Chapter5

‘ It was two weeks before my wedding with Keenan, I was requested to go home and be scarce for the remainder of the weeks till the wedding day. An old custom believed to jinx a marriage. ’

Ella had just arrived at her former home, the Hughes household. She drew her breath reminiscing of the pain she endured at this manor, she pulled her suitcase to the front door and pressed the bell alerting whoever was inside.

“Who’s there?. ” a familiar voice responded as loud footsteps drew closer and closer to the door from the inside. Ella resisted the urge to face-palm at her half sister’s stupidity, the door mechanism had a built in monitor linked to the micro cameras installed at the front door.

“Brittney it’s me Ella.” She replied, annoyed at her sister.

 The door opened and Brittney stuck her head outside, she scowled a bit before replacing it with a smile. “Ella! How is my favourite elder sister? Have they been treating you well?” She hollered like a banshee, causing Ella to cringe at the volume of Brittney’s croaky vocals.

Much to Ella’s discomfort, Brittney continued with her hollering. “Mom!! Eva!!! Ella is back” She bounced to the living room allowing Ella to enter through door.

Ella walked into the house, closing the door behind of her. She followed behind Brittney who was busy yelling in the living room.

“Evening everyone!.” Ella greeted in a tired tone, she wasn’t in the mood to deal with her family at this point. She simply walked passed the living room and went up the stairs heading to her room.

“Ella! So uncouth of you, why don’t you sit with your family.” Rose said standing up and holding her hips, she disliked the attitude Ella showed towards her and her children, as such she wanted her to gravel at her feet.

Seeing that her words weren’t getting to Ella, she stomped up to her, following Ella to her room leaving her two daughters smirking knowing once their mother blew a gasket nothing could save the one on the receiving end.

“Listen here you littl—” Rose prepared to lash out to Ella but was interrupted by a loud bang as Ella shut the door in front of her face, silencing her immediately.

Rose fumed, her beautiful face was red as a tomato due to embarrassment and rage. “You are to clean the whole house today! I want it see it spotless when we return and don’t try my patience” She threatened turning on her heel as she went downstairs.

Ella collapsed onto her mattress, Her brown locks pooling around her.

 This hell hole never changes, I wonder what dad saw in that woman. She thought to herself listening as the voices of Rose, Brittney and Eva faded to nothingness leaving the house in a state of total silence.

She woke up from her bed and opened the door checking the coast, she didn’t see the need to be their slave anymore but old habits die hard. She folded the sleeves of her shirt and took the cleaning utensils from the storage room and began to clean the house starting with the kitchen.

After a while Ella was nearly done, she was only left with her father’s study room. She opened the double doors and entered inside coughing as she inhaled the fumes of dust that were in the atmosphere. The books, shelves and even her father’s table were all coated with a thick layer of dust and cobwebs.

She opened the curtains and windows, to allow air to circulate around the study and got down to business, she cleaned the room from top to bottom. She stumbled and used her hand to keep balance on the table accidentally knocking the vase to the floor.

The vase shattered into many pieces but among all of them was a golden key, Ella knelt down and picked up the key looking at it intently. “A key? There must be a lock somewhere in the office” She said to herself as she began searching the office.

Minutes of searching bore fruits as she found a keyhole on the table her father used, Putting the key in, she twisted it clockwise unlocking the drawer that was locked. Looking inside, she found a bunch of papers which she took and began reading till one caught her eye.

Clasping the neatly folded paper, she opened it and began reading the content in her head.

Note.

Ella this is your father Keanu Hughes, by the time you are reading this I’m already dead and Rose is unfairly treating you, I couldn’t do anything due to her father cashing in on the debt I owed him. But I can do one thing, to leave you with your “Actual father’s” inheritance. Yes I’m not your biological father, your Father, Howard Hughs was a close friend and brother of mine and when he died he asked me to marry both your mother and you, which I did. My only regret is leaving you without knowing that, In this will is what your father wanted you to have.

   —Your loving step-dad Keanu

Tears threatened to spill from her eyes as she repeated the note in her head, all her life she thought Keanu was her father but it turns out he was not. Ella just composed herself and put the note away taking the pocket file that had all the necessary documents and headed to her room, after locking the door to the study.

She sat down on her bed thinking of what she had learned, but she decided to push those thoughts out of her mind. To her, Rose will always be the evil stepmother while Brittney and Eva will always be her irritating younger sisters.

Ella laughed a bit as she saw that everything including the house belonged to her, but for now she was going to keep her cool and watch how things unfold in the near future.

‘In the final week before my wedding, I got a surprise from an old acquaintance of mine well not acquaintance but a very dear friend of mine.’

