Amelia typed, 'how to run away from home' on g****e. It was getting more difficult to pretend she had no idea about the arranged marriage. It was in the way her step-sister looked at her and smile all of a sudden, Her stepmother also came back from shopping the other day and brought clothes for Amelia. It had never happened before, she was always the one to request things before she was given them, and she had to request twice or thrice before she actually bought them for her. But she was the one to buy this for her, and it wasn't any clothes. It was all designers; the type Ava wore. Amelia had placed them carefully in her cupboard afraid to wear them because to her it seem it was a confirmation that she was agreeing to the marriage. Her father was indifferent to it, to him, Amelia was a mistake and nothing more than that.
It took a while for the result to pop up on her phone. She sat up with her jotter carefully placed in front of her. She started jotting down everything she saw online, but the more she read them, the more it becomes difficult to carry out in her house. She sighed. What if she faked that she was seriously ill? Will they bother taking her to the hospital or will they just get an in-house doctor to take care of her? Faking illness was surely out of it. They will get an in-house doctor. No matter how seriously ill she was, her parents had never bothered about taking her to the hospital.Her life to her was in disarray. The moment she heard a knock on the door, she threw the jotter, pen and phone under the bed. She sat upright and carried a book opening to any page. "Come in!"It was just Loveth. She let out a sigh of relief, "Can you not knock on the door and scare me off.?"Loveth smiled, "It's ethical I knock on the door and what are you doing that makes you so scared."She was silent. Loveth smile faded easily, "Don't tell me you are still thinking of running from home."She kept quiet. She was not going to lie. Loveth seem to know her to answer from her silence, "Don't tell me you are serious, Miss. You know that's impossible and they are going to kill me the moment they found out you are gone." She added, "That's if you are successful."Amelia sighed, then went to retrieve her pen, jotter and phone from under the bed. "What do you suggest I do? Marry some stranger that might end up maltreating me the way they are. I don't want to be a secret for the rest of my life.'Loveth was silent. She felt her pain, but she had no power in any way. This was what her parent wanted, so who was she to disobey them?"How about we run away together? If you aren't here, they will be no one to kill you once I am gone."Loveth eyes widened. It was certain that the Miss had gone completely crazy. How could she suggest that? How would they survive when they ran off? They don't have money saved up anyway. She had barely gone out of the house, so she barely knows anywhere, yet, she was so confident about running away."I don't think running away is the best thing to do."Amelia huffed. Loveth could tell that she was getting pissed off, "You don't mean I should marry someone I don't know."Loveth nodded her head slowly. She picked her words carefully, "It might not be as bad as you thought. He might be better."Amelia stared at Loveth as if she had grown two heads. She couldn't believe she was advising her to get married to some stranger. If Loveth wasn't going to support her decision, then maybe she had no choice but to run away alone. She did pick running away over marrying a stranger and in secret again.She was about to say something to Amelia when she heard a knock on the door again. She hides all her stuff behind her pillow this time around. Loveth stood up to open the door, but Ava only popped her head from the door. She refused to enter Amelia's room.Amelia stood up to meet her at the door. "What do you want?"Ava smiled was wide that anyone would have thought she was paid to smile that wide. "Oh! I am not the one interested in you. Father wants to see you in his study." Then she was gone.If there was something Amelia hated so much, it was having a conversation with her father. She promised herself that she was going to run away by all means.She followed Ava behind. She was expecting Ava to go to her room but she continued moving toward the direction of the study. "Does he want to see you too?" Amelia asked. She had a feeling that they were finally planning to tell her about the marriage. She breathed in. How was she supposed to react? They must not know that she already had an idea about the wedding. It would only end up in Loveth getting punished and her too for eavesdropping. She decided to tease Ava, although she knew what she was going to say."Do you have any idea why he is calling us?"She nodded. "Oh! He is not calling us. He is calling you. I'm only going so that I can see your reaction. And yes, I know why he is calling you, but I am not telling you."Amelia frowned, what would happen if she acted a little nice to her? She doesn't know why she was acting the wicked step-sister perfectly. It wouldn't be that bad if she was a little nicer to her, plus they were both adults. She decided not to waste her time asking Ava questions and concentrated on forming the perfect reaction in front of his father.When they got to the study, Ava did not bother knocking. She opened the door and took her seat beside her mother. Amelia stood up close to the door and greeted her parents. While her stepmother responded, her father completely ignored her."How are studies?"Amelia had no idea how she was supposed to respond. Her father had never been interested in her education, so all of a sudden. His gaze bore a hole into her eyes that she had to avert her gaze from him. She faced the floor, "it's fine, sir.""How many years are left for you?""I will graduate this year, sir."He nodded, satisfied with her response. "That's good. I guess you will have to go complete the rest at your husband's house. Be getting ready to get married."No matter how she tried to fake her reaction, she couldn't help it. She raised her head up, "But, I don't want to get married now, sir."He stared at how like she committed a crime, "Who cares what you want? If I say you are getting married, then you are. No questions are needed. You can go."Amelia wanted to shout that there was no way she would get married. She wanted to say it was her life. She was going to get married to who she wanted and not who someone planned for her to get married to, but she couldn't say anything. She only nodded her head and moved out of the study.There were no two ways about it. She needs to run away.Mike's gaze darted around the airport. Everything looked different from what he had known; well, it was bound to be different after fifteen years. He stood still to take a deep breath of motherland. Steve stood beside him and chuckled, "It's good to be home."Mike's response was a nod and a slow pat on his back. He moved to where people were gathered waiting for arrivals. He tried to see if there was a familiar face or if his name was on anyone's board. After glancing from right to left then left to right back. There was none. Steve must have sensed it or he just had the same expectation as him. "Did you tell anyone we are coming in today?"It was a rhetorical question. He was there when he called his mother after booking the flight, they know his arrival time, yet, they didn't see it fit to send just a cab man to pick him up. It was one of the reasons they had kept him unknown to social media. So, they could maltreat him without any newspaper having an idea of what was going on."
