In love with the recluse CEO

She plunged her head forward in front of the partially smashed mirror and effortlessly combed her fingers through her long, blond hair, pulling the elastic band from between her teeth and winding it around the locks, fastening them into a ponytail before elevating her head again.

She grinned as she saw her flawless reflection in the mirror and said "what will be my reflection in my wedding gown". When she optically examined the wall clock, which linguistically expresses 7:30am, she sprang out of her fantastical imagination.

The cab was passing through the expansive coffee shop when she realized she had forgotten to eat the toasted bread she prepared and had instead consumed only the coffee on the table.

Louisa might have enjoyed the freedom that comes with owing a vehicle, but she is content to ride public transportation. Cars cost a lot to run and she doesn't have much to spare.

She would have taken bus but time was not on her side she opted for cab, stretching her hands to the road often in a bid to get a cab, a cab soon pulled over and she went for the door but halted on feeling another hand on her hand.

She turned to see a young sophisticated woman, well dressed, her Louis Vuitton hand bag dangle beside her, her earring were crafted from diamond and her shoe were Italian made, her hair was covered with a linen scarf and a dark shade on her eyes, she obviously was a walking sculpture of wealth.

"ma'am I got the door first" she said

"im sorry I urgently need to be some where it is important dear, my son has a big day today , I need to be there soon.

"but I have to be at work soon too" she whispred

She wasn't that strong with insisting, she took few steps backwards and let the young lady in.

"you can go maam, you can have it" she said

She checked her wristwatch and bit her lip hard, it was past eight already and her cold, creased faced boss was always ready to chastise her I an extremely embarrassing way.

She clutched her bad tight beside and she desperately jumped before a cab throwing both her hands into the air to stop it.

At 8:20am, she arrives at the office before "wizard". she approaches the studio room and noticed a large number of disks scattered on the floor. She sighed and whispered;

"what a way to start the day"

The last person to enter the office was her authoritative boss. An old, fair-skinned and wrinkled face man with a bald hair entered the office with his normal unsmiling countenance.

" Good morning sir" Luisa said without optically canvassing him twice.

"What time is it Luisa?" he questioned.

She turned her wristwatch forward fidgeting.

"hum the time is 8;20 sir." She replied.

He paced around he office clapping his hands

"good! very good, you are a whole 20 mins late, at this rate I fear you will never become a true musician, you will forever remain a shadow to broken and greedy famous artist and never you put that on me" he said.

"but sir..." she paused for a moment and changed her sentence " I am deeply sorry sir" she said weakly

He dived both his hands into the pocket and ambulated down to his office without a word.

A young beautiful brown skinned lady who happened to his secretary approached Louisa smiling.

"hey Louisa, I cannot believe ominiknowest just let you off the hook, she said you should head straight to the studio for your recording, hope you have practiced you lyrics?" Chloe said

Louisa's eyes bulged at the news, she jumped around the office hopping and signing till she started coughing seriously.

"Easy girl, easy" Chloe said offering her a glass of water.

"Louisa you should really take a break, you need to take care of your voice and reduce your pitch girl, your throat need proper attention" Chloe advised

"Girl you know my fiancé is studying, I need to work for us , remember my little sis needs surgery too, I have got some huge bills to pay, I am extremely glad our alpha and omega boss didn't fire me. I better get going now" she said and plunged through the door.

***********

Louisa evans biggest dream was to become a famous musician, she had been cultivating this dream since she was wise enough to understand the insult in singing in a bar, her mother was a popular bar singer in the neighborhood ever since then she had vowed to be popular singer and sing on larger stage,

At age 8 Louisa and family were happily going for mum's big show when they got involved in a car accident that claimed the life of both her parents and her elder brother Kyle. She survived the accident alongside her little sister who ever since then had become paralyzed.

They stayed with their aunt who never for a reason stop accusing her for the death of her parent and often time calls Danna, her little sister a cripple.

After years of tolerating, young Louisa left home , she was just twelve ,lonely and had nowhere to go, she stumbled upon few young one like her and she immediately joined them begging for alms, little did she know they had a boss to whom they give their income to and he in turns gives them their share. She joined the beggers club, earns a lot but only gets her 3% share of the income but she was surprising stock with kitto her boss.

When she was 17, Louisa searched for greener pasture with the hope

of going back to get her sister. Luck was on her side and she got as a delivery girl in a famous restaurant in Ontario.

Her beauty, sonorous voice and sense of humour earned her fame in her little way. She was loved by almost all the customers and some will specifically ask that she delivers their food.

