Chapter 4 Possession

Chapter 4

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I got into Zaddy's car without thinking, but the moment I entered, I regretted it because of what was inside.

Oh Jesus, I began to pray, but it was too late-Zaddy had already started the engine.

Tiana entered Zaddy's car and was shocked to see many empty bottles of alcohol, realizing instantly that Zaddy was drunk.

She went on telling us, "I wondered how I hadn't noticed or heard it in his voice before, but I could now tell he was drunk. However, it was too late, so I asked him, 'Where are you taking me? This direction isn't the way to my home.'"

Zaddy replied, "I'm taking you home, Tiana."

I said, "But Zaddy, don't you know where I live?"

He answered, "Don't call me Zaddy. I love it when you call me 'mon amour,' it touches my heart."

I started getting scared. Zaddy was acting like a madman-talking calmly while driving me somewhere I didn't recognize. It was probably not my home. I said, "Zaddy, please stop the car. Let me go home. I don't know where you're taking me."

He replied, "No, babe, I'm taking you to your real home. The home of your true man. The one who will give you his whole life. If you want, Tiana, I'll buy you a plane ticket and fly you to another planet just to have you all to myself. I want to love you in peace."

I said, "Zaddy, I'm not into games. Please stop the car."

Zaddy answered, "I'm not into games either, babe. But love has turned me into a fool. I've become a street dog because of loving you, sweetheart."

I replied, "Let me come see you tomorrow, during the weekend, and we'll talk. But it's late now-let me go home."

Zaddy fell silent. Fear overtook me completely. I wanted to scream, but no one would hear me-the car was soundproof.

I grabbed my phone and called Liam, but he didn't pick up. I started crying, and Zaddy kept driving recklessly because of the alcohol. Soon, he parked at a large and beautiful gate. I realized we had arrived, and guards came to open it. He drove inside. The guards surrounded the car and opened Zaddy's door. Then he came and opened mine.

As I got out, he hugged me. He reeked of alcohol-dear God, I felt like vomiting. He started caressing my face and looked into my eyes, saying, "Tell me you love me, babe. Even lie to me, just so I can feel peace in my heart. Tell me anything you want, and I'll do it-but please, love me. Ask me for the moon if you want; I'll go fetch it for you. I'll crown you my queen. You're the only one I want, my sugar."

He said all this while pressing his forehead to mine, breathing warm air on me, his voice full of sorrow. I kept my head down, eyes closed.

Zaddy asked, "Why don't you love me, Tiana? Tell me what I'm doing wrong and I'll stop-but love me."

I answered, "I want to go home."

Zaddy said, "That's not going to happen. You'll sleep here, in your man's house. I love you, my queen."

I pulled away from him, furious, and said harshly, "What do you want from me? Did I owe you a debt that gives you the right to kidnap me and bring me here? I never told you I was homeless."

Zaddy replied, "Shhh, don't yell, babe. That doesn't suit you. Come on, let's go inside. Take a shower, change your clothes, and let's eat together."

I refused and tried to run toward the gate. The guards immediately grabbed me. Zaddy went inside while they lifted me and carried me in as I screamed and fought, but it was useless. They took me to a beautiful, well-decorated room where Zaddy was sitting. He stood up and slapped all the guards, saying, "How dare you touch my queen? You should have let her go if she wanted to leave."

I was relieved and asked, "So can I go now?"

Zaddy answered, "No, you're not going anywhere. These idiots can go. Tell Zara to prepare a meal quickly-we're about to dine with my lover."

He approached me, and I stepped back, holding my purse and phone. I reached the wall with nowhere else to go. He put one hand on the wall and raised the other, wiping my tears, then held my cheek and brought his lips close like he was going to kiss me. I pushed him and tried to run, but he caught me and kissed me by force. I kept struggling, left my purse behind but held on to my phone, and quickly dialed Chike.

Even though I couldn't see well, the phone display gave me some clues. Zaddy kept kissing me and saying, "I love you, Tiana." I pushed him again, and he dropped the phone. Seeing this, he got angry. He came toward me in rage, slapped me onto the bed, and said:

"Tiana, I've tolerated enough. I didn't plan to hurt you-I just wanted us to eat together and spend the night, even without anything happening. Just hearing you breathe next to me would be enough. But everything has changed. Now I'll become the villain and do what I've always dreamed of doing! Take off your clothes, Tiana, and hurry."

I cried, lying between his knees as he knelt in front of me and started removing his shirt. I said, "You won't force me, you pervert!" He slapped me, took my hands, and pinned me down. I couldn't even move because of his strength. I started crying and screaming, but he didn't care. He was focused on kissing my neck and mouth.

