The last time I felt love was in college, and how the years have passed. How foolish I was to let that go. It's been ten years, yet I still can't find that missing piece in my heart. In the first five years, I moved to a different city, got married, but that didn't last. My husband claimed I was distant and didn't love him. After the divorce, I returned to my hometown, staying with my parents. One day, a poster of a man flashed by on the big screens—it was Alex, the richest business tycoon. My heart raced. It was Alex, the person I truly loved, now a wealthy tycoon. All I think about these days is the person I love and the hate in his heart, which must be tremendous. I know I don't deserve to mingle in his life anymore; after all, the reason he left was me. But if I could at least get him to forgive me, maybe my nights would be peaceful. One day, while job hunting, I walked past my old college and decided to visit a favorite hangout spot. As I entered the restaurant, heading to our usual spot, I smiled at the aesthetically pleasing environment filled with life from the college students. Flashback to a younger version of myself, shy but awkwardly speaking, sitting across from the boys as our whole group chatted away. "You know," Sean spoke, "Alex has something he's been wanting to tell Lilato." I smiled under my breath as Alex picked a fight with him, questioning why he would attack him like that and saying everything was a lie. The whole group burst out laughing, saying they already knew Alex liked Lilato, and it wasn't something new. The situation turned awkward for both of us. The boys continued with their taunts while the girls gave me their take on the matter. Flashback ends. I wondered, would I have said "yes" if he asked me out back then? My eyes traced to the seats—oh no, they were already taken. It was a man, not too formal, sitting there having some food. I walked up to him, asking if I could take the empty seat in front of him. Without looking at me, he shrugged an okay, more concentrated on the food in front of him, spaced out. The atmosphere, even for strangers, was a bit awkward, so I tried starting a light conversation. "Ahm... do you come here a lot?" He simply shrugged a yes, and the mood returned to being icy cold. Argh, he was really making it hard for me. I cursed him from within, looking around to avoid suffocating from this awkwardness. The waiter finally arrived, and I made my order. "I don't come here a lot," the man spoke up, "and it's rude to talk to someone..." He lifted his head, and our eyes finally met. It was him; I knew it was him. Without finishing what he was about to say, he stood up and left me there. I wanted to chase after him, but I was left in shock, questioning if it was really him. My food arrived, and I had my meal, still trying to piece everything together. He sat on the same seat Alex used to sit on—a coincidence, because Alex is a big tycoon boss and coming to eat in a shady restaurant like this... no way! It's like no major firm wants to hire me. It's always, "You are a very qualified person, and our company would love to have you here," followed by, "We regret to inform you that our company can't hire you." I literally get the job and get fired the next moment. I've applied to so many corporations and other enterprises, but to no avail. "You should try applying to ID Zambia," my mom said, comforting me in my distress. "ID Zambia, that sounds familiar," I muttered. "Isn't your friend Alex the CEO?" she questioned, making my heart sink. "Y-yes," I drummed to say. "Then you should ask him to help you," she continued, saying a lot of words I couldn't pay attention to. Looking at the huge glass doors, I gathered my confidence and headed in, thinking all I had to do was the interview and not bump into Alex—seemed simple enough. I entered the interview room, and three suited individuals sat on their chairs, one gesturing for me to sit. "Tell us about the company that interested you to apply," they asked. That's weird, totally weird, first question. I still answered it with confidence. The next questions got even weirder, but that couldn't stop me. They seemed impressed, now handing them my papers. "Your skill set is really good, and according to this, your work ethic is just as good," they said. I smiled but quickly regained my composure as they continued going through my papers. Then, from nowhere, looking at my ID, their faces turned blank, implying it was time to get fired again. "Arhm," awkwardly one of them said, "we are sorry, Mrs. Lilato, but it seems we can't hire you." "Why?" I questioned. "All my qualifications are more than enough for this position." "We are sorry, but we just can't hire you," they said, then one of them blurted out that the director told them they couldn't hire me. I stormed out of the room, angry, dialing Alex's phone. "Hello, Alex, I—" Beep, beep, beep. The call cut, and I spiraled into a fit of more rage, wanting to smash