Wounded

….."I saw a young woman. She looked so much like Rebecca. You have always been my favorite, you must listen to me. A war is coming .. and she will be your downfall, the cause of the end.. do not let this happen"   She warned while her big green eyes locked with his.

_____

April's Apartment.

_____

Night.

KNOCK-KNOCK..

They heard on the door.

"Who is it?!" . Mo asked from the bed but there was no response. Mo looked at April who by now had sat up next to her. Another two knocks on the door and the girls became uncomfortable. 

"Stace or Dave would have identified themselves"  . April whispered to Mo in one breath.

FEAR..

"Who is it..? You better tell me who you are or I ain't opening up.." . Mo stressed as she tiptoed towards the door. April followed behind her picking up the light lamp . They were getting no response from whoever it was at the door and they were really  freaked out by it . 

April got in front of Mo and made a move to look through the peephole. 

"What the..?" 

She whispered as she withdrew her eyes . Mo whispered back.

*Who is it?" 

"April.. you 'd better open up this door right now or I am bringing it down , you know I would" . A feminine voice spoke from behind the door. It sounded like that of a woman in her forties. The voice seemed to have rung a bell in Mo's head, and so her eyes grew open as she unvoiced ;

"No way…."

April's eyes got shut really tight at the realization of who it was, her face gave her away that she was highly frustrated already by the visit of the woman.  Reluctantly, she turned open the knob and held the door wide open. The woman walked in majestically alongside a young man  in a black suit . It was quite obvious he was her bodyguard. 

She was in a sleeveless peach colored knee length gown and had her honey blonde hair styled in a ponytail.  She held onto her white Hermes Birkin Epsom bag that complemented her white peep toe heels that revealed her toe nails were painted in red. On her wrist was a Cartier Crash Watch , and earrings were made of pure silver . She seemed to be aging backwards as her beauty remained radiant. 

She had her eyes screening the apartment and her face expressed disgust.

*What is this? And you look hedious, you forgot how to wash your face?"  She asked, turning towards April.

"What are you doing here mom?" 

April asked from where she stood, having shut the door.

"I could have waited till morning but I couldn't . You told us you were going to find your peace in Miami" 

The woman spoke quite articulately turning towards April

"I know what I said" 

April replied walking towards the bed.

"And this is nothing like Miami so what is this?" .  Her Mom questioned further.

"Mum please, I have the right to be wherever I want to" . 

April replied as she sat on the bed looking conquered.

"Not when you are a Smith" .

Her mom retorted. 

"What's wrong with you April? I birth you, give you everything, and this is how you choose to repay me? You lie to me? Your Dad? And disgrace the family name by seeking shelter in a dump? Have you gone mad?"

"Mom, I really am not up for this. I might be a Smith, but I have a life. Okay? My life. Not yours, Not Dad's . I didn't choose to be a Smith, you did that to me and now that I am a woman like you were years ago, allow me to make my own choices " .

April replied to her having rolled her eyes at her in frustration  .

"Did you just roll your eyes at me?" 

Mom asked, rather displeased. 

Mo who was standing few inches away from the bodyguard behind Mom rolled her eyes up and down without a word just watching the  war between Mom and Daughter , the bodyguard did likewise with his hands crossed behind his back.

"Oh pssh No I didn't" 

"See? You choose to live in a ghetto and now you act like them. " 

Mom said to her.

"Could you at least tell me how you got to know about this?" 

April asked .

"I have my ways" .

"Hmm sure , it was Dave , wasn't it?"

April asked as she got up from the bed .

"Don't give me that. He did the right thing by letting us know" . 

Mom replied.

"Us?" April asked.

"Yes , Us, your Dad already knows and is highly disappointed" 

'well he could shove the disappointment up his ass'  

She thought.

"So Dave sold me out, simply because i refused him from sueing my boss for saving his damn life!"  

April yelled .

"You 're raising your voice" .  Mom said in shock and in a  low tone.

"Oh my god, what has this place done to you ? You now talk like a babarian , how dare you? Know what? Pack up your stuff , first thing in the morning, we are heading back home "  Mom concluded with a straight face.

April laughed.

"What's funny?" .

Mom asked with peering eyes.

