Anthony finally looked back at Lerisa's face and said, "I have to go home now, Lerisa. I hope you're truly feeling fine."
Anthony drank from the bottled water in his hands again, looking directly at Lerisa. She replied, "Yes, I'm fine. See you later this evening."
Lerisa's pretty, fair face turned sad again as she remembered that Anthony would propose to Clara that evening. Anthony and Clara had been dating for three years or more.
Anthony noticed the change in Lerisa's mood as her face turned red. He immediately asked, "What's wrong with you again?"
Lerisa snapped out of her trance and replied, "Nothing, I'm fine."
"Hmm, you keep telling me you're fine when you're not. Tell me the truth, Lerisa. What's bothering you? You can share anything with me. You know I care about you, and I know you don't have many friends aside from me.
You don't have a boyfriend, or maybe you do, and I just haven't met him. But that's no reason to look sad," Anthony advised.
"I don't have a boyfriend, Anthony," Lerisa admitted. Anthony looked at her and asked, "Why? You're very beautiful, Lerisa, and I want the best for you. How about my friend Ben? He's been asking about you. Why not consider dating him?"
"No. I'm not interested in Ben," Lerisa replied, quickly rejecting the idea.
Anthony's eyes squinted in suspicion, and he smiled, asking, "Then who are you interested in? I don't know anyone who's your boyfriend or love interest that could make you look sad."
Lerisa gazed up at Anthony's face. She met his blue eyes, her lips parted to speak, but no words came out. She couldn't tell Anthony the truth she was in love with him. She gulped and looked down.
Anthony sighed and told her, "It's okay, Lerisa. If you don't want to tell me about the guy you like. Just know that I care about you very much and see you as more than a friend."
"I have to go home now, as I promised my mother I'd be home early for breakfast after my exercise. Otherwise, I would have joined you and your mom for breakfast. How about your dad?" Anthony inquired.
"He's gone out for a weekend meeting," Lerisa said. Anthony sighed and advised her, "Be good, okay? Take care of yourself."
Lerisa escorted Anthony to the exit gate. She opened it for him and locked it after he left. Unknown to her, her mother was watching from the kitchen window, listening to their conversation.
Lerisa wiped her tears and turned to go back inside, unaware her mother was rooting for her and Anthony to be together.
As she entered the living room, her mother came out of the kitchen and asked, "What's going on between you and Anthony, Lerisa?"
Mrs. Antonia was carrying a tray of fried eggs as she walked to the dining table and placed it down.
Lerisa joined her mother in the dining room and replied, "Nothing, Mom."
Lerisa sat down, her face still red, remembering the diamond engagement ring she saw with Anthony the previous day.
"You keep saying 'nothing, Mom,' but you look as red as a tomato. Didn't you look in the mirror?" Her mother asked.
Lerisa sighed and replied, "I'm fine, Mom."
"Okay, if you say so. But I hope you know I like Anthony too, and I don't want you to chase him away with your red face," Mrs. Antonia teased. Lerisa just shook her head, picked up a piece of fried egg, and ate it.
"Go wash your hands first, and let's have breakfast together since your dad isn't home yet. Have you picked out what you'll wear to Anthony's birthday party this evening? Your father and I will be attending too. I like Anthony and want him to marry you when he's ready to settle down, to strengthen our family's bond with his," Mrs. Antonia said, smiling.
"Mom, Anthony has a girlfriend. You and Dad should stop thinking about me becoming Anthony's wife. He'll only remain my boss and family friend," Lerisa said sadly. She stood up and went to the kitchen to wash her hands.
"Hmm..." Mrs. Antonia frowned and followed her daughter into the kitchen.
"Why would you say that, Lerisa? Anthony can't just marry any girl he's dating. His parents won't support him marrying anyone except you. His dad and your father are best friends, and the same goes for his mother and me."
"Hmm." Lerisa shook her head, finished washing her hands, and said, "Mom, I'm hungry, and I need to shop for a new dress for Anthony's party tonight."
