NAYA'S POV
"No, Mother! That's not true!" I said as I pushed myself away from her.
"Then what's that on the news?" She pointed to the TV screens.
Then I quickly grabbed my phone, stood up from the floor, and tried to scurry back up the stairs, but she stopped me.
"Don't you dare move an inch from where you are!" She yelled angrily, and I paused in my tracks and trembled under her gaze.
"Sarah!" She called the maid's name. "Sarah!" She bellowed as I clasped my eyes shut from the impact.
"Yes ma'am?" Sarah appeared disheveled as she cleaned her wet hands on her apron.
"How stupid can you be? Where were you when I called?" Mrs Anderson hissed as Sarah instantly.
"I'm so sorry, ma'am." She stared at her feet.
Mrs Anderson eyed her. "You should be sorry for yourself!" Then she pointed up the stairs.
"I want you to take your stupid self up the stairs and throw all of Naya's belongings outside." She instructed.
I was shocked at her resolve. "Mother.. Mother, please…" I went down on my knees shamelessly to beg her to change her mind.
Sarah glanced at me with obvious pity.
"Am I paying you to be stupid? Why the hell are you still standing there?" Mrs Anderson yelled at Sarah who immediately obeyed her instructions.
"Mother…" I continued to plead.
"I said don't call me that. I'm not your unfortunate mother!" She scolded me as I continued to wipe away the tears that blurred my vision.
That was how my belongings were thrown out of the mansion along with my unfortunate self.
I didn't want to fight it, so I left with my things and boarded a cab to Chloe's apartment.
I dug out my phone from my purse and tried to dial my husband's phone. My thumb hovered over the call button before I decided against calling him.
When I got to Chloe's apartment, I rang the doorbell, and almost immediately, she opened up.
"Oh my God, is that blood on your hair? What the hell happened?" She said as I remembered that I hadn't cleaned up myself.
I smiled weirdly at her and she pulled me into a quick embrace.
"Oh, my friend…" She spoke softly and released me from her hold.
"What's up with the luggage?" She asked as I tucked my hair behind my ears.
"Please can I stay with you for a while?" I said instead.
"Of course, how can you even ask that? You're welcome to stay for as long as you want." She said as I nodded slightly at her.
"Come on in." She said as I followed her inside.
"Thank you," I muttered.
"But what's that on the news? I was shocked to my bone, what are the Andersons up to? Because I know you love your husband and won't even dare cheat on him." Chloe rambled as I busted out in tears again.
"Oh my, I'm so sorry. I shouldn't have brought it up again. Woah.. look at your eyes, they look so swollen." She said and rubbed my back to console me.
"That's why I hate love and despise men so much, now look!" She shook her head and grabbed my luggage.
"Come on, let's get you cleaned up." She said as I followed her into the guest room, where I'd be staying.
After I was done cleaning up, I felt relaxed for a moment as I settled myself on the bed to sort out my clothes.
Chloe entered the room looking all dressed and ready to go out.
"Oh, now you don't look so much like a ghost." She chuckled as I pulled up a small smile at her.
"Now, all you have to do is dress up, and let's hit the club tonight." She said as I furrowed my eyes at her.
"Oh yeah, you heard me. You're too quiet and moody for my liking, so come on, let's go hang out and have fun tonight!" She said and excitedly threw her hands up in the air and made a quick body movement to the music in her head.
"No Chloe, you know I'm in no condition to go to the club at the moment…" I declined as she paused to look at me.
"Says who?" She asked rhetorically. "Those Anderson motherfuckers want to obviously ruin your life, so it's up to you not to settle."
"Chloe, No. My face is all over the media and if I hit the club tonight, what more would people say?" I said and played with one of my clothes in hand.
"And who says they're gonna see you talk more, recognize you?" She said with a sly smile.
"Wait, what do you mean?" I asked innocently.
"Oh, my friend, you are so naive when it comes to things like this, but that's why you have me. Hold on a moment…" She said excitedly and scurried out of the room to go get something.
"What's going on in that little head of yours?" I asked after she pressed my lips into a thin line.
"Now, here's the plan…" She returned almost immediately with a short red dress and her makeup kits like she had it planned out already.
"What plan?" I asked as I perked up a brow at the makeover tools in her hands.
"Well my friend, the plan is to get you to hop on a good disguise makeover!" She almost squealed at the thought.
"A makeover?"
"Yes, I've allowed you to hide behind those baggy pants and weird dresses for too long. So, we have to celebrate a new you tonight!"
"Oh no, Chloe, not the club…" I whined as she shot me a glare.
"You're going whether you like it or not!" She concluded as I rolled my eyes at her.
Then we heard the doorbell as Chloe threw the dress and makeup on the bed before she darted to get the door.
"Naya, it's for you!" She yelled out to me as I went to the door, only to behold a delivery man who immediately confirmed my name, presented a big envelope to me,, and told me to sign away in acceptance.
Chloe shut the door afterward and looked at me in expectation.
"What's that?" She asked as I opened the envelope, only to behold the divorce papers Ivan had thrown to my face in the hotel room.
"He actually sent it over…" I mumbled under my breath as Chloe collected the papers and glanced through them.
"Asshole!" She cursed under her breath as I bit my lip to stifle my emotions.
"That fucker wants to divorce you after tainting your image?" She snorted.
I glanced at her. "Should I sign it?" I asked as a pang weighed on my chest.
I still love Ivan despite everything but..
"The fuck?" Chloe brought me out of my thoughts. "You should be seeing this as an opportunity to finally let go of those godforsaken Andersons! But here you are… reluctant to put it all behind you after everything they've done to you?"
I swallowed the lump in my throat as I immediately had a change of heart.
I'd hit the club just as Chloe had proposed. I had a feeling that I don't give a fuck anymore.
I took the papers from her. "Let's hit the club, I need to unwind."
Or maybe I needed to get laid.