I would see you soon." She gave him a peck on the cheek and then walked out.

Kai picked up the card and put it in his pocket, walking out of the coffee shop, smirking.

~~~~

“I want to know how my daughter is doing, if she's fine or facing hell in that house, but Ken has forbidden me to do so." Zoe, Xara's mother, told her friend Anita.

“Zoe dear, I think she's fine. But if you doubt it, you could go call her on a payphone; that way, Ken wouldn't know." She advised her friend.

“I never thought about that; thanks, Anita." Zoe calmed down.

“Have you been hearing from Mabel?" She asked the woman.

“Yes, yes, I have. She's doing well with her husband in New Orleans." She smiled.

“That's good to hear, but I have a strong feeling that Xara is fine; worry not." Anita tapped her friend's shoulder.

“I would see you later, Anita; I better go call Xara," Zoe said, getting up and walking out of the restaurant.

For the love of money, Anita pondered going back to her work.

Zoe hesitated for a while as she stepped into the phone booth. She inserted a coin into the booth and dialled her daughter's number. It rang for a while, and just as she was about to give up,then she answered.

“Xara?" She called with a shaky voice.

“M-mom?" She responded, shocked.

“How are you doing? I'm sorry for not calling or checking up on you, but your father forbade me from doing so." She confessed.

“But why would he do that? Did he hate me that much?" She voiced out her fears.

“No, no, he doesn't. How are you? How is Kai treating you?" She inquired?

“I wish I never married him, mom; I am going through hell in this marriage. Why did Mabel elope? I wouldn't have been here in the first place." She said as Alianna signaled to her that her husband's P.A. was coming.

“Ma, I will call you later. In fact, I would send you an address where you can meet me and we can talk. I have to go. I love you." She dropped the call as Zoe came out of the phone booth.

It broke her heart to hear that. She checked her phone to see that Xara had sent her a message.It was an address for where to meet her.

“Is everything fine?" Caleb, the P.A., asked as he entered the room.

“Yes, we are just going to Alianna's house for a while. I would be back soon." She told him.

“What for?" he asked.

“Her cousin is back, and she wants to see us today because she has other duties to attend to." Xara lied.

“Whatever you say, " he snorted and walked off as Penny, Alianna, and Xara walked out of her room.

They headed to Alianna's car, which she sat in as she drove off.

“That was a close one," Penny added. They picked up Zoe at the address Xara had sent to her. She hugged her daughter tight.

“I'm glad you are alright, and I'm sorry you have to go through all these." Zoe apologized as they reached Alianna's house.

“How come dad doesn't want you to see or talk to me? And have you been hearing from Mabel?" She asked.

“I don't know for your dad, but we've been hearing from Mabel." She said as Xara's eyes lit up.

“That's good. Tell her to come for her man so I can be free," Xara said as her friends nodded in agreement.

“I am sorry that can't happen." Zoe suddenly said.

“Why?" Penny questioned.

“She's married, " Zoe broke the news to them.

“No, no, no, NO! This can't be; she can't be married." Xara panicked.

“Calm down." Alianna hugged her friend.

“That means I am stuck in this hell for life, Alianna. I am doomed for life!" She hysterically cried.

“No, you're not doomed; you've got us." Penny consoled her, calming her down a bit.

“How could she do this? How heartless could she be?" Xara murmured.

“I am so sorry, baby," Zoe said, hugging her daughter silently and sobbing.

Could this get any worse? Penny thought to herself, rubbing her friend's back.