Amelia already hated the family they planned to marry her into. She got that they were eager to tie them together, but how could they come visiting without her said future husband? She knew she wasn't eager to get married but that doesn't mean she wouldn't have preferred seeing whoever she was meant to spend the rest of her life with. It was only those who had nothing to do with the marriage that had come visiting. She was seated between her mother and Ava, while her father sat in front like the chairman of the occasion. Her future-in-law was sitting opposite them, and the mother-in-law's gaze had not left her since she came. She whispered something in her father – in – laws ear.All Amelia felt at that moment was as if she was good about to be sold away. She felt her skin itchy and wished she could just leave the gathering. But, a gaze from her father was enough warning not to try anything funny."How have you been?" Her father said with a smile toward the Afonso. He had never smil
"Mum and Dad are back," Sharon said excitedly peeping from the door. Mike had settled quite well in the house, he had put his books on a shelf, his clothes were arranged neatly in the closet, and his art was carefully placed beside the bed. He was still looking for the best place to set them in. Sharon jumped inside, and settled on the bed, for someone who had not seen him in the last fifteen years, she felt way too comfortable with him. Maybe it was just the fact that they were siblings.Mike wasn't ready to face his parents, so he focused on looking for a perfect place for his art. Sharon picked one up, "What are these?" She shook it. "Is it some kind of paper?"Mike smiled, "It's my drawings. Do you want to see it?" He would rather do anything than go to his parents.She nodded excitedly. It was really great to have someone else in the house. Mike sat carefully beside her while he opened one. Her gaze was fixed on the drawing, "Wow! You are really good." She touched the drawing
Angie, Amelia's stepmother had never sucked to anyone before in her presence. She acted as if she was a force to reckon on her own, but right now she found herself as her stepmother's point of interest. It was as if she was literally sucking up to her. She sat in a corner of her room giving orders to maids who were working on Amelia. If Amelia didn't know better, she might have thought that it was the said wedding day. They bathed her and dressed her up in one of the designers wears her stepmother bought her. They changed her hairdo and also completed her makeup. Amelia barely recognized herself when she glanced at the mirror.For the first time, her stepmother had strictly forbidden Ava from coming into her room at that moment. According to her what she was doing was serious business, and Ava could mess it up. Amelia almost laughed out loud, she didn't need Ava to help her in spoiling their plans, she was more than enough to do that for herself.When they were done, her stepmother
Things hardly made Mike laugh. But, at that moment he found himself laughing out loud. He stared at Amelia's stepmother as if she had just made the joke of the century. His gaze moved to Amelia who was quiet and touching the small bag in her hand like it held the most important things in the world. He said nothing in response to her joke, but she repeated it again."My daughter Ava will be your wife"Mike stared at Ava, truly she looked beautiful in the Barbie kind of manner but he didn't feel that first attraction he felt with Amelia. He was seeing both of them for the first time, yet he felt strangely connected to Amelia. But, he had no interest in this Ava.He focused his attention back on Amelia as if her stepmother hadn't said anything. "As I said, we could work it out if that's the reason for your proposal."Amelia wasn't listening to him though; her gaze was on her stepmother who was staring at her in a strange manner. Ava also wore a frown on her face. Mike could read thei
"I need help." He stared at the message she had dropped. For some reason, he felt concerned. Since they started chatting, she had never asked for help or hinted that she was in some sort of trouble. She had been contended with discussing her plans and her future. She usually likened herself to a caged bird that desires nothing more than to be free. Free from what exactly, he had no idea.Mike dropped the picture he was painting and relaxed on his chair. "What's wrong? Is there a problem?"The message was delivered but there was no indication that she read it. She mostly reads and responds immediately. He stared at the phone as if he could control her to respond to the message. Pheonix12 had been his friend on messenger for as long as he could remember and apart from Steve she was the only one he could relate with, but it was a pity that she wasn't willing to tell him her real name, even after their long time relationship. Yet, he couldn't judge her because he had also refuse
"What's wrong? Is there a problem?"She read the message for the fifth time. How was she supposed to ask him for help without telling him her story? A story she doesn't have the privilege to tell until she was outside the hell called home. She hadn't thought far about it when she had sent a cry for help. It wasn't the best solution for her. She only has herself in this world, and she would do her best to help herself. She closed her messenger app and stared down at Loveth.Loveth crouched on the floor sweeping the place that had been turned into a mess by Ava. "Does this mean you are no longer getting married, miss?"Amelia lay on her bed confused; if they were trying to cut her off from marrying the stranger, she was supposed to be happy, but she wasn't happy. She had no idea why she was feeling bad about it. It must have been because she had put her hope into escaping through the marriage, and the guy seem to be understanding. She had the feeling he was going to grant her
The first step Amelia took outside, all she could think of was freedom. It would have been great if this was her leaving the mansion completely and not coming back for any reason, but it was just a visitation to her future in-laws. She stepped into the tinted glass while Ava sat beside her. Her mother sat in the passenger's seat and her father was the designated driver for the day.Inside the car felt more suffocating than anything for her, being in close range with her family and knowing there was no means to escape was suffocating. She held her chest and stared outside the window wanting to avoid any means of conversation with any member of her family."Did I tell you that I met Mike yesterday?" Ava said in a low voice. Amelia ignored her. Ava never spoke to her not to talk about giving her updates about what was happening in her life. So, she had no idea why she was suddenly telling her about this. "We met at a club and he is such a gentleman; the perfect guy for me." She paused