Tears ran down my face, and I realized there was no way out. I gave in, stopped resisting. He let go of my hands and said, "I love you, babe. Forgive me."

He reached for my dress to lift it. I held his hand, stared him in the eyes, and said, "Let me go to the shower first."

He seemed unsure, so I kissed him and stood up, pretending to give in. He ended up falling back on the bed, and I said, "Wait for me, babe."

I walked to the shower with my phone in hand. He didn't suspect anything. Once inside, I called Chike-he was still on the line from earlier. I cried and whispered, "Chike, are you there?"

Chike, anxious, replied, "Yes, Queen Tiana. Send me your location-I'll come save you."

I answered, "That's not possible, Chike. This place is heavily guarded-they'll kill you on sight."

Still crying, he said, "No one will kill me. Don't forget I built a body

I laughed, because he hadn't built any body-Zaddy would crush him with one hand. He added, "Wait for me, Queen Tiana. And don't cry again, baby girl-I'm coming."

I said, "Be careful, Chike."

He said, "I miss you I'm coming for you."

I was about to say I missed him too when Zaddy knocked. I hid the phone behind the sink and opened the door, only to find Zaddy completely naked. I quickly covered my face. He laughed and said, "I'm here, let's shower together, babe."

He approached, and I felt his dick brush against me. I started crying. He held my shoulders and tried to pull down my dress. It was a long-sleeved dress that reached my knees. I tried to stop him, but I had no way to escape. He removed it, and it fell to the ground. He kissed my neck and whispered, "You have a beautiful body, babe."

He pulled me closer and reached behind to unhook my bra-it fell off too, leaving only my panties. He turned on the water and started pouring it over us while touching me. I wanted to kill him. As he moved his hands lower, the electricity suddenly went off.

Startled, he quickly got out. I also ran out, put on his shirt, grabbed my phone. He called his workers and ordered them to turn on the generator-rich people always have a backup. They did. I started counting the lights until they came back on.

The moment the lights came back, I opened the bedroom door, stepped out, and locked it behind me. He shouted, "Come back, Tiana!" and grabbed the door. I held it too. We pulled against each other, but he was stronger so I ran off.

Suddenly, the generator shut down too-something that never happens unless someone cuts it. Zaddy's house uses electricity-powered locks, and when power is out, some of them disengage.

I ran barefoot, wearing only his shirt, and made it to the gate...

I reached the gate and found no guards. They had all gone to help someone who got electrocuted. So, I opened it and ran outside. Unfortunately, it was still raining, and I made the mistake of stepping into the rain without thinking. As soon as I got into the rain, I started struggling to breathe. My chest tightened. Right at that moment, the power at Zaddy's place came back, and I couldn't move anymore. I collapsed, gasping for breath. I had my phone in my hand.

I hadn't gone far when I saw Zaddy coming out while still dressing, yelling at the others: "Find her, you idiots!" That gave me the strength to get up. My skin felt like it was burning, I had turned pale, and my fingers were trembling. My whole body was hot, especially my feet-each step felt like a ton. I could barely move.

I whispered weakly, "Chike, where are you? Come save me..."

Memories of him saying goodbye, kissing my hand, the way he held me, all came back. I stood up again, still struggling to breathe. Suddenly, a car with Zaddy's security lights stopped in front of me, headlights shining on me. I stepped back, bumping into someone. I got scared because I felt surrounded-but my heart leapt with relief when I realized it was Chike in a black coat and hat. I felt safe instantly. I ignored the other men standing in front of me. He hugged me and softly said, "I'm here, my queen."

I was still having trouble breathing. He held my cheeks and told me, "Close your eyes, baby girl. Breathe in... yes, like that... now breathe out. Good. Stand behind me." He said it so gently-he wasn't even angry-but he was soaking wet.

I followed his instructions and started feeling a bit better. We were standing on the road in front of Zaddy's house, which was well-lit but empty, with rainwater flooding the street.

Then, Zaddy's car pulled up behind his guards. The bright lights almost blinded me. There was about 30 meters between Zaddy and his guards, and Chike and I were about 50 meters from the house gate.

Zaddy stepped out of the car. I grabbed Chike's hand to run, but just then, more cars flashed their lights behind us. Men in jackets jumped out and surrounded us. I collapsed again. Chike quickly lifted me and rushed me into their car and drove off. I don't know what happened to Zaddy next because I blacked out. I fainted and started dreaming again. I remembered the first time I met Chike and heard him begging, "Wake up, Tiana," but I was too weak to wake up. I felt like I was dying. The rain didn't just weaken me-it triggered an illness I inherited from my father. He used to suffer the same way during rainy seasons, and now it's happening to me too.