"Okay," Mrs. Antonia sighed, letting Lerisa pass. Lerisa left the kitchen with her teacup and returned to the dining table for breakfast.
Mrs. Antonia joined her daughter, and they had breakfast together.
Lerisa didn't want to tell her mother the truth—that she saw Anthony with an engagement ring. She feared her parents would be heartbroken if they witnessed Anthony proposing to Clara Harry.
Lerisa resumed eating her bread with fried eggs, while her mother silently continued her breakfast too.
After breakfast, Lerisa cleared the dishes, washed them, and went to her bedroom to freshen up. She planned to go out and shop for a new gown for Anthony's party.
Her phone rang, startling her. She wasn't expecting a call, as she didn't have many friends' numbers saved.
Lerisa picked up her phone from the drawer, saw it was an unknown number, and answered, "Hello, who is this?"
"Hi, Lerisa. How are you this morning?" a deep, masculine voice asked.
"I'm fine; who is this?" Lerisa questioned, quickly recognizing Ben's voice.
She frowned, wondering how he got her number.
"How did you get my mobile number?" she asked.
Ben chuckled, knowing he had been asking Lerisa out, yet she didn't want to accept him.Lerisa was the first woman who had ever rejected his advances to date her, and he was determined to have her by force, whether she liked him or not. Ben believed that, with time, Lerisa would fall in love with him too.He replied, "Does it matter how I got your number, Lerisa? The truth is that I want to hear your voice. I have been searching for your mobile number and finally got it from somewhere else.""Where?" Lerisa asked, frowning, not wanting to have anything to do with Ben.She knew that Ben was also from a rich family, not the first son, but he owned a hotel and was doing well at his age, despite being the same age as Anthony.Lerisa asked him, "Why are you calling me?""Chill, babe. Why are you sounding so pissed off? Yesterday, I saw that you looked so sad, and that made me truly worried about you. I couldn't sleep well last night, which is why I am calling you now to know how you're fari
Lerisa sighed, knowing she couldn't miss Anthony's birthday party. She had attended every year since his 8th birthday, and now he was an adult.She knew that if she avoided attending Anthony's party, it might seem as though she was jealous or holding a grudge, and her parents would frown upon her.Lerisa focused on the road as she drove out of the street, planning to take another turn before reaching the main road.Just then, she saw a man and a woman kissing in front of a black car parked on the street.Lerisa wondered who the shameless couple was, kissing in public instead of somewhere private.She knew that mostly rich families lived in the estate, as most houses were individually owned and occupied by the owners and their families, rather than tenants.As she drove past the black car, she recognized the woman as Anthony's girlfriend, Clara Harry, kissing a man by the roadside.Lerisa's jaw dropped, and she slowed down for a better view.Initially, she intended to look away from the
Clara knew that she had lied to Remy about her name being April. It was a habit of hers to lie to men about her real name since she wasn't interested in them and only wanted to have sex with them.She walked back through her house gate, as she lived alone, and returned to her room in the rented apartment.Meanwhile, Lerisa drove to the shopping complex to buy clothes. She parked her car and sighed as she remembered how Clara had denied knowing her.Lerisa thought about calling Anthony again, but she didn't know how to tell him that she saw his girlfriend cheating on him.She switched off her car engine, stepped out, locked the door, and walked to the boutique to pick out a gown.In one of the boutiques, a sales representative greeted her, "Good afternoon, ma'am. What kind of clothes do you want to buy? We have gowns, skirts and blouses, trousers, and any kind of feminine wear you want." Lerisa smiled and looked around the boutique before replying, "Gowns, as I don't usually wear trous
