Chapter 2

Six months later

"I want the table that other way." Zoe said to the movers as they got her things arranged into her new home. 

It's been six months since she laid her husband to rest and six months since she visited the bubbling Cally city. This was where she was brought up. Not in this new house though, but she was born in the city with its busy life and endearing sceneries. After the worst six months of her life, she needed endearing and she definitely craved for the buzz.

"The setee will be much better there," The man in charge of the interior of her new house said to her, pointing at different directions in the house. "so that the light doesn't interfere with it and you won't have a problem with the stairs too."

Zoe considered him for a moment and nodded her head, seeing things eye to eye with him. They were the experts afterall and just like her mother used to say, she had no eye for interior. 

Speaking of her mother, Margery Madrigal had called her last night, demanding to have a conversation and she hadn't had the time to call her again because of the move. Her phone rang immediately and she stepped away from the movers to answer it. Without looking at the caller id, she had the phone against her ear in no time.

"Hello."

"Zoe, what the hell." Her mother's vibrant voice resounded on the phone.

Speak of the devil and they surely do appear.

"Mum."

"Where are you? I've been trying to reach you.''

"I told you I just entered the city last night. I'm moving into my new home now." She replied, turning to keep inspecting the movers.

"Moving? There's no need for you to move and by the way I have a place for you already."

Zoe rolled her eyes. So that you can have the opportunity to control me? Hell no. She exclaimed but not out loud.

"I'm fine where I am, mum." She said instead.

"Well, not for long. I want you in the house immediately, there's a pressing matter that needs your attention."

''Can't it wait?" She said, using her right hand to massage her temple. 

"It can't wait, Zoe. Be here in ten minutes."

"Ten...." She tried to argue but two beeps from the phone revealed that the call had ended. Typical of her mother to give her instructions and expect her to obey her command. Not this time around. She was going to stay here till the movers finished moving and her house was intact before going anywhere.

And her mother would do nothing about it.

                         *************

In exactly ten minutes, Zoe got out of her cab, looking at her wristwatch to make sure she wasn't late.

Yes, her mother controlled her and even after marriage, she still could tell her to do a certain thing and Zoe would do it. If she wanted her to be at the house in ten minutes, she had to be at the house in ten minutes.

Zoe walked into the huge mansion, greeting the servants, aware of their wary eyes on her. Of course, it was expected. She was the one who got married six months ago only to come back as a widow. They had every right to look at her in that manner.

"Zoe." Clara, her personal maid, who had attended to her right from the time she could remember her own name rushed out to envelope her in a hug. 

"Hey, Clara." Zoe said, genuinely pleased to see her.

"Oh my darling, how are you? I have tried so much to reach you, all to no avail." Clara said, looking her over.

"I'm good, Clara. Where's mum?" She asked immediately, to avoid any more concerning questions from her that might warrant her thinking about her life and the husband she just lost.

"In the greenhouse. She asked for tea already, waiting for you."

'Sure." Zoe replied and made her way to her mother's ever famous green house. This was where important issues were discussed. She had agreed to go to ballet school in this room, had agreed to drop the same ballet for business school in this same room. This was also the room she had announced to her mother that she was going to marry Francis whether she approved it not. The thought alone brought her pain. And now, she was in this room again. For God knows what.

Margery sat on her equisite seat, drinking coffee and reading something from her tablet. Her hair was shorter than Zoe could remember but that didn't stop her from radiating ravishing beauty.

Margery turned when she heard the footsteps and her face lit in happiness.

"Baby." She called, standing and going over to hug her daughter. Zoe smiled at her and accepted the hug, breaking it up almost immediately it began.

"You are stopping me from doing something very important, mother." She said to her, moving to take a seat. "There are strange men in my house, if anything goes missing, it's on you."

Margery waved her off immediately and picked up her cup again.

"I'll be willing to pay you for every dime, my dear, money is not a problem." She replied, still studying her daughter. "You look pale, Zoe. What did we say about sunscreen?"

"Not now, mum." Zoe replied. "Please I have barely had the time to rest, sunscreen is the least of my problems.''

Her mother went quiet for a while, contemplating on what to say that wouldn't sound too rude or intruding.

"Sorry about Francis." She said and Zoe sighed. This was definitely not what she was willing to talk about either.

"Thank you mum.'' She replied. "Not that you liked him anyway."

"I didn't." Margery admitted immediately. "But he loved you and made you happy."

Zoe looked at her for a while, studying her before clearing her throat. "Well, thank you. That must have been hard for you to say considering your pride. Good job mum."

Margery sighed again, shaking her head and trying not to say more about the matter since it was a sensitive topic. When the silence had gone on for too long, Zoe looked up at her.

"Why am I here? I really do have important things to do."

"Well, then I shouldn't keep you any further." Her mother said, standing and motioning to the servant girl walking around to come closer. She whispered something that Zoe couldn't quite comprehend to the fragile girl and the latter walked briskly out of the room.

"What do you have up your sleeves, mother?" Zoe asked her, tilting her head to look at her properly but Margery avoided eye contact.

Just then, a tall handsome man with the most amazing hair that Zoe had ever seen walked into the room, looking ravishing as hell. He walked in with a certain kind of grace that one could tell that he had known money all his life. He took the couch directly opposite Zoe, staring at her with his dark blue eyes, a cocky grin playing on the side of his lips.

"She is beautiful." The young man said to her in the most rude manner and Zoe turned to her mother for explaination.

"She is, Avery." Margery said. "She is the epitome of beauty. Meet my daughter, Zoe Madrigal."

Madrigal and not Martinez, Zoe thought. This was getting fishy.

"Well, I have met her and she is breathtaking."

The aura and confidence the man eluded made it difficult for her to speak so she turned to look at her mother again. She was definitely the one to explain better.

"And Zoe dear." Margery continued turning to her daughter, not failing to see the look on her face. "This is Avery Trent of Trent Airlines." She said and then gave a brief pause. "He's your husband."