Chapter 1

"You Gold digging low life! Are you still sleeping at this time of day?" Mrs Carter's voice boomed in my ears as she whipped off the little blanket that barely covered my body.

Sitting up in a sleepy mood, I rubbed my eyes with my palm before opening them to take in her furious face, the wrinkled arch on her forehead very visible. "Good morning, Mother." I greeted politely disregarding her initial insult

"I am not your mother, you silly girl. Will you not go to work? Or are you waiting for my Son to provide for your lazy ass?" she asked folding her arms beneath her breasts

"I won't be going to work today; tomorrow's Valentine's Day ma Ethan and I have plans," I said letting a small smile creep up my face at the thought of spending tomorrow with the love of my life, but the thought was cut short by a croaked laughter 

"You think my son will spend his hard-earned money on you all for Valentine's Day? You must be delusional" 

I smiled and then said, "Mother, is there something you would like me to do? I have an errand to run for Ethan by noon." 

"Make me coffee, no sugar, just black and bring it to my room, since you won't be going to work, why not include taking care of the house today, so you'd be useful and pay back my son for being a freeloader." with that she sighed and walked off

"If only she knew." I smiled harder before getting out of bed. 

The joy in my heart had no rival. I picked up my phone and played my favorite music, "Thinking Out Loud by Ed Sharan". Humming and twilling to the song as I hit the showers 

The moment the waters dropped on my body I couldn't help but fantasize about the life that waited for me, my father's voice screamed in my head.

"You have three years, Sophia, three years to finish this stupid fantasy of yours and return with the man, or you will be forced to marry Alex." 

I smiled sheepishly as I imagined the look on my father's face when he saw me home with Ethan in two weeks.

Putting on a floral knee-length, Sleeveless dress, I pulled my hair in a pony, and with one last look in the mirror, I blew myself a passionate kiss and laughed hard before turning to my heels. 

Serving Mrs Carter the Coffee she demanded she kept throwing me suspicious looks and as I was about to leave her voice stopped me in my tracks 

"Why do you look overly happy today?" 

I turned, smiling harder with my set of white dental,l outside as if on display. "What do you mean, mother? I'm always happy you know?" I said

She gave me a suspicious look before going ahead to size me up, and then, with a wave of the hand, she dismissed me. 

Mrs Carter had never liked me, but she tolerated me for the sake of Ethan. Once out of the house I stood at the gate and called Bruce 

"Hello, Ms Lancaster." Uncle Bruce, our Butler spoke immediately he answered the call

"I need a ride into town; I'm at Ethan's place; meet me at the canteen near the house." 

"At your service ma'am," the line went dead.

***

"Hello Ma, Welcome to RJ Jewelry Stores, how may we help you," the cashier said smiling at me 

"I want one of your most expensive Diamond rings for my fiancée," I announced

"Follow me Ms, we have the best you can find in the entire New York" 

I followed her without hesitation. Ethan deserved the best, and I would not hesitate to offer him the very best. 

After hours of going through the selections the sales rep had made, I finally picked the best and finest of them all, an elegant 8.5-carat green diamond, 

As the Sales rep went on to package it as she requested, Bruce, an elderly-looking man with white hair, walked up to her and cleared his throat. 

"Uncle Bruce, say what's in your mind, I know you have something to say," I said turning to him with a small smile on my face

"Ms Lancaster, are you sure of this? Shouldn't he be the one engaging you?" he asked with a concerned look etched across his face. 

"Uncle Bruce, Ethan loves me; I have witnessed it. He wants to propose, but he doesn't have enough money for the kind of ring he wants." 

"Here's your gift, ma; let's head to the registry for payment," the sales rep interrupted. 

After payment and we returned to the car, Uncle Bruce asked, "Where to?" 

"Ethan's workplace." 

The ride there was a haze, all I had in my head was just his expression when he saw this and the line I plan on using 

"Ethan, you have been the best thing that has happened to me in three years; you have loved me regardless of who I was, and now I want to spend the rest of my life with you! Ethan Carter would you be the man of my dreams for life, marry me"

I had repeated this line for almost a month now, but it still sounded so cocky to me but I loved him enough to be Cocky beside him. 

I didn't know when we got there, but all I knew was Uncle Bruce staring at me, saying, "We are here." 

I looked around, and indeed, we were here Reid Industries. I had used my influence to get him a job as a Finance head in Reid Industries. But he didn't know.

Mustering up courage, I got into the building clutching the gift bag, which contained the diamond ring box, a flight ticket to Maldives, and reservations at Lancaster Hotels and Suites.

Greeting the receptionist who had always been friendly with me all these while and walking by, the elevator ride was so quiet, building up the nerves I had thought I had gotten rid of, the elevator kept stopping at floors and picking up people.

Finally, I was on his office floor. As I walked in, the employees greeted me heartily as I was more of a regular visitor, and they knew I was dating Ethan Carter. When I stopped by his assistant's desk she wasn't there.

"Where could Valerie be at this time?" I thought briefly but brushed it off and headed on, getting to his door I stopped inhaled, and exhaled before finally pushing the door handle and walking into the office

"Surp....." the sound died in my throat as before my eyes were Ethan and his assistant Valerie in each other's arms, kissing and canoodling.

In that instance, the gift box slipped off my hands slapping softly on the floor but enough to gain their attention

"Sophia?" Ethan said as shock spread across his face while Valerie still sat on his lap looking down as if scared to meet my gaze

"Sophia... I can..." I didn't wait to hear him; the only thing my insides screamed was to run! And I obeyed, picking up the gift

bag, I turned and bolted

This was a horrible nightmare; maybe if I ran, I'd wake up from it.