Chike drove like a madman straight to the hospital around 2 a.m., carrying unconscious Tiana. The nurses rushed to receive her-she was red and breathing abnormally. She was taken to the emergency room. A doctor gave her an injection and put her on a drip, then told Chike to let her sleep. Chike sat beside her, gently applying ointment the doctor gave him to reduce the redness on her face.

Chike stayed up the whole night without sleeping, waiting for her to wake up. Hours passed, and at 5 a.m., he leaned on the wall and finally dozed off.

Tiana: "I opened my eyes, feeling heavy, and my head was hurting. I lifted my right hand and found it had a drip. My face was burning, but less than usual. I saw Chike asleep, leaning on the wall with his hat in his hands. My heart skipped-I remembered everything from last night. He looked like an angel even in his sleep. His lips... I started having silly thoughts. I looked at the table beside me and saw my phone. I remembered my bag with keys and my machine were still at Zaddy's. I got angry remembering what Zaddy tried to do. I picked up my phone and called Liam."

Tiana: "Morning bro."

Liam: "How are you, sunshine?"

Tiana: "Liam, come to the hospital. Don't tell mom."

Liam got worried immediately-he's the type who would kill for me.

Tiana: "Don't panic. Just come to the hospital near my job. It's a small issue."

Liam: "I hope no one dared lay a hand on you!"

Tiana: "I got caught in the rain. Don't make it a big deal. Just come-and don't tell mom."

Liam: "I don't trust you. I just hope they didn't inject you with something you're allergic to. I'll be there in 2 minutes."

Tiana: "I'll be waiting. Love you."

Liam: "Love you too, sis."

I hung up and put the phone back. I saw Chike stir in his sleep. I pretended to still be sleeping. He woke up, ran to me, leaned over, and touched my forehead to check for fever. Then he brought a chair and sat beside me.

Chike: "Queen Tiana, please wake up. I miss your eyes. I miss your smile. I just want to hold you and tell you I'm here."

He hugged me as I lay there. I said, "I feel like you're going to steal my breath." He jumped up, surprised, and smiled.

Chike: "How do you feel?"

Tiana: "I feel fine... now that you're here."

I smiled weakly. He looked into my eyes and held my hand.

Chike: "You scared me. I just hope Zaddy-"

I cut him off by putting a finger on his lips.

Tiana: "Don't even mention him. I don't want to remember the cruelty. I hate him."

I remembered how he slapped me and tried to kiss me by force. I cried. Chike wiped my tears, leaned on my shoulder, and I asked:

Tiana: "Did you sit up all night?"

Chike: "You were struggling to breathe. Your body turned red. I couldn't sleep."

Tiana: "Thank you. I'll pay you back."

Chike laughed. I looked at him seriously.

Tiana: "What? You don't want me to pay you back?"

Chike: "No, I do! Who wouldn't want money?"

Tiana: "How much do you want then?"

He looked up like he was thinking, then smiled.

Chike: "I might overcharge you. Will you give me 100K?"

That shocked me-100K?! I mean, yes, he saved me, and I have money, but still...

Tiana: "Thank you from the bottom of my heart, but 100K is a lot. Can you reduce it?"

Chike: "It's not much. I paid Zaddy's guy to cut the power. I rented cars and paid the guys who helped. It actually cost me over 400K."

Tiana: "Oh, so you hired those guys too? Alright. I'll give you 200K."

Chike: "Deal. But on one condition."

Tiana: "What condition?"

Chike: "Either you give me a kiss-or make it 400K!"

He laughed. I playfully slapped Nurse: Good morning.

You didn't tell us the patient was awake.

Chike: Oh right! There's a patient-haha, I forgot.

He looks at me sideways and chuckles. The nurse glances at him too, then bites her lip flirtatiously and tells Chike,

Nurse: "Come to my bed."

I immediately snap,

Me: "Hey you, miss nurse, my madam-can you remove this IV line?"

Nurse: "Whoa! I'm not the one taking it out. I'm here to get your personal details. Then you can rest. The head doctor, the owner of this clinic, will pass by soon to check on patients personally. He'll decide whether the IV stays or goes."

Chike: "But she looks like she's healed already."

The nurse rolls her eyes at him. He grins. Then she looks at both of us and says,

Nurse: "Are you two a couple?"

We both reply at the same time:

Both: "A couple?!"

Then I quickly add,

Me: "Nope! We're just friends."

Chike lifts his head proudly and says,

Chike: "Yes, we're together."

We glare at each other. The nurse smirks, slips Chike a card with her number on it, then walks out.