The summer sun was just rising and Ella was still in bed tired from the revenue choosing she did yesterday. Her phone sprung to life as it played the caller tone which was loud enough to wake Ella up.

Ella grabbed the phone and looked at the contact details through dilated eyes, she swiped to the answer icon and placed the phone on her ear. “Hello?” She said groggily.

“Hey Ellie, how have you been?.” A voice replied from the other side, the voice was filled with life and enthusiasm.

Ella recalled name Ellie and knew that one person called her that. She instantly became active as a smile appeared on her face. “Jana!!!” She replied grinning from ear to ear.

“In the flesh girl. How have you been?” Jana asked, giggling like a high-school teenage girl who had a massive crush on one of the NFL players.

“I’ve been managing, and it’s been a long time since we last talked. Eight years?.” Ella wondered talking back, Jana was after all her best friend even from their junior school days.

“I just came back in London. Want to meet up at twelve o’clock at our regular spot?” She asked Ella, cancelling all her board assignments and briefing freeing up her schedule.

Ella shook her head at Jana’s Impetuous and careless attitude towards life. “Sure, I don’t see a problem with that” She said and was answered with a “see you at twelve then” before the line was disconnected.

A smile married Ella beautiful facial features as she went to prepare herself. She didn’t know that fate would have a very nasty surprise for her that day.

At eleven thirty Ella exited her room. She wore her faded blue Jeans and a red tank top, “Brittney tell the others I’ll be gone for a while.” She said closing the front door on her way out.

She walked to the driveway and stopped a taxi, once inside she gave the driver the street name which he was supposed to drop her off. The taxi revved up on the asphalt.

“Miss, we are here.” The taxi driver said after stopping the taxi at the designated location. Ella paid the tab and exited the taxi, she breathed in and walked inside the restaurant that near the driveway.

Once inside, Ella located an empty table and sat down, the waiter came up to her. “Madame anything you want?” The waiter asked Ella who looked up at him.

“I’ll have a cup of coffee” She ordered and returned back to her phone screen, closing tabs on the Reeves family. She opened G****e and began searching for psychology jobs in and out of England.

Ella was so drowned in her job search she didn’t see the waiter bringing her cup of coffee nor did she see Jana enter the restaurant.

“Earth to Ellie?.” Jana said, snapping both her fingers in front of Ella’s face while taking her seat on the opposite side of Ella.

Ella looked up and was confused for bit but realized it was only Jana. “Sorry about that. Hehe, I’ve been so caught up in my job search.” She said sheepishly rubbing the back of her neck.

Her friend just waved her hand dismissing her apology. “What are you sorry for Ellie, I swear to God you haven’t changed. You are still a cluts as ever” Jana said, closing her eyes for a moment and propping her face on her palms.

“Soo..” She said, winking at Ella who stared at her confused. Jana rolled her eyes knowing Ella was playing dumb on purpose.

“You have a boyfriend?.” Janā asked, moving her upper body forward a bit. She was very interested in the answer Ella was going to give her.

Ella hid her left hand which had her engagement ring on it beneath the table and smiled at Jana. “As a matter of fact. I’m getting ma—” She couldn’t finish her statement as she saw Keenan walk in with another woman in tow.

Ella’s eyes met Keenan’s and a victorious smirk appeared on Keenan as he walked to the table just a few steps away from Ella and Jana with the lady by his side.

Ella’s heart suddenly felt pain, unimaginable pain. Her eyes started to sting and she quickly stood up. “Jana let’s go. I don’t want to stay here” She said while heading towards the exit, Ella was doing her best to not breakdown then and there. 

“But we just got here” Jana whined standing up and she hopped after Ella passing Keenan by on her way.

“Ellie wait up!” She said once she got outside as she saw Ella a few meters away from her calling a taxi. Jana skipped to Ella and grabbed her hand.

“What’s wrong with you all of a sudden?” Jana asked concern clearly showing on her face, everything was fine till that man walked in and Ella changed.

Ella nodded and turned to Jana forcing a smile. “ Yeah I’m fine, I just realized that I had important documents to file away” She lied, she was feeling bad for lying to her friend but she had to, to get away from that location.

Jana nodded and freed Ella’s hand from her clasp and stood on the sidewalk watching the taxi Ella boarded disappear into the distance.

Something clicked in Jana’s head. “Wait!!! Ella is getting married?” She asked herself in shock, Jana recalled the shimmering light of something shiny on Ella’s ring finger just before the door of the taxi closed.

If she is getting married, then why didn’t she tell me? Jana thought as she too left the sidewalk.

Ella got home and locked herself up in her room. Tears were flowing down her face as the scene she saw at the restaurant repeatedly played over and over in her mind. She just couldn’t believe, and the biggest question for her was how was she going to look at Keenan on their wedding day.