More complications

Raina drowned in a deep thought.

Gradually, she loosened her grip on Jude's arm. "That won't work" She shakes her head in disapproval.

She concedes she was entangled in a more complicated situation by lying about Gerold Bellingham to Jude. She had denied his uncle being her suitor, and she kinda fears Jude's incredulity and mistrust of her. She doesn't want him to doubt her because he had once said he believed her.

A few days ago, she wouldn't give a damn about his opinion on her, but everything about him suddenly seemed, to matter and it bothers her. Combined with some constant intense tension between them during the lesson which she had managed to overcome, she discovers her feeling for him was something. Something was blooming as she was beginning to feel sensitive to his touch.

What is wrong with me?

She wonders frustratedly.

And her father? He won't approve of her decision to move from a more mature man to a high schooler even if Jude is an adult.

"I need to go then" she announced her departure and stood up. "I will be here tomorrow I guess. Try to revise some of the exercises before going to sleep" she reminded him while straining her hand to the opened textbook in indication.

"Sure" he noted and stood up also. He accompanied her out of his room.

A thought struck her mind. She halted her steps and said, "I would like to talk to your parents. Going and coming out of their home without a proper introduction isn't plausible" she reasoned.

"I overheard them at dinner last night. They mentioned chaperoning my uncle to greet his in-laws or something." he disclosed, making Raina's heart drenched in culpability and guilt.

"What's wrong? You seem lost, and suddenly pale," Jude implied and took off his hand to wave at her face.

"I'm fine" she breathes and rushes out while Jude follows.

Throughout their drive to the estate, Rain refused to talk or contribute to Jude's effort to initiate a conversation. He was concerned about her, and at the same time, he felt uneasy about not being able to help her. His mood changed to witness her in such a situation.

Maybe mentioning in-laws made her recall her forced relationship.

He thought.

When he parked at her destination, Raina murmured a goodbye and walked into the estate's main gate without bothering to look back.

She shut her eyes for some moment and walked into their living room. It was as neat as she had left it with no sign of her father. She tiptoed into her room and locked it. She leaned on the door and closed her eyes in relief only to open them to meet her father seated on her bed with his two hands inclined on his knee and his head bent low.

Her body vibrated in shock.

It was time to face the reality.

She thought and gulped.

"Where have you been you ungrateful brat!" her father foul-mouthed at her for the first time since her birth. Her heart clenched painfully at his mean statement.

Raina blinks her eyes severally in disbelief. She knew what she did would cause a profound scolding, but never for once had it crossed her mind that her father would curse at her. Her eyes itched painfully and got murky with tears. She couldn't bring herself to defend herself.

Maybe she was truly ungrateful.

"I pleaded with you. I explained to you and emphasized the situation. Provided for you, cared for you, and parented you but what did you reward me with as a child? You ended up disgracing me." her father clamored angrily.

"If I had noticed the letter earlier, It would have been bearable. But guess what? Alex Bellingham (Jude's father) was the one who stood as Gerold's father since their father was deceased. You need to see how I panicked and rushed out to look for you. I didn't call Gerold to postpone the visit when I first saw the letter because I had hoped you would come back to your senses. They came in the morning before I could take proper action! " he continues to lament with a disappointed expression.

"What gave you the audacity to walk into my house and still claim to be my child? Are you my child?" his eyebrows raised in doubt and he scoffs "Because a real one wouldn't betray her parent…" he continues to sprout painful insults in bitterness.

Raina quivered wildly at her father's affronts. The tears were now freely surging out of her eyes. "How about you consider my choices? I told you several times that I don't want to marry someone who is fifteen years older than me, father. He is thirty-seven for goodness sake!!!" she fired furiously at her father.

"You did not just talk back to me. Did you?" he shakes his head in disbelief and scoffs. His expression startled Raina and she almost peed on her body.

"Ok," he taps his hand on his knee. "Give me one paramount reason why you can't marry him except because you don't love him and right now, right here, I will give you my promise of not mentioning

Gerold " he bargains.

Raina's heart beats rapidly and falls out of rhythm. It was like a situation where her answer would resolve her future. All parts of her body had an adrenaline rush of anxiety "I have a boyfriend" she breathed and held her breath at her father's response.

"So? " her father mocks and smiles at her failure.

"His name is Jude." she gulps "Jude Bellingh..a..m" she stutters and makes an internal gibberish prayer.

"A Bellingham?!" her father rose in disbelief. His brows scrunched in confusion, his eyes squinted to meet his daughter's. He hurried away from the bed after realizing she was serious. He paced to and fro in the room in deep thought with his right hand caressing his tiny beard.

