C2

Kaylie stopped laughing, the smile that once spread around her pretty face was replaced with a deep frown.

“What are you saying, father?”

“Several years ago, I made a pact with a very wealthy family after they helped me with my business, I promised them that my daughter was going to get married to their son and now that he is of age, they are requesting for their bride else they are going to pull out all their support on my business”

“who still operates a business like that in such an era, father Bella is your legitimate daughter and should be the one getting married over the pact you made and not me”

“How dare you mention my name! It looks like you have grown some wings!” Bella who got on her feet yelled out, a frown still lingering around Kaylie's face as she clung to her purse firmly, her eyes glaring hot at Bella.

“Why can't you marry him, you all claim to be the legitimate child while I am not, it is your turn to be legitimate so do so!”

“That is enough! Bella can't get married to a ruthless man like Austin Tucker else he might hurt her because he is too dangerous”

Mr. Jones explained and Kaylie could not help but scoff sarcastically.

“You want me to get married to Austin Tucker and yet Bella can't because he is a dangerous man who killed my mother and hurt her yet, I should be the one who gets hurt and perhaps dies”

Even as the words slid out of her mouth, she could feel an intense pain clutching her chest, she had always known that he never loved and cared about her, but each day there were traces of hope that he was going to come around, she badly needed a family and through that he was going to be, but at the end, all those dreams were crashed in an instant.

“Kaylie there is no time to banter words with you, the wedding is in an hour at the court house and he expects you to be here on time”

“Why is that? I need to get ready properly for a wedding…. ” She could not complete her words as there was a loud giggling between the two women at her words.

“My dear Kaylie, there will be no wedding, you just need to get there and sign the marriage certificate, that way Mr Tucker can fulfil his father's last wish”

Roselle explained and chuckled loudly again.

“Alright Father, I will do it, if that is what makes you and every other person in this house happy, I will be on my way”.

Roselle was almost startled at her reply as she stormed out of the house, her heart filled with so much pain while she promised herself that she was no longer stepping on her feet in this house ever again.

Once outside the mansion, she got hold of a cab and immediately hopped in, within a few minutes, they had arrived at the courthouse and she hurried inside.

Inside the courthouse were for people who seemed so anxious, a middle-aged woman with fair and smooth skin that glittered was dressed in a floor-length designer gown and with the hem of the dress, anyone with a fashion sense could tell that this dress cost her a fortune.

The other was a young pretty girl whom Kaylie recognised immediately, it was Ms. Lizzy her boss at the office, the other person seated at the courthouse was a middle-aged man whom she recognized as the register at the court, house and her eyes immediately landed on the last person who seem so anxious trying to adjust his necktie.

She had never seen him before, but those set of deep dark blue eyes gave him away, his hair was thick dark curly and styles sideways, he had the perfect nose that was pointed till the tip, and his wide lips seemed soft and red and as she pierced her eyes at him, she could feel her heart leap with excitement which got her worried.

He was an enemy she was meant to take out and she knew that this marriage was her way of sending him to hell.

“Are you the bride?” He inquired with those thick and full lashes sweeping her off her feet.

“Yes… Yes… I am Ms. Kaylie Mecham”

“Is she the one, that is quite disappointing because I thought the Mecham family were well off and I was expecting something more sophisticated”.

Lilian expressed and made a disappointed sound with her mouth as she stared down at the plain shirt and black skirt that she wore that hung around her curved figure firmly.

“Nevertheless, She is pretty, so let us get going” The middle-aged age woman Mrs Jane expressed and they hurried over to the register while Austin still had his gaze pierced at her.

The marital vows went quickly with Mrs. Jane and Lilian as witnesses while Kaylie could not stop checking out her time.

The rings were exchanged Austin had not taken his gaze away from her even for a moment which was getting her uncomfortable as a tiny trace of heat had appeared through her poreshole.

They went ahead to sign the marriage certificate and once they were through, Kaylie was about to dash off the courtroom but he immediately grabbed her hand, stopping her from taking any step forward.

“Hey! Where are you rushing to, we just got married!” He exclaimed and cold sweat ran down her spine as his gaze tendered on her.

“I am sorry Sir, but I have to get to work”

“Oh! Okay, but how are you? ”

“What!”

“No… I mean…. You know the way home right?” He stuttered, although that wasn't the words he wanted to say but he quickly recalled that she wouldn't remember him because she was unconscious that day.

“Yeah! Of course, I know the way to the Tuckers mansion, how could I not”. She replied sensitively her thought drifted to that faithful day when she was there and pleaded with every ounce of strength she had in her but the same people standing before her were so cruel and almost murdered her but she survived and came back for them.

“Great! How about I drop you off since you are in a hurry”

“No Sir, you do not have to worry about that, I will be fine”

“Sir you say, I am your husband now and I insist”. She was rushing outside and he kept trying to keep up with her pace while the two other women slowly followed behind.

“I am sorry Sir, but I was just tucked into a marriage with someone that I knew nothing about, you don't expect me to be informal with you”

“Oh yeah”

“Good, I will be off to work now and will get back to the mansion once I drop off from work”.

She explained and before he could say another word, she had halted down a cab and rushed over to it while Austin stood there staring at this pretty lady he just got married to but did not bother glancing his way even for a moment.

“Were you flirting with her just now?” Lilian stood by his side as he watched the cab speed off the street of Spring Forte.

“What! No, I wasn't flirting, I just thought that perhaps she recognized me from years back”

“So you are acquainted with her?”

“Something of that sort, I have just been curious after the incident that day to know if she survived and I am glad she survived and she is by my side now”.

A cold smile appeared on his lips as he strutted to his car and hopped in.

*****

Kaylie was lucky enough and arrive at work before her next shift and quickly rushed to the dressing room where Jessy was getting dressed.

“Kaylie! Thank God you are here, I was going to call you, What took you so long?”

Kaylie exhaled loudly trying to calm her breath that was rising and falling rapidly before she spoke.

“You wouldn't believe it if I told you what happened”

“What, did he agree to give you some part of his wealth?” Jessy teased and Kaylie glared at her

“Of course, I am teasing, so tell me what happened?”

“I got married” She exclaimed showing her the wedding ring on her fourth finger.

“Is this some sort of joke, is That how people get married, you just go out and come back married?” Jessy asks and chuckles loudly.

“It is no joke, Jessy, I got home and it turned out that my father had an agreement with the Tuckers when they invested in his business, he was supposed to marry Bella but she refused, so they called me to replace her”

“What! This feels like fiction…. Wait a moment, did you say the Tuckers, as in Austin Tucker?”.

“Yes! I just got married to Austin Tucker”

“No fucking way! Of all men why did it have to be the one you despise so much, have you told Kelvin about it”

“Not yet, but I intend to do so once I get off work” Kaylie explained as she got dressed in the hotel's attendant uniform, a pink long-sleeve shirt and a blank skirt above her knee with her flowery design at the breast side of the shirt that is carefully tucked into the skirt.

The uniform was carefully ironed and their dress suited the quality of such a seven-star hotel.

S. Treck has been the highest hotel in Forte town for years now due to its excellent services, best room service, and not to mention, good relaxation area and restaurant.

The Subsidiaries under S. Treck are their large boutique and shopping mall that has been the highest in the country for years and are careful when selecting their staff.

Kaylie had to apply there three times before she finally got accepted since then, she has been hoping to slowly crawl up the chain of success until she gets to the level where she can finally begin to get her revenge on the Tuckers and take away everything that gives them the right to brutalize people whom they think are beneath them.