The breeze blew and brought chills. A dark skinned woman walk through the streets with a lot of expressions on her face. Her eyes were down, her curly reddish brown hair covered her face. She walk step by step like a person that could collapse at any time. Her spirits were down,she could feel nothing. All that clouded her thoughts were the images she saw in her bedroom when she got home from work. She couldn't believe her eyes. The images were disturbing and she couldn't imagine that would happen to her.

They were the closest thing she had to a family and they treated her like garbage. She could still remember what they said to each other. The words danced in her mind over and over and over again.

"Ah ah ah ah ah ",she let out an ear piercing scream in frustration. People around her were immediately alerted,but just ignored her after saying few insults.

She had done nothing wrong to hurt them. How dare they make mockery of her by rolling under the streets together. In anger,she pulled out her wedding ring and toss it away. She didn't care where it flew to,she just wanted to get rid of it. She couldn't believe it. If someone had told her that they saw her husband and best friend sleeping with each other in her bedroom,she would have pounced on the person and beat them up.

But no one told her anything. She saw it with her own eyes. The words they spoke to each other kept ringing in her head

' I love you ' her husband said to her best friend,kissing her face like a love struck idiot. Her bestie giggled and pushed his face away,and said folding her arms like a little kid

'No you don't. You like Matilda, because of her dark skin and curves.'

' What?? No no no no, darling. You know I don't like that dark skinned she-goat and her fat body. I love you and your little features." her husband said lovely, tickling her bestie.

Her bestie laughed out loud, covering her red face with her palms ' Liar! If you love me so much, Richard,why are you still with her? '

' Oh my dear Nika,I'm only with that dirty pig for her money. After I've drained all her money from our joint account,into my private account,I'll divorce her and marry you.' Richard said pouncing on her.

Their giggles echoed in Matilda's ear over and over again. She stood lost in thoughts in the middle of the street. Her fingers were in her hair as she slowly remembered their relationship in the past.

Richard and her met in college. Back then she was full of spirit and was the belle of the school. Every guy wanted to be her boyfriend ,but she only had eyes for Richard. She had always had feelings for him,but she never mustered up the courage to confess. The only person she told about her feelings for Richard back then was her bestie, Nika. She and Nika had been friends since when they were five. They met at the play ground where some kids were trying to bully Nika. Being a confident little girl, Matilda stood up for her and since then,they've been in separable. That's why Matilda told her about her crush. Nika was the only person she trusted.

Back then, Nika encourage her to tell him her feelings. They both planned the time Matilda will confess her feelings to Richard. She planned to confess at the party they were having that week,but as she remembered, Richard beat her to it. That week,she found a love poem in the middle of her text book. The poem struck her heart like a cupid arrow,and right then and there,in the middle of the hallway,she yelled ' Who wrote this?? ' holding up the poem.

Her voice caught the attention of everyone and they all waited patiently for the lucky boy to claim it.

' It was me ' upon hearing his voice, Matilda turned around and saw him standing there, with a goofy smile on his lips. She squealed like a little girl and was about running towards him, when he suddenly went down on his knees. He brought out flowers from behind him and said

' Matilda Sarah Robinson,will you be my girlfriend? '

Students around roar with cheers, including Nika,and they all chanted ' Say yes! Say yes! Say yes! Say yes!'

Matilda covered her face with her palms and screamed ' YES! '. He stood up and they both ran towards each other. They embraced each other,and the students around roared more,they started chanting again

' Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss! Kiss!'

Richard and Matilda didn't disappoint the crowed and kissed each other.

Looking back, Matilda was a bit confused,she didn't understand why he will cheated on her. He has always shown love to her. Taking care of her, telling her he love her.

Rain drops from the sky brought her back to reality. She lifted her face and closed her eyes, feeling every single drop on her face. She slowly parted her black pink lips and let out a tired sigh.

For some weird reason,she didn't cry. She only felt heavily in her heart. She couldn't go back to her apartment, if she did,she might go crazy. Looking around,she spotted a hotel across the street. She crossed the street and spent the night in the hotel.

