Chapter 5

Ethan's point of view:

"What's with the mood, Ethan? You are acting like you are being forced to be here." Bailey snarled at me.

"Why did you have to fix our date during the weekday? You know I am always busy during the working days." I asked her.

"You didn't…" she was cut off by the waitress.

"What would you love to have?" the waitress asked us.

"Just drop the menu; we will select what we want." She shot the waitress a deadly look.

"Alright, ma'am. Take your time." The poor lady stammered as she left our table after dropping the menus.

"Like I was saying…." I interrupted her midway.

"Let's just look at the menu," I said in an uninterested way.

"Are you even interested in this lunch date?" she glared at me.

I kept mute.

"You didn't even compliment my look. Have you even spared me a glance? The only thing you did was to nag at me. Who does that?" she said angrily.

"You always look good by the way. I was just asking you why you fixed our lunch during the weekday despite knowing how tight my schedule will be." I told her calmly this time.

She rolled her eyes and looked at the menu. I decided to go for ribeye streaks with bone marrow sauce with 2017 chardonnay.

"I will go pasta with black truffle and for my dessert, I will go…"

"I don't have time for desserts; I have a lot of work waiting for me at my office," I said to her.

"What the fuck is wrong with you, today? You should have told me that you are not in the mood to have dinner with me today. Stop embarrassing me in public, please." She snarled at me.

"I am sorry; I am just having a bad day," I confessed.

"You should have told me that. I would have just canceled the lunch. I am so sorry for not understanding your situation."

"I dropped the menu book and entangled my fingers with hers.

"I am sorry..," I said to her.

"It's alright. Let's just have our main dish and call it a day." She said.

"Thank you for understanding me,"

Bailey and I have been dating since like forever and she understands me more than anyone. She is the only person that understands me and always takes in my shit. I thought I lost her five years ago when I got married to my ex-wife. I got married to Georgina Sterling five years ago. It was a business marriage between my family and hers.

We got married for three years and got divorced since our marriage didn't work out. It wasn't a shock to our family since they saw it coming miles away. I got back with Bailey six months after our divorce.

"Should I come and ease your mind this night?" she asked as she shot me that seductive look.

"I am so sorry; it is going to be an all-nighters at the office tonight," I replied to her.

"Okay. I miss you being inside me though." She pouted.

"Next time," I said to her.

The waitress came back to have our orders and she said what we wanted.

I don't need you tonight; I need Keyline instead to cool me down.

Heather's point of view:

"Marriage? I have not even graduated." I muttered under my breath as I was still processing what this old man said just now.

"Yes. I want to ask about your daughter's marriage with my nephew, Ethan Worsley," he faced my dad.

"Mr. Worsley, I do…." My dad was cut off by him.

"Have you forgotten about your debt to me? You promised to pay it back. I think this is the right time you pay back, Skylark." He looked scary right now.

My dad sighed…. I could feel him shaking right now.

"I can repay in any other ways… I can run errands for you but I can't put my daughter away like this. She is too young and naive. Please." My dad pleaded.

"It is not like I am going to use her for prostitution or illegal things. I only want her to marry my nephew. And it is good news for you both as well. You will be out of all this mess you find yourself in and you will be related to the Worsley family which is a benefit to you guys. Do you think that's not good even? I think this is enough to be a deal."

"I can't let my daughter be a pawn in your games, Mr. Worsley. I beg of you, I can run any errand for you please but please don't drag my daughter into this, Mr. Worsley." He teared up.

"This isn't a topic to be emotional about. It is about being logical. I will leave you to think about it." He stood up and let us in awkward silence.

"What just happened?" I asked no one in particular.

Later that evening, my dad was nowhere to be found. I didn't know where about it and I couldn't guess it.

I was alone in the house and eventually, it turned out he didn't come home that night. I slept alone and the next morning, I got ready for school.

I left the house and made my way to school.

I was bothered about yesterday's event but it keeps on lingering in my mind.

"Are you okay?" Jessica asked me, if she made have noticed my odd behavior this morning.

"Yes, why are you asking me that?" I asked her as I tried to compose myself.

"You have been zoning out, Heather. I have asked you questions thrice now and you didn't seem to be paying attention to it. Are you still worried about Mr. Grey? I told you to report him to the authorities already. Stop making him rule your mind." She snarled at me.

"No, it is not about him. I am alright. I just can't wait to get this over with."

"Get what over with?" she asked.

"Nothing. I am just on my PMS; I can't wait to get it over with." I lied to her. I didn't know if my friends were going to believe me if I told them about what happened yesterday and the kind of visitor we had at our house. I don't even know how I am going to tell them. It seems like a dream to me.

"Sorry babe. Wish you had a man in your life, he would have gotten you those menstrual gifts but you are single…" she sang.

"Thank you for reminding me of that," I rolled my eyes at her.

We departed shortly after that. She was taking science courses while I was taking art courses. Ivy and I always have most classes together. The rest of them offer science courses.

*

It was the evening and Jessica and I was on our way to where we work. We work for the old women at the local market. It was more like a volunteer because we only get to be paid peanuts and sometimes we don't even get paid but the good side is that the work is so much fun to do. The jobs are our secret. We have been hiding where we work from the rest. We lied about working in cafes and restaurants. Although, I have a part-time job at a local bookstore where the pay is still a bit better than the market it is so boring.

"What the fuck has been bothering you, Heather? You have been awkwardly quiet today, you have been zoning out and you have been moody like your life is on a death row. Can just tell me? Why am I your friend if you can't tell me what bothering you?" She poured angrily.

I sighed.

"What the fuck is going on? Is your dad in another debt? Do you need money? I can lend you; I have saved enough for the year. Whets wrong, Heather?" she asked me in concern.

"I am not okay. I am so puzzled right now." I voiced out.

"What's the puzzle all about?" she held my hand.

"I don't know if you are going to believe me but this happened yesterday at my house, okay? Evan Worsley came to visit my father." I informed her.

"Evan Worsley? That name rings a bell." She maintained her gaze on me.

"I know." I breathed out.

"Worsley? The multimillion family? Evan Worsley? One of the top millionaires in the states?" she popped her eyes out in disbelief.

"Yes," I whispered.

She stared at me, I am quite sure she is lost in words.

"What did you want to say?" I asked her as I continued walking to the market.

"Can you stop walking?" it sounded more like a command than a question.

I halted.

"How did your dad know him? Don't tell me your dad has a skeleton in his wardrobe."

I shrugged my shoulders.

"Why did he come to your house of all places? I mean, isn't your house too shabby for someone like him?" she whispered as she averted her gaze. I shot her a glare.

"I am sorry. I am just saying though. Even my house will be shabby for someone like him." she said.

"Whatever."

"So why was he in your house?" she inquired.

"He came to ask for my hand in marriage for his nephew, Ethan Worsley," I answered her.

She instantly became dumb and was too shocked to even move an inch.

I smacked her gently so that she could regain her senses.

"You must be joking. Is this a prank? Just stop it already." She glared at me as she continued walking leaving me behind.