Cherry Lipps - S01 E28

2 years ago

Cherry Lipps - S01 E28

Read Story: SEASON 1 EPISODE 28

Waiting under an umbrella, Scarlett stood in the rain, waiting for her daughter.

She had come to pick Daisy up and take her home. Nothing else matters to her than getting her daughter out of the country.

While Daisy was at school, Scarlett had been busy, buying flight tickets for Los Angeles. She had twenty million dollars in her account.

She had no intentions of using the money. Once she was safe in Los Angeles, she would organised things at the bank to have the money transferred back to Craig.

As far as she was concerned, she was done with Craig.

The next flight would be around six. But Scarlett couldn’t wait. She wished she could leave immediately. Her only concern was getting Daisy far away from Garrett’s reach.

As she waited, she tried not to think too much about what Craig said to her hours ago.

It was with a great amount of effort she took not to cry while she did her runs for the flight tickets. Her heart was heavy with regrets, heartbreak and betrayal.

This was the reason why she chose not to love again. She could hardly believe Craig could do such a wicked thing to her.

For Christ sake, she spent six years in jail for a crime she never commited. And all along, it was all Craig’s doing to pin the rap on her.

She recalled Eddie’s warnings. He had been right all along. She was just too blinded by the money to see Craig’s true colors and intentions.

Now that she thought of it, all the danger signs and clues were all up in her face to warn her about what she was getting herself into. But because of the money, she ignored it.

All she wanted was to give her daughter a better life. Now, Craig only ended up ruining her own life.

By now, she was popular around the world for taking part in Larry Cage’s murder. This was a crime She never commited. Wherever she goes, she would always be seen as a murderer. No one would dare offer her a job nor want to be associated with her.

Then there was Daisy.

There were Soo many lies hiding the truth from her. Daisy would have to switch schools once they landed in LA. But what would happen if one of the kids recognized Scarlett as the pórnstar who murdered one of America’s billionaires?

Scarlett couldn’t Contain the tears welling up in her eyes. She let it out, allowing it to flow down her cheeks to the ground.

Her image was tarnished. One day, Daisy would find the truth. She can’t hide the truth from her forever.

Till that day comes, Scarlett hoped to have a long talk with Daisy and tell her the truth.

One day, just not today. For now, she had to keep her daughter safe.

Just then, she sighted Daisy stepping on the pavement of the school building outside.

Scarlett waved over to her. ” Daisy, over here!”

Daisy sighted her mother and with a robust energy, she braved the heavy rain and ran through it towards her mother.

Scarlett grabbed her into the umbrella. ” Baby, are you alright?”

” I’m fine, mama,” Daisy smiled at her. ” Did you wait long?”

Scarlett sniffed. ” Yes but it doesn’t matter. Let’s go home.”

Daisy screwed her eyes at her. ” Mama, were you crying?”

Scarlett rubbed her hands on her eyes. ” Something got in my eyes but I’m fine now. C’mon let’s go.”

Daisy didn’t like that answer but she tagged along with her mom, keeping dry under the umbrella until they were standing outside the school gates.

A cab was already waiting for them outside. Scarlett had paid him heavily to wait until Daisy was out of school.

It was the same cab that had conveyed her from the house Craig bought for her to the airport and back to Daisy’s school.

Entering the cab, Scarlett shut the door and spoke to the driver. ” Take me to the hotel.”

Daisy was surprised. ” Hotel? I thought we were heading home?”

Scarlett didn’t answer. She took off her coat and folded it in her lap. She didn’t even look at Daisy. Her eyes were Soo swollen from crying she feared Daisy might start asking questions again.

But Daisy was no fool. She sensed something had happened. She just wasn’t sure what it was and why they were heading for a hotel.

At long last, the cab pulled up before a cheap hotel. This was the same hotel Scarlett had dropped her luggages while she went to buy her plane tickets.

Scarlett and Daisy got out of the cab. She leaned towards the driver’s window and smiled at him.

” Sorry for inconveniencing you, sir,” Scarlett apologized to the cab driver, fishing out some dollar notes and slipped it into his hand. ” That’s a bonus payment.”

The cab driver regarded her for a while. ” Keep the money. I don’t need it.”

Scarlett studied him for a while. He wore a black beanie hat and dark sunglasses that hide most of his features. His beard was a goatee and grey in colour and they were signs of wrinkles around the black flesh of his cheeks and forehand.

” But no, sir,” Scarlett smiled kindly, refusing the money. ” You need it more than I do.”

” Just take the fúcking money,” he said curtly. ” I’m contended with what you pay me. Keep the rest for yourself.”

