Chapter 1 LOVE AT FIRST SIGHT

CHAPTER 1

Cathy sighed as she walked into the office, she had attended one conference meeting to another and she needed a break from all the meetings but she knew better than to take one. Her phone rang and it was Carlos calling, thinking her day couldn't get any worse.

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Five years ago, Cathy had just started college. She was nineteen, persistent, and goal-oriented. She had a rough childhood growing up with a single dad, she lost her mum at a very tender age of ten to a fire incident, a fire incident that still haunts her till date. The death of her mum broke her dad to pieces, He was no longer the shadow of the man he used to be. He started drinking heavily and kept late nights, gambled the little money he made and ran into trouble many times. He was arrested most of the time and was literally absent in their lives. It was a hopeless situation; he would promise to change and sober up for a few days but renegade on his promises.

"Give me time Cathy, I will do right by you and your brother," He would say in his usual slurry voice whenever he sees her distraught expression. "I told your mum I would take care of you both." Cathy had to learn not to expect much from him or anyone. It was the first lesson she learned as a child. She expected nothing from anyone and learned to be independent quite early.

Her father never kept to his promises. Cathy's mum was the glue that kept the family together; her elder brother Jamie followed their father's footsteps in the rough street; he would shoplift with his friends, sometimes sell hard drugs and got into some fights with rival gangs. He got killed in the hood. He was just 16 when he died, Cathy at 13 had faced so much loss and found herself being moved from one foster home to the other. When her father got out of prison, social services deemed him incapable of taking care of her. Cathy had to study so hard to get a scholarship to college because she knew the foster parents she was attached to had no plans of college for her.

When she got into college at the age of 18 on a scholarship, she knew it was a miracle and she needed to study more to hit her goals. She had mapped out her plans for the future; get a good job in a prestigious company after college, scale her career and then get married to a good guy, all in that particular order, she had reckoned that to achieve that, she needed to study very well. Her freshman year was smooth, she spent most of the time in the dorm, lecture room, or library. She didn't attend any party, the only friend she had or the closest person she had to a friend was her roommate Jesse.

Jesse was a high-class party girl, the total opposite of Cathy but this unlikely pair clicked and became friends. Jesse respected the fact that Cathy wasn't into the whole party and getting high stuff and Cathy appreciated her for that. Jesse would tease Cathy for choosing the good girl path and they would laugh at the joke.

"Girl, with a body like yours, I would wrap every son of Adam around my little finger. I would wear the skimpiest dress and show my assets and those kimono dresses you wear around like you are practicing to become a nun." Jesse would say and shake her head ruefully when Cathy wears her usual kimono the next day.

At the end of her freshman year, she had a 4.0 GPA, and as business was her major, she was certain she would be getting a good job if she continued at that pace. Sophomore year, she continued with the same energy she started with until that fateful day when she met Carlos. He had just transferred into the business major from administration, and he was a hottie. Cathy had heard about him from Jesse before but paid no attention, he was a guy all the girls in school drooled over and tried hard to get. Carlos is the son of one of the wealthiest businessmen in the country and had a unique way of flaunting his father's wealth that made other feel inferior to him in college. On his first day in class, he had tried to strike a conversation with her.

"Hey," he had said as he sat close to her.

Cathy ignored him and hated his guts for being so bold and carefree. She hesitated to respond to him. "Hey," she had answered dully.

Carlos tried to get her into a conversation with him but she had acted like he was bothering her. Carlos was piqued. He studied her as she bent her head, eyes fixed on her book. She was a beauty; long eyelash, smooth arch and a petite nose that perfectly matched her small rounded lips. Her ravine wavy hair made him want to run his hands into the thick mass of her hair. When she stared briefly at him with disinterest in her eyes, he noticed the warm brownish hue in them. He found himself filled with the thoughts of her each day as he watched her come in and leave the classroom. She had the body of a model, with a voluptuous shape, an attractive round butt and an hourglass figure. Carlos became enamored by the thoughts of her, he looked forward to seeing her in class each day and this made him attend class frequently.

On one rainy day, Cathy slightly drenched in the rain speculated how she would go catch the bus in such a nasty weather with a crucial test awaiting her in school. She had not expected the rain to fall and she wasn't with an umbrella. Her sophomore year dorm was a bit far from the bus station and she couldn't afford to call a cab, she was stuck. She was still thinking how to handle the situation when a car stopped beside her. At first, she didn't even notice him so he honked and she stopped.

"Hey," came the familiar drawl of his voice

Cathy would have ignored him but she was relieved he was there with his car.

"Hey," she replied, her eyes warm and grateful.

Carlos unlocked the car door, "Come in so you don't get soaked in the rain."

Cathy entered and shut the door, she turned to him with a warm smile, "Thank you so much for the ride."

Carlos waved her gratitude aside and focused on the road. Silence ensured between them. Cathy was mildly surprised, she had expected he would be chatty and flirtatious, after all, that was what he had been doing these past weeks. Cathy became disturbed when noticed he took a different turn.

"Where the hell are you taking me to?" she asked, alarmed

Carlos grinned, amused, Cathy noticed he had a charming smile. He didn't answer her and kept on driving. He stopped at a clothing shop and turned to stare at her, his piercing blue eyes fixed on her wet body.

"Would you like to go to school looking wet and drenched like this?"

Cathy felt the flush of embarrassment run up to her cheek. She could feel his eyes on her wet clothes bore into her naked flesh which was obviously revealing in the damp clothes. Carlos laughed softly when he noticed how embarrassed she looked.

"Come in, let me get you some dry clothes to wear." He spoke.

They entered the boutique and she first picked a top that seemed rather simple but when she saw the price tag attached to it, she dropped it. Carlos noticed it, chuckled, and picked it up again. Cathy got dressed in a black jean, and a beautiful crop top. It was only when she wore the top, she realized it was a cropped top, she tried to pull it down but it still revealed her navel and she had already removed the tag. There was no way she could return it, Carlos paid for it and they left.

They arrived in school and as they walked through the school hallway together, Cathy noticed all eyes were on them. She wasn't sure if it was because of her exposed navel or the fact she was walking with Carlos. After the test, she tried to avoid Carlos but as soon as she finished and submitted, he dropped his paper with the invigilator too and caught up with her.

" Hey," She heard the familiar drawl of his voice. "Where are you going?" He asked with a charming smile.

" Well, I am supposed to go back home, I have a few things to do" Cathy replied

He smiled and stared at her outfit; his eyes rested on her bare belly button. Cathy covered her tummy unconsciously. She found it disconcerting that his eyes made her skin tingle.

" Let's go somewhere."

"Where?" She asked

He winked his eye and ran his hand through his auburn hair, his eyes shiny with mischief. " You will see"

Those three words

Those three words he had said were the beginning of her ruin.