~Maya's POV~

Zion and I have been back in J-City for a week now. The place was beginning to grate on my nerves. I pulled out my phone and texted Mishka, asking her where she was and when we might meet up. She informed me that she would not be working today, so we made plans to get together. I reached for my car key but stopped when I noticed what an expensive car key I was holding in my hand. I avoid being the center of attention whenever possible, so I started looking for the keys to my old car, but I couldn't find them. I got the phone out of my pocket and dialed Zion's number. He picked up the phone when it rang.


Zion: Missing me already?

Maya: I miss you, of course.

Zion: You need ice cream? I sighed.


Maya: Babe, where is the key to my old car? I can't find it.

Zion: Right, you didn't miss me. This pertains to your previous car. I ditched it in the trash.


Maya: Zion, I'm afraid I can't drive this car outside.

Zion: Huh? Are you ashamed of me, Maya?

Maya: Babe, don't put words in my mouth; that is not what I meant. Please don't put words in my mouth. I'm just used to my car.

Zion: If you are not ashamed, Lady Archer, you will drive the car I bought for you.

After saying that, he hung up the phone. Why does he feel the need to have such a short fuse? After grabbing the keys to the car, I drove off in the direction of the restaurant. After parking the car, I looked around and saw that everyone's eyes were fixed on me, just as I had expected. I approached Mishka and sat down next to her, and she seemed to be looking at me as if I had sprouted another head. She then proceeded to look at the menu before placing an order for coffee while maintaining her focus on me. After looking over the menu, I decided that orange juice would do. Her eyes became wide.

'Since when did you start choosing juice over coffee?" I didn't answer her. I had to wait for my drink to come before I could begin telling her everything that had happened. 'Maya Jones! Are you going to start talking or what? '

'I'm pregnant!" I yelled back at her because she had no patience, and she didn't seem to understand that I needed a drink to calm myself. Her eyes became wide.

Oh Maya, don't you dare tell me that you are pregnant with that jerk named Nathan! I won't believe you if you tell me that!

'Mishka, I can assure you that I did not engage in sexual activity with Nathan." When our order arrived, I gulped down everything in one go and then asked if I might have more. Miska gazed at me.

'I'm guessing they're twins, huh?"

'Don't you dare start to sound like my husband, please? I don't need another Zion to lecture me. Okay, so on Nathan's birthday I walked in on him having some sort of a threesome with my sister, Teresa, and of course, himself. After that, I went out to a club where I eventually wound up meeting my husband. We got married overnight. Then, at that hotel function, you invited me with some big shots. I found out that my husband was the big shot. I am married to Lord Archer. '

'Wait! What?"

'I know right, I am Lady Archer."

'Why are you telling me this now?"

'I wanted to tell you, but everything happened so fast and we went to M-City. I didn't want my friend to find out about my status over the phone. '

'And Teresa? Are you still talking?"

'Since that day, I haven't had the opportunity to cross paths with her." She flashed a happy smile. I could tell that she was relieved that Nathan and I were not married. As we sat there together, she filled me in on what she had been up to during the time that I had been absent and the activities that she had been involved in. Due to the fact that I was experiencing extreme hunger, we placed our lunch order. Eating for two isn't easy. When the door to the restaurant swung open, Mishka and I had just finished our meals and were on our way out of the premises. Revealing my biggest regret, along with my best friend, I mean my ex-friend Teresa. Their gazes fell on me. I pulled open the entrance of the diner and walked past them as I went outside. But then an idiot by the name of Nathan had to intervene and stop me. He exerted a considerable amount of pressure on my hands. I jerked his hand away from mine and retreated a few steps away from him. When I was ready to get into my car, his eyes widened in surprise.

'What! Are you concerned that she might have moved on to someone else?" Nathan was the recipient of Mishka's angry yelling. I have absolutely no sympathy or compassion for this man. Even though everything was predetermined, I was willing to give loving him a shot despite the fact that I never loved him in the first place. I won't sugarcoat it; his betrayal left a deep wound in me. And I believe the primary reason for this is that I was aware that the next person they would sell me to was Mr. Hendricks. Sincerity compels me to admit that I just do not have time for all of this. I need to go home and sleep, not be seen here chatting with someone like Nathan.

'Who bought this car for you?"

Lord, give me patience. At this very moment, I feel like I'm going to explode, and this dude is simply putting my patience to the test. I take a deep breath in and let it out, over and over again. Right, that's better. What did he ask me again? Right, who bought the car?

'Oh, your father bought the car. I reasoned that since the son was a waste of space, I might as well have some fun with the elderly man."

'Maya, Jones! Watch it! My father will never sleep with a girl old enough to be his daughter! '

'Well, then ask him. Stepson! I will soon become your mother." I remarked this while directing Mishka to enter the car. Why should I bother wasting my time with an ineffectual man-whore such as Nathan? When I thought about calling him my stepson, I couldn't help but giggle. Well, at least it pissed him off. I'm also pleased I didn't get to talk to Teresa.

You're just a passerby

Nathan was in complete disbelief when he found out that the girl he had been dating for the past three years had abruptly moved on with her life. Who was Maya dating? The man's forehead began to sweat all of a sudden. Even after all of these years, she had never even given him the opportunity to kiss her. She seemed to have made a clean break with the past out of the blue. That was not something that Nathan was willing to concede. Right there and then, he decided to fight for Maya.

'Edward." He yelled out to his assistant, 'Please investigate my fiancee."

Edward had a strong desire to laugh. When exactly did he begin to regard her to be his fiancée? He cheated on her so many times and now he wants me to investigate her. Is this guy out of his mind? Naturally, Edward was unable to convey that sentiment to his boss. But rather than that, he reminded him about his threesome and how Maya had caught him right-handed.

