Chapter 5

Angel arrived at the Johnson's house about twenty five minutes after. She stepped out of the car and was led into the house. She gasped momentarily as she stepped into the living room. It was magnificent. The whole place glittered as if made of a paradise stone. The inner decorations were glamorous compared to the ones she usually admire in magazines. 

"This is unbelievable" she muttered.

"Sit" Fred said, pointing to a queen like chair. "You'd be attended to shortly" 

"Yes, thank you" she began but it was useless as he had already left. She drooped her bag on the glass Table and moved round to admire the paintings on the wall. 

"This is beautiful" she inhaled and for a moment, she forgot what brought her to a paradise like this house. She reached for one of the paintings but was suddenly cut-short

"Don't you dare" a woman said quietly but sternly. Angel turned to look who it was. The woman has a Queen air around her and everything about her speaks riches. She is a very beautiful woman and Angel marveled at how perfect her shape looked. She immediately assumed her to be Mrs Johnson and put on her best smile ever.

"Good evening Mrs Johnson, pleased to meet you"

Mrs Catherine scuffed and walked angrily towards her and said while looking down at her

"It's going to be tough teaching you the etiquettes of this family but in the meantime, let me warn you never to touch any of these paintings with your filthy hands" she stepped back and added "Oh God, you stink". With that, she turned around and ascended the stairs.

Angel was dumbstruck. What has she done wrong? She looked from the departing woman to the maid who has been standing there all along.

"Listen ma'am", the maid said to her. "In all my years of service, I've never been as close as you are to the paintings. Mrs Catherine admires them like a demi god. She made these piece herself" she added, as if to let Angel see reasons to her boss' aggression.

"Whoa!" Angel beamed. "That's quite impressive" she added with new found admiration

"Yeah" the maid said and led her to the seat Fred had pointed to her earlier. She brought her a glass of juice and told her to wait for the family.

"Please be of good conduct" she advised while leaving but turned halfway and said to her

"Argh, I almost forgot. Mrs Catherine doesn't like to be referred to as Mrs Johnson. She adores her name so much and prefers to be called by it. Please put that in mind during the course of your discussion" and with that, she left before Angel could say a proper thank you. She likes the maid already and she looks forward to having a quality time with her next time. "I hope this isn't a bad idea" she said and sipped her drinks, too preoccupied to notice the entrance of Collins

"You!" Collins asked with a disgusted face when he got to her. "Whoa! What a small world" he said advancing dangerously towards her. Angel panicked on her feet and wondered where they had met.

"You remember telling me to get some manners right?" he said widening his eyes still moving towards her. Angel shifted until there was no place to shift to. Confused, she asked herself "Is he drunk?"

"I...I don't know what you're talking about" she said. Collins let out a loud laugh "Look at you. What a good pretender you are. Now that you're at my mercy, you want to deny insulting me the other day right?" he shook her frail stature vehemently while she struggled to free herself.

"What's going on here?" Collins Father asked, stepping fully into the sitting room with his wife closely beside him. Collins let go and he straightened up his muffled shirt. He stared hard at her and wonder why she is acting so innocent. "This bitch is so getting on my nerves" he swore inwardly.

"Have you two met before" Mrs Catherine asked, sitting beside her husband on the chair opposite Angel 

"No Mrs Catherine" she answered with a light frown. "I've never met him before" 

She casted a glance at Collins who was surprised at her behavior. Well, if that is what she wanted; pretence, he would give it to her, he thought. He would make her pay for insulting him and making him lose the opportunity to have a word with Anne before she left the country. With this new resolution, he smirked.

"No mum, we haven't met before, have we?" He turned to Angel and said "Young lady, sorry for my actions earlier, I still haven't recovered from the shock of my fiancee's disappearance" 

This guy is up to no good, Angel thought as she sat down reluctantly. He has definitely mistaken me for Cynthia. She wondered what Cynthia had done to make him so aggressive and was glad he rough handled her instead of her sister. She touched where he had gripped her. It hurts.

**** ****

The meeting was over. Both parties had agreed to the marriage, following a set of rules. Angel is not to get pregnant during the course of three years of being married and as soon as the contract is off, she would leave the town with her family. The Johnson on the other hand are to take extensive care of her mother, foot all hospital bills and ensure she regains consciousness with adequate treatments. With this agreement, both Collins and Angel signed the paper and agreed to be wedded the coming week.

**** ****

"Don't tell me you're getting married to that rude jerk!" Cynthia screamed. It was unbelievable. Angel had return home after the meeting and had relayed all that transpired to her sister.

"What really happened between you both?" Angel asked, peeling at an orange.

"That idiot has no manner" she replied frowning.

"Cynthia!", Angel cautioned. "He's to be my husband in barely two weeks time"

Cynthia hissed and retorted "I so hated that fact. If there's any way for me to prevent it from happening, I'll do so hurriedly". She narrated the incident between her and Collins to her sister who finds it ridiculous that Collins had met with Cynthia before meeting her, thus the confusion. Cynthia isn't one to go easy on anyone who annoy her. She smiled as Cynthia recounted how she almost threw a punch in Collins' face 

**** ****

It was nightfall already. Collins changed into his comfy pyjamas which he took solace in every night. The events of the day got him exhausted and her falls heavily on the bed. His mind went to Angel. She's nothing of an Angel, he thought and laughed. Those who named her such must be ridiculous, he laughed the more. She's only a short girl who barely reached his shoulder. She has a slim figure with a tiny waist that seem to break the next second. The only thing he admires about her is her long full hair. He laughed and felt the need to taunt her the more. He is surely going to have fun intimidating her and so took out his phone to text her. "What should I send?" He contemplated and concluded on sending the new nickname he got her. Shorlim, an abbreviation for short and slim 

"Hey shorlim, wondering what that means...?"