Chapter 9, The turmoil
753 Words
Clara knew she had lied to Remy about her name being April. It was one of her habits to deceive men about her real name since she wasn't interested in them and only wanted to have s*x.
She walked back through her house gate, where she lived alone, and headed to her room in the rented apartment.
Meanwhile, Lerisa drove to the shopping complex to purchase clothes. She parked her car and sighed, recalling how Clara had denied knowing her.
Lerisa considered calling Anthony again but hesitated, unsure how to explain that she had seen his girlfriend cheating on him.
She switched off her car engine, stepped out, locked the door, and walked toward the boutique where she intended to select a gown.
Upon entering one of the women's boutiques, a sales representative greeted her, "Good afternoon, ma'am. What kind of clothes are you looking for? We have gowns, skirts, blouses, trousers, and any type of feminine wear you desire." Lerisa smiled and glanced around the large boutique before responding, "Gowns. I don't usually wear trousers."
"Okay. Please follow me," the saleslady said, leading Lerisa through the store as she admired the other shoppers since it was a busy Saturday.
The saleslady showed Lerisa various collections of feminine wear. "Here, take a look at this. You can choose whichever you like," she said. Lerisa snapped out of her trance and, after browsing the selections, finally made her choice.
She pointed to a light green gown with yellow collars and said, "I'll take that green gown."
"Alright," the saleslady replied, taking down the gown. Lerisa then asked, "Can I try it on?"
"Of course, madam. This way, please," the lady led Lerisa to the fitting room, where she noticed other ladies trying on their selections.
After trying on the green gown, which looked lovely on her, Lerisa changed back and went to pay for it. She also picked a cream-colored shoe to wear with the gown.
"Thank you for shopping with us today, miss. We look forward to serving you again," the saleslady said. Lerisa kindly replied, "Thank you."
She collected her white shopping bag and exited the boutique, heading to where she had parked her red car.
However, as she stepped outside, Lerisa was shocked to see a man standing beside her car, waiting for her.
Nervous, Lerisa approached her car, recognizing the man but unsure why he was there.
"Hi," Remy said as she neared.
Lerisa gulped as she recognized him as the man she had seen with Clara and asked, "What do you want?"
Remy smiled and replied, "Nothing. I'm sorry for following you here. I just like you and would like your mobile number so I can keep in touch."
Lerisa was taken aback by Remy's boldness but was relieved that her phone was not with her. She apologized, saying, "I'm sorry, sir, but I don't have a phone and can't give you my number."
"Excuse me, miss," Remy started, but before he could say more, Lerisa unlocked her car door, hopped inside, and shut the door. She quickly started the engine and sped off from the mall, nearly knocking Remy over as he shouted, "s**t!"
Onlookers in the parking lot wondered who the reckless driver was.
As Lerisa drove home, she wondered why Remy had followed her. "Did he know I took pictures of him and Clara on my phone? Why would he come to the shopping complex?" She felt uneasy but shook her head, trying not to dwell on it.
Glancing in the rearview mirror, she hoped she wasn’t being followed again.
Upon arriving home, she parked in front of the family gate, stepped out, and opened it before driving into the compound.
After parking, she locked the gate and turned to walk back inside when she saw her younger sister, Martha Jonah, had arrived.
"Big sis!" Martha exclaimed, rushing to hug Lerisa tightly.
Martha, a 20-year-old young lady, resembled Lerisa.
Lerisa smiled and asked, "When did you get home?"
As they walked inside, Lerisa realized she had forgotten what she had bought.
"Not long ago. Dad mentioned you went out to buy something. Where is it?" Martha inquired. Lerisa replied, "Oh! You're right. I left it in my car."
Lerisa quickly returned to her car, unlocked the back door, and retrieved the white shopping bag. "It's Anthony's birthday today, April 30, and he turns 30."
"Wow! Thank goodness I'm home, so I won't miss it," Martha said, and Lerisa smiled as they walked into the house together.
- Writer