his phone again, but I got a tap on my back. "Hi, Lilato," a familiar voice spoke. Turning back, I saw Precious, an old college friend of mine. "Hi," I said back excitedly. We started talking, and my mood softened. She continued, saying it's been a long time since they last talked and asking if she missed anything in my life. "Do you work here?" I asked. "Yes, I do," she replied, "and you wouldn't believe who the boss is here." I reluctantly said yes. "Do you want to meet him?" she questioned, making me go speechless. "You guys must have a lot to talk about," she continued. "I know, I can take you to him," she said, making my heart beat really fast. The next moment, we were on the elevator heading up. She seemed really excited, like returning a lost kitten to its owner. The elevator stopped, and we walked out, heading to his office. On the way, we were stopped by a man in a suit, asking what we were doing there and if we had any business to be there. "David!" Precious said excitedly, making the suited man, David, soften his demeanor. They talked for a while, and she told him to call Alex to inform him of a visitor, which he reluctantly agreed on. He called his phone a few times, saying he may not be around, but Precious insisted he go into his office, which he reluctantly agreed to after being enticed by her. The next moment, he walked out, telling us that the boss would be coming and we should head to the balcony office. The three of us walked there. On the way, Precious got a phone call and said it was an emergency, excusing herself, saying she would join in some time. We reached the balcony office, and I was told to take a seat and that the boss would be there soon. I took a seat, looking at the balcony. We were really high up, and the fresh air flowed through the room. "You've got this, Lilato," I calmed myself. "You only have to apologize, and hopefully, he will forgive you." The door opened, and my nerves of steel fell apart. "Hello, my name is Mr. ..." He stood there, spaced out for a minute. I turned around to face him. "You!" he said, full of shock and anger. "What are you doing here? Who let you in?" he questioned angrily, grabbing his phone, trying to call security. I instinctively grabbed onto him, begging him not to. He called me a witch, making my heart sink further. "Wait, wait, Alex! I came here to ask for forgiveness!" I gathered myself and continued, "You have every right to lash out at me. I hurt you when you loved me, and I made you leave. It's all my fault." My tears started dropping from my face, but before I could continue, he pulled his hands from my grip, making me fall over. He didn't even look at me, determined to leave. "Now that you need me, you want me back, huh?" "No, that's not true! I loved you then, and I still love you, Alex!" I was saying the truth. Why won't you believe me? He looked back at me. "Well, now you know how I felt," he said. My heart sank. I know I hurt you, Alex. I know that. It's all my fault. His silhouette now walked away from me. Without thinking, I tagged at him, and he ended up losing balance, making both of us fall over. I hit my head. Argh, my head hurts. Regaining my senses, I opened my eyes to find Alex on top of me. His eyes locked with mine. The atmosphere softened. "You want me that badly?" he asked, confusing me. "Fine, you can have me." Before I could answer, he grabbed my top, ripping it, exposing my neck, kissing me with a rush of lustful intent, making me moan in surprise. My eyes were watery. I couldn't think now; I didn't know what to do. The intimacy got even deeper, the rush making me moan uncontrollably. He was now hurting me. If this is punishment, I have to take it. The next moment, he ripped my top completely off, surprising me and revealing my bare chest. My teary eyes couldn't hold on anymore; the tears trailed off my cheeks onto the floor. "If this makes you forgive me, then go ahead," I said, grabbing my boobs. He squeezed, pressing and pulling. My moans became even harder to muffle. I couldn't take it anymore! He started tracing his fingers from my chest down, moving slowly, making me overstimulated. I moaned while gasping for air, trying to grab onto the floor, making my legs tremble and fold up. My eyes closed in embarrassment as he traced deeper. But before he could get even deeper, his fingers vanished. Why did he stop? I questioned, also feeling relieved. His silhouette lifted from me, leaving me fully exposed. The embarrassment washed over me, and I quickly got up, grabbing onto the pieces of my top, covering my exposed chest, tears still in my eyes. "Are you happy now!" I cried out, fully vulnerable and feeling used, expecting comfort. "This isn't what I want," he said, sinking my heart even further. "And you—don't get to break me again." Why!..... Why.....! Why! Alex. My head hurts. How could you? My face now expressionless, in a fit of anger, I nudged at him, but ended up tripping, hitting the railing. H
