Chapter 49

"That's great news." Anne beamed.

"Yeah." Violet said with a small smile. She already knew that her friend would find it hard to return to the club now that she had found true love.

"So, what about you, Violet, are you still going back?" Anne asked.

Violet pursed her lips and nodded. "I have no other life except pole dancing and not to mention that I get a good pay too."

"And what's Stephen saying about that?" Jerry asked Violet but fixed a gaze on his friend.

Violet glanced at Stephen and answered. "He's cool with it. I leave in three days' time."

"I see..." Jerry said, not bothering to hide how disappointed he was in Stephen. "So, you are just gonna let her walk away because of your ego."

"Don't start, Jerry." Stephen said with a sigh. "This is her decision." 

"Then what's yours?" Jerry asked.

"Don't put me in a tight corner, Jerry, don't." Stephen calmly warned.

"Fine... I won't..." Jerry said. "But you and I know that you aren't doing the right thing, man."

"It's okay, Jerry." Violet quickly intervened. "Stephen is right, it is indeed my choice. I'm actually happy for Doris but I don't think her kind of life is meant for me. Not everyone is destined to find true love, you know?"

As Jerry was about to speak again, his girlfriend quickly cut him off by raising her can of Malt in the air. "Let's make a toast to the latest couple in town."

"Cheers." They all said as they began to touch their drinks with one another and Doris could barely contain her excitement. As they all celebrated, Stephen's phone vibrated in his front pocket. He slipped his hand in and pulled it back, discovering that it was an SMS on his screen and it was from Violet. When he glanced at her, she was busy sucking her drink through a straw and was paying him no mind. He opened the SMS and read the words: "Wanna make love tonight?"

He couldn't believe his eyes. He knew that the sexual tension between them had grown so intense that even the slightest body contact caused an instant erection. But he was skeptical, what if she was just trying to trick him. He hesitated for some seconds then replied: "I'm a devourer."

Some seconds later, her reply popped up: "And I'm a willing sacrifice."

"Deal then." He typed and slipped his phone back into his pocket. He felt more relaxed than before now and he began to anticipate tonight. In fact, he couldn't wait for this little get-together to come to an end and at the same time, he didn't want to put off Violet by being too eager. He glanced at his wristwatch and discovered that the time was 10:37 p.m. He hadn't come with his car because Jerry had driven them all to Mami in his own car which meant that whether he liked it or not, they all had to wait to be driven back to their blocks by Jerry.

Soon, much to his relief, Anne yawned and said, "Guys, it's getting late, I gotta get going now, I've got work tomorrow."

"Yeah, you guys feel like going yet?" Jerry asked. "I could go drop Anne at her place first and come back to pick you all."

"Nah, that will be stressful. I think we should all call it a night." Stephen said.

"Okay then..." Jerry got up and the others rose too. Rufus walked into the restaurant to pay the madam before joining them in the car. Jerry dropped Rufus and Doris first then Stephen and Violet next. 

After watching Jerry drive away, Violet and Stephen turned to stare at each other on the porch and without a word, they instantly attacked each other while Stephen desperately fished out his keys from his pocket and began to unlock the door as he continued to kiss Violet like a man who had been deprived of such for a very long time.

As they shuffled into the apartment, arms wrapped around each other, feverishly kissing each other and eagerly trying to get under each other's clothes, Violet opened her eyes a bit and suddenly gasped in alarm when she looked over Stephen's shoulder and saw someone. 

Breaking the kiss and wondering why she had reacted that way, Stephen turned and his eyes widened when he saw someone sitting and sobbing on his couch with her face in her hands. Protectively pushing Violet behind him since whoever it was had her hair covering her face too, Stephen stared at the stranger and when she slowly lifted her head to look at him with tear-filled eyes, he was shocked when he recognized her.

"Susan?!" He gasped. 

"Stephen!" Susan called back with a sob. Her hair and face were a mess and her top was torn in several places and stained with blood as if she had just escaped a fight or an accident.

