Chapter 18: Chapter 18

Felicity stopped short when she entered the rest room. Halal was bent over the sink clutching it very hard and breathing furiously, Victoria on the other hand was lying on the floor looking battered like she'd barely survived a wresting match.

"Okay....  What the hell happened here?" Felicity asked staring at Halal with wide eyes.

Darrell on the other hand went over to Halal "What did she say to you?" he asked softly resting his hand on her shoulder. He could feel vibrations, she was still angry.

"Halal talk to me" he said rubbing her shoulders. Halal stood straight "Just get her out of here, I thought I'd at least get a fight out of her but she's the weakest thing I've ever encountered. She's all bark, no bite" Halal spat angrily.

Felicity gaped "Did you....did you do this...do this by yourself?" Felicity asked trying to do the maths in her head.  Somehow she couldn't picture average Halal bruising Victoria like this.

Darrell sighed and turned to Felicity "Can you carry her out of here, or should I get someone to help you?" he asked. Felicity shook her head before kneeling to touch Victoria.

"Vicki, can you walk?" she asked  softly. Victoria shook her head "No,  I can't move. Every where hurts, please get me away from her. She's possessed" Victoria whispered, she sounded worse than she looked.

"I can't take her out like this Darrell,  this is going to cause lots of attention" Felicity said. Halal scoffed and turned back to the mirror inspecting the bruise on her neck, where Victoria had sank the claws she called nails. She'd broken all ten of them while the stupid girl pissed on herself, weakling. All she knew how to do was talk, she couldn't even defend herself.

Darrell sighed and went over to Victoria, "Come on,  it's not that bad.  Get up" Darrell said gently.  Victoria shook her head stubbornly, "I can't move,  pretty sure I'm paralyzed" she said.

Halal hissed "If you don't freaking get up and get out of here, I'm going to really paralyze you" Halal threatened. Felicity stared with wide eyes as Victoria scrambled up to her feet. If she wasn't hurt,  the whole thing would have been amusing.

"Here let me help you" Felicity whispered putting Victoria's arm around her neck. Darrell took off his blazer and put it around Victoria. "Take of care of her Fel, I'll see you tomorrow" Darrell said.

"Alright, goodnight. Darrell please be careful" Felicity eyed Halal warily before leaving.

Darrell turned to Halal again. "Okay, are you done being Mayweather?" he asked rubbing his forehead tiredly.

"She called me a childless bitch, should I have given her a pat on the back?" Halal yelled at him.

Darrell stared at her face for a while before replying her "Damn it Halal, I shouldn't have let you go to that bar. You weren't angry because Victoria called you a bitch, I was the one who angered you. You only took out that anger on Victoria who happened to he around you at the wrongest time" Darrell sighed.

Halal hated the fact that he knew her too well, on a good day, she would have ignore Victoria but she had already been mad before she ran into Victoria. It only felt good to unleash that anger on her Victoria, she'd thought the girl would put up a fight but Victoria was as weak as bread soaked in water, that only heightened Halal's anger.

"You were angry at me weren't you, Something I said while we were dancing?" Darrell asked.

Halal shook her head "I wasn't angry at you,  I was angry at myself. I made some terrible decisions in the past and right now I'm paying for it.  I just wish I wasn't so stupid and naive back then, it pains me, it angers me,  the thought of everything" Halal said looking at her shoes on the floor.

"Halal, we've talked about this before. You need to learn how to control your temper, stop taking out your anger on other people" Darrell said gently.

"You're going to have children someday and I don't think beating up other people is something any child should see,  it's a really bad trait and a bad example to set as a parent" Darrell said.

"When am I going to have children Darrell? Valentino is too busy cruising around port Harcourt, a woman and a man have to have sex for that kind of biology to happen and my husband only drops in once in a month. So when's the child going to come, if it eventually comes, will it stay alive?" Halal asked throwing up her arms in the air angrily.

"I'm tired Darrell, I'm tired of tests,  pills, treatments, checkups, I'm tired.  I don't want a baby anymore, I don't" Halal said picking up her shoes from the floor.

"Halal, don't say that? You've always wanted children" Darrell said pulling her into his arms.

"And I wanted a husband too, a family, look how that turned out for me.  I don't want a child now,  not now. Maybe I'll adopt when I'm thirty or thirty five. I'm sick of going through the same process again and getting no results" Halal said.

Darrell cupped her face "Do you trust me?" he asked looking at her eyes.  "Yes,  I trust you" she said. "Then believe me when I say you will have positive results this time, I'm working on something for you" Darrell said.

Halal sighed and nodded "Okay Doctor" Halal said tiredly. Darrell's eyes fell to her lips and he couldn't help but do the inevitable. His lips fell to her and kissed her.

Halal kissed him back urgently, her arms going around his neck. Her tongue danced around his lips willing it to part, Darrell pulled away immediately.

"What's wrong?" Halal asked searching his face. "This is wrong Halal,  I can't be with you like this. I can't do this with you when I know that you're going to leave me and go home to another man at the end of the day" Darrell said pulling the tiny locks on his head in frustration.

"The other man is not home right now" Halal murmured. "I know that, what happens when he gets back?" Darrell asked.

"I don't know and I don't care, tomorrow can take care of its self.  Let's take care of tonight" Halal said pulling him in for another kiss.

As Darrell kissed her back, he knew there was nothing more he could do than allow fate to play out.  Once he kissed her, he was tangled in the web of fate.

"My place or yours?" Halal whispered against his lips. "Wouldn't it be wrong to go to your place?" Darrell asked pulling away from her.

"I don't know, it feels right to me" Halal said. She wanted to make new memories in her gloomy house, even if it was with Darrell .