"He is the son of Alex Bellingham." she proclaimed when he wouldn't say anything.

"I know" her father cut in. "I wouldn't have believed you but you are a staff member in his school. which means, It might be possible. What is the difference between the two Bellingham? " her father asked, suddenly curious and kinda relieved that his daughter was a wealthy person.

Raina gulps guiltily and says " The point is that you are terrified about Gerold demanding his benefits refunds from us if we reject his proposal. Jude is wealthy enough to provide those things also. I was at his home today" She emphasized with a faint smile.

Her father's eyes grew wide in awe at her declaration."You were at the Bellingham building today?! "

"Yeah," she replies, and things begin to look promising even though she has fibbed. Her father's brows squeezed and she worried once more "Did you meet his parents?"

"Yes"

"Hmmm….I guess his father didn't recognize you. Gerold once told me he has shown him your picture" her father recalls.

"It was not a brief introduction. And besides, I did not walk too close to him. If I don't have any relationship with Gerold anymore, I don't think they will be inquisitive about some tutor. Sorry, lady. " She quickly corrected herself and tried to intimidate her father into agreeing with her.

"But what if someday you come across Gerold? And besides, wait what?! That kid is a high-schooler and you are an instructor. The relationship isn't customary. You don't want to marry someone older but prefer a younger one. " Her father voiced his worries and it made Raina lose hope of getting out of her misery anytime soon.

"He is a spoiled brat father. A nineteen-year-old who got his class repeated during his grade 5 due to his unseriousness. He is after anything skirt and wouldn't mind dating an instructor. Our main mission is to take what we need

and leave the rest. I'm not being selfish but it's what it is since things are now like this. "She tries to put in more effort while feeling bad for making such a remark about Jude.

"Ok. I will talk to Gerold next week. "

"Thank you Dad" She smiled in relief and hurried to embrace him.

Her father's eyes muffle and soften a bit as he exhales in regret. Deep down, her father was pleased his daughter smiled. He had made himself mean to achieve his goal and had assumed it was the best decision.

"I promise to always reconsider before making a decision. I did it out of exhaustion from poverty. I'm sorry" he apologized and patted his daughter's head.

"I'm sorry too" Raina apologized also because she knew she had just lied and given herself a mission to accomplish.

A mission to make Jude Bellingham head over heels in love with her.

For the first time in months, she was keen and elated. She was thankful to Jude for coming into her life.

Immediately her father departed from her room, She bounced on her bed and grabbed her phone to search for Jude's number through the calling history. Raina grabbed the opportunity to save his number as "My saviour" and smiled before clicking on the call.

He picked up after a few rings.

"Sugar baby. Missing me already?" he mewled.

"No. I do not miss you" she grumbles.

"Jude" she called seriously.

"What's with the strict tone? You are not my tutor at the moment, are you? " he challenges her.

"Common, be serious for once. "

"Ok, ok"

Raina played with the tip of the pillow nervously "I told my Dad about what you suggested. And he pledged not to talk about marriage again"

Jude jumped out of bed with a thudding heart " Are you for real?!"

"Yeah," she answered softly.

"Raina. You see.. a younger person just made you get out of a difficult situation" he fumbles arrogantly. He felt so proud of himself that he kept praising himself.

"Are you done?" Raina rolls her eyes.

"Of course not," he smirked and lay his back on the bed.

"I deserve an accolade for this. Don't you think?" he grins unable to hold his bliss.

"What do you want?" Raina asks.

"You told your dad that I'm your boyfriend when am not. From my observation, you are a good girl. How about making me your real boyfriend to not make you feel guilty about lying to your papa?" he smirks in between breaths and laughs to cover up his anxiousness with a backup thought that if she rejects him, he will divert it into a joke.

"You wanna woo me because I lied to my father or you want to be my boyfriend?"

"Do you seriously want my answer?" Jude's breathing ceases at some point.

"Yeah"

"Can we talk about this in person? I mean….yes. I want to be your man, Raina. It was my intention from the start" he let out

"Who dates someone they met a day ago?" she teases with a smile.

"I met you a week ago, Raina. I am not the secretive type. I'm attracted to you. Fuck. Those pretty round boobs… I'm sorry" he stopped himself and rushed out an apology.

"ok. Let's do it this way then" she haggled hoping she wasn't embarking on a wrong decision once again.

"What do I need to do to woo you, Raina?" Jude asks sincerely.

"You…