HATRED

CHAPTER 19

SYLVESTER

My chauffeur parked the car, and I got out, dragging myself inside. I saw Uche already entertaining himself, looking much better than I felt. "You look like shit," he said, laughing loudly, his voice almost deafening me. I ignored him and went to my room to freshen up. I couldn't help reminiscing about my drunken night with Regina; nothing made perfection like holding her in my arms.

I walked into the kitchen, only to find Uche arguing with someone on the phone. The minute he noticed my presence, he ended the call.

"I will not take nothing as an answer, so start talking," I demanded in a serious tone, letting him know I didn't want any jokes. His answer wasn't what I wanted to hear.

"I saw Liliana," he said.

I searched his facial expression for any hint of sarcasm, but there was none. Shit! I rubbed my face and sighed heavily. This couldn't be happening, not now when things were going well with me and Regina.

"Where?" I asked, and he suddenly looked at me as if I had asked a dumb question.

"Where else? Of course, she is back here."

"What does she want?" I found myself asking as I began pacing back and forth. Liliana was a past that I wanted dead and buried in my past, but now that she was in town, everything just got complicated. "Was she the one you were talking to?"

He nodded. "She arrived last week, but I didn't believe it at first. I ran into her last night at the club, and we left together."

Out of frustration, I asked again, "Did she at least tell you why she came back?"

"I don't know, man, but she looks very different and more beautiful. All those magazines she covered weren't lying; her career really shaped her into a queen. But I guess you have also changed."

I looked at him angrily, knowing how Liliana used me to upgrade her career internationally, and he burst into laughter. It made me think for a minute that it was all a prank but his phone began to buzz, and he showed me the caller ID. He picked the call and told Liliana he would meet her at a nearby mall.

"I'm sorry, but I have to go," he said, and I nodded.

As soon as he left my penthouse, memories of how my relationship with Liliana went down the drain rushed back. I shut my eyes, trying to block them out. I had begged her so many times not to take the job, even though I knew it was selfish. I could finance both of our needs, and I needed her help to recover from the sudden death of my twin sister. But she refused. She turned down my marriage proposal and left.

I opened my eyes and saw my favorite red wine on the counter. It made me smile as I remembered how Regina stole this drink at the event where we had our first real conversation.

My legs carried me to where the wine was, and I took it and gulped the liquor, even though my inner voice was screaming for me to stop drinking. From what Uche said, Liliana was different and more beautiful and I don't know if I would be able to resist her, even though I am still very pissed at her. I sighed, more than I could ever imagine, I have gotten very close to Regina to stupidly screw up.

I continued drinking until the bottle was empty. I took out my phone from my pocket and dialed Regina's number. Luckily, she picked up at the first ring.

"You gave me the day off, remember?" she said, her tone laced with anger, making me wonder if she had another fight with her father.

"I miss you," I said, surprising myself, my voice coming out very low. She didn't respond, and it almost felt like she had ended the call until she said my name.

Quickly, I corrected myself. "I-I didn't mean what I said. I, uh," I stuttered, which wasn't how I wanted to sound. I ended the call, but immediately, I got a message that made me smile.

From Cindy:

I miss you, Mr. Arrogant.

ANITA

I agreed to go grocery shopping with Chris after we made out. Although we haven't set ground rules about his possessiveness, he promised to be on his best behavior. Since he also needed some groceries, here we are.

"Babe, you already have three packs of chocolate chips," Chris complained and returned the fourth pack to the shelf. I pouted. It's not my fault that I'm a sucker for chocolate. "C'mon, you can get some other things," he coaxed, but I shook my head and took one of the chocolate chips, opening it. However, I was unable to eat it as a familiar voice called my name.

"Anita."

I slowly turned around and instantly froze. Beside me, Chris looked confused. "Is everything alright?" he asked, but I shook my head.

"I-I am so sorry," Raphael apologized, but my anger was already at its peak. I immediately slapped his face and yelled, "Get lost!" This drew the attention of other shoppers, but I didn't care. He deserved more than one slap.

At this moment, Chris immediately stepped between us and asked, glaring at Raphael, "Who the hell are you?"

"Raphael Williams," he said. Immediately, Chris turned around, looking very confused, before asking, "Isn't that the name of the person who dumped Regina at the altar?"

I nodded and said, "He humiliated my best friend in a church filled with so many people." I faced a guilty-looking Raphael and continued, "You were so good at fooling people. I can't believe I thought you were in love with Regina."

"It wasn't an act. I love Regi-"

I didn't let Raphael finish his sentence before I slapped him again. Immediately, Chris held my hand and warned Raphael to stay away from me and Regina. Then we went to pay for the groceries.

Slowly, I ate my chocolate chips, but I couldn't stop myself from wondering why he came back to Nigeria. I took out my phone from my blue Fendi bag and was about to give Regina a heads up. Remembering how shattered she was when she was dumped and knowing she was in a better place now, I changed my mind. I decided it was better to have a private conversation with Raphael to find out the reason for his visit. Maybe I could convince him to go back to Canada without Regina knowing anything about it.

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