Two months into her marriage and she hadn't heard from her parents, not her sister. Her husband had travelled out for a business trip, she thought she might get some freedom but she was wrong, he had made sure his servants and P.A. watch her every move.

The only thing that kept her sane was school, Penny and Alianna. Penny and Alianna got along so well and she was glad for that.

“Xara, you zoned out again?" Penny prompted her friend as she paused the movie they were watching in her room.

“I'm fine," She tried to convince her.

“No, you aren't, your mind is somewhere else." She prompted.

“It's just, two months ago I was a struggling poor student but yet I had my freedom to do anything, but now that I married a rich man, I am regretting every inch of it. This is not how I pictured my happily ever after."  She cried out.

“It's going to be fine, " Alianna said standing at the doorway.

“Until when am I supposed to endure this pain, until when?" She whispered.

“You know I hate to see you like this..." Alianna said to her friend.

“Kai?" Xara's sister, Mabel called out as she run into him on the streets of New Orleans.

“Mabel?" He said shocked.

Mabel was his close friend in New York City. Even though they were from different classes and had different statuses, he valued her friendship. She helped him get through his first heartbreak, there every step of the way. He thought she was going to be excited when the news of her marrying him came to her, but she did the opposite, she runs off with her lover leaving him to marry her pathetic sister.

He liked her and that like was developing into love, he thought they could build a future for themselves, but she had an agenda of her own.

His expression changed from a happy one to a cold, angry one.

“What do you want?' He bellowed.

“Calm down, can we talk?" She motioned to the coffee shop they were standing beside.

She walked in as he followed behind her, with mixed feelings. They sat at a table and ordered for some coffee and croissants.

“Spill it." He clenched his fists with his knuckles as white as snow.

“Kai, I-I-I don't have any reasons for my actions. I was just scared and my emotions over the place. I didn't know if I loved you anyway. That was the only thing that came into mind back then. I am sorry." She bowed her head in shame.

” Why didn't you reach out to me all these months, I would have understood. You made me believe I was unlovable. You pushed me to marry a girl I don't love, and anytime I see her, I get angry, furious and mad. She doesn't deserve all this." Kai's voice softened.

“I am truly sorry, it was after some months that I realised I love you, but it was too late since I got married and you did the same." She sobbed.

“We can still be together, after all, we all are in loveless marriages." He laughed dryly.

“I can't divorce Mike, I do care about him, maybe love him." She confessed.

“Who said something about divorce? We can see each other without them knowing..." He caressed her hands. Mabel was unsure of this but her heart was telling her to go for it.

Besides, they wouldn't find out, right? She thought to herself.

“I would get back to you on that, I need to get back to work. Here's my card. I would see you soon." She gave him a peck on his cheek and then walked out.

Kai picked up the card and put it in his pocket walking out of the coffee shop smirking.

“I want to know how my daughter is doing if she's fine or facing hell in that house, but Ken has forbidden me to do so." Zoe, Xara's mother told her friend Anita.

“Zoe dear, I think she's fine. But if you doubt it you could go call her on a payphone that way Ken wouldn't know." She advised her friend.

“I never thought about that, thanks, Anita." Zoe calmed down.

“Have you been hearing from Mabel?" She asked the woman.

“Yes, yes I have. She's doing well with her husband in New Orleans." She smiled.

“That's good to hear, but I have a strong feeling that Xara is fine, worry not." Anita tapped her friend's shoulder.

“I would see you later, Anita I better go call Xara," Zoe said getting up and walking out of the restaurant.

For the love of money...Anita pondered going back to her work.

Zoe hesitated for a while as she stepped into the phone booth. She inserted a coin into the booth and dialled her daughter's number. It rang for a while and just as she was about giving up, She answered.

“Xara?" She called with a shaky voice.

“M-mom?" She responded shocked.

“How are you doing, I'm sorry for not calling or checking up on you but your father forbade me from doing so." She confessed.

“But why would he do that, did he hate me that much?" She voiced out her fears.

“No, no he doesn't. How are you? How is Kai treating you?" She inquired?

“I wish I never married him, mom, I am going through hell in this marriage. Why did Mabel elope? I won't have been here in the first place." She said as Alianna signalled her that her husband's P.A was coming.

“Ma, I would call you later. In fact, I would send you an address where you can meet me and we talk. I gotta go. I love you." She dropped the call as Zoe came out of the phone booth.

It broke her heart to hear that. She checked her phone to see that Xara had sent her message and an address on where to meet her.

“Is everything fine?" Caleb, the P.A asked as he entered the room.

“Yes, we are just going to Alianna's house for a while. I would be back soon." She told him.

“What for?" He asked.

“Her cousin is back and she wants to see us today because she has other duties to attend to." Xara lied.

“Whatever you say, " He snorted and walked off as Penny, Alianna and Xara walked out of her room. They headed to Alianna's car sat in as she drove off.

“That was a close one," Penny added. They picked up Zoe at the address Xara had sent to her. She hugged her daughter tight. 

“I'm glad you are alright and I'm sorry you have to go through all these." Zoe apologized as they reached Alianna's house.

They got down from the car and sat in the garden to talk.

“How come dad doesn't want you to see or talk to me? And have you been hearing from Mabel?" She asked.

“I don't know for your dad, but we've been hearing from Mabel..." She said as Xara's eyes lit up.

“That's good tell her to come for her man so I can be free," Xara said as her friends nodded in agreement.

“I am sorry that can't happen." Zoe voiced out.

“Why?" Penny questioned.

“She's married, " Zoe broke the news to them.

“No, no, no NO! This can't be, she can't be married." Xara panicked.

“Calm down." Alianna hugged her friend.

“That means I am stuck in this hell for life, Alianna I am doomed for life!" She hysterically cried.

“No, you're not doomed, you've got us." Penny consoled calming her down a bit.

“How could she do this? How heartless could she be?" Xara murmured.

“I am so sorry baby," Zoe said hugging her daughter silently sobbing.

Could this get any worse? Penny thought to herself rubbing her friend's back.