Stephen approached her now while she stood up to meet him halfway and before she could start explaining anything, he suddenly wrapped her in a very tight hug, leaving Violet confused at his reaction. 

"Are you okay?" Stephen desperately asked after pulling away from her then he cupped her face in his hands, staring into it. "What happened to you?" He asked in horror when he saw the black and red bruise around her eye. "Who did this to you?"

Susan simply burst into more tears and threw her arms around Stephen's neck again who began to comfort her by slowly patting her back. Unable to bear being ignored anymore and treated like she was not even there, Violet loudly cleared her throat now to get his attention.

Remembering Violet, Stephen gently broke the hug again, and swallowing hard, he turned towards Violet as he said to Susan, "Susan, meet Violet, a friend. Violet, this is Susan, my ex." He made an introduction.

Violet was hurt that he had introduced her as a mere friend but she quickly berated herself for expecting too much, after all, they weren't more than just friends. She slowly scrutinized Susan from head to foot now, taking in every detail. So, this was the infamous Susan she had heard so much about. Anyway, the girl didn't look bad, if anything, she was stunning even though she looked messed-up. "Pleasure meeting you." She finally said to Susan.

Susan ignored her and turned to look at Stephen. "Can we please talk?" She asked with fear and worry in her eyes.

"How did she get in here anyway?" Violet calmly asked Stephen, puzzled because she remembered locking the door herself before they had gone out.

Stephen was about to speak when Susan cut in, "How else do you think I got in here? I'm his ex for God's sake and I once lived here, which means that I've his spare key!" She said tersely, her eyes shooting daggers at Violet.

"Oh yeah? But you are not welcome here anymore!" Violet shot back 

"You think? I don't see any reason why I should exchange words with you! I am here to see the love of my life, not you!" Susan hissed.

"The love of your life?" Violet scoffed, rolling her eyes then murmured. "Yeah, right..."

Putting on a pitiable face again, Susan turned to Stephen and said with more tears in her eyes. "Stephen, did I come in a bad time, if I did, I'll just leave! I only came here because you were the only person that I know that can help me out of my dire situation, but since you are busy, I'd rather be on my way right now." She took her handbag and started to turn towards the door.

Stephen quickly stopped her by holding her arm. "No, please don't leave, Susan. I can assure you that you didn't come in a bad time, and I'm definitely not busy."

Violet narrowed her eyes at Stephen in disbelief. "Are you fucking kidding me right now?! We were in the middle of something before she ruined it with her presence!"

"Um, that can wait, Violet, so please, relax! Susan is really in a bad shape right now and she needs my help! Can't you see?!" Stephen stated, raising his voice at her a bit.

Violet gaped at him in surprise now. She had thought they were going to have a good time and even though Susan was the last person they had expected to see, why would he suddenly kick aside their plans all because his Ex just decided to show up out of the blue?!

"Can we talk?" Susan quietly asked him.

"Yes, please, sit down." Stephen gestured down at the couch.

"It's a little bit private and she'll have to excuse us." Susan murmured, casting a sideways glance at Violet.

"Violet, please could you excuse us? Go to your room please." Stephen said.

"What! Go to my room?! How dare you speak to me as if I were a child!" Violet snapped. She was surprised at how Stephen was quick to become a total stranger to her, acting like she didn't matter anymore because of Susan. Was this how much power she wielded over him that he acted like a moron around her despite what she did to him?! "Know what?!" Violet angrily said now, unable to bear his attitude towards her anymore. "Instead of staying anywhere around you two...I'd rather leave the apartment so that you both can have all the privacy you need!" She hissed, turned and stormed out of the apartment, very upset.

                                                                                     ★★★

"Violet!" Stephen suddenly called, trying to go after her but Susan quickly held his arm and burst into loud tears and Stephen had no choice but to stay back to resume comforting her as he gently pulled her into his arms and rubbed her back.

Soon, after Susan quieted down in his arms, he detached himself from her, walked to the open door, closed it and turned to lean his back against it with a sigh. He stared intensely at Susan now as she sat like a wounded and broken mouse on his couch, looking so frightened. She was the last person he had expected to see but here she was in person in his living room but in a different circumstance now. He thought of Violet and wondered where she had gone to but he made up his mind that he would go look for her once he was done talking to Susan and probably dismissing her from his apartment too.