He hurriedly gave her the money and sped away. Scarlett stared after the cab until it drove around the corner and roared away.

Somehow, she felt as if the cab driver knew her from somewhere.

” Mama, what’s going on?” Daisy asked urgently, watching Scarlett walking up and down the room, checking the windows from time to time as if she was expecting someone.

Scarlett was on the lookout for Garrett. She didn’t know if he followed her but she had to be sure. Her desire was to get to Los Angeles without any trace. Having Garrett tagging along her was a no-no.

Scarlett took out a packet of cigarette and pulled out one. ” Nothing’s goin’ on, Daisy. Go take a shower and come eat. I ordered up lunch. By six we’ll be on the plane for LA.”

Daisy gritted her teeth. She noticed her mother’s hands were unsteady as she lit her cigarette.

” You’re hiding something from me, aren’t you?” Daisy asked, in a low quiet voice.

Scarlett didn’t look at her. ” I ain’t hiding nothing, baby. Please go take a shower.”

” I ain’t taking shít!” Daisy said in a loud voice.

Scarlett stiffened. It was the first time Daisy had ever used a curse word like that. But most surprising was the new spirit in her. Daisy had always been an obedient soft hearted child. But now she was different.

She’s now a growing teenager. Scarlett hadn’t thought of this angle. She still thinks of Daisy as a child.

” Ever since you disappeared,” Daisy began in a broken voice. ” I spent my entire life, waiting for you to return. You left me without calling, texting or even leaving me a message. I prayed every night for you to return home but no matter how much I prayed, you never returned. For six whole freaking years, I was on my own with a total stranger who called himself your friend. Your friend was kind to me but I never felt like I belong in his house. I thought you were already dead and I got adopted in a new family. And now you suddenly appeared out of nowhere, looking like you just escaped from a refugee camp and you expect me to believe nothing’s wrong? You’re hiding something from me, mama. I don’t know what it is but I got a good feeling it’s something related to your boyfriend, Craig. He’s more than a friend, isn’t he?”

When Scarlett didn’t answer, Daisy Continued. ” I ain’t a kid anymore. I know what’s going on. What I don’t understand is why the secrecy? What’re you tryna hide? You disappeared and reappeared and now you want us to disappear again to Los Angeles? Who’s after you? What crime did you commit?”

Scarlett’s lips were quavering Soo much her cigarette fell from her mouth to the floor.

She couldn’t speak. Her mind was dull and dead from thinking.

Daisy shook her head sadly. ” You’re not the mother I know. How the hell I’m I sure you’re not an imposter? Did you commit a crime? Are you wanted by the police?”

Scarlett backed against the wall, passing a tongue across her lips. ” Daisy, I’m gonna ask you for the last time, go in that bathroom and take a shower.”

Daisy maintained her ground. ” You haven’t answered my question?”

” There’s no answer for now,” Scarlett said sharply. ” Maybe later but not now.”

” Why?”

” Daisy,” Scarlett raised her voice. ” Are you gonna stop being stubborn? I ordered you to shut up and get in there and have a shower this instant.”

” I don’t wanna take a shower,” Daisy was rasing her voice as well. ” I want you to answer my questions. Stop filling my head with lies. Tell me the truth.”

Scarlett was shocked. Daisy had never raised her voice on her like that before.

” Daisy, don’t you dare use that tone on me, I’m your mother for crying out loud. You listen to your mother, you hear me?!”

Daisy shook her head, stepping back away towards the door. ” I don’t believe you’re my mother. You’re probably an imposter. My mom’s dead.”

Scarlett’s mouth fell. ” That’s a lie. Listen, baby. I’m sorry, okay. I’m sorry I shouted at you. But we have to leave now. It’s for your own good, please.”

Daisy yelled. ” What are you running away from?”

” You won’t get it,” Scarlett yelled back. ” Look baby, I’m trying to protect you.”

” Protect me From what?!”

From her father but Scarlett wasn’t ready to begin that conversation.

” Daisy,” Scarlett drew closer towards her. ” Please listen to me.”

But Daisy didn’t listen. Her hands went to the door knob. She opened the door and swung it open to dash out of the room.

The moment she opened the door, she stiffened and took a step back.

Scarlett came over, grabbing her arm. Then Scarlett stiffened as well when her eyes met who was standing outside the door.

A jabbing shock travelled down her spine to her bone marrow. He was the last person she had ever thought to lay her eyes on.

Standing with his leg wedge against the door was Garrett.

He had followed Scarlett all the way to the hotel and waited in one of the rooms.

Raising the gun to Scarlett’s face, he grinned at her. ” Heya, baby. Surprised to see me?”