Chapter 2

    The next morning, Astrid woke up quite late, only to find out she was still alone in the room. Sandra hadn't returned home yet.

Since her first class for the day was scheduled at nine thirty am and she'd about an hour till then, she decided to lay back in bed and probably read some books till it was time for lectures.

However, her plans were thwarted when her cellphone began to ring from where she'd left it.

She reached for it and picked it up, only to see it was her mother calling. Without any hesitation, she accepted the call and put the phone on loudspeaker, whilst still lying on the bed.

"Astrid." Came the blithely cheerful voice from the other end,

"Good morning mom." She greeted,

"Morning darling, how's school?" The voice asked and she sighed,

"School's fine. Everything is going well, better than I'd expected."

"Okay. Your dad and I wanted to hear from you, it's been quite awhile." The woman said to her,

"Yeah, I've been busy with school stuffs and..." She paused, after a second thought occurred to her.

She hadn't told them she was taking a part time job.

They would tell her to quit her job and focus on her studies. Even though they're were a tight corner financially, they're refused her from taking any job, while studying, but then, she knew she'd to.

Her younger sister, Ava was still in high school and of course, they'll need money for her tuition fees too. They'd to pay taxes, insurance fees and of course, other household expenses. It would be very selfish and inconsiderate from her, if she'd imposed her entire expenses on them too. So, she'd to get the job and for over two months now, she'd done well in hiding her job from them. Although, she knows she'll have to tell them at some point, but for now, she can't afford to make a slip now.

"And what, honey?" Her mother asked her. She could hear her father's voice from the background, asking her mother what the problem was and she guessed immediately, her facial expression had changed.

"Good morning, dad." She greeted him, ignoring her mother's question.

"Morning, munchkin. How're you doing?" The man asked her,

"I'm fine, dad. School is going well and I'm making new friends too." She replied the man, kicking her blanket away and picking up the phone from her bed.

"That's great news, munchkin. I'll leave you and your mom to speak now, she's glaring daggers at me already." He inveighed playfully and Astrid chuckled,

"Okay dad, say hi to Ava for me." She mouthed to him,

"I'll." He hollered, before handing the phone to his wife.

"Astrid honey, how's your roommate? 

Hope she isn't any trouble?" The woman asked,voice filled with concern,

"Mom, Sandra is fine and she isn't any trouble. She's a very nice person and so are her friends." She explained to the woman, holding back her laughter.

"Okay, take care of yourself, focus on your studies and don't forget to stay out of trouble."

"I'll mom."

"I trust you too. Bye." She blew her a noisy kiss from the phone, which Astrid captured to her chest, smiling.

They hung up and called it a day.

Her mom can be very overprotective at times.

She'd told her, after the first time she'd saw Sandra, that she doesn't like her.

"Mom, you'd just met her for like five minutes ago ." She'd complained in an exasperated sigh, as they walked out of her room.

"That's way too much time to evaluate a person. 

I don't like her one bit, so you've to be careful around her. Promise me you'll be." She'd made her promise and she'd, except that such promises are hardly kept.

After the call, she kept her phone on her desk and sauntered into the bathroom to freshen herself up.

She came out awhile later, wrapped in her towel and another wrapped around her head, she strode to her wardrobe to pick out her day's outfit. It took her a few minutes to get dressed and when she finished, she borrowed Sandra's hair dryer and dried her hair with it.

She didn't see Sandra again that morning.

Meanwhile, in the other side of the city, Robin DeMarco was in his office with his friend, Cole Valdez and with the expression on their faces, it was obvious something bad had happened.

"This is bad, Rob. What are you doing to do about this?" A worried Cole asked Robin,

"How are you doing to explain this to your family and to everyone?" He probed further, but Robin said nothing.

He was too dumbfounded to even speak.

How could she have done that to him?

He loved her and had treated her well. They'd plans, they'd made plans together. So, how could she have pulled a stunt like this one?

"Try calling her again." He managed to say to his friend, but Cole didn't bother calling her.

He'd never like her before. Julie Martinez or whatever she'd called herself. He'd never liked her, not for one bit.

