CHAPTER ONE - THE ENGAGEMENT

THE kind of dress Ashley wore tonight, was the kind you wear when you knew you were being engaged to your sweet boyfriend Thomas after a six year relationship. A six year relationship you had used your time, your body and money to grow. She wore an elegant black dinner gown, it was sexy in all it's form, a dress like that should be illegal.

Her choice of dress was intentional so that after the engagement, they would go to his mansion, and keep themselves busy the whole night.

The extra care Ashley put in getting ready for her dinner date tonight, was the kind you put in when you knew this was your last chance of getting engaged, and if you didn't get engaged tonight, you would never get engaged ever. You would end up an old lonely woman with hundred cats.

For six years, Ashley has moulded and shaped herself to fit into Thomas description of a perfect girlfriend, and she did it. Tonight, she will become his perfect fiancee, and then his perfect wife.

Oh, how Ashley had imagined this night for so long in her head, her perfect happily ever after with the man she loves. She already had her wedding guest lists ready, the list of places for their honeymoon. Not to sound creepy, but she also made a down payment for her perfect wedding dress. Her perfect dream life was finally turning into reality.

Ashley two best friends from college who had since became her sisters rallied around her room to get her ready. She loved these ladies, they knew how important tonight was for her, and they were just too supportive and sweet.

"It's today girls!!" Ashley excitedly screamed for the umpteenth time.

"Yes Ashy, Thomas finally gets to put a ring on your finger" Nichole responded from the living room where she was arranging her kit for a 'light' makeup session as Ashley had insisted. Nichole was the beauty queen of the group. Not to brag, but she owned the biggest beauty palace in Los Vegas.

"Yesss, and I'm so excited. I love Thomas and he's been talking about how things are going to change very soon. And I saw this ring in his bedroom, the last time I visited. I tried it on, and it fitted me perfectly."

Her two friends giggled in unison, and began raining down congratulations.

"It's been six years in the making. We are happy for you Ashley." Genevieve added. Her voice was overwhelmed with happiness. Genevieve was the smarty-pants of the group. The one who would think of a hundred and one reason why they shouldn't do something bad.

Ashley asked sarcastically. "I don't know how I'm going to react. Will I scream when he brings out the ring? I won't look too desperate right?"

Nichole hurried into the room and looked at Ashley. "Desperate? Six years. Of course you're desperate, you have given him all the signs, that even a dumb man should have interpreted by now, and he's even a CEO."

Ashley always knew Nichole was not a fan of her boyfriend, Thomas, neither of her friends were, but at least Genevieve was doing a better job at hiding it than Nichole.

Nichole looked at Ashley's hair that was packed in a messy pun. "What will I do with this red hair of yours?"

Genevieve shouted from the bathroom. "It's ginger." She never missed an opportunity make a correction.

Ashley stared at her reflection in the mirror, she was different. Her natural black hair was long gone, and now replaced with ginger dye. Thomas had said he hated her black hair, so she had carried a fake ginger hair color for the past six years, which she occasionally renewed, but Ashley didn't mind it, she loved Thomas.

Ashley traced her perfectly manicured nails down her waist and hips, they were larger now. Thomas had told her, she was too thin, and thus looked hungry. He had asked her to stop her gym routine and eat more, which she did. Ashley did not personally like her new look, and her friends greatly disapproved of it. But again, Ashley did not mind it, as long as it made Thomas happy, she would do whatever he told her. She loved him too much.

Nichole noticed her countenance. So she stood at Ashley's right side and looked at her reflection in the mirror. "You are f*cking hot!"

Genevieve joined at Ashley's left side. "You're beautiful. And I will say it a bazillion times Thomas is more than lucky to have a woman like you in his life."

Ashley smiled. "I love you girls."

Nichole knew whenever she smiled like that, the next thing that followed was crying, and there was no time for that tonight. "Okay...okay, time for your 'light' makeup."

Nichole applied her light make-up. Ashley wore her stiletto heel, grabbed her purse and exited her apartment. She walked anxiously to the parking lot, entered her car and drove off. Today she would finally become the fiancee to the billionaire CEO, Thomas McMahon. Or so she thought.

When Ashley arrived at the luxurious restaurant on time, she made her way to the VIP space reserved in Thomas' name. It was romantically decorated, the setting, lighting, the roses. Ashley took everything in, Thomas had done all this just for her.

To her surprise, Thomas had not yet arrived. "That's odd, he's always sitting before I arrive" Ashley whispered to herself. She poured herself expensive wine, and sipped it slowly while she awaited Thomas arrival. Ashley glanced at the watch she wore on her wrist. "Five minutes late. Thomas is never late."

Soon Ashley became a timekeeper, checking the time every second. "Thirty minutes late!" Ashley groaned, and immediately retrieved her phone from her purse, and dialed his number.

"He's not answering" she threw the phone out of frustration, but after the show, she remembered how expensive her phone was, so she quickly bent down and picked it up. "Let me send him a text." Ashley sent him a text but still no reply.

Ashley started creating possible excuses for his delay. "Maybe he's having a car issue?" He has other cars he could use. "Maybe he has some work to clear up at the company." Then he should have called you.

Soon the waitress inquired if Ashley's date was still coming. "Yes of course, just some minor delays. He will be here shortly." Ashley started feeling uneasy, she didn't have a good feeling about this. Was Thomas standing her up? This was meant to be their engagement dinner. What was keeping him. It was already an hour past the agreed time.