Darrell shrugged "Alright, let's go" he said. Halal smiled and quickly slipped on her shoes, she felt a little light headed as she clutched on the Darrell's arm.

What exactly was going to happen? So they'd kissed, what next? Were they just going to pretend, she wasn't married?

Halal couldn't answer those questions and she didn't want to know the answers to them. She just wanted to live in the moment to go home with Darrell and allow the magic of the night to take them.

The both of them walked hand in hand to Darrell's car. "Are you sure, you want to go to your place?" Darrell asked. "Yes I want to, but if it makes you more comfortable, let's go to yours" Halal rolled her eyes getting into the car.

Darrell smiled and followed her lead, "anything the lady wants" he muttered turning on the ignition.

"Oh no" Halal groaned hitting her hand to her forehead as they got to her house. "What is it, Did you forget anything at the party?" he asked. "No" Halal cleared her throat.

"Then what?" he asked her curiously turning off the ignition. "I think I'm on my period" she lied looking at her bedroom window, the lights were on. She rolled her eyes, of all the days for him to show up. Valentino decided to come home tonight, she didn't want to tell Darrell that.

'Should have just gone to his house' she muttered to herself. "And so? we don't have to have sex Halal. Honestly I wasn't planning to, I just enjoy having you in my arms. You know that, I wouldn't mind a few kisses in between though. Come on let's go in" Darrell said.

Halal shook her head "No, I'll really just like to be alone now. Do you mind?" Halal asked nervously wondering how the night would play out if Valentino were to come out of the house.

"Are you sure you're alright? You seem a little off" Darrell stated looking a little worried. "I'm fine, I'm just..." the bedroom lights went off and that caught Darrell's attention.

"There's someone in your house Halal" he said squinting a little. Halal swallowed the bile in her throat "Yeah, I noticed. Turns out that Valentino is back" she said dryly.

"Oh... So that's why you've been acting weird. Why you want me gone...." Darrell said coldly.

Halal turned to him "It's not because I want to be with him rather than you, being with you tonight has been special for me Darrell and I don't want anything else to taint it. I want you to leave before Valentino gets out and ruins everything" Halal said taking Darrell's hand.

"It's a little too late for that" Darrell murmured his eyes fixated on the entrance door. So this was the husband, he felt anger rising within him.

"Oh shît, just stay here Darrell. I'll handle this" Halal said unfastening her seat belt.

"Actually I'd like to say Hi" Darrell said gritting his teeth, his anger escalated when he saw Valentino was holding something that looked like a baseball bat.

"Darrell, please don't interfere. I'll handle it" Halal said getting out of the car. Darrell refused to let her talk to the man alone, even if he was her husband. He got down from the car and walked towards Valentino.

"Why are you holding a bat, what's the meaning of this Valentino?" Halal asked the minute she got to him. She saw mad rage writ on his pretty face, "I was hoping your boyfriend would come with you, won't you introduce us to each other my dear cheating wife?" Valentino asked scowling.

"Valentino stop this nonsense, he's not my boyfriend. He's my gynaecologist, you're embarrassing me" Halal whisper yelled.

"That's not what I heard!"Valentino yelled swinging the bat as he walked towards Darrell who looked like he was ready for a fight.

"I heard he's fùcked you on every surface in the hospital and that he was hoping to get you pregnant because he believes your husband has a weak sperm!" Valentino yelled.

He stood in front of Darrell now "You're the one who's been sleeping with my wife, I'm glad you're here, so we can handle this like real men" Valentino said staring daggers at Darrell who only smirked in return.

"If you really want to fight Mr, you'll drop the bat and face me like a real man would. With your fists" Darrell said clenching his knuckles.

"Only losers fight fair" Valentino said and swung the bat, missing Darrell who ducked with sharp reflex.

"Darrell don't touch him, he's drunk. You'll kill him, just get into your car and go home" Halal pleaded moving to the duo.

She caught Valentino's arm before he could swing the bat again. "Don't fucking touch me!" he pushed her away roughly. Before he could react again, Darrell pulled the bat away from him and flung it behind him.

"Fine, I'll fight you with my fists" Valentino said moving closer to Darrell who only had to punch him right in the head to knock him out.

"I'm so sorry, Darrell. I'm so sorry" Halal gasped moving over to him. Darrell scowled "This is the scum bag you married, this thing. I'm so disappointed Halal, what the fück were you thinking. Were you even thinking at all?" Darrell hissed.

Halal stared at him quietly. "No, I wasn't thinking, it doesn't matter now. Please just go, I'll see you tomorrow" Halal said.

"No, Halal. If you want to keep seeing me, this man can't be in your life. Make a decision, and this time, think" Darrell said before turning to leave.

"Please help me carry him inside, I can't do that myself" Halal muttered. Darrell turned to her with narrowed her eyes, he cussed loudly before moving over to Valentino.

Halal smiled a little "Thank you" she said. "Don't thank me yet" Darrell said carrying Valentino into the house, he dropped him unceremoniously on the couch.

"Goodnight" he said gruffly. Halal nodded "Goodnight, please text me when you get home" she said. He didn't reply her, he just walked away.

Halal slumped on the couch, she glared at Valentino who was out cold. "What a douche bag" she scoffed before getting up to leave the living room.

Darrell's voice was still echoing in her head 'This time, think' she sighed before hopping on the bed. She couldn't sleep till her phone chimed.

'Got home safe, go to bed' she smiled before shutting her eyes. Reality was right there in front of her, she loved Darrell, he loved her too. The main question now was what exactly was she to do? Leave her husband for her ex lover? What would society brand her?