Chapter 3

Brielle’s Pov

Mrs. Rebecca Stone has always looked at me in disgust ever since the night of the engagement. It was so odd when she suddenly invited me to her office.  I knew it was in respect to me getting married to his son, Albert. The invitation said 10:00 Am but I made sure I was there earlier.

I woke up very early that morning, rushed to the toilet and emptied my bowel before taking a quick shower which didn’t take much of my time. I wore a pair of black pants with a denim jacket to complement it before sitting in front of my mirror to apply a little makeup on my face. I made sure it wasn’t too noticeable because I love looking natural.

I headed out of the house to the Stones company without informing Albert who was still in his house office assembling some documents which he left unsettled before the wedding. He stopped me from going to work at least for the moment until everything subsided. Of all the things I wanted to be in life, a home wife was certainly not in the list so I objected to giving him my reasons. Albert refused to let me work saying that it was for our honeymoon and promised to let me resume work in  a month's time. Fair enough.

I didn’t want to let him know that I was leaving the house so I avoided using any of his cars. I sneaked out of the house and flagged down a taxi which took me to Stone's company.

I’ve worked with the Stone’s company for some months now but it seemed like it was my first day in the company. Suddenly, it felt strange being in the building that used to be my daily go to place. My colleagues looked at me differently from how they used to. They greeted me more officially now, as the wife of the CEO I guess.

I stood in the hallway for some seconds trying to recollect myself before stepping into Rebecca’s office. I was about to knock on the door when an average height middle aged man stepped out of the office. He looked at me suspiciously as if there was something I needed to know before walking past me.

Rebecca grinned when she saw me, dropping the documents she seemed to be studying on the glass table in her office. I’ve never had the chance to go into Rebecca’s office since I started working with the Stone’s Company, I was mesmerized by how beautiful and well furnished her office was. Rebecca was the first person I saw having a chandelier fixed in the middle of her office. The chandellier brightened the whole place in the most beautiful way and in a special way, sending a welcome note to whoever steps into the office except that the owner of the office wasn’t saying the same, maybe because it was me.

The stories I’ve heard about Rebecca Stone, none of them had a line where she was friendly so I made sure to stand until she asked me to sit.

“Good morning” I greeted her looking straight into her face to read her expressions.

“You can have a seat,” she said, pretending like no one had greeted her. Not to worry, it was nothing like I had expected,  I came expecting the worst.

I sat on the chair right opposite to her which gave her the advantage of making me feel uncomfortable with her unfriendly gaze.

“Can I make use of the rest room?” I asked her to excuse herself for a minute.

My body was becoming hot as a result of how she was staring at me and the restroom was the only place that came to my mind.

She had her own executive restroom but she watched me leave her office for the staffs’. I hurried into the restroom and brought out the mini mirror in my bag to examine my face, but there my phone was buzzing. I picked it up only to see that Albert had called a number of times. He must have been sick and worried about my whereabouts.

“Where are you?” a message popped up on my phone screen, it was from Albert. I looked at the message emotionless before dropping it back into my bag and headed back to Rebecca’s office.

“You might need the restroom again after going through these” She said as she passed a document to my own side of the table as soon as she sighted me.  My heart leaped hearing those words from her, but I kept moving until I got to my seat.

I looked at the document in front of me and then to Rebecca before I finally flipped the first page of the document open.

My heart sank into my stomach at that instant,  my heart skipped a thousand beats and my hand started to shake involuntarily as I looked into the content of the document. I fought the tears on my eyes from falling but they cascaded down my cheeks effortlessly.

I raised my face to see Rebecca’s contorting into a mask of fulfillment. She knew she had got me.

As I was going through each page of the document, I got why she had to go that far to break me.

“Is this what this is all about?” I raised my face and asked her  with my voice shaking in pain.

“Don’t you see it as a good reason?” She replied looking out for what my answer would be.

“You’re so unbelievable-“

“I know,” She interrupted, raising her face from the magazine she was studying earlier.

“How do you think fame is built?” she asked, closing the magazine and looking at me firmly.

“There’s no way I’m going to let you alter what I and my husband struggled to build over the years” she hit the table and her eyes widened as she  said those.

“Here is what I can do for you” she said, falling back into her seat.

“Let Albert be and I will give your father the freedom he needs” she stated reaching for the magazine she dropped earlier.

My father’s money laundery scandal with the  GERALD’s company took place some years back but here it is taunting me. I felt miserable and wished I could buy my father his freedom, but I had a contract that shouldn’t be broken. A contract I consented to.

I sniffed and  gathered the remaining strength and courage in me, closed the document and pushed it back to Rebecca.

“I’m sorry, I’m afraid I cannot do what you’re asking me” I replied without mincing words.

It didn’t go unnoticed  that my words had struck her like a sharp edged sword but she fought so hard not to let her guard down.

She probably didn’t think I was going to say no to her, truth is, i deeply wished I could say yes to her. My dad has lived miserable ever since the ugly incident with the GERALD’S company.

“Alright then, the choice is yours” she said looking at me and expecting I would change my mind.

I stood up and lifted my bag with me. “I would love to take my leave if there’s nothing more” I said to her as I was ready to exit the place.

“Close the door behind you” she retorted with her face buried in her magazine.

I walked straight to the door without looking back owing to the fact that I might break down if I do. Just as I closed the door behind me, my phone started to ring, I brought it out and the caller ID read ‘Albert Stone’ he was the last person I wanted to see or talk to, I hit the red button immediately and rushed out of the company with my heart heavy.