Chapter 5 5

"Taxi!" She called as she stretched her right hand to the approaching vehicle. The ride home was as turbulent as ever, her mind raced on flashbacks on what had happened.

Alicia took out the business card from her bag and stared at the bold name that was written in ice blue.

Mrs Hale

Give me a call when you're ready to accept my proposal.

Don't take too long.

Those were her words. Alicia couldn't help but feel slightly pressured.

As she approached her house, she noticed that there was a piece of paper nearly pinned on the door, bumping against the door as air passed freely.

Alicia didn't need to be exceptionally close to the item to know what it was but she grabbed the paper anyway.

You're to evict the premises by 12 noon tomorrow,due to exceptional late payments.

Signed

Caretaker.

Alicia sighed, between the business card and the eviction notice she now held in her fingertips, she decided to pick the lesser devil. What could possible go wrong?

She dialled the number on the business card and immediately, Mrs Hale answered.

Alicia gulped for air before she cleared her throat.

"I've thought about it, Mrs Hale" Alicia spoke,her hands trembling and her eyes watering.

"I'll marry your grandson" she finished.

With Alicia closing her eyes, she listened attentively as Mrs Hale tells her that a driver would be assigned to pick her up from her location and she was instructed to meet with her personal assistant where the driver would drop her. She was also instructed on how to dress. Alicia said very few words, all been afrimarive and aggreeing, she was so tired and worse of all, she was sure this was going to be the decision that would determine if she would survive or not.

As said, a driver came to picked her up from the steps of her house, greeting her professionally she noted that the car was a top one, it suddenly dawned on her that Mrs Hale was no ordinary woman.

She met with the personal assistant who helped her pick her dress and helped her with her appearance, she was looking like a rich girl herself after all was done.

"Ma'am, you look beautiful I'm glad I was able to guess your size correctly. Mrs Hale would be so pleased" the personal assistant blurted out with a smile.

Alicia smiled back as she also couldn't believe she was staring at her own reflection in the face as she tried to get a good look of her body from all angles. She was indeed beautiful.

In less than five minutes,they were well on their way to meet Mrs Hale.

Alicia noted that this part of town was one she had never frequented, it was for the exceptionally rich people and she could see why as the gates to the mansion opened by buzzer.

They stopped at the steps of the magnificent building that towered over everything and everywhere.

Three servants stood in wait as she was helped out of the car by the driver, Alicia had never been treated in this manner, not once in her life or by mistake but Alicia didn't let her eyes water but instead feigned confidence as they all walked towards the entrance.

She was guided to the living room by a butler, there she met Mrs Hale.

"My dear! Don't you look stunning and ravishing" Mrs Hale's eyes twinkled with something close to delight, even though Alicia still felt on edge, she was instantly relived.

"Thank you ma'am" Alicia found her voice.

"Come, come. Seat. My grandson will be here any moment, why don't we have some girl talk in the mean time?" Mrs Hale offered, removing all forms of tension from the room with her burst of excitement.

Alicia had never seen anyone so happy about two people meeting than Mrs Hale right now and all of a sudden, Alicia made up her mind to make sure she was liked, there was no way that she was going to leave now that she realised how big the Hale's were. This was her ticket to freedom.

A few minutes chit chatting and Alicia could suddenly hear the sound of another car, stopping at the steps of the mansion followed by alot of " yes sirs" she wondered if that was the mystery man or that was Mrs Hale's husband.

"I'm sure that Brandon. My grandson" Mrs Hale stood uprightly as the sound of heavy footsteps made their heavy thuds towards where they were.

Alicia suddenly felt very hot all of a sudden, the room became tensed, the air became thin and some sort of electricity sizzled in the air.

Alicia didn't know if it was because she was anxious or because everyone had been waiting for a stranger that was why she was suddenly been extremely anxious.

Mrs Hale walked away from Alicia towards the door and Alicia took the time and opportunity to grab the glass of wine she had been eyeing from the start and chugged everything down her throat, was about to take the second glass when Mrs Hale walked in, someone was behind her.

Alicia stood up too quickly and lost her footing.

Everything happened so fast, his arms had gone round her catching her but Alicia's breath caught in her throat.

It couldn't be!

As she stood uprightly, Mrs Hale's smile in Alicia's peripheral view, a look of recognition passed through both of them but his morphed into something else within seconds.

Alicia didn't need a soothsayer to know she was fucked.