She was too demanding and controlling, always wanting to tell Robin what to do and what not to. She prided herself as the Queen B, wanting others to be falling at her feet, worshipping her.

Several times, he'd wondered what Robin had saw in her, that'd made him infatuated with her.

Of course, Julie is beauty and high class with great taste in everything, ranging from fashion to people, but when it came down to the inside, she was nothing but a rotten apple.

He never liked her and the feeling was mutual.

"Call her again." Robin said again and this time, Cole brought out his cellphone, dialed her number and put it on loudspeaker for Robin to hear.

They got the same reply they'd been getting since the night before. Her number was out of reach.

"Fuck!" Robin groaned in anger and frustration, pushing away everything on his table. All the plans and paper, including the glass penholder, fell to the floor and shattered into smaller pieces against it.

Cole sprang up from his seat and rushed to where he was fuming with rage,

"Robin, you've got to calm down." He said to him, pushing his seat away from the table, before he could cause more damage.

"This isn't gonna solve the problem now. We've got to find better solution." He advised him, patting his shoulder slowly.

"The wedding had been announced to the whole world and there's no way we can call it off. Smashing things wouldn't bring Julie back, so it's of no use to us." He cajoled him, still patting his shoulder.

"We've to think of something. Something that can salvage the situation Julie has put us all in."

"She's broken me..."

"Cut it out bro," Cole chided him,

"Seems like you've forgotten who you're. You're a DeMarco. Robin DeMarco, CEO of DeMarco and Sons. One of the city's youngest billionaires." He reminded him, as if he'd forgotten who he was.

"Do you know the countless ladies that would die for this position Julie has missed? Do you?

Do you know how many ladies would want to be your fiancé, even just for a day?" He asked him,

"I want Julie. I need Julie Martinez.."

"Fuck her, bro. Fuck her." Cole cussed in disgust,

"She's gone and with what I've seen, she isn't coming back.

Are you gonna commit suicide for that? Fucking no!" He made him turn to him and sighed, taking out his handkerchief to wipe off his glistening eyes.

"You don't get to shed a single tears for her, bro. She ain't worth it.

She's supposed to be the one in tears now, crying for her loss." He stated as a matter of fact.

"Like I said earlier, we should be looking for a solution..." He was cut off by Robin's ringing cellphone, from his desk,

"Lemme go get it." He offered, leaving him to go get the phone.

"It's your mom calling, Rob." He announced to him, bringing the phone to him.

"I can't take it..."

"You'll take it. Brace up yourself and pretend like nothing had happened." He cajoled him,

"You're gonna take this call and act like everything is going fine. We can't afford to disappoint her, not now.

Now, take it." He accepted the call and shove it unto his palm.

"Hello Robby." Came the excited female voice from the other end and Robin sighed,

"Good day mom."

"My precious son, how're you doing?" She asked him,

"I'm fine, ma. How're you and dad?"

"Your dad's doing well, but me, I'm dying in anticipation already. I can't wait to meet your bride to be." She said to him, trying er best to put a lid on her excitement level.

Robin averted his gaze to Cole, who signaled him to carry on.

"I've invited my friends from our book club and also the ones from the golf club...I just can't wait to finally meet the girl that have captured my son's heart. I just can't wait."

Her anticipation and excitement was killing Robin, he'd almost choke on his tears.

"Are you alright, Robby?" She asked all of a sudden and he sighed, faking a smile,

"Yes mom. I'm in the middle of a meeting." He lied,

"Oh. I'm sorry I'd to interrupt your meeting. Just wanted to hear from you. Okay, I'll go off now, so you can concentrate on work." She obliged,

"Love you son and remember what I'd told you.

I want the wedding to be held Palm Springs. I'll make all necessary arrangements, all you've to do is to be home a week before the wedding date."

"Yes mom, I'll do that." He assured her,

"Okay dear, bye and my regards to..."

"Mom, I'll send your regards to her. Bye." He cut her off and bade his bye, hanging up the call immediately.

"She wants the wedding to be in Palm Springs."

"Then, a Palm Springs wedding it'll be, except it won't be between you and Julie."

"What do you mean?" Robin asked confusedly,

"We're getting a substitute bride for you." He announced and Robin was deadpanned.