Chapter 2 Dodged

Aria P.O.V

Freya needed no explanation; least of all from a girl whom she thought a rival. She had accidentally bumped into one of my little romances with Ethan. And it didn't sit well with her. Not that I expected otherwise. Now, it was time for payback which explained the slap I received on my right cheek.

But that was not enough. It was only the beginning.

I rolled for a few seconds, coming to a stop against the bed. A sharp pain shot through my nerves. Only then did I realize that my head had been bumped against the wooden bed frame.

"How dare you take my necklace!"

Although she had yelled, my ears and senses were too busy to notice as I continued absorbing the pain. Suzanne and her like-minded, got busy the whole time. They took turns in kicking the sobbing lady on the floor.

"Don't stop!" Freya encouraged. Dissatisfied, she grabbed my hair. I screamed while being ruthlessly dragged on the floor.

"What the hell is going on here!" Another voice echoed. A voice I recognised to be Mr Redwood. Freya now deemed it fit to let go.

"Dad, your slave right here stole something of mine." She held the necklace up, the diamond beads glistening in the light.

Mr Redwood aced forward. The pain still coursed through my veins but I picked myself up amidst the bruises all over my body.

"Is it true?" He turned to Pamela.

"Gosh, Dad! Don't you believe-?"

"Silence!" Interrupted Mr Redwood. He knew far too well that this may as well be a ploy to see me out. This wasn't the first time his good-for-nothing daughter would pull such a stunt. She had vowed to make my life a living hell. And this was one of her many ploys.

But the decision was left to Pamela who made a nod. Of course she couldn't betray her mistress.

"And why would you do that!" Mr Redwood asked, turning his stare to me.

With my gaze on the floor, and the bruises which I was silently nursing, how best to answer the question was a problem. First was the fact that the necklace had been found in the very room I slept. And second, and the most important of all was that I had no one to corroborate my innocence.

Left with no choice, I sheepishly made a nod like a girl who had been robbed off her will. I had none left.

Pamela giggled, and a loud sound echoed. The sound of flesh to flesh contact, and someone staggered to the floor, stumbling a few times before coming to a stop. And only then did I realize that it was her. Pamela. And she had dared to show Mr Redwood how stupid she could be.

Good riddance.

"The rest of you, are you that free!" Mr Redwood gave a venom look. All but his daughter trotted outside the room.

"And you, see me in my office," ordered Mr Redwood. I nodded in return.

Freya gawked. "Dad!" she grumbled.

"Don't you have anything to do with your time?" said Mr Redwood before leaving the room.

The office was down the lobby. Suzanne and her crew snickered as I walked by. But what did I care?

The office door was opened. Mr Redwood sat behind a huge mahogany desk when I walked in. Behind him was a shelf filled with books he never read.

"Sit."

I pulled back the leather chair. Mr Redwood read from the paper for a few seconds as I settled in. My gaze stayed fixed on the man who was probably going to reprimand me. He put down the paper and met my gaze. Even at fifty-five, the gray-haired man was way older than his age. The last heart attack made a mess of him.

"Look, this may not be the life you want. We all have our various desires from life, which are mostly not met," the cold emotionless but sympathetic voice came forth. My gaze moved from his lips to the wrinkled face.

"So you have to accept the cards that fate has dealt. When life gives you lemon, you make-"

"Lemonade."

He smiled at my interruption. Mr Redwood had a talent for a motivator. I guess being a professor at a university made him one.

"Does it mean you don't believe their story?" I asked

Silence ensued and uneasiness swept through my body for a moment. With the gaze, I wasn't entirely sure how he felt about the question. He found his feet, and my gaze followed as he made his way around the desk. Stopping a few inches away from my chair, he said, "When I looked into your eyes, I saw innocence. So yes, I don't believe you stole the necklace...besides, my daughter can be a pain in the ass," he added with a grin.

The uneasiness disappeared. Mr Redwood returned to his seat. A box appeared after pulling his drawer.

"Open it!" He grinned.

A diamond-beaded necklace, almost similar to the one thought to be stolen, came to sight.

"I want you to wear it tomorrow," he explained.

I gaped. The least I expected from him. First, the birthday dress; now a necklace? Unbelievable. Yes, that was what I thought with the benevolent gesture.

"Why?" The word came forth before I could hold it back. I threw a Palm to my mouth. Stupid Aria.

"It's fine." He observed for a few seconds, his gaze carefully scrutinizing the shy girl before him.

"It's your birthday. And happy birthday."

Although I delighted in the fact that he had remembered my birthday, I sensed some hidden motives. A not-so-nice man had suddenly become too nice.

Strange?

Strange couldn't describe the situation when I left the office.

*****

The long-awaited ceremony had come. The guests swayed in various elegant styles to take their respective seats. The VIP section got filled as Mr and Mrs Copper, the last couple on the list, took their respective seats.

I double-checked the list to make sure all was going smoothly.

No sign of Ethan even as I glanced around. Not a word since he left hurriedly to attend some pressing matters the day before. Neither did he care to honor my invitation to meet at our regular spot, a place we often make out.

No word. No call. No nothing. I shoved the thoughts aside for the task at hand. Mrs Redwood had specifically given instructions against any disappointment. Not too long ago, she had requested 'ZEST' in place of the red wine that was earlier served. And it was my job to do so. But here I was, completely lost in thought about a man who was nowhere to be found.

"You took your time"

I screeched to a halt, all the while holding back the tray that almost slipped. Mrs Redwood, all dressed up in flamboyant attire, registered. Of course the host needed to dress that way, all wrapped in some imported and expensive clothing. And she had grown impatient with my absence. At least her eyes, venomous as they were, revealed how annoyed she was.

I braced for the unexpected. She turned on her heel, walking as though she was on a mission, a mission to kill.

The wine was stocked upstairs. So I had to take the staircase, before taking the lobby by the left.

But to the woman before me, those analogies were bullshit. She needed the wine as fast as possible. And I had failed her.

"Sorry, I couldn't get the wine in time," I explained, silently praying that something should make sense to the woman who wouldn't stop staring at me. I glanced around for a quick second. With a few guests all moving about, I satisfied myself that Mrs Redwood would do the honor of not causing a scene.

Her elongated hiss broke the silence and I moved past her. But just then, a loud slap landed on my back, jerking my body a few steps forward.

"Give me this," she yanked the necklace off my neck, taking some flesh with it.

Someone gaped, but I didn't care to know as my nerves were too busy absorbing the pain. But I sighed in relief, thanking goodness that I was able to control the tray in my arms.

Bitch.

I made my way downstairs, all the while being followed by the woman who could not afford to have me out of sight.

Minutes later, the clanking sound of glass came forth. Everyone turned with utmost attention. And Mr Redwood, beaming from head to toe, registered his presence.

"Ladies and gentlemen, now we shall begin. Let's make some money." His arms spread wide open. The crowd cheered in return.

With all served and going well, I position myself in the corner, feeling content. Pamela threw her face away from my stare. The huge bandage on her left cheek made a mess of her beauty.

"But wait. Something I almost forgot."

My thoughts drifted back to the center of attention. Mr Redwood turned his gaze to Freya, the 'witch' he was about to call on his lovely daughter.

"Let me use this opportunity to announce the engagement of my lovely daughter to the most sought-after bachelor in town."

Faces began to turn, and eyes were searching all over the place for the most sought after bachelor. Such a man would be doomed to engage a 'witch'

But my whole world crumbled, and my heart shattered into a thousand pieces when Ethan registered his presence. He truly was the most sought-after bachelor. How stupid I was to ever think I would end up with him. He smiled, and the crowd cheered with a toast. Glasses clanked.