Staring intently at the judge, Aella sat there, anxiety written all over her face as she awaited the verdict of the judge concerning her brother's case.Her brother, Collins, was accused of a crime he never committed: rape.Her gaze went up to her brother as he shook his head, indicating that he was innocent and knew nothing about what he had been accused of.Hurt and betrayal were clearly written on his face as he averted his gaze from the judge to the family that had framed him. The family that housed the real culprit.They were the people he worked for as a cleaner in their mansion, along with the victim, who happened to be his girlfriend.She was raped by the son of his boss, but in an effort to manipulate the situation, they bribed the girl's family to coerce her into accusing Collins instead of their own son."After hearing from both parties," the judge's voice resounded in the court, and this brought Aella out of her thoughts as she focused on the judge to hear the judgment tha

Aella, dressed in a visibly wrinkled short-sleeved beige shirt and slightly faded sage green pants, stared at herself in front of the half-broken mirror.Her hands were clasped in front of her as her gaze anxiously shifted from her face to her heels and back again.She tugged at her blouse, trying to smooth out a very visible wrinkle, and gave her hair another check—probably for the millionth time.A thousand worries raced through her mind as she thought about the impending interview. Her stomach churned with nerves, and her heart raced in her chest."Aella… calm down… It's just an interview; no one is going to bite you," she whispered to herself, taking a deep breath in an attempt to soothe her frayed nerves.Time was running out; she needed to find some way to get the money for her grandmother's transplant surgery, but after several unsuccessful attempts to get a job as a waitress or even a cleaner at a prestigious restaurant, she decided to put up her skills as a dressmaker.Over t

Chapter 6This had to be the eeriest ride back home, and more than anything, Aella was grateful that it was almost over.Throughout the ride home, her mind flashed back to the sight of jubilation when she agreed to get married to Damien. She remembered plastering a fake smile on her face as people of high caliber came to congratulate them both with huge gifts."Finally, my son has become a man," his mother said with tears in her eyes as she congratulated them especially."There's no need to cry, mom."This is supposed to be a moment of joy. Don't dampen it with tears, Damien consoled her."I'm not crying because I'm sad." She got herself some handkerchiefs to clean her eyes. "I'm just happy that you've finally gotten over that daughter of Jezebel called Amelia. I'm happy you've decided to settle down with a good girl. Although the information came as a shock to me and the marriage was a quick one, I'm satisfied that you're now married. Your bride looks even more beautiful than that ex

"You don't know your way around, do you?" Aella gasped and turned sharply to face the direction of the voice, only to see a young man fully dressed with glasses that looked bigger than his face. He looked harmless overall, but a little funny with his pointy nose and big eyes. "I'm sorry I startled you. It's just that I noticed you were looking lost. This is the fourth time you've been on the floor with these documents, and every time you come, you scan with your eyes, but never ask for help," he said with a gentle smile. "I've been working here for two days, and it's obvious I don't know my way around. I'm embarrassed, she muttered and looked away in shame, wiping beads of sweat off her forehead. "There's no need to be embarrassed. It happens to everyone, he chuckled. "I'm Gareth. What exactly are you looking for?" "Who actually? Her name is Miss Marie Lopez. According to my husband, my boss, she's the head of the design department and my direct boss. I'll be working as a desig

Damien had asked her a question, but with no reply, she furiously summoned the courage to glare at him dead in the eye. "I said! Do… I made myself clear, Aella."He repeatedly questioned her. "Yes, yes,” she replied, furrowing her eyebrows and making her eyes narrow. She felt so much distress and was also left dumbfounded by Damein’s actions; he sure does have lots of connections. "Now let me go, or are you planning on cutting my arm down, huh?" She bravely questioned. He kept glaring at her, seeing she mustered so much courage to talk to him like that. He was about to realize her arm was in his grip, but she furiously took her arm from the tight grip she felt. He saw that she was acting stubborn but still ignored her, took the restriction agreement papers, and walked up to his room. "Release him and make sure he returns safely," Damien ordered, and he flung his phone on the bed. ****** "Hey dumbhead," the police inspectors called out to Collins. "It's time for you to get your