Chapter Four

Kelvin was furious and at lost for what next to do. Alice's smartness seemed to be just too much for him. He sat with Anita in an open air restaurant and had not said a word since. Anita was equally shocked that Alice was that intelligent to see through their manipulations. Clearly, she was not like the typical villager they had thought her to be.

"I'm still wondering, baby, how that local girl was able to see through that fake contract that was intelligently drafted" Anita said.

"I feel she has someone who is backing her up and telling her what to do" Kelvin said.

"But who?" Anita asked. "She's new here and could not have met anyone" she said.

Kelvin sighed and ran his hand through his silky hair. "I hate her" He said with disgust. His face was seriously frowned.

"I hate the fact that I'm stuck in this mess, married to an ordinary village girl because of my inheritance. Why would my grandmother do this to me?" He asked and threw his back on the chair's back rest.

"Hey, baby, calm down" Anita consoled. "She does not have your property yet. And we have three whole years before that can happen. So we'll make it not to happen."

Kelvin looked at her attentively. Anita leaned in and placed her hands on the table, with her fingers locked together.

"Let her have the contract that states that you'll give her half of your inheritance when you would have gotten your inheritance after the three years..." She said.

"What are you saying?" Kelvin was quick to protest. The thought of it and the sound of it was unpleasant to his ears and to his heart. He could not imagine giving half of all that was his to a woman he hated for forcing her way into his life, a woman who was uneducated and a villager.

"I can't do that. I'd rather she leaves and I'll just have to find another way to appease my grandma to give me what I deserve by right of birth" He said, shaking his head.

"Why don't you hear me out?" Anita asked him. He relaxed his back on the chair and stared at Anita.

"I understand how you feel but trust me when I say that if Alice tells your grandma everything, your grandma is willing to cut you off permanently and have everything she owns, that should be yours, given out to charity and she might also compensate Alice for all the troubles by giving her a huge part of the family's fortune. She might even name Alice the heiress to your inheritance" Anita explained and it dawned on Kelvin.

"Listen to me, Baby. When she brings the papers, you sign them and let this fake marriage of yours still be intact. Then, we will look for a way to eliminate her from your life" Anita said softly.

Kelvin sat up straight, surprised, "Eliminate her? Like, kill her?" he asked. That was the first interpretation of the phrase 'eliminate her' that came into his head.

"No, Kelvin, that's not what I mean. What I mean is, that we set her up. Paint her to be evil before grandma. We'll make your grandma hate her passionately that she will throw Alice out of your family with her own hands. Then, you can play the innocent victim before your grandma and gain her sympathy. She'll feel guilty for forcing a characterless woman like Alice on you and that will make her allow you to marry the woman of your choice, which is me, obviously, and then you'll still get your inheritance" Anita explained carefully and Kelvin nodded his head continuously.

The whole scene playing in his head as Anita was narrating was very pleasant to him. He smiled and calmed himself down from the anxiousness of having to give Alice his wealth.

"I love this plan." He said, still nodding his head, while Anita was smiling and feeling like a genius with the greatest idea ever.

"You're just too much, my love" Kelvin praised and she felt her head rise. She felt so proud of herself.

"What would I do without you?" Kelvin asked rhetorically, adding to her ego.

"Absolutely nothing, baby" she giggled as she replied him.

"You're right" Kelvin said, smiling out of excitement and then he sighed with relief.

"I can't wait for that Alice to leave my life in peace" he said.

"Soon, baby. Very soon" Anita laughed as they started with their food.

*****

Alice kept herself very busy with grandma Janet, everyday. Especially since Kelvin was never around the house.

That evening, Madame Janet and Alice were having a good time in the living room on the top floor of the duplex mansion. They were playing a simple game of cards and grandma Janet was leading Alice in the scores. Alice intentionally allowed the old woman have her victory by intentionally making careless moves every now and then.

"I thought you were very good at this game?" Innocent grandma Janet asked Alice, wondering why she was beating Alice with about 7 points.

