Marla who reclined on her couch had her gaze fixed to the television. She was bored due to the fact that today was her day off. No shoot, no contract signing. Nothing at all, it was nice, but boring.

Her eyes was drowsy as she felt sleepy. She stood up and wanted to make her way to her room, but stopped as her father name was mentioned on the news.

Turning, she was shocked at the headline.

‘Mr Guerrero involved in a accident that had claimed his life.’

Without thinking twice, she made for her car key, and ran out of her condo into her Audi. The bodyguards she had assigned wanted to follow her, but they couldn’t make it.

She had drove out in full speed.

********

Marla walked into the mansion to see her father’s wife, her stepsisters along with her family friends seated in the living room. They had a face filled with pain, the ladies was in tears, but Marla had a feeling that it was a fake.

They looked at her.

“Oh now you’re back, great, the prodigal daughter is back.”She ignored her stepsister Marina, and looked towards her father’s wife. That’s what she always refer her to as.

“What did you do to my father? What the hell did you do to him.”

Mrs Braille turned to her.

“Are you accusing me of killing your father? my beloved husband.”

“Where is my father? I want to see him.”

She sobbed silently while her stepsisters, Marina and Victoria rolled their eyes.

“You aren’t allowed to see his body, that was father’s request.”

Victoria informed, and that came as a surprise to Marla. She was indeed shocked.

“Why can’t I see my father?”

She inquired.

“I’m sure you heard what she said, it was a request from Dad.”

Marina responded, and Marla turned to face her.

“He isn’t your father, why are you referring him as Dad. I do not care about a fucking request, let me see my father’s corpse, I have the right to do so, don’t I?”

Marla asked.

Marina stood up in a bid to protest, but Victoria held her hands telling her not argue further.

“He has been moved to the mortuary, and so you must know, he has been in that state for the past two days. You claim to be his daughter, but you did not care for him like we do, you should be ashamed of yourself, you ungrateful girl.”

Mrs Braille sneered.

Marla scoffed.

“Coming from the woman who killed her best friend so as to get married to her husband….”

“I did no such thing Marla, I would never do that to your Mother.”

Braille confronted, but Marla sighed.

“Nothing you say will change my perspective, if you were really grateful for everything my mom did for you and your family after what your ex did, you shouldn’t have come for my Dad. I will make sure that you are proven guilty, and bring you to justice. You and your family disgust me.”

Mrs Braille clenched her fist in annoyance as she watched Marla turned to leave.

********

Marla stared at his body as tears strolled down her cheeks. He wasn’t the vibrant, hearty, and lively man whom she used to see, laugh with, exchange words with. No, his body was pale, cold and the colour had changed from the fair complexioned to that of a pale blueish colour.

She sniffed continuously, and then slumped to the ground as she held unto his hands. Her emotions got the better part of her, and she cried.

“Dad, why did you have to leave, I’m sorry, if my words had hurt you, I swear I am, please come back to me. I promise, I’ll be the good girl you always wished for me to be. I won’t be a rebel. Please father.”

She wailed.

“Dad, don’t leave me alone. Come back to me, please.”

She pleaded, but it was to no avail. Her father was already dead.The door came open revealing the mortuary attendant, he let out a sigh on seeing the state she was.

“Ma'am, I understand your pain, but you need to leave while I get the body ready.”

She looked at him.

“Ready for what?"

“The family had decided that the body be laid to rest by tomorrow. I am sorry, you have to leave so that I will carry out my job.”

The young lad responded, and Marla stood up sluggishly. She looked at the her father once again then wiped her tears, and smiled.

“Just so you know father,you haven’t really been the best but one thing that I’m aware is that you did try your best in ensuring that I do not like anything, I would miss you so much, I swear I would.”

She muttered, and turned leaving for only her knows where.

*********

Marla was dressed in a black gown as she stood in front of her father’s grave. It’s been two hours her Dad was laid to rest, and it wasn’t a pleasant thing to talk about. Especially not the way her father’s wife had cried pitifully, and her sisters or rather stepsisters made unknown rumors spread in the cemetery.

Wreaths are everywhere of different colours, design, and sizes. From actresses, models, politicians, charity organizations, businessmen, and powerful people arrived. Some stayed long while others left after showing their condolences.

She couldn’t help, but wonder how her life would be after this. Would she continue her life, and pretend non of this happened or rather, would she accept the fact that she just lost someone special in her life then the media alongside her co workers in the industry would tag it as ‘She’s acting pitiful so as to sign deals and get empathy among the netizens’

Several thought ran through her mind, but most importantly was the fact that her boyfriend wasn’t here to attend her father’s burial.She knew they had an issue but never expected him to react this way, no calls, no text messages, no thing at all. To make the situation worst, he didn’t attend her father's burial or call to talk about it.

She looked around once more, but she didn’t see him nor a figure that looked like him, and that irked her.

“Who are you looking for?”

She turned, and heaved a sigh on seeing Joicey who had a handkerchief as she dabbed her tears from her eyes.

“I’m sorry that I came late, it wasn’t my intention Marla, I swear it wasn’t.”

Marla only sighed.

“It’s no problem, I was about leaving.”

“Why is that, this is your father’s funeral, you need to be the attend to the individuals, everyone of them. It won’t be right if you just leave.”

Joicey Cautioned, but her mind wasn’t here.

“I need to speak to Kelim, I need to clarify some things with him.”

Joicey scoffed at her response.

“You’re gonna leave your guest unattended because of a man who isn’t worth it. Don’t you understand what he is doing, why don’t you get that he doesn’t love you.”

Joicey snapped.

Marla stared at her avoiding the gaze of the passerby's.

“You don’t know him like I do, he loves me more than I do, he cares and respect my decision, and was there to comfort me when my own father abandoned me, that’s what they call love.”

Joicey was speechless as to what had come out from her friend’s mouth.

“Comfort you in the stupid decisions that you made, so what if your dad had got married to your mom’s best friend, he did that because he knew how much you had loved her company. He fucking did it for you, but Marla would always be Marla, such an ungrateful bitch, I can’t believe you’ll choose your boyfriend over your dad who fucking needs you to pay your last respect. You disgust me.”

Joicey sneered.

Marla watched her walk away while she bit her lips, and her gaze met with the people who whispered among themselves.

“What the fuck are you all looking at?”

The they all turned away from her and left the ground in which she stood.