After one of her delivery at night, she walked down the hill heading down to the restaurant after she had chained down her delivery bicycle, she walked down the quiet and lone road counting the the money she got tipped by her customers and smiled happily.

She was stopped by some gang of boys who snatched her money from her.

"So you're the delivery girl they call beauty?" One of the boys said.

" Let's see if she is truly a beauty inside her" another boy responded

They dragged her into a corner where it even got darker, they tore her shirt into shred exposing her worn out bra with several patches on it.

"I guess it is not so beautiful after all" another boy said laughing hysterically and pointing at her bra"

" What is inside might be" the gang leader said.

Louisa folded her arm across her chest begging and weeping profusely.

"You can have the money please,just let me go" she pleaded.

The gang leader went closer to her,and tore away her bra with just his fingers exposing her just maturity boobs.

Louisa shut her eyes tight, expecting the worse to happen,her life was already a mess any way. She opened her eyes on hearing screams and grunts to see a tall tanned skinned boy with a big rod in his hand, fighting and chasing away the rogue boys.

"Hope you're good,take this, you can wear it" he said offering her his sweat shirt.

" Where are you going,oh I'm sorry my name is Alexis, what is yours?"

" Louisa " she said still crying.

Alexis walked Louisa down to the restaurant and since then often time pays her a visit.

Their bond waxed stronger ,on Louisa 18th birthday Alexis professed his love for and they started dating working and saving till Louisa was fit enough to go get her sister and three of them relocated to Texas for greener pastures. She was not rich but she could feed herself ,her sister and her boyfriend, they all lived together for 6 years until Alexis gained admission to further his education

**************

After spending several hours in the recording room , Louisa stormed out sweating profusely, holding her throat.

She went straight to the secretary asking for a bottle of water but was called into the office by her powerdrunken boss.

"Are you done with the recording?" He inquired

"Yes I am" she responded.

He did a 360 turn on his swivel chair with his fingers clasped and interlocked in between each other.

" You see,the past few days,your performance has dropped ,you come late to work,you can't pitch perfectly, that your cough too is annoying,damn! Anyway the artist you sing for no longer needs your help, she has regained her voice I I guess" he announced

Her face lit up and she smiled broadly.

"Wow that's great news,I'm so glad" she said.

" In that case you will have to quit for sometime"said her boss.

" What? Quit? You promised me a face after working with Alicia, you said I could do my own song and be the face of it instead of being in the shadows singing while another takes the glory! This is the fourth person I sang for, sometimes I use a year with some ,while I use six months with some, you said I should push through for my sake,you said the end of the tunnel is bright, I am fully ready sir,I want to be heard and known" she lamented.

He stood up and pushed his chair backwards,he clapped his hands and laughed sarcastically.

"You must be really thinking you're something, do you think you have what it means to compete with other singers out there? First you need to work on your star, I think it is faulty" he said.

He pulled out his drawer and dropped a brown envelope on the table, that's for compensation, take it and leave my office now".he ordered and turned his chair to the back facing the wall.

Still standing in front of his desk, Louisa raised her hand to cover her mouth, trying very hard to control her sobs.

She leaned to take the brown envelope which her boss had dropped on his desk and slowly turned her back and exited the office. She could hardly lift her legs, her chest tightened and her stomach churned. She thought of Danna, her sister whom desperately dreams of walking again, her thought drifted to Alexis whom she promised to support till the end.

When she got to Chloe's desk she gradually lets her self-sink into one of the chairs there.

"It wasn't supposed to end this way, I was supposed to be on the stage too, I was ...this isn't happening..." She said.

Chloe went close to her and her shoulders.

"What did the wizard say this time around? Are you supposed to do an all night recording again" Chloe inquired.

She titled her head sideways looking straight into Chloe's retina, this time she couldn't help the heavy downpour of tears, without making a sound , her eyes gathered trickles of tears until they form a pool and flowed down through her cheek like a fountain.

"Oh shit girl, what happened in there?" Chloe said leaning and reaching out for Louisa.

She held her throat tightly and busted into tears, she couldn't hold it back, she cried out till her eyes were almost dry of tears.

"He ..he.. he..fire..d me!" She said stuttering.

Chloe stood up rapidly and fiercely, her two hands were sitting on her waist as she perambulates her office.

"What? He fired you? How could he do that to you? After making you work the day? Why didn't he do that in the morning, wait did he give you your pay its past half of the month already?" She questioned angrily.

Louisa, still sobbing simply stretched the brown envelope to Chloe. Chloe snatched it from her hands, opened the envelope and counted the money in it. When she was done, she hit the envelope on her desk and yelled.