She looked out through the window, and noticed that the surroundings were becoming empty, couples were leaving but Thomas was yet to arrive. Ashley called and texted him more times than she could count, still nothing. Soon, she felt a pang of sadness enveloped her, her throat became dry and her eyes watery. The first tear rolled down her cheek, then the second, and soon Ashley was crying uncontrollably.

"Two hours late!!"

It was clear the CEO was standing her up. She wiped her face with her handkerchief, composed herself and stood up to leave. That was when she saw Thomas casually walking in, he didn't look like he knew Ashley had been waiting for the past two hours. He wore an expensive tailored suit, that fitted perfectly at all the right places.

ASHLEY didn't know how she could stay mad at this man. He was tall with broad features, he had short curly black hair, Ashley felt a pang of jealousy whenever she saw his beautiful black hair, knowing that he won't let her keep hers.

He had a frown on his face, and he looked tired. He walked over to where she stood, he didn't even lean in to kiss her, he just took his seat across the table while mumbling inaudibly. Ashley quietly sat down.

"Where you about leaving?" Thomas managed to ask.

Was I about leaving? Thomas, you kept me waiting for two hours!! I called and texted you severally, but you ignored it. What do you take me for? Yes I'm about leaving.

But Ashley could not say any of that, that was not who she had presented herself as, she had shown him a meek, weak and quiet woman.

She simply said, "You're late, honey"

Thomas frown deepened. "I had important things to do"

Pardon? So I'm the less important thing.

Again, she didn't say that, instead she said this, "I hope you have settled it all" She touched his hands lightly.

Thomas just nodded. He had the look of someone that had somewhere better to be, something more important to do. Ashley was obviously wasting his precious time.

While they placed their orders and waited to be served. Thomas was oddly quiet, he was someone that always had something to say, but today he seemed reserved. Something was odd.

"How was work today?" Ashley asked, hoping to start conversation.

"Fine."

Just one word answer, fine, but it sounded more like, stop talking to me in Ashley's ears.

But she was not done trying. "Okay, fine. So, how was your drive down here"

Thomas groaned loudly, and bent his head for a while before speaking. "Ashley, I didn't invite you to dinner, for us to have small talk. I have something really important that I need to say."

Was this how all engagements went? Because Ashley was not having a good feeling about this. Why was he so mad!!

"Oh, sorry." Ashley muttered.

Thomas took a deep breath, stared coldly in Ashley's eyes and when he spoke, his voice sounded strange. "We've been together for six years---"

Thomas stopped talking when the waitress came in. He waited until the waitress had finished setting the table before he continued.

"It has been quite an eventful one..." He paused.

Save the introduction. Just get to the fun part of putting the ring on my finger. Please.

Thomas brought out a small box from his pocket, and before he could say another word. Ashley was already screaming. "Yes. Yes, yes, yes" she covered her mouth in excitement. She was floating in the clouds, already imagining herself in the beautiful wedding gown.

"Yes, what?" Thomas eyes widened in shock.

"Yes, I will marry you" Ashley said slowly.

Slowly realization dawned on Thomas, and he slowly shook his head. "Do you think I'm proposing to you"

Ashley was visibly confused. "Yes?"

"Why would I propose to you?"

What? Ashley held her chest tightly. She had just been stabbed.

"Ashley" Thomas laughed out her name, in a manner that said you're dumb, but I didn't think you're this dumb. "Why would I marry someone like you"

"Someone like me, what does that even mean?" Ashley felt the urge to cry, but if they was one thing she learnt from Nichole was that you never cry infront an asshole. She fought back the tears that was threatening to break free.

"This thing between us, is not working" Thomas made a disgusting sound, and waved between them. "Ashley, I am a CEO, a billionaire, a celebrity. I should marry a woman that fits my status. The kind of woman that when I am introduced, I will be proud to have beside me. Have you never wondered why I never took you to any important business or family dinner?" Thomas spat the words at her face.

"So, you're not proud of me?" Ashley's voice was breaking.

"Look at you, you're an embarrassment. You're are not the type of woman, the media wants to photograph beside a celebrity. What do you even do?" He asked as if didn't already know.

"I'm a model." Ashley managed to say while sniffing back tears.

"A model that has not been featured in any billboard, nor had any major contract in the last six years" Thomas words were cruel, and ugly. It was as if his plan was to intentionally hurt her.

Ashley looked down at her body, and back at him. "How could any agency contract me looking like this, you told me to stop my gym routine."

"So, are you blaming me?"

"No, Thomas, for six years I have moulded myself to fit into your life. I love you. Please"

"I don't want to marry a woman that will be a liability to me."

"I will learn, anything, please don't leave me."

"No you won't, I connected you once to someone that was willing to help you, how did that end?

"He wanted to have sex with me"

"That's how the industry works, as a woman to get to the top, you have to spread your legs."

Ashley stared at his cold dark eyes. The sweet, funny Thomas she knew was gone, or was he always like this? Was she just too blind to see. Ashley waited to see him laugh and say it's a joke. But it didn't happen, realization dawned on her, this was not an engagement dinner, it was infact a breakup dinner.

Thomas finally opened the box, in it laid a beautiful and expensive looking jewelry. "This is my breakup gift to you. It's worth $10K. You've amused me for a while, but I'm bored with you now, we were just having fun. Thanks"

"I thought you loved me?"

"How could I love someone like you? You’re a bastard,…you have no family, no blood, no means…what could you offer me that I couldn’t get from any woman of lower class?