"What are you doing here, Susan?" He finally asked.

"I came to see you." She answered softly as she wiped under her nose with the back of her hand and sniffled. "I have no one else that I can call neither do I have anywhere else I could go to. You are the only one I can trust Stephen." She sobbed.

"You could have gone home." He told her.

"That's the first place the Major will look for me, Stephen, I can't risk it."

Stephen approached her now and sat on the coffee table opposite her then he reached out a hand and gently moved her hair away from her bruised left eye. "What happened to you?" He asked with a concerned look. "Who did this to you?"

She began to sob again, looking so helpless as she murmured, "The Major."

Stephen frowned now in surprise. "The Major did this to you?! Why?! I thought you two were so into each other?!"

"Into each other?!" She flared a bit. "Into each other?! Hell no! I've been under a spell all this while, Stephen! That man charmed me! He charmed me! I didn't know what I was doing until now! I was completely under his control!" She wept.

"And how did you know he charmed you?"

"I stumbled upon the charm where he hid it in his wardrobe. Immediately, I saw it, whatever spell he had on me was instantly broken! How could you possibly believe that I would leave you for a man who is old enough to be my father? How? I love you so much, Stephen. You should have helped me; you should have done something!"

"I remember that the last time I came to see you, you humiliated me and told me off, you can't tell me that you didn't know what you were doing!"

She took his hand in hers and said emotionally, "Stephen, that wasn't me, that was the spell acting. You know that I'll never do such to you. I love you so much that when I discovered that I was charmed all this time, the first person that I could think of was nobody else but you, Stephen."

"And why would the Major do this to you?" Stephen was flustered.

"Stephen, he's abusive! He hits me at the slightest provocation! He rapes me and he treats me like crap!"

"Um..." Stephen skeptically began. "The Major Ali I know is a very calm and collected man. He hardly raises his voice at anyone. Although he's strict, he's is very kind too."

"Stephen, that's all a facade to cover who he truly is! That man is a beast! Just look at what he did to me!" She showed him her eye. "Look! You don't believe me?" She asked when she still saw doubt in his eyes. Deciding to really convince and win him over, she suddenly took off her top before he could stop her then she got up and turned her back to him to show him all the red welts and bruises on her body. "See! See what he did to me today! He flogged me with a cord! I begged him to stop but he wouldn't!" When Stephen could only stare at her body in shock, she turned and went on her knees in front of him. "Stephen, you have to believe me, please. You have to save me from him before he kills me!" She started to sob again.

"It's okay..." He held her arms and pulled her up to sit on the couch again. "I understand what you are going through and to say that I'm surprised is to say the least... First of all, does he know that you are here?"

"No." She shook her head and wiped the tears from her face with the palm of her hand. "I told him that I was going over to my parents'."

"Okay, I'm sure that you are exhausted after what you have been through, let me grab my car keys so that I can take you to a hotel where you can lodge for tonight."

She swallowed hard as he stood up to go fetch his keys. This was not how she had hoped things would go. "Hotel?" She whispered in surprise. "Why can't I stay here?" She asked, slowly rising to her feet again and putting on a look of helplessness.

"Susan, you can see that I have a guest." Stephen said. "I have to go look for her, she could be anywhere."

"But she's gone... Stephen, please, let me stay here with you just for tonight and I promise that I'll be gone by morning." She began to plead now. "Please Stephen, don't send me away, I don't want to go to a hotel. I don't want to be all by myself. What if Major traces me to the hotel? He's going to hit me more and who's going to come to my rescue? Please, Stephen, please don't send me away, just let me stay here with you. I'll sleep anywhere you want me to. On the couch, on the floor, anywhere!" She desperately pleaded, almost at the verge of tears again. 

Stephen stared at her for a moment then finally sighed. "Fine, just tonight, Susan, not a day more."

"Just tonight." She eagerly nodded then smiled through her tears