"Damn! I hate this son of a bitch!, Is that all Louisa? Just 20 dollars for all this year's you have been with him? Does he not know how much of help you have been to him?"

Louisa sat upright and buried her face in her palms, after sometimes she cleaned her eyes and consoled herself.

"I'd get another job, I'd talk to Alexis, he'd help me I'd just wait for you till you're about to go home, I don't really want to walk alone" Louisa said with a croaked voice.

Louisa and Chloe left the office together when she was done. They headed for the bus station talking and cursing their industrialist boss when Louisa's tummy grumbled loudly.

"Did your stomach just make that sound? I almost thought it was a trumpet sound, you skipped lunch again Louisa? Didn't you? Chloe questioned

"Wouldn't be that loud if it was lunch only, I forgot to eat my breakfast due to rush" she said

"you know what we are having a stop at a cafeteria, bills on me "Chloe ordered

"you and I know I can't, I'd rather stopover at the groceries to get few things, you know I am a mother of a 17 year old girl" she said and took a long sigh.

" I never wish for a day like today again It weakens my heart that I think id die. It's all good, all I have to do is live this life till I reach my pinnacle of fortune." Louisa said in a bid to console herself.

A bus stopped and they both struggle to get in, to Louisa and Chloe the ride was a long and boring one. They both alighted at the same bus stop but have different paths to walk home.

Chloe held her wrist tightly and caressed the back of her palm looking straight into her eyes.

"Louisa at times I envy your courage and strength, I wish I could be half as strong as you are, but as much as I admire it,

I also wish you can stop acting too tough while you punish yourself internally. Girl there is no harm crying all day when it is needed, there is no harm seeing one of those sad movies with a popcorn, there is no crime is singing out your frustration at the karaoke. You act too strong at it scares me!

Chloe drew her closer and whispered in her ears

"Everything will be fine Louisa, remember I am always there for you.

"Thank you Chloe" Louisa appreciates.

They let go of each other, waved, and they turned their backs and headed their separate lane. She plodded down the path that leads to her house, counting her steps in a way to forget the day's event

Louisa arrived home at six 'o clock feeling extremely tired, she headed for her sisters room to check on her, she changed her out of her adult diaper she had messed up and freshened her up. Getting a care taker would have been the best option but she doesn't have enough to spare.

When she was done with her she went straight into the kitchen and microwaves the toasted bread she forgot to eat in the morning.

She collapsed on the bed after eating and stared blank at the roof muttering some inaudible words.

She was about falling asleep when a notification popped on her phone, Her phone had been buried her bag all day long, she was awakened by the notification beep and remembered she had not texted Alexis all day not talk of attending to a notification beep.

She staggered to where she dropped her bag and brought out her phone only to see 7 notification from her reminder.

"Holy shit! How could I have forgotten? Louisa you're very bad girl, what to do, what to do?" she repeated.

She scuffled through her bag and brought out the brown envelope her boss had given her, she rushed to her scattered wardrobe flinging out the dresses in it, she checked the time and it as getting really late so she opted for the next available dress she saw and went to the mall to buy a gift.

She walked through the mall over an hour searching for what she could get with the cash she has with her. The gift items were quite expensive and greatly exceed her pocket but she was left with no choice but to get a gift that was more than a half of her pay.

On getting home she quickly drafted a text message to apologize for her forgetting such an important day

"Hello sweetheart, I'm very sorry you are getting this message late, today was a tough day but thoughts of you eased the tension. I know that this isn't an excuse, so all I can say is I'm sorry. Your princess wishes you a happy birthday, I Love ya! As usual expect your surprise package tomorrow morning"

After drafting the text she took a deep sigh, smiled and pressed the send button. While she was thinking of a way to surprise him. She deduced the biggest surprise she could give was to show up before him in his school.

"yes! He would be caught off-guard and he'd definitely be glad. I have no job to withhold me and.... Oh Danna," she said biting her lip

She put a call through to Chloe and pleaded with her that she stays with Danna for a day while she was away surprisingly Chloe accepted without arguing

"Alright girl, go have some fun "Chloe said

"Is this Chloe? Are you for real, your response scared me, it was too easy girl, anyway thank you" she said quickly and ended the call.

She started packing her bags almost immediately singing turning and twisting her body as he sang.

She moved very early and got to his school around 8:00 am, it took her a lot of trekking and asking before she could locate his hostel.

On getting there, to her surprise she found him waiting outside standing beside a black luxury car.