I roll my eyes and mutter,

Me: "What a flirt."

Chike: "What? You saw how pretty she is. I might just call her-she clearly likes me."

Feeling a sting of jealousy, I blurt out,

Me: "Pretty? She looks like spoiled beans!"

He laughs, sits next to me, and says,

Chike: "Really? So what should I do with this number?"

Me: "Toss it in the trash!"

Chike: "Will you give me another kiss then?"

Me: "Another what?"

Chike: "So I don't call her."

I roll my eyes again, annoyed. I'm clearly jealous but trying to play it cool. He watches me, smiles, then throws the number into the trash.

Chike: "There-happy now, baby? I threw it away."

I laugh.

Chike: "Listen, baby, I'm going home real quick to shower and change. I'll be back to help you get discharged and take you home."

Me: "That's not necessary. You can rest-my brother will come get me."

Truth is, I was annoyed that he was leaving.

He kisses my forehead. I close my eyes, feeling every second of it. When I open them, he's staring at me deeply, then hugs me tightly, whispering:

Chike: "Wait for me, Queen Tiana. I'll be back in an hour."

He leaves. I start pacing around the room. My mind is racing.

Just then, Liam walks in. I relax a bit. He drops his bags and kneels in front of my bed, holds my face gently and asks,

Liam: "Who hurt you, love?"

Me: "How about a hug first and those snacks you brought? I'm starving!"

He sits across from me, unusually serious.

Liam: "This is serious, Tiana."

I tense up. When Liam gets angry, no one can calm him down. But this time, it's about Zaddy-a man who's far above us. His father is a General, his mother a Parliament Member, and Zaddy himself is rich enough to kill you and fund your funeral.

I tell Liam the whole story. Before I can even finish, he storms out, shouting he's going to kill Zaddy. On the way out, he bumps into the doctor coming in. I try to get up to stop him but I'm still hooked to the IV. I lay back down, feeling helpless.

The doctor greets me, but I ignore him, overwhelmed and in tears.

Then I hear a voice so soothing, it feels like a hug to my heart. I wipe my eyes and look up-a tall, slightly fair-skinned man with neatly trimmed beard, wearing a white coat and blue cotton pants. I jolt upright.

Doctor: "Don't strain yourself."

He touches me gently. I feel electricity run through my body. He smiles and glances at his notebook.

Doctor: "Are you Kamikazi Tatiana?"

I nod, still staring at him.

Doctor: "I'm Dr. Arichie, owner of Arichie's Medical Clinic. I'm doing Saturday rounds, checking on patients to improve our care and listen to any complaints or needs. I also help those who can't afford treatment."

As he talks, I'm lost staring at him.

Me: "Okay... Thank you. I actually feel fine now-you could discharge me."

Dr. Arichie: "Why do you want to leave so quickly? Do you have a husband waiting at home?"

I shake my head. He laughs, and I smile shyly. Then I remember-Chike will be back soon.

Me: "I just want to leave if there's no issue."

Dr. Arichie: "Alright, I'll get that sorted. Do you have someone to escort you? If not, I can give you a ride-I'm done here anyway."

I think about saying yes... but I don't want mixed feelings.

Me: "Thanks, but someone's coming for me. Just give me my prescription, the bill, and clear me to go."

He chuckles.

Dr. Arichie: "Alright then, give me your hand so I can check your pulse. But you have a serious allergy-I'd really want to keep an eye on you. A delay in treatment could be fatal one day."

I hand him my arm. As he removes the IV, it stings and I cry out. He blows on it gently. Our eyes lock.

Dr. Arichie: "I'm Kayiranga Archie Fernandez. It's really nice to meet you."

He smiles wide-he actually looks like Chike, same dimples and all, just lighter-skinned.

Me: "I'm Kamikazi Tatiana, but you can call me Tiana."

Dr. Arichie: "Or Rihanna?"

I laugh.

Me: "How'd you know? That's what my friends call me!"

Dr. Arichie: "Well, you do look alike. Just... more beautiful."

We both laugh. He asks for my number. I give it to him. He writes me a prescription, then leaves.

I get up, unpack the bag Liam brought, hoping for food. I find juice, some cake, and apples-thank goodness! I'm starving.

I shower in the VIP section of the clinic. When I finish, I wear a pair of olive green pants, a white tank top, a matching green jacket, and cute short boots.

My brother Liam-he's truly everything. When I'm in trouble, he's the first I call. He even brings me clothes and underwear without hesitation.

I sit, sipping juice, and call Alicia and Leyna to tell Sandy and Paula to come visit.

Soon after, there's a knock. I peek through the top glass panel-it's Chike.

My heart skips a beat.

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