The last time I felt love was in college, and how the years have passed. How foolish I was to let that go. It's been ten years, yet I still can't find that missing piece in my heart. In the first five years, I moved to a different city, got married, but that didn't last. My husband claimed I was distant and didn't love him. After the divorce, I returned to my hometown, staying with my parents. One day, a poster of a man flashed by on the big screens—it was Alex, the richest business tycoon. My heart raced. It was Alex, the person I truly loved, now a wealthy tycoon. All I think about these days is the person I love and the hate in his heart, which must be tremendous. I know I don't deserve to mingle in his life anymore; after all, the reason he left was me. But if I could at least get him to forgive me, maybe my nights would be peaceful. One day, while job hunting, I walked past my old college and decided to visit a favorite hangout spot. As I entered the restaurant, heading to our usual spot, I smiled at the aesthetically pleasing environment filled with life from the college students. Flashback to a younger version of myself, shy but awkwardly speaking, sitting across from the boys as our whole group chatted away. "You know," Sean spoke, "Alex has something he's been wanting to tell Lilato." I smiled under my breath as Alex picked a fight with him, questioning why he would attack him like that and saying everything was a lie. The whole group burst out laughing, saying they already knew Alex liked Lilato, and it wasn't something new. The situation turned awkward for both of us. The boys continued with their taunts while the girls gave me their take on the matter. Flashback ends. I wondered, would I have said "yes" if he asked me out back then? My eyes traced to the seats—oh no, they were already taken. It was a man, not too formal, sitting there having some food. I walked up to him, asking if I could take the empty seat in front of him. Without looking at me, he shrugged an okay, more concentrated on the food in front of him, spaced out. The atmosphere, even for strangers, was a bit awkward, so I tried starting a light conversation. "Ahm... do you come here a lot?" He simply shrugged a yes, and the mood returned to being icy cold. Argh, he was really making it hard for me. I cursed him from within, looking around to avoid suffocating from this awkwardness. The waiter finally arrived, and I made my order. "I don't come here a lot," the man spoke up, "and it's rude to talk to someone..." He lifted his head, and our eyes finally met. It was him; I knew it was him. Without finishing what he was about to say, he stood up and left me there. I wanted to chase after him, but I was left in shock, questioning if it was really him. My food arrived, and I had my meal, still trying to piece everything together. He sat on the same seat Alex used to sit on—a coincidence, because Alex is a big tycoon boss and coming to eat in a shady restaurant like this... no way! It's like no major firm wants to hire me. It's always, "You are a very qualified person, and our company would love to have you here," followed by, "We regret to inform you that our company can't hire you." I literally get the job and get fired the next moment. I've applied to so many corporations and other enterprises, but to no avail. "You should try applying to ID Zambia," my mom said, comforting me in my distress. "ID Zambia, that sounds familiar," I muttered. "Isn't your friend Alex the CEO?" she questioned, making my heart sink. "Y-yes," I drummed to say. "Then you should ask him to help you," she continued, saying a lot of words I couldn't pay attention to. Looking at the huge glass doors, I gathered my confidence and headed in, thinking all I had to do was the interview and not bump into Alex—seemed simple enough. I entered the interview room, and three suited individuals sat on their chairs, one gesturing for me to sit. "Tell us about the company that interested you to apply," they asked. That's weird, totally weird, first question. I still answered it with confidence. The next questions got even weirder, but that couldn't stop me. They seemed impressed, now handing them my papers. "Your skill set is really good, and according to this, your work ethic is just as good," they said. I smiled but quickly regained my composure as they continued going through my papers. Then, from nowhere, looking at my ID, their faces turned blank, implying it was time to get fired again. "Arhm," awkwardly one of them said, "we are sorry, Mrs. Lilato, but it seems we can't hire you." "Why?" I questioned. "All my qualifications are more than enough for this position." "We are sorry, but we just can't hire you," they said, then one of them blurted out that the director told them they couldn't hire me. I stormed out of the room, angry, dialing Alex's phone. "Hello, Alex, I—" Beep, beep, beep. The call cut, and I spiraled into a fit of more rage, wanting to smash