"Has he been waiting for me? Did Chloe tell him anything? Damn it! That girls lips needs to be sealed, I'm so sorry..." She said in a glum manner.

She was ready to take yet another step towards being noticed by Alexis when she realized a lady was stepping out of the car, well curved, classy, tall, and slender and with sporting long brown hair. She wears a glistening short gown with black heels and wore a heavy and makeup.

Her legs failed her to move forward as she saw Alexis fascinated and enchanted by another woman and kissing her passionately like his life depends on it.

Alexis held her by the waist, leading her to his room, he often time touched and caressed her face and they both giggled.

"He must have loved sophisticated ladies after all" she said in a sullen way

She walked behind them closely, observing every of their gesture till they got to the door.

"She is going to his room, who ...who ..is she" she whispered.

Unconsciously her hand went to her mouth, she bit hardly on her palm and tears flowed from her eyes. She halted for a while, she cleaned he her eyes and she watched them walk side by side until she finally summoned the courage to talk

"alexis!" she called out and waved her hands from afar.

His eyes buldged , he walked fast to her ,held her wrist and pulled her father.

"what are you doing here? Why didn't you tell me? what exactly can you do right Louisa?" he scolded

She was smitten by his words, she stood there staring pitifully at him as tears continues to dance down her eyes.

"I sent you a text yester night, I just came to give you your gift and wish you happy birthday personally. I thought you will be happy to see me, I guess I was wrong"

She stretched the gift to him but he pushed her hands down, he moved closer to her and whispered.

"You can take it home, I'd collect it later"

They were still talking when they both heard a voice.

"Alexis who is this?"

They both turned their head looking at the young lady, she soon head to see Alexis reaction and response but it seemed she would wait for eternity.

Louisa dragged her feet on her back home staring blank at the air, the bag of gifts she got dangled beside her eyes got teary and she couldn't resist the urge to cry.

"How could he do that to me, how could he deny me in front of that lady, have I not loved him in enough what else am I supposed to have done? " She soliloquized attracting the attention of several passerby.

She reminisced the event with Alexis, The way he held her by the waist, his hand circled around her neck, his chuckles and laughter and his last words to her before she departed.

"You mean her? She's.. She's Louisa" he said smiling sheepishly

"Oh. Kay...so why is she here" the lady asked folding her hands under her breast and wore a bitchy look.

"Yeah.. She's my neighbor, I mean my friend, we stay really close to each other so we became good friends" he lied.

She increased her pace gradually till she started running, she trashed the gift with her inside one of the bin by the road side and continued running till she got to bus terminal. She was the last to get on the bus and the bus took off immediately.

"I deserve better, I deserve better she kept repeating till she alighted the bus. After alighting she took to her heels, this time she ran faster, intentionally draining all her energy till she got to her house

Chloe was busy attending to Danna when Louisa barged in panting and sweating profusely. She went straight into the room and started packing Alexi's stuffs in a box.

"Tomorrow you will go meet your God damn son of a bitch owner" she yelled.

Chloe and Danna fixed their gaze on her wondering what came over her. Chloe watched her packed and unpacked without a word until she finally sank into the sofa and started crying.

"Seven years of loyalty, down the drain, my sacrifices evaporates into the thin air right before me and there's nothing I could do about it, where have I gone wrong?"

On hearing this Chloe left Danna, she hugged Louisa tight pleading with her that she calms down.

It was obvious she was hyper, her body worked faster than her brain, sweat dripped from her body soaking her light chiffon top, her Jean was dirty and her sneaker looked like it was buried in the mud.

She looked at Chloe with her red and puffy eyes, mucur run down from her nostril down to her lip gathering beneath her chin before it finally dropped down wetting her Jean.

She tried to talk but was interrupted by several hiccups.

"Relax for now Louisa, I'd get you what to eat" Chloe said and threaded the path to the kitchen.

Danna rolled turned her wheelchair and wheeled herself to her sister.

"What is wrong Louisa? Are you still bothered about your Job? Chloe told me about it, I am sorry, don't worry I am saving for my surgery, once I get it done and can walk again I'd make us really rich" Danna tried to console .

Louisa wiped her tears and forced a smile, she raised her head to look at her sister and pulled her cheek.

" Awn darling, that's so sweet of you, I can't wait for it to happen" she responded.

Chloe was at the door staring at them with a tray in her hand.

"How could she manage to pull a smile in her situation?" She whispered.

After few minutes of watching the sisters dialogue the plodded forward

"Hey ladies, enough of the pep talk here Is something to munch on" she said laying the tray on the table.

