HARD WORK

HARD WORK _47

THE HURT YOU PUT ME THROUGH....

'yeah... her lawyer,who is our company lawyer's wife told Brian and told him about his client's plans. As a favour to Brian and he thought she should let me know. She hasn't filed a report but she said she will if I don't meet with her and give her want she wants.'

Gabriella listened attentively to Byron and shook her head after he finished talking she stood up without a word and headed into her bedroom. Byron sat in the kitchen wondering why she was so silent and where she was headed to.

' Ella I swear I did-'

Ella raised her hand for him to stop.

'I know you may be dumb Byron but you're not dumb enough to rape. Brian doesn't deal with such cases right?'

Byron nodded yes

'Then call Aalam he deals with such. I'll go get ready and you can do that after you've spoken with him in the guest room,your clothes are still in your closet. Well whatever you left behind.'

She walked out of the kitchen but turned back when she reached the stairs.

' And thank you for making breakfast.'

They both later got into Byron's car which he had fetched from the bar earlier in the morning and drove off to Aalam and Roxanne's home.

' Hey man,Gabby'

Aalam greeted the couple as they walked into his home,giving Gabby a hug and dabbing his friend since high school. Roxy who stood next to her husband also gave Gabby a hug,not acknowledging Byron. Aalam pulled her back as she was about to walk away from him and Byron without saying anything,scolded his wife for being petty. Roxy sighed but gave him a cold hello only in respect of her husband.

' So I called your lawyers wife and her client wants two million or she will open a case against you and is threatening to let the media know about this alleged rape.'

Aalam got down to business as soon as they sat down in his home office. Gabriella silently shook her head before letting out a deep breath and boring her eyes into the side of Byron's face. She really wanted to cuss him out but tought against it since it would do nothing to help the situation.

' When does she want to meet?'

'She hasn't set a date but I'll call her lawyer and set a date,around both our schedules but hopefully soon so we can get this over and done with. Byron don't you have anything that can prove it was consensual sex?'

Byron still sitting silently shook his head,no.

'I - I deleted all our text messages to keep the affair from Gabriella.'

He spoke not once looking at his wife,who was seething but kept a straight face and did her best to hide her anger.

'In that case Gabby,I'm going to ask you to let him move back in. If we can't settle out of court,you need to show a united front and that will have to involve doing things you used to do together and making public appearances together.'

' Can't we show a united front while living separately?'

' How will that work Byron?! It's ok Aalam...'

Gabriella thanked Aalam and walked out to Roxy,leaving the two men to converse. She needed a shoulder to cry on and her tears fell as soon as her bestfriend embraced her into a hug. She knew that Byron had little chance of even winning this if it ended up in court as this world has never been kind to the black man.