Alice smiled, "I am, grandma but it seems you're better than me in this. I think I had underestimated you Grandma" Alice lied and the old woman smiled deeply.

"Yes, you did underestimate me. I may be old but I'm still very active up here" grandma Janet bragged and tapped her temples lightly, still smiling.

"Sure grandma" Alice smiled back

As they played, Kelvin walked in and was making his way past them. Grandma Janet caught him, almost slipping past them.

"Why are you sneaking past us, Kelvin?" She asked out loud and Kelvin startled and stopped on impulse, on his track.

Alice looked up to his direction and saw him. Her heart resented him that instant and her wide smile slowly reduced to something forced on her face.

Kelvin slowly got himself and turned to his grand mother and Alice.

"I wasn't sneaking, grandma" he defended with a shrug.

"Oh yes, you were. I saw you, Kelvin." Grandma Janet said.

"Where are you coming from?" She asked him immediately.

"From the office" He replied quickly.

"You're lying, Kelvin." Grandma said, gesturing with her index finger as if she was pointing at him.

"I'm not grandma" He defended again and walked to where she was seated with Alice.

Alice ignored him and kept her head lowered, facing the cards before her on the table.

"You are. I had called the company and you weren't on seat" Grandma Janet said.

Kelvin knew he was caught in his lie. He said nothing and avoided his grandmother's gaze for a while.

"So, where were you?" Grandma Janet asked him again.

"I had some personal matters to attend to" he replied.

"I want to know what those matters are" Grandma Janet insisted.

"Grand ma......" Kelvin dragged and walked to his grandma and sweetly placed his arms around her.

"I'm an adult, grandma and I have personal matters that are meant for me alone. I deserve that space, you know?" he spoke very softly and sweetly that grandam Janet had to flash her teeth wide open in smile.

Alice took a quick and stealthily glance at him out of the corner of her eyes. The only personal matter that he was keeping a secret from his grandmother was his affair with Anita, despite being married. Alice eyed him and kissed her teeth at him silently, then faced her cards back.

"It's okay. I understand" Grandma Janet said and Kelvin smiled.

"Now, why don't you join us here, and play a relaxing and exciting game of cards with us?" Grandma Janet asked him.

Kelvin and Alice quickly looked at each other, their eyes meeting and understanding the unspoken resentment of being together in a game. Alice immediately blinked her eyes away from him and placed him on her cards. She was very certain that he was going to decline his grandmother's offer, and she did not care anyway.

"I'm sorry grandma. I'm tired and I want to rest" Kelvin said.

"This is a time for you to bond with your family, Kelvin. Come on, a few rounds of this game will not increase the stress on you" Grandma persuaded and Alice hated it. To her, Grandma Janet should just let Kelvin be and let them enjoy themselves till dinner.

Kelvin did not want to get his grandmother suspicious about his fake relationship with Alice. She had already asked him twice and had emphasized on the part of bonding with his family, which he very much knew that his grandmother was referring to him bonding with Alice. Grandma Janet had noticed his absence from the house always hence, she was initiating that.

"Alright grandma. I'll join you both" Kelvin accepted to the silent surprise of Alice, who said nothing to oppose his involvement in the card game.

Alice simple shuffled the cards and dealt a new deal of cards to the three of them and they started playing.

The game was going well for them. Alice minded her business and restricted her excitements level. She spoke little and only to grandma Janet. Kelvin joked and spoke as they played only to his grandma also, as he was avoiding Alice.

They had gone three rounds in the game with Grandma Janet the Victor of the three rounds, when she said something shocking to them.

"You both haven't been on your honeymoon"

Alice and Kelvin were perplexed and instantly quiet. Both were praying in their heart that grandma Janet would not insist that they go on a honeymoon, but their prayers were in vain.

"I have arranged your honeymoon for you" Grandma Janet started. "You will be going on a mini cruise for a month and two weeks round the world, and I'm very sure that you'll love it just as it will make your love stronger" She smiled after making her announcement.