Martha and Lerisa met their parents in their living room. Lerisa greeted them, "Good afternoon, Mom, Dad.""Welcome home, Lerisa. Your father and I forgot to purchase birthday gifts for Anthony today. How about you? Did you buy anything on your way home?" Mrs. Antonia asked."No, Mom. I forgot too," Lerisa replied.She glanced at the living room wall clock and saw that it was already 2 PM.Her father said, "There's still time, Lerisa. Why not go out with your sister to the nearby shops and buy something for the Gregson family? We can't attend Anthony's birthday empty-handed since he is their only son.""Hmm, you're right, Father. But what should I get him? They're wealthy, and last year we already gave Anthony a standing fan... I don't know what to buy this year," Lerisa said with a frown, as they had already bought many gifts for Anthony before."Anything you give him will be acceptable, Lerisa. As long as we bring a gift, we can't go to their house, receive a gift, and enjoy their fo
Later in the evening, Lerisa was in her room when she received a phone call from Anthony. It was already 5 PM, and she had finished dressing up and applying a little makeup.She felt nervous seeing Anthony's name on the caller ID, unsure whether to pick up. She was worried because she hadn't told him about Clara cheating.Taking a deep breath, Lerisa finally answered just before the call could end. Anthony's deep voice greeted her, "Hello, Lerisa...""Hi, Anthony. I'm on my way now," Lerisa replied quickly. Anthony asked, "Are you sure? Or do you not want to attend my birthday party tonight?"Anthony wanted to see Lerisa, as he thought of her like a younger sister. Lerisa immediately said, "Why wouldn't I attend your birthday? I'm coming, please... Just a minute," she pleaded."Alright, I'm expecting you. Please don't disappoint me. Later, you can share your problems with me, and if you need money, I can help you out," Anthony said. Lerisa quickly replied, "No, Anthony... I'm coming no
Staring at his handsome reflection in the wide wall mirror one last time, Anthony finally walked out of his bedroom. He followed the passage on the top floor and went downstairs to the event hall in the second wing of their mansion."Welcome the celebrant! We've been waiting for this joyful moment to begin celebrating his new age with him: Anthony Gregson!" the female host shouted as Anthony walked onto the stage."Thank you all, thank you," Anthony said as the applause grew. He accepted the microphone from the host in a white gown.She was a young lady, married, but the host of the show. She smiled sweetly at Anthony, who smiled back at her and all the guests. They all clapped happily for him too.Lerisa stood in a corner of the event hall and smiled at Anthony. She watched him on stage and then sat beside her sister as most guests took their seats."I appreciate you all for accepting my birthday invitation. Today wouldn't be memorable without you here to celebrate this joyous day and
As Ben walked outside to the stage with Lerisa, Anthony, and the rest of the event, the shows hadn't started.Stepping outside on stage with Ben as the music played a love song, Lerisa could feel all eyes on her. It seemed like everyone in the event hall paused to stare at her as she walked nervously on stage with Ben holding her closely, and she held his hands too.She didn't want to look at the table where her parents sat watching her in surprise. She knew her mother had told her she liked Anthony and wanted him to marry her.With the way Ben was holding her waist so closely, Lerisa felt her face burning hot. Even though Ben was taller than her, he was the same height and had a masculine shape like Anthony.Lerisa wondered why she couldn't stop comparing Ben to Anthony. Probably because she grew up hoping a handsome man like Anthony would notice her, as they still lived in the same vicinity, and she hadn't traveled to another country or worked elsewhere. She saw him every day too...
Lerisa immediately rushed down from the stage, not even waiting for Ben to leave with her. Since the hall was dark, mixed with the dim light from the bulb, she collided with a man whose face she hadn't seen. She apologized without looking up, saying, "I'm sorry."As she wanted to leave the event hall quickly to avoid witnessing Anthony proposing to Clara on stage, the man grabbed her left wrist and turned her to face him. Lerisa gasped, "Ah!"She collided with his chest and looked up at his face, while Anthony and Clara continued dancing alone on the stage."Hi, pretty," Remy said. Lerisa was shocked to see that he was the man she had seen earlier in the day kissing Clara by the roadside."Hi," she said, unable to believe her eyes, her mouth agape. Ben immediately approached them and pulled Lerisa away from Remy's touch, glaring at him.Remy smiled at Ben and Lerisa as she pulled herself away from Ben's possessive hold.Remy was wearing a simple yellow shirt, with some buttons open, re