Becoming strangers again (Lily and Ryan)



MAYA

I am incredibly proud of how everything is happening in my life right now q. Ryan thinks he can push me out just because that foolish old man didn't include me in the will. I'm smarter than him, smarter than all of them, and I will do whatever it takes to get what I want.

My phone suddenly rang, pulling me from my sleep. I reached for it, grumbling silently about the interruption. When I saw her name on the screen, I couldn't help but roll my eyes.

Even before I answered, I knew what this was about. I swiped to accept the call and stifled a yawn before holding the phone to my ear. "What do you want?" I asked.

"You know exactly what I want," she replied, her voice sharp. "You remember what you promised me. You know our agreement from when I decided to work for you."

Rolling my eyes in exasperation, I propped myself up into a sitting position, fully aware that this conversation was about to get heated. "I remember the promise quite clearly," I said with a hint of annoyance in my voice, "but what I seriously doubt is whether you truly remember the specifics of our agreement."

"What do you mean by that?" she spat back, her tone sharp and defensive.

"It means," I replied slowly, emphasizing each word, "that I promised to give you a share of the money once I start seeing some cash flow from the Williams family. As of now, I haven't received anything, so I fail to understand why you feel the need to wake me up at this ridiculous hour to remind me of this."

"Don't try to play games with me, Maya," she warned.

"I am not trying to play games with you," I said, dragging out my words, already feeling fatigued by this pointless call. "If I really wanted to play a fast one on you, I would simply block your number. I know you can't say a word about what happened because, deep down, you understand that I won't go down without taking you with me."

"I don't have anything to lose—”

“Don't give me that crap," I interrupted sharply, my voice rising with frustration. "You have plenty to lose, and you know it. You have a whole lot riding on this now."

She fell silent, clearly aware that I was speaking the truth. "So when can I expect my pay?" she asked, her tone shifting slightly as she realized I wasn't budging.

"Whenever I get mine," I replied flatly before abruptly disconnecting the call. "What a fucking nuisance."

In an attempt to shake off the annoyance, I turned to my social media, scrolling mindlessly to keep myself updated on the latest happenings. However, I didn't expect to stumble upon something shocking: my mother and I were trending, but not in a good way.

For the past two weeks, we had been in the spotlight, but usually it was for positive reasons. This time, however, the headlines were far from flattering. The posts read:

"Is Maya Really Richard Williams' Illegitimate Daughter? Considering That He Isn't the Only Man Her Mother Salome Had an Affair With? It Seems She Is in the Business of Breaking People's Marriages." Below this headline were videos and images depicting the homes and marriages my mother had supposedly wrecked. It was an alarming and damaging portrayal, warning others to "Beware of Nannies Like Salome."This text is © NôvelDrama/.Org.

Clicking on the first video, I winced as a woman recounted the story of how my mother had an affair with her husband. The narrator went on to describe how my mother had attempted to blackmail him for a large sum of money.

I rolled off the bed and set out in search of my mother.

I found her in the backyard, tending to her garden, blissfully unaware of the storm brewing around us. "Please do not tell me that your foolish past is about to ruin everything I have worked so hard for!" I yelled from the doorway.

She paused mid-action, garden fork frozen in her hand as she lifted her head to meet my gaze. "What are you talking about?" Dropping the fork, she removed her gardening gloves and approached me.

"I'm talking about the fact that you've whored yourself out to any man you see, and now it's all over the news!" My voice rose as I struggled to contain my anger.

Without warning, she slapped me hard across the cheek, the sting of her hand lingering long after the contact. "Don't speak to me like that, you brat! I am still your mother."

Clearly, she didn't understand the gravity of the situation. I closed the distance between us, my glare hard. “I'm going to let this go for now,” I warned, "but the moment you raise your hand to hit me again, I will make sure to return the favor."

Shocked and hurt by my response-though I honestly didn't care she placed a hand on her chest in disbelief. "How dare you speak to me like that, Maya? What has come over you?"

"Apparently, you have," I deadpanned. "You failed to give me the kind of life I wanted, and now that I am finally taking control and creating that life for myself, don't expect me to stand by and let your past mistakes ruin it."

"Can you stop with the insults for just a moment and at least tell me what's going on? I believe there's nothing we can't solve together if we just talk about it," she pleaded, her tone shifting to one of concern.

I forcefully shoved my hand into my pocket, retrieving my phone and clicking on the news article that had sparked my outrage. I shoved the screen into her face, demanding her attention. She gasped as she read the headlines, shock etched on her features.

Disappointed by her lack of a substantive reaction, I scoffed. "Please don't tell me that a gasp is all I'm going to get from you! I need solutions on how we're going to get out of this mess. People are already catting us names all over the inte!"

"Calm down," she urged, attempting to defuse the situation. "Getting upset isn't going to help us at all."

She can't be serious. I took a step closer, pointing my index finger at her with a fierce glare. "Don't you for a moment think that just because you brought me into this world, I won't toss you under the bus when the time is right."

Her eyes narrowed. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"It means that if I have to sacrifice your public image, or if I need to distance myself from you to clean up this mess you created, then I absolutely will." Before she could respond, the doorbell rang. I immediately assumed it was Ryan, here to mock my current predicament. "I guess I have you to thank for this firsthand embarrassment,” I hissed at her before storming off to answer the door.

But when I opened it, I was surprised to find a total stranger standing on the other side. Not in the mood for any games or pleasantries, I stared flatly at him, annoyance etched on my face. "What do you want?"

He extended his hand for a handshake, a friendly smile on his face. "Hi, my name is Clover."

I stared at his outstretched hand for what felt like an eternity before shifting my gaze back to his face, completely ignoring the gesture. "How may I help you, Clover?" I asked, my tone clipped and uninterested.

"I've been following your fight with Ryan Williams on the inte, and I want to be a part of it,” he replied, his enthusiasm almost comical.

This man has to be kidding me. "Who are you again?" I asked, my disbelief evident.

"Clover," he reiterated, as if that meant something to me.

"Right." I drawled out flatly. "What makes you think I need you on my team?"

“Because I'm an enemy of the Williams," he said with a confident smirk.

I

Great. The one person I got involved in this mess, aside from my mother, is already turning into a burden. I had no intention of adding to my problems by involving someone else. "Go get a life, sir," I gritted out, ready to slam the door shut. But just as made my move, he stuck his foot in the way, effectively stopping the door from closing completely.

"Get your leg out of the way, or I'm going to smash it," I warned.

"I really want to help," he insisted.

“If you have a vendetta against Ryan and his family, then handle it alone. Don't drag me into your personal war, and get off my property before I call

the police." I shot back.

With that, I closed the door with more force this time. Thankfully, he finally removed his leg just in time to avoid getting hurt.

I sighed, already starting my day with so much bad energy, and I sincerely hoped it didn't get any worse from here.