'Do you believe that she would return after experiencing something as upsetting as that boss?" In light of the fact that Maya had just left an unfaithful man, Edward didn't think it was necessary to look into Maya's background.

'You dare question me, Edward? I instructed you to look into the matter, and you are to get back to me within the hour with your findings.

'Of course." The frustration that Edward felt was palpable.

Do I need to remind you that I didn't send him over there to stick his dick in those two pussies? So why should I investigate a pure lady-like Maya? Where do I even start? That girl has never been outgoing, and as a result, she has a limited circle of friends. After some pondering and a sigh, he picked up the phone and began making calls.

******

Meanwhile, after dropping off her friend Mishka at her house. Maya got in her car and drove to the mall because she was bored.

Once there, she went into a store to look for some maternity clothes because her baby bump was beginning to become visible. She entered the store, and almost immediately upon entering, she noticed a dress hanging in the showcase that caught her attention. She grabbed the dress into her hands, placed it in the buying cart, and then continued her expedition through the store. She didn't know much about being pregnant, but she wanted to feel and look as comfortable as possible throughout the entire experience. As soon as she had finished her shopping, she proceeded to the register to pay for the items she had selected. However, just as she was about to hand over her card, another client walked in and demanded the outfit she was about to pay for because she was a VIP customer. Maya turned to face the individual who was making a lot of noise and demanding the outfit she had already purchased. As she turned, her eyes landed on Ivy Jone, her stepsister.

'Since when does a dirty girl like you shop here?" Maya did not respond because Ivy did not call her by name. Maya was an aloof woman. People may yell as much as they liked around her, but if they didn't mention her name, then they weren't really talking to her at all. The lady at the pay point then looked at Maya and said,

'Ma'am, I see that this is your first time shopping with us, and since Ms. Jones is one of our most devoted customers, I'm afraid I'll have to take the dress off of your list of purchases." Maya did not respond to the other girl who spoke to her. She looked around, and when her gaze finally settled on the name of the store, a smile broke out across her face. The Archer Group was the proprietor of the store. The logo of The Archer Group and her name, Lady Archer, were both printed on the black card that she handed to the cashier. Her smile grew wider. It wasn't that she enjoyed being the center of attention, but given the circumstances, she felt obligated to show others their proper place.

'I had purchased the dress, and I never notified you that I wanted to return the dress," she said. What gives you the authority to take the outfit from the list of things I've purchased?" After giving Maya an expression of distaste with her gaze, the woman resumed her argument.

'Ma'am, I have already explained to you that Ms. Jones is one of our most devoted customers, but you have never transacted business with us in the past. If you did, I could have known you. It's likely that this is the very first time you've shopped at our establishment, and yet here you are, making a scene. Move over and give shopping privileges to those who are already familiar with and trusted by us. Maya rolled her eyes as she glanced at the girl who had just treated her with disrespect and scoffed at her. She was seething with rage to her very core. She took out her phone and called Lucas.

Maya: Lucas, can you please come to our store, the one at the mall?

The young woman was aware of who Lucas was, but assumed the woman in front of her was merely trying to boost her confidence. If the girl had known, all she would have needed to do was take a glance at the black card she was holding in her hand at the time. After five minutes, Lucas arrived at the store and witnessed the woman disparaging his boss. Lucas could sense that Lady Archer was on the edge of bursting, despite Maya's silence. She was holding her waist with both hands, exposing a tiny bit of her growing bump. He wished he could take a picture to show Lord Archer how his wife looked when she was angry with a small bump. Lucas finds it very cute. He secretly took the picture and sent it to his master.

'What is your name?" Lucas asked the girl at the pay point.

'Ruby, sir." As soon as Lucas laid eyes on the female, he had an overwhelming need to throw up.

'You're fired," Lucas said, and the girl couldn't believe why Lucas would fire him because of a woman.

'Sir, Ms. Jones is one of our most devoted customers, and she made a reservation for this dress before this other lady walked in. We messed up and neglected to put her name on the reservation for the dress. The clothing was purchased by this woman, but we can't afford to lose Ms. Jones to an uninvited customer. The girl provoked even more hostility from Lucas, who became increasingly irate. In the previous sentence, she referred to his boss as a 'passerby."

'The woman who you are referring to as a passerby is the one who is footing the bill for your salary. Have you even bothered to take a look at the card that you are currently holding in your hands before you started throwing up the rubbish that you have just thrown up?

The young lady finally turned her attention to the card that she had been carrying in her hand for the past few moments, and her eyes widened in response. 'Oh my God, Lady Archer, I am so sorry. Please forgive me. ' Maya exited the store while carrying the bag and the dress she had just purchased. She saw no reason to defend a girl who called her a variety of derogatory insults. As Maya was about to enter her car, someone called her.

'Maya Jones!" She glanced in the direction from which the voice emanated. It was her half-sibling. Maya shook her head. 'You think you have made it in life by stealing my man and marrying him, huh? I have a huge surprise for you. Today, you will be evicted from the Archer residence. I have evidence that you are still seeing Nathan and that you saw him today. Does Lord Archer know that you have been sleeping with your fiancé or should I say ex-fiance?" Maya shook her head.

'Ivy, my husband, and I didn't invite anyone when we got married. It was just the two of us. That is why there is no room for people like you in our marriage. You may give something else a shot and see if it manages to get my husband's attention. Good luck with your mission. You'll need it." After making that statement, she then got into the car and drove away.

Could it be that Lord Archer truly cherished that filthy woman? Where does Maya's self-assurance originate? Ivy pondered.