Alice and Kelvin were perfectly still, with their individual thoughts going through their heads. When they thought that they could manage to survive just seeing each other few times in a day, grandma Janet was about to keep them together for a whole six weeks. Alice and Kelvin could see the terrible disaster that was waiting for them. They both wished they could plainly refuse and Grandma Janet would just let them have their say, but that would never happen.

"There will be a welcome party by the company to officially welcome Alice as a member and have certain amount of shares allocated to her, next week and after that, you'll be on your honeymoon trip round the world" Grandma Janet continued her announcement.

It pained Kelvin that Alice was going to have some shares in his company but he said nothing.

"Grandma" Kelivn called, "I don't think this is the time to go on a honeymoon being that we have a lot work to do in the company" Kelvin said softly.

"Don't worry about that dear. I'll have someone assigned to overseeing those projects while you and your wife are away." Grandma Janet said and added immediately she saw the unpleasant look on Kelvin's face, "Everything will be okay. I'm here to make sure of that. You have nothing to worry about and if there happen to be an emergency before your world tour would be over, which I'm sure there won't be, I'll let you know and then you and Alice can leave the tour and come back, okay?" she said.

Kelvin nodded. He was beaten and defeated. He had no choice but to prepare himself for a long time stuck together with Alice. Alice was quiet and trying to accept that reality and to prepare her self for it. There was nothing that would stop that honeymoon tour as long as Grandma Janet had said it.

They played till it was dinner time and then they had their dinner before retiring to bed for the day.

Kelvin and Alice walked together, quietly with grandma Janet, till she got to her bedroom and bade them good night with a kiss to both of them on their cheeks.

The moment grandma Janet's door was closed shut, both Kelvin and Alice stopped their pretence. Alice kissed her teeth hard at Kelvin and walked away. Kelvin followed behind her.

They got to their room and Kelvin entered after her, almost slamming the door behind him.

"So, you put up my grandmother into giving you some shares in my company and making us go on a honeymoon?" Kelvin faced Alice.

Alice turned to him with her smallish body, squared against his masculine body.

"As your wife, I have every right to those company shares till you get your inheritance and I am given full rights over half of everything you own..." Alice said and it stung Kelvin a little but he encouraged himself with the plan Anita gave him.

".....and about the honeymoon trip, don't flatter yourself. You're not that special that I would want to spent weeks on a ship with you" Alice said and eyed him. Then, she turned away from him, making her way to the closet.

"You don't speak to me that way" Kelvin said and grabbed her by her arm, instantly, pulling her close to himself.

Alice struggled away from his grip, with her hand on his chest.

"You let me go right now or else...." Alice commanded.

"Or else what?" Kelvin asked.

Alice could feel his hot breath on her face and she frowned deeply, irritated by it.

"Your little devious schemes against me and my inheritance will not work. It's only a matter of time till I figure out a way to get you out of my life completely" Kelvin said.

"I have no scheme against you. You are the evil one who lied to me and married me and has brought me here to torture me. And I won't let you get your way and treat me like I am worth nothing. I won't allow myself to suffer at your hand. This will be price for marrying me in this manner" Alice said, staring him in the eye.

They held each other's angry gaze for a while. Kelvin's eyes revealed utter disgust for the uneducated villager who was beginning to prove herself to be smarter than he had thought. Alice's eyes showed utter contempt for the man who had paraded himself to her as a saint and an angel and ended up being much worse than the devil himself.

"If you don't let me go this instant, I'm going to scream till grandma gets here and then I'll tell her that you're hitting me" Alice threatened seriously and Kelvin slowly left her.

Alice soothingly rubbed her arm where Kelvin had held onto very tight. That part of her skin was reddened as a result of his tight grip on it. Kelvin watched her with regret. If he had known, he would have been open about not wanting to marry her from the beginning.

Alice gave him a brief stern look before heading into the walk-in closet to change into her night wear.