Matilda woke up the next morning with emptiness. She got herself fresh pairs of clothing and put her hair up in a ponytail. She wore black palazzo trousers, with a purple t-shirt. She applied zero make-up. Looking at herself in the hotel bathroom mirror, she looked like a fourty-two year old lady. She straighten up herself and tried wearing a smile, but stopped on seeing her reflection. She looked like a horse saying ' cheese '. Dang! she giggled a little, revealing two cute dimple's on her cheek.

Man! she couldn't remember the last time she smiled. She had always tried her best to look less attractive, so as not to give Richard the wrong impression. He had always scolded her anytime she wore fitting clothes or any cloth that showed her curves. He even scolded her for smiling in their wedding pictures.

Man! She remembered her wedding gown,her so called bestie, made her wear. It was a nun outfit. Literally! It was a nun outfit in white.

Matilda clutched her fists together in anger. Nika was never her friend to begin with. Gosh! She had been so blind.

She recalled her last birth day. That night, she had booked an entire restaurant for she, Richard and Nika to celebrate, because they were the only family she had, apart from her little sister, who was currently studying abroad. She went to the restaurant late that night because of her work. She rushed only to be the only one there. She waited and waited for three good hours, but none of them . She had called each of them cell, but they didn't pick up. Fear had filled her heart that night. She imagined a lot of bad things that could have happened to them. In panic, she was about to call the police, when they both showed up hand in hand. They looked exhausted and she clearly remembered a shade of red lipstick on the collar of the authentic shirt he wore. To top it all,the shade of lipstick was the same shade her bestie wore,that she bought. She didn't think too much of it and rushed up to them. They told her that they went to get her a birthday gift, and that's why they were late. When she heard that, she was filled with joy, until he handed her a red rose. He said that the red rose was the flower he handed her ,when he asked her to be his girlfriend back in college. Matilda tried her best to maintain a smile on her lips. It was lilies he gave her back in college, not red rose, because she was allergic to red rose. Tears filled her eyes, not because of her allergic reaction, but for the fact that he didn't remember she was allergic to red rose. To make matters worse that night, Nika kept urging her to smell the rose, of which she did, so as not to ruin the atmosphere. She now realized the evilness in Nika's eyes that night. It was as if she enjoyed seeing her in pain.

Taking a deep breath, Matilda locked away those hurtful memories and turned on her phone. To her greatest surprised, no one called. Nobody! They didn't call or text. In anger, she stuffed her phone in her bag and scolded her self for getting her hopes up. She needed to wake up from her deep slumber and realize she is surrounded by serpents. She don't know what her next move should be. Whether she should confront them, or divorce him, or continue to play dumb. She couldn't seek advice from her little sister, or anybody. She was all alone in this world, with no one to turn to.

In sadness and depression, Matilda left the hotel and took a cab to work. She got to work earlier than usual and went straight to her office. Matilda was the manager of one of the finest company in the country. She has been working there for five years now and worked her was to the top. She found jobs for Richard and Nika in the same company, so they could spend more time with each other.

On her way to her office, she noticed that Richard and Nika aren't at their assigned desk and another's realization hit her.

Today was the 25th and every 25th of each month, they always gave excuses of them going to a family event. Back then, she really didn't think much of it.

So those two pigs had been playing her for a long time. She angrily hit her fist on the table,and endured the pain. They both did that on purpose to go cheat, and knowing she could cover up for them since she was the manager, they went without informing anybody.

Matilda's eyes was filled with tears as she continued to hit her fist on the table, enduring the pain.

Workers around looked at her cabin and whispered

" What the heck is going on on there?? "

" Is Manager's husband doing the stuff with her??"

" I don't think so. How can hot Mr. Richard do IT, with someone like her?"

A white girl in a pink flower dress over heard what the others were saying and pressed her lips together. Is Manager really doing IT in there with her husband?? she thought. She quickly shook her head and scolded herself for thinking such dirty thing. Walking towards the Manager's cabin, she knocked on the door.

Matilda heard a door knock and quickly cleaned her face. She took a sip of the table water beside her, before answering

" Come in "

Not long after, her assistant, Cecilia, walked in with few paper works in her hand. Cecilia could see something wasn't right with her boss, but she knew it wasn't her place to ask so, she briefed the Manager on the day's schedule before taking her leave.