" What's funny is that, you just don't get it " . She replied 

"Get what? " 

"You believe the entire world will always revolve around you. You still see me to be that little girl you tell what to do, what to wear, how to sit, how to eat, how to walk, how to talk, how to Live ! Like I was some fu*kn robot girl !" . She yelled startling her Mom. 

"I am human ! Am a being! An adult now ! I make my own rules ! My own decisions! I refuse to give you both that power over me any further. " 

April yelled as she stood eye to eye with her Mom .

"So first thing in the morning, you are going back to your husband and you will tell him , I am doing just fine without you both breathing down my neck" . She stressed.

Mom smiled.

"What's amusing?"  April asked .

"It's him right ?"  Mom asked.

"Him , who?"  

"Stace Bran" .  Mom stated.

Shock fell on both April and Mo and their eyes broadened.

"...Did you really think, I would know you were staying somewhere totally different from where you said you'd be and I wouldn't have someone keep watch over you? Or what? You thought I was just being informed? Ever since Dave knew, he told me. Your Dad would have reacted badly, you know him but I handled things quite well and I have been around much longer than you think. Steve here.." 

She said turning her head towards the bodyguard behind her .

"..has been my eyes and ears , and I know absolutely everything , and I mean every..thing.. "  Mom added.

"How dare you mom? How dare you have someone spy on me?!" 

April yelled.

"When you become a mother, you would understand better , that even when we want to let you kids be, as you would want, it's too much of a risk with your little fragile minds. But how would you know? When you would rather give up marrying Dave and starting a family for giving yourself shamelessly to  a Man engaged to be married to someone else !"   

Mom replied rather upset. 

"He is not engaged. Those are just words out there" . April retorted. 

"Is that what he told you? Oh April.. you have always been too young in heart to be in love , it's why you keep getting hurt. Well because I am your mother and know exactly how it will feel, I will put this to you the best way I can , Stace is engaged to be married to Luna! The times he isn't with you, he is with her , he is a pro  playboy , he is great at mind games, lies, and highly hypocritical " 

"You're lying " . April muttered, slowly pacing back .

"Open your eyes, and stop being the weakling every time! He is only using you! And making it seem like it's your fault ! He doesn't give a hoot about you, it may seem like he does now and alot but I promise you, he doesn't " . Mom assured.

"I don't believe you" . April stressed with a straight face.

"Very well then. Steve, the photos" 

Mom instructed. 

Soon Steve brought out an envelope from inside his suit jacket and hands it over to  April.  April's eyes fell on Mo .

Mo could see April's teary eyes and April could see sadness written all over Mo from where she stood. She perceived Mo believed everything Mom had been saying and she affirmed to what could be in the envelope but April wouldn't accept. She looked back at her mom and then tore the envelope open as she held out the photos.  One showed Stace holding hands with Luna as they stood outside his apartment. Another showed where Luna was heading out of his apartment on a cloudy day. Another photo revealed where they were liplocked outside a restaurant and the last photo showed them walking out of a hotel. In all photos she took note of Luna's engagement ring .

"Honey.. I am your mother. Only I mean you well" .

Her Mom said to her . April allowed herself  fall to sit on the bed holding on to the photos in shock. Mo slowly walked to sit besides her . 

"Don't touch me ! " . April warned Mo.

"..I want to be alone….everybody get out! " 

She screamed almost like she was about to explode in tears. She shivered , it felt like the bones around her chest broke at the same time .  She let the pictures fall to the ground.  Her mom's countenance changed , almost like she could feel the pains of her daughter. She made a move to touch her but held her hand back. She figured she needed some alone time and so she turned to leave .

"Call me when you need me.." 

Her mom voiced while her bodyguard held open the door for her exit. She stared at April for a while and then walked out of the room followed by her guard. 

______

Morning.

***

"Come in.." 

Stace replied to the knocks on his office door. He seemed less busy but in a sort of meeting with Walter who was sitting at the other end of the table.  However, their discussions seemed to have come to a sudden pause  as a lady walked into the office . It was obvious she was a staff. 

"Good morning Sir,  this came for you" . 

The lady said as she approached his desk.  It was an envelope .

"Oh wow , been a while I got parcels. Thank you" .

Stace said collecting the envelope. The lady walked out while Stace went on to open it. A letter and some photos came rushing out on the desk and Stace was perplexed by what his eyes met.