his phone again, but I got a tap on my back. "Hi, Lilato," a familiar voice spoke. Turning back, I saw Precious, an old college friend of mine. "Hi," I said back excitedly. We started talking, and my mood softened. She continued, saying it's been a long time since they last talked and asking if she missed anything in my life. "Do you work here?" I asked. "Yes, I do," she replied, "and you wouldn't believe who the boss is here." I reluctantly said yes. "Do you want to meet him?" she questioned, making me go speechless. "You guys must have a lot to talk about," she continued. "I know, I can take you to him," she said, making my heart beat really fast. The next moment, we were on the elevator heading up. She seemed really excited, like returning a lost kitten to its owner. The elevator stopped, and we walked out, heading to his office. On the way, we were stopped by a man in a suit, asking what we were doing there and if we had any business to be there. "David!" Precious said excitedly, making the suited man, David, soften his demeanor. They talked for a while, and she told him to call Alex to inform him of a visitor, which he reluctantly agreed on. He called his phone a few times, saying he may not be around, but Precious insisted he go into his office, which he reluctantly agreed to after being enticed by her. The next moment, he walked out, telling us that the boss would be coming and we should head to the balcony office. The three of us walked there. On the way, Precious got a phone call and said it was an emergency, excusing herself, saying she would join in some time. We reached the balcony office, and I was told to take a seat and that the boss would be there soon. I took a seat, looking at the balcony. We were really high up, and the fresh air flowed through the room. "You've got this, Lilato," I calmed myself. "You only have to apologize, and hopefully, he will forgive you." The door opened, and my nerves of steel fell apart. "Hello, my name is Mr. ..." He stood there, spaced out for a minute. I turned around to face him. "You!" he said, full of shock and anger. "What are you doing here? Who let you in?" he questioned angrily, grabbing his phone, trying to call security. I instinctively grabbed onto him, begging him not to. He called me a witch, making my heart sink further. "Wait, wait, Alex! I came here to ask for forgiveness!" I gathered myself and continued, "You have every right to lash out at me. I hurt you when you loved me, and I made you leave. It's all my fault." My tears started dropping from my face, but before I could continue, he pulled his hands from my grip, making me fall over. He didn't even look at me, determined to leave. "Now that you need me, you want me back, huh?" "No, that's not true! I loved you then, and I still love you, Alex!" I was saying the truth. Why won't you believe me? He looked back at me. "Well, now you know how I felt," he said. My heart sank. I know I hurt you, Alex. I know that. It's all my fault. His silhouette now walked away from me. Without thinking, I tagged at him, and he ended up losing balance, making both of us fall over. I hit my head. Argh, my head hurts. Regaining my senses, I opened my eyes to find Alex on top of me. His eyes locked with mine. The atmosphere softened. "You want me that badly?" he asked, confusing me. "Fine, you can have me." Before I could answer, he grabbed my top, ripping it, exposing my neck, kissing me with a rush of lustful intent, making me moan in surprise. My eyes were watery. I couldn't think now; I didn't know what to do. The intimacy got even deeper, the rush making me moan uncontrollably. He was now hurting me. If this is punishment, I have to take it. The next moment, he ripped my top completely off, surprising me and revealing my bare chest. My teary eyes couldn't hold on anymore; the tears trailed off my cheeks onto the floor. "If this makes you forgive me, then go ahead," I said, grabbing my boobs. He squeezed, pressing and pulling. My moans became even harder to muffle. I couldn't take it anymore! He started tracing his fingers from my chest down, moving slowly, making me overstimulated. I moaned while gasping for air, trying to grab onto the floor, making my legs tremble and fold up. My eyes closed in embarrassment as he traced deeper. But before he could get even deeper, his fingers vanished. Why did he stop? I questioned, also feeling relieved. His silhouette lifted from me, leaving me fully exposed. The embarrassment washed over me, and I quickly got up, grabbing onto the pieces of my top, covering my exposed chest, tears still in my eyes. "Are you happy now!" I cried out, fully vulnerable and feeling used, expecting comfort. "This isn't what I want," he said, sinking my heart even further. "And you—don't get to break me again." Why!..... Why.....! Why! Alex. My head hurts. How could you? My face now expressionless, in a fit of anger, I nudged at him, but ended up tripping, hitting the railing. H