CHAPTER TWO: A STRANGE INVITATION

July’s POV:

“So this is the thanks I get for preventing you from doing the walk of shame in front of Ethan and his selfish mama?”

“Thank you! I was really contemplating my next move before you showed up.” I said as my best friend took off the male disguise she had on. I watched as she carefully began to wipe off the makeup from her face.

“You really put a lot of effort into this, Avery. I can even smell male cologne on you impressive.” My loud clapping made the driver give us a once-over before fixing his eyes back on the road.

“Back to the previous question tho, where did you get a Rolls Royce?”

“You know I have my ways.” She replied shoving her wig and suit into a shopping bag in front of me.

“Avery, you didn’t hijack someone’s car right?”

“Can’t you see the driver sitting right there? Or do you think I hijacked the car and the driver?”

“Sorry, I’m just curious.” I apologized immediately I noticed the change in her tone.

“I actually hired the car, but trust me it didn’t cost much.” She told me as soon as we stepped out of the car.

The continuous beeping of my phone made me swallow back my words and pulled the phone out of my bag. The screen lit up again, indicating a new message.

“Who’s texting you nonstop?”

“Mama’s boy obviously.”

“Ewwww! What does he want again?”

“He wants me to meet up with him at Bluey, so he can show me what I’ll be missing for the rest of my life.”

“Did mama approve of this?”

“I wonder.” I replied and our light laughter echoed a bit. But mine died down almost immediately as I let out an “oh!”

“What’s wrong?”

“He just sent me pictures and videos of his dick.” I whispered, displaying the content on my screen on her face, making her look away immediately as she faked vomiting before walking into the house.

“I guess I won’t be missing much after all,” I muttered to myself as I followed.

“Halt!!!!” Lily, my other best friend, yelled the moment I opened the door. “For the third time, please cross over the pot of coal to send back every evil energy, this time from the Blues.” She added pointing at the hot coal.

I kicked off my shoes while taking off my coat, then I crossed over the coal and stepped inside.

I still remember how pissed I was the first time she did this, but doing it now for the third time in less than five years actually feels funny.

“So do you think the bad luck is gone now?” I asked with a smile.

“Please just promise me you’ll never get married again,” she said with her eyebrows knotted together.

“Why?”

“Seriously, July, you shouldn’t anymore. I mean this is the third time, and it still didn’t work out.” Avery said as she joined us, holding a wine bottle with three glasses.

“You’ve been divorced three times; haven’t you learnt any lessons at all?” Lily added, picking up the pot of coal from the floor.

“Actually, I did from this one. I just learnt that mama’s boys don’t pay, and mama helps them shy away from responsibilities.”

The silence between us stretched from seconds to minutes as we just stood there staring at each other. They both looked at me like they were letting the words sink in deeper, but Avery finally broke the silence.

“I don’t really think I understand you clearly.”

“Well, to put it simply, I got nothing as divorce settlement.”

A loud thud sound echoed throughout the room, followed by glass shattering. “What?” “What the hell?” They both said in unison as they stared at me like I’m a stranger in the room.

“I was scammed by that devilish mother and son.”

“What, why didn’t you say anything earlier? Those bastards were standing right in front of me.”

“That’s exactly why I didn’t say anything, you might have landed us both in jail.”

“Even though you didn’t want to tell us why didn’t you say anything to the judge?”

“They had evidence of me signing the prenup, and they obviously bribed the judge.”

“You signed a what?” They asked in unison.

Lily threw the protective gloves she had on earlier with so much force that it bounced right up again before landing back on the floor.

She then crossed over the pot of coal that now laid upside down on the floor, while Avery just stepped on the liquid in front of her like it was invisible and did not contain glass pieces in them.

I raised both of my hands up in defense as they now stood in front of me.

“I don’t remember signing it either. I was completely drunk and didn’t even know what I was doing. Now they have both video and picture evidence of me signing it with a smile on my face, and the judge didn’t even want to listen to me.”

“Fucking bastards.” “Lunatics,” they cussed in unison.

“I can’t believe you wasted one year of your life with that motherfucker for nothing.”

We sighed heavily together the moment Avery finished speaking, and landed on the coach at the same time. Lily sat on the remote control mistakenly, turning up the volume of the tv in the process, which brought our attention to the tv.

“Oh my God!” We whispered together, staring mouth-wide open at the man on the screen as the news was broadcasted.

“I can’t believe you got divorced on the same day as the world’s wealthiest man.”Avery said finally breaking the silence.

“I know right? I can’t believe Douglas Prime is now single.”

“And guess whose ready to mingle?” I screamed, raising both hands in the air.

A sharp knock on the door interrupted them from whatever it is they had to say. Surprise laced our faces as we stared at each other because we weren’t expecting visitors. No scratch that; we never had visitors.

Although the person outside couldn’t hear us, we still tiptoed around the living room, grabbing whatever weapon was in sight.

Lily was the strongest when it came to combat, so she led the way while we followed behind quietly.

“Who’s that?” Lily asked now standing besides the door.

“Hi, I ummm have a package for miss July Noel.” A male voice replied from outside.

“Did you order anything?” Lily mouthed and I responded no by shaking my head.

“Who’s the package from?” Lily questioned the person outside.

“No idea; the sender details just states Hôtel de Paris Monte-Carlo.”

“Monte-Carlo as in Monaco?”

“Yes please, can you please just sign this for me so I can leave?”

Lily looked at Avery and I, and we gave her a quick nod of approval before moving closer to the door, ready to jump whoever was there if need arises.

My heartbeat only returned back to normal after Lily shut the door with a decorated box. She handed the box over to me, but didn’t leave.

“What does it say?” Avery questioned, clearly impatient from my excessive flipping of the envelope taped to the box.

“To miss July Noel: You are cordially invited to the exclusive Red Crystal Ball in Hôtel De Paris Monte-Carlo, Monaco.”

“Any idea who might have sent this?” They asked.

“My brain is empty right now.”

“You’re not attending” Lily stated with a flat tone, but I ignored her as I opened the box.

Another note fell out of the box, and Avery picked it up and read it out loud. “Hope you like your outfit; looking forward to seeing you in it. Xoxo.”

My mind was clearly a mess right now. I don’t know anyone in Monaco; I’ve never even been to Monaco. So who was inviting me to a ball in one of the biggest hotels there?