Matilda made it passed the day. She got off work very late because she worked overtime. She didn't want to return to her not so called home anymore. Standing on the footpath, she extended her arm to hail a cab, but ho car stopped, she took out her phone from her purse and saw it was very late, most cab drivers had gone home by now.

 She scoffed at her misfortune. She took the initiative to take a walk and look around the city. She walked aimlessly and after a while, she took out her phone and checked for the nearest store. She bought some hot cocoa, with a snack and devour it within seconds.

" Gosh! I didn't realize how hungry I am, until I took a bite " she joked out loud. After eating, she continued her aimlessly journey. As she walked, she thought about her life. If she had known that Richard and Nika would have betrayed her like this, she would have avoided them like a plague back in college. She stopped at an already closed store, and started at her reflection in the mirror. She looked at her self from head to toe and realized she had lost her beauty. She looked like an old hag ready to die. She left the store, and continued her stroll. Maybe because she isn't as beautiful as she was in college, that's why Richard doesn't love her anymore, she thought. She continued her walk deep in thought. She recalled the bedroom events and remembered the words they said to one another.

Richard is only with her because of her money?? Does that mean he had been faking his love for her??? What of the poem he wrote to her back in college?? Was he faking that too?? But she remembered the words of the poem vividly, no one could fake such thing, right?? So many unanswered question clouded her mind.

The night chills and rain drops brought her back to reality. She found shelter under a tree, squatting down, she rested her head on the bark and closed her eyes.

' I'm only with her for her money ' Richard words echoed in her mind.

" He's only with me for my money "she whispered, rubbing her body, due to the chills the rain brought.

" Who? "a deep soothing voice suddenly asked. Matilda's heart almost left her chest when she heard the voice. Looking up, she saw a dark broad shadow. Fear gripped her like never before, and she sprung on her feet. She clinged unto her purse, and slowly backed away from the shadow.

" Where are you hoping to, bunny?? "the figure joked, this time, walking towards the light. Matilda held her breath, as she saw the figure emerged from the shadow, into the lights.

Her jaw flung open when she saw the face of the shadow. Her eyes dug deep into the unusual pair of grey eyes. Water dripped from his tousled black hair, tracing the sharp lines of his cheekbones and jaw. His white t-shirt clung to his lean, muscular frame, soaked from the rain. In one sentence, he was the boy version of a Mona Lisa painting.

" You can stop drooling ". Matilda immediately snapped out of her daze and fired back at him

" I wasn't drooling "

" Mm "he answered, with a lot of mimicry in his voice.

" Excuse me? ". she glared, but he just shrugged his shoulders, with a ' what did I do ' innocent look.

Matilda scoffed, turning around, her eyes searched for another shelter. Her eyes suddenly glowed, when she saw a big light ahead.

" Honey land hotel "she whispered, as she left the stranger under the tree. She didn't look back and just ran towards the hotel. Making it to the entrance, she observed that it was the same hotel she slept in yesterday. This realization brought a huge smile on her face, and she hopped into the hotel.

The stranger eyes watched her enter the hotel. He pressed his lips together and suddenly whispered

" Matilda "

******

Matilda woke up the next morning, and for some reason, she didn't feel sad or depression. Matter of fact, she didn't feel anything. She ordered room service, with a fresh batch of clothing. She ate, bath and packed her hair in a tight bun. She wore free office black trouser, with a white t-shirt. She grabbed her purse and exited the hotel room, making her way towards the elevator. As she entered the elevator, she didn't pay attention to the person in there, until she hear his voice

" Since when do they allow bunnies in the elevator? ". Looking back, Matilda sneered upon seeing the person behind her. It was the same annoying stranger she met yesterday.

She clutched her fist and said " I don't know, probably when they allowed creeps in."

The stranger chuckled a little upon hearing an answer. His chuckle made Matilda a little scared, but she just ignored feeling.

Without her realization, he took a step and stood behind her. Looking at the top of her, he whispered dangerously

" What did you just call me? "

" Ah ah ah ah! " she screamed and jumped away from him. She stared at him in awe and held her purse close to her heart. She could hear her own heart beating loudly on her chest.

Seeing her reaction, the stranger chuckled loudly this time. He took another step close to her. His actions, made Matilda step back until her back was touching the elevator wall. He leaned in, making their faces inches away from each other, and whispered

" Why are you hoping away?? I don't bite? "