Gerald looked at her sorry state, her red eyes and finally her pale lips. His mind seemed to have shut down and as if under a spell he leaned in to kiss her. However, Ali shoved him away and what followed next was a resounding slap. The slap forced Gerald back and he landed on his butt. A look of surprise appeared on his face the same time Ali gasped in horror. The both of them stared at each other in shock, as if not believing what happened between them. Gerald touched his cheek where he could feel the sting from the slap. He stared at Ali without blinking for a few seconds. "You dare to slap me," he asked, looking up at her. Ali's soul had already left her body, as she struggled to stand, her legs were wobbly. She looked down at Dylan and began to apologize. She was terrified, and stared at Gerald with a terror-stricken expression. It felt like the slap wasn't given to Gerald but instead a knife was stabbed into her stomach. "I'm s..so sorry...I didn't...mean to...i..

Joe played with the toy in his hand as Ali fed him his lunch which was a bland porridge. He grimaced everytime he was given a spoonful of the food. "You shouldn't make such a face when eating Joe. Look, I can see wrinkles on your face," Ali's best friend said, pointing to Joe's forehead. She was a journalist who just returned from her vacation in Australia. She wasn't aware about Ali's predicament untill she returned a few hours ago. "Aunty Emily, the food is very bad," Joe complained, even though he opened his mouth to take another spoonful. "That is what convalescent patients take. Eat and don't trouble your sister," Emily lightly scolded. She pointed at Ali, "Your sister already looks like a shrimp worrying over you. So you better get better and grow bigger okay." Joe looked at his sister, his eyes watered. "Hush, don't cry. If not me who would care for you?" Ali asked, as she wiped her brother's face. "You have no one except me, aunt Vivian, Emily, Dr Wood, and yes,

"What are you doing? Y..you let go of me," Cheyenne cried out, trying to pry Vivian's hand away from her arm. "Keep quiet you little wench," Emily muttered, through gritted teeth. Ali anxiously peeked to see how far Martin was and found him talking to a doctor. Sweat trickled down her forehead as she stared at the women they were trying to force out. She couldn't afford to let Mary see Martin as it would cause a lot of drama. "Ali, you dare to disrespect me because you have Jared now. You can't escape from your responsibility, the bride price belongs to your father," Mary ranted. "Bride price? Oh please don't make me laugh. I don't owe you anything and instead it is you, and that scumbag of a father that owes me and my brother. I will take back all my mother's properties. Just you wait and watch!" Ali retorted, glaring daggers at Mary. Cheyenne struggled with Vivian to escape the woman's clutches. When she gazed down at her arm, she found red bruises around the area V

Ali looked at Harriet, her eyes bulging like a bird of night. Her lips opened, and closed as she was short of words over what Harriet said. She couldn't understand why Gerald's mother wanted to hurt her and the fear of having a sniper in the shadows watching her every move, and waiting for a perfect opportunity to shoot her made her heart pound. "Why is she after me? I don't think I have offended her in anyway, and besides I am getting married to Martin and not Gerald," Ali forced herself to say after a moment of speechlessness. Harriet heaved, and looked outside towards the sky. She said, "The political structure of our family is quite complicated. Gerald is the first son by right, and should be the patriarch of the family, but my husband made a new rule because of my late son," she looked at Ali again. "Anyone who gets married first would be the patriarch, leaving aside competence. I hated the rule and wanted to change it but changed my mind when those two rascals refused to

"Are you against it because of what would happen should Martin marry before you?" She asked. Her question earned her everyone's attention. "What did you say?" Gerald picked up a fork and threw it at her. "Aaarh," Ali screeched in horror when the fork flew towards her direction. She closed her eyes and covered her face, but the fork never got to her but landed on the plate of chicken right on top a chicken. Her eyes rolled, and she would have fallen from her seat if Martin hadn't grabbed her body. She had no strength left in her after screaming like that. Meanwhile, the reason for her fear only stood up and took the fork, taking a chicken along with it. He never once looked at her. Madam Harriet's face was unsightly, evident of her anger. She slammed the table as she scolded Gerald, "How dare you disrespect me and your brother like that?" She asked. "She didn't say anything wrong, you are in no position to tell me what to do or who Martin will marry." Harriet was so furious that