Maxine sat at her office desk, her mind still reeling from the encounter with Jake at the café. The stranger's kind words and sympathetic ear had been a balm to her battered soul, but she knew she couldn't keep her situation with Jake a secret forever. She needed to tell Sharon, about the abuse she had been suffering at Jake's hands.
As she contemplated making the call, her phone buzzed with a text from Sharon. "Hey, Bitch! you're coming over to Ace's house tomorrow?" Maxine's heart skipped a beat as she read the message. She wasn't sure she was ready to face Sharon, not yet, not until she had processed her own emotions about Jake.
Maxine's fingers trembled as she typed out a response.
"B what's up...? His house???...". She hesitated, her thumbs hovering over the keyboard, before adding, "Hope he has food"
Sharon's response came through immediately. "Lol...Of course there's food"
Maxine took a deep breath and began to type. "Alright B, we'll meet tomorrow then, I miss you so much"
"Get out of my DM " Sharon replies back with a laughing emoji
"That's why you damn single..." Maxie teases her
Meanwhile, at Mrs. Langley's house, Diana was sitting in the living room after Beatrice left, trying to gauge her host's mood. Mrs. Langley was pacing back and forth, her eyes narrowed in calculation.
"I hope you remember the reason why I helped you get married to Ace, and why I'm helping you with Sharon," Mrs. Langley said, her voice low and menacing.
Diana smiled, trying to placate her. "I can never forget, Mrs. Langley..."
Mrs. Langley's gaze lingered on Diana, her expression unreadable. "You better don't... You have Ace, and you know what I need..."
After a little silence Mrs Langley continued "does he come home now?"
"No " she gave out a breathe of stress "I guess he still stays at his apartment "
"You guess Mrs Langley scoffs "I'm beginning to think and wonder if you know what you want and what you are after "
Diana looks up at her surprised but desperate "I've known Ace since childhood, I don't want him hating on me" she bends her head low and continues "all those memories down the lane would be a waste and bigger loss"
Mrs Langley laughs loudly, obvious she was making jest of her "From the moment you got married to Aec, you lost all that " she looks at Diana now frowning
"Do you know another set of people I hate beside's the kind's of Sharon that has refused to know their place?"
She looks at Diana half expecting an answer but still went on
"People who pretend to be victim's when they clearly are not, don't be in that group" she adds extremely cold and starts walking upstairs
"I need to rest"
Diana nodded, replying with a smile
"Yes ma"
She felt a shiver run down her spine. She knew that Mrs. Langley was not a woman to be trifled with.
At Zion's luxurious penthouse, he was on a call with his parents, chatting about his latest business deal then the same conversation popped from his mom as always...
Zion leaned back in his chair, a hint of amusement on his face as his parents began to discuss his love life.
"Sweetie, when are you going to settle down with a nice girl?" his mother asked, her voice toned with concern.
Zion sighed, running a hand through his dark hair. "Mom, I've told you, I'm focusing on my career right now. Love life can wait."
His father chuckled, a low, rumbling sound. "Ah, Zion, your mother and I, we were married at 25. You should be following our footsteps, not chasing shadows."
Zion laughed, a warm, rich sound. "Dad, times have changed. I'm not you, okay?" He smirked, a mischievous glint in his eye. "Besides, I'm not sure I'd survive marriage to a woman like Mom."
His mother replies immediately
" Zion, I'm a wonderful wife! Your father loves me to bits! And you know that"
Zion grinned, his eyes crinkling at the corners. "Oh, I know, Mom. That's exactly why I'm scared."
His parents started laughing, they always made him feel little as an only child
As he ended the call, his phone beeped with a message from Sharon. He opened it, his heart skipping a beat as he read her words.
"Hey Zion, I'm sorry about the last time... When I got to the hospital I had no choice but to stay longer ..."
Zion's expression darkened as he remembered the scene at Sharon's house. Ace had been there, and the way Sharon always succumbed to his will was what drives him crazy. He typed out a response, his thumbs flying across the keyboard. "No problem, Sharon. I'm just glad you're okay..."
But as he sent the message, he knew that he wasn't okay. He was angry, and he was worried about Sharon, not angry with her but with Aec. He called her phone, his heart pounding in his chest, but she didn't pick up.
As he waited for her to respond, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was off. And then, his phone buzzed with another message from Sharon. "Resting, stop disturbing her..."
Zion's eyes narrowed as he read the message. He knew that wasn't Sharon's style. He called her phone again, his anger rising as he heard Ace's voice in the background.
"What's going on?" he demanded
"Hello" Sharon's soft voice comes from the other end and Zion's tone softens
"Sorry I thought...."
"Thought what... Why were you so aggressive?"
"Never mind , how are you" he asked concerned but before her response could come up he heard Ace from the background
"Get off the phone Sharon, it's time for drugs "
Zion became angry again, his voice low and menacing. "Is it controlling you? Is it toxic?"
Sharon laughs "Ohh it is "
Aec voice is heard again "Who are you referring to as a thing"
The call ended abruptly, leaving Zion seething with rage. He knew that he had to do something, but he wasn't sure what.