C1 Chapter one

Harper Kings, walked her way tensely through the crowd into the room, champagne flute in hand, it’s icy-fizzy liquid mirrored the feelings of nervousness she felt within, deep in her bones. Laughter, dripping with doll-like fervour, resounded through out the luxuriously decorated hall. Normally she would be very confident at this parties but she couldn’t seem to shake of this gnawing feeling in her chest.

Dressed in a red silk gown that showed off her curves, and the neck line cut in a low v- shape accentuating her cleavage . This beautiful piece complimented her milky skin paired of with pearl like Jewelries, her lips smeared with seductive glossy red lipstick. She surveyed the room, scanning everyone, the room was filled with people she had known since she was a little kid, A gathering of the city’s upper class, friends and business partners of her parents, their kids trying to inherit the connections their parents had built.

She watched her parents navigate their way through the crowd with practiced ease, greeting everyone they came across with the smile they use just for events like this, a smile that radiated their status and power and words they must have said almost a 100 times at these events.

This was the world she was born into. Ever since she was a kid her parents had ingrained the words status, class, power, and luxury into her mind. All her words and actions were made to mirror those four words. A world were the worth of a person is measured by the money in their accounts and how many properties they’ve acquired, the recentness of the designer label a person is putting on and their ability to host unnecessary high-end luxurious parties.

She had always been her parents little puppet, doing everything according to their teachings, another thing for her parents to show off and boast about. A trophy child, her academic achievements trumpeted up and framed right from elementary school till she bagged her Business administration degree.

Her parents had strategically designed her life portraying her to be the golden child, provoking envy and admiration from her peers, placing her at a high up pedestal as though she wasn’t like other kids. Her pathway carefully crafted; after getting her college degree, she would go on to work at her fathers company she had already began training and handle small clients, after that when she’s gained proficiency the business would be handed over to her and then she would settle down with a man of her parents choosing , have few kids and place her focus on continuing her fathers legacy. The perfect life of prestige.

“Hi Harper. It’s so great to see you, you look as dazzling as always.” Harper heard someone say, bringing her out of her thoughts, it was Leslie, her parents approved best friend for herself although she didn’t like because she had the regular snobby attitude that most of the upper class ladies and had the habit of talking down people she felt weren’t worth the heel of her shoes.

“Hello Leslie, I could say the same about you, you look beautiful.” Harper said giving her pretentious smile. “You didn’t come say hi to me when you got to the party, you must still think you are on the highest throne and we all have to bow to you.” Leslie said in playful yet mocking way. Harper gave her a confused yet uncomfortable smile.

“Well Kingdoms do fall and kings get replaced , You might be a king today and a slave the next minute” Leslie continued in her playfully mocking tone, before sashaying away.

Harper looked at her walk away with a confused look in her eyes, trying to make sense of her remarks when she heard the sound of a notification on her phone. It was a news notification:

“Kings Corp Under Investigation for Financial Crime.” She felt her heart beat go up at a fast rate, the room suddenly felt suffocating and seemed like it enclosing on her. She caught the mocking smile of Leslie and her group of friends, she looked to her parents who still had on a calm façade as though they hadn’t yet seen the news.

Yet the looks and whispers had started, people were talking in hushed tones, questioning the accuracy of the news. The atmosphere of the room once calm, was now filled with unease and tension.

She looked yet again to her parents who didn’t seem to notice something wrong, she dismissed the news as click at trying to carry on with the night until one of her parents competitors decided to spill the beans and create a ruckus.

“Mr. Kings, if you don’t mind my rude question, there seems to be an ongoing debate of your moral character and you are being accused of committing fraudulent activities, it would be best for you to address these allegations before your company’s reputation takes a hit.” Mr. Ray of Ray corps stated.

Harper watched colour drain from her fathers face, his million dollar smile replaced by a look of apprehension and dread on his face. Her mother had on a look of terror on her face and disbelief.

People began to check their phones and soon it was everywhere, evidence of her Father’s fraudulent activities, leaked documents and records all over. Social media which was once a platform for her family to showcase their glorious life now held the very evidence that would completely shatter their lives. Her Family’s carefully crafted image of perfection was crumbling and quickly being replaced by an image of deception and lies. It was surreal. It was like she was just a spectator in her own life.

In the face of strong solid evidence and the distant sound of sirens, her father couldn’t utter a single word to redeem himself, rather his face remained passive and indifferent, her mom clung tightly as if holding on to a lifeline, in an almost permanent state of shock. The audience were stunned into silence, their faces dumbstruck

She watched on, the world around her seemed to fade. Her perfectly crafted seemed to to be crumbling at a very fast rate, her life ahead was now filled with uncertainty. The party once lively and a platform for celebration now seemed like a stage set by her own family to announce their downfall, their fall from grace.

As the night went on the audience seemed to have come to, each had on an accusatory expression filled with scorn and varying hateful remarks. Her family withdrew to their home carrying the weight of shame and anxiety of what was coming next.

Harper sat in front on her balcony , staring into the night, she had left her parents downstairs each of them lost in their own world, her mom crying Profusely. She looked into the night, taking in the scenery she had always taken for granted, not believing she would ever lose it.

Her phone buzzed ceaselessly, constant streams of notifications of different stories and news pieces. Each one renewing the reality of the situation. Her life had shattered into pieces, her perfect image and glorious legacy had crumbled revealing the monstrosity of lies, greed and deceit it was built on.