59| TURNING HER BACK

Frema stayed with Riley for hours, until it was time to pick up her kids and Halsey.

When she drove her car into the school premises and parked, she rested her head on the car's steering, drifting into deep thoughts. She would drive the children to her brother's house, she decided; she could never allow them go home to a man like Eron. She would not let him touch her children ever again, never let him in her life again.

"Ma'am?" Her head jerked up on impulse and she brought down her window to see the dark woman outside the car, half glaring at her. Frema smiled, nonetheless.

"I'm sorry, is there a problem?" Frema asked.

"Wrong parking space." The woman announced and Frema apologized, following her instructions to park right.

Then, she went inside the building and picked the kids from their respective classes. After a long while of greeting kisses and playfulness, they were on their way home. Drake chattered on about how he missed his father and Frema ignored him, turning on the radio in her car to keep her distracted. How could she explain to her boys that they had yet another sibling and their dad was nothing but a cheating scumbag? How?

When she swerved into a different route that indicated that she was going towards her brother's house, her children didn't ask, thinking that their mother was doing the usual when three of them went home together—drop off Halsey at her house first, before going home.

They got to the house and did not leave the car, saying their goodbyes to Halsey.

"You'll have to come down as well, boys." Frema muttered, opening the back door wider for them when Halsey had alighted. The twins exchanged glances and Drake asked,

"Why, momma?"

"Um, I'll tell you boys later. Please?" She muttered and carried them off the car. They began to walk towards the building with no further questions, just happy to be away from school. Riley came out of the building and after stealing pecks from the boys, she headed over to Frema.

"So.. you're going there now?" She questioned.

"I have to pack up our things." Frema said quietly.

"Do you need me to come with you?" Riley asked calmly. Frema rolled her eyes.

"I'm fine, Riley. There's no need for a war. Besides, you have to go to the hospital with Arsen." She replied, pulling the door of her car open again.

"Good luck." Riley muttered.

"You, too."

The ride to Eron's house was not short enough for Frema; such that the moment she got into the building, she literally flew the stairs and located her room almost immediately. She got to packing as soon as her hands found her belongings and it was all going smooth and quiet until the door busted open.

"Where are my children?" His voice boomed across the room. She ignored him. "Fremantle, where are my kids?" He asked again, his voice sounding closer this time. She did not look back, only stuff more items in her large suitcase. It was when she felt Eron's breath fanning the shell of her ear that she finally snapped and turned around to smack his face with a piece of clothing. Eron's face turned to the side from the force and his toned face had a scar on the abused cheek, from a button on the cloth.

"Don't you ever. I mean, ever, touch me like that again." She barked at him and he reached to caress her face. This time, her palm struck his cheek directly and his face remained still this time. "I'll smack you harder than this, the next time you lay your hands on me." She told him, ignoring the burn in her palm from the contact.

"If that is so, then you have my entire face and body to your disposal." Eron stated, closing in on her completely. She smacked his face again and then began to hit his chest continuously, until he grabbed her both arms and shouted in anger, "Calm down and let me explain!"

"No! I'd rather eat shit than listen to any more of your lies, leave me alone!" Frema yelled back at him, her face red with frustration. She shook her hands off his grip and turned away from him to continue packing.

"I did not sleep with her." Eron muttered, sincerity laced in every word.

"I believe you. Now leave me alone." Frema said stiffly, still facing her back to him. For the next thirty minutes, she paraded the room, trying to pack up every single thing her children and she owned. When she was done, she arranged the four suitcases and selected two to leave with first, but Eron began to sidestep her, immediately she started moving.

"Get out of my way." She requested, her lips shaking in anger.

"No, I want to explain. Let's talk first, you cannot just up and leave with my kids because of a rumor you heard." Eron told her and Frema would have scoffed if she was not so maddened by him. She shoved the reaction in and just stared at him, motionlessly. "Kayla is not carrying my child."

"But I am." A familiar voice sounded from the door and Frema almost cursed the day she was born to be able to witness this. Kayla stood at the door in an almost transparent strapless black mini dress, baring her smooth legs to anyone who cared to look. In her right hand was two pregnancy test strips which she waved at their faces. One showed positive, as it had already been used and the other was negative. Titi showed up behind her seconds later, a devilish grin on her face.

"You are not carrying my child. Go find his father, Kayla. Go find his fucking dad!" Eron lost his cool for the first time since the incident and Kayla jumped a little but managed to keep steady almost at once. Her hand sneaked into her bag and she took out her phone, her eyes fixated on Frema as she asked,

"Wanna see something, Fremantle?"