Louisa took a bite from the cookie Chloe brought and immediately excused herself, she went to the box she kept the letters she had been penning down for him, and she flipped through some before she dumped them in the trash can and wept.

She loved him to a fault and he does too, well ,maybe she thought he does.

She sniffed several times and wiped her tears from pouring, she was determined not to break down in front of her sister.

Chloe approached her stretching her phone forward to her

"You have a call Louisa , it's Alexis"she said

Louisa snatched the phone from her and press hard on the power button, she switched it off and removed the battery angrily throwing them in different directions.

" How dare he call me" she shouted angrily.

Chloe bent down before her,holding both her hand and lifted her head up to see her face.

"Louisa, I don't mean to intrude,but I can't help you if I don't know what really happened out there, please let me in" she persuaded Louisa who was staring blank at her.

Louisa sniffed and wiped her eyes with the back of her palm.

"Chloe, Alexis is into another girl, a sophisticated and rude young lady and Alexis blatantly denied me before her, he didn't collect my gift neither did he let me come in, he discarded me on the spot.

For a while I thought it was a dream, my Alex wouldn't do such a thing but reality keep hitting me hard"Louisa narrated.

" Damn, this is unbelievable, Alexis? How could he do that, after all this years? Chloe said perturbed.

She punched her skin so hard and made a fierce glare

" I will let him know what I am made of, I will live well and good without him, I will show him, his absence amounts to nothing" louisa said with a glaring

She picked up her phone and battery and fixed it, she put a call through to Alexis and surprisingly he picked almost instantly.

"Louisa where are you--"

" You will get a box filled with your stuffs in school tomorrow, have a good life" said said cutting him short amidst his sentence.

After the call she threw the phone on the bed,made herself a cup of coffee and headed to the bathroom.

She took a while in shower but was soon out, she dried her wet hair and as usual bonded it up in her usual ponytail style.

She went to the wardrobe an picked one of her favourites gown, she wore it and sat before her dressing table to wear her makeover

"Chloe please help me with the brow and few touches, I can't wear makeup appropriately" she said.

Chloe wore her a red bold lipstick and applied a shining gloss,she line her eyes with black eyeliner and raised her brow with a mascara, she looked beautiful, bold and feirce.

"But Louisa where exactly are you going all dressed up" Chloe asked.

" I am going to be me, live my life for only myself even if it is just for today, Chloe remember I booked you today already, so you still have to stay with Danna till I return" she responded.

She turned around in front of the partially smashed mirror, posing in different styles while she admires herself.

She took few pictures of herself and sent it to Alexis with a hash tag "first day you walked out, still breathing"

She went to Danna's room to kiss her good bye.

"Hey sisi..big sis is coming, be a good girl hun? Bye" she said and kissed her on the cheek.

She broke her private bank, filled her bag with some cash and hopped in her heels

" Bye Chloe, I love you"she said

Chloe look at her sympathetically,she could see the hurt beneath each act she put on but she however didn't stop her. She knew she deserves a fun time..

"Alright girl,make sure you text me your address" she said to Louisa who was already at the door at the peak of her voice .

Louisa walked across the street catching the attention of several young men whom she seem not to notice. She paraded the restaurants and bars in the vicinity hoping to find the one that could quench the rage within her.

She finally stood in front of a huge building, well decorated with different colours of flower and light, it appeared obviously as an high class restaurant and bar, the car park was full loaded with exotic cars and people entered in twos, mostly a male and female.

She was alone but she didn't mind, it was the bar her heart chose despite it looked expensive ,she adjusted her dress, raised her head high and walked in majestically.

She walked past a young looking woman, and greeted her waving her hand.she swung her waist as she walked to the bartender.

She caught the attention of the young woman and she stopped, she looked back and removed her shade to look at her very well.

"She looks familiar, ohh it is the cab girl, she looks so much like Scarlett on makeup" she said smiling.

She turned to her PA and whispered in her ears.

" Get me the details of that girl and her house address" she ordered and walked out of the bar.

**********

" Give me a strong drink" Louisa said

She looked right and left and whispered to the bartender

" One that is not so expensive but enough to drive me crazy" she whispered and winked.

After taking several cups she became drunk, she felt the urgency to pee, and stood up staggering to find the gents.

She found an open section and entered, her mouth fell wide Open when she saw a handsome male standing in front of her.

She sat on the floor and started wailing

" I knew you'd come back for me,Alexis why did you do that, I missed you so much, you don't know how much I miss you"

" How did you get here and who are you?" The male voice echoed.