THE REAL ILLUSORY

Chapter 10

It was morning and Nicole still hadn't gotten up from bed. Her phone had been buzzing nonstop from calls and text messages. The constant vibration and text notification from her phone disrupted her beauty sleep.
   When she finally woke up, she turned around but she didn't see Mark on the bed. It seems he had gone for his morning workout because when she looked at the wardrobe, the area were he usually kept his gym outfits, was a mess. Her phone kept on vibrating but she wasn't ready to pick it up. "I don't want to speak with anyone, so whoever it is just call back later" she said as she got up from the bed.
    She stood in front of her mirror and looked at herself for a while. "What's wrong with me?" She asked. After staring at herself for some minutes, she turned on the tap and rinsed her face.

"Morning teddy bear" said Mark who stood by the door staring at his beautiful ebony girlfriend.

"Morning Babe.......are you done working out?" She asked.

Mark didn't reply but stared at Nicole as she brushed her teeth. "Damn even when you wake up you're beautiful".  She couldn't control her smile when he said those words. He stood behind her and said "finish up so I could kiss you". He said those words with so much command and that's something Nicole loves in a man. She loves when her man is dominant and in control of her.
    While she rinsed her mouth, she felt a smack on her ass making her let out a little moan. She turned around, stared at him with a seductive smirk on her face and said "Kiss me then". Mark held her by the waist, drew her closer to himself and said "give me those lips". He pressed his lips against hers as they kissed passionately. He grabbed her thighs and lifted her from the ground taking her directly to the bed. He threw her on the bed and said "give me a sexy pose" as he reached for his drawer taking out his camera. Mark always takes random photos of Nicole, and whenever they want to make love he would take photos of her when she strips completely naked for him or when she's covered with the sheets. It seemed like a fetish and Nicole didn't care because she's always submissive when they make love and she loves feeling like she's beautiful or sexy enough for her man..
   Mark took a lot of photos as Nicole kept giving him sexy poses that would definitely turn him on. "Come here" she said as she laid on the bed. He took off his shirt slowly and said "do you want me?". Nicole looked at him biting her lips then she replied "You know I do".
   He walked to her and started kissing her slowly. He wanted to show dominance so he pushed her on the bed, held her both hands with one of his and started kissing her on the neck. As they kept kissing, Nicole's phone started ringing. Mark asked "aren't you gonna get that?"

"No leave it, focus on me.....don't stop" .

After a while Mark's phone rang but he didn't stop kissing Nicole. When it rang again he stopped so he could check who could be calling him but Nicole wrapped her legs around his waist and said "what are you doing?......Don't stop, we're just getting started"

"Oh wow okay" Mark said having an evil smirk on his face.

He took off the sweatpants and the T-shirt she had on and said "lay down flat" and she did exactly so. She couldn't wait for Mark to please her and fulfill her sexual desires. But before he could do anything his phone rang again and he said "Babe I'm sorry I have to take it....it could be work". Mark quickly grabbed his phone and answered the call.

   Nicole wasn't happy when Michael chose to pick up the phone. She couldn't do anything about it so she laid on the bed and waited for him "Babe come back!!!" She screamed.
   After a while Mark came back with a confused look on his face. "What took you so long" she asked. After she asked the question, she saw how confused he look so she asked "Babe what's wrong?". Mark simply sat by the side of the bed and said "Babe please don't lie to me, what exactly happened at work before you got suspended?".

"Babe what are you talking about?" She asked.

"Kate called me asking if you were okay.......and she said you weren't yourself at work"

Nicole sighed before saying "she doesn't know what she's talking about trust me".

"Babe can you not lie to me please?" said Mark who was getting a little bit pissed with her reply.

"Babe trust me it's nothing serious" she said placing her hand on his staring directly into his eyes. Mark withdrew his hands and walked out of the room.
 
  Nicole was annoyed with Kate for calling Mark. "She should've called me" she said to herself. After she unlocked her phone, she realized she had a lot of messages from Kate, Dr. Richards and Dr. Shamen. "Wow she actually did call me" she said.
    She laid on the bed for a couple of minutes before getting up and walking out of the room.

"Babe where are you?" She asked as she walked down the stairs. She walked round the house searching for Mark but she couldn't find him. "Where could he be?" She asked.
   Nicole became worried because Mark never leaves the house without informing her. Nicole sat on the floor in the lobby with her back against the wall facing the stairs. She took out her phone from her left pocket and gave Mark a call. Mark didn't pick up after she called him three times. "What's going on?" She asked. Series of thoughts ran through her mind as she sat on the ground and stared at her phone.

    "What if he's never coming back?......what if he's angry at me like Michael is? .....is Michael real or is it just my mind playing tricks on me?........ oh my gosh he's never coming back....." Nicole started crying uncontrollably. She wiped off the tears from her face trying not to cry anymore but it didn't work because she cried even more. Nicole got up and started pacing around the house while she spoke to herself.

"Nicole why are you crying" she asked herself. "He's not going to leave you.....or is he?......he loves you Nicole don't think otherwise". She tried calling him again but he didn't pick up. She had a full rush of anxiety, her fingers ran through her hair continually as tears ran down her face. She started screaming like a crazy person. It was as if something had taken control over her, she couldn't stop crying. She sat on the ground sobbing continuously.
    After a while she walked to the kitchen, brought out a glass cup from the cupboard and poured herself a glass of wine. While she drank it, she thought to herself "Why do I bother myself with all this, I'll obviously never be happy......Mark hates me now just as Michael does....... my best friend betrayed me and I don't even know if I'd go back to work cause I can't even concentrate anymore......I keep seeing him everywhere I go, is he even real?......He's dead, I know he is...." she covered her mouth with one hand while the other held the glass as she cried in silence. Holding the glass cup she stared at it for a while and then a thought came to her "What if I cut myself until I bleed out?.....It would end all my misery wouldn't it?".
   Without hesitation she broke the glass on the kitchen slab. "This is the end I guess" . Before she could cut her wrist she heard someone scream out her name from behind "Nicole what are you doing?!!!". She was startled with fear so she let go off the broken glass and it shattered on the ground.
   She turned around and she saw Kate standing in the living room which was directly opposite the kitchen. "What are you doing" Kate asked. Nicole didn't say anything but ran to Kate and gave her a hug.

"It's okay, it's okay don't cry anymore" Kate said to Nicole who cried bitterly.