Chapter five: Troubles Begin

"Hi, I'm Ellen." The young, perky lady with eyes the shade of ocean and hair the color of chocolate beamed at me as soon I stepped into the living room.

It was evening and Blake would be back from work soon. I gave a wary smile because I did not know and had never seen her before.

"Blake's step sister." She further revealed.

"Oh." My smile turned warm and friendly. I did not even know Blake had a step sister, he never told me about her.

The only person I had met was his mother and even she was gone before I could properly get to know her, but she was nice to me. I was surprised because it was common that mothers wanted a classy, rich daughter-in-law for their son but she was the exact opposite.

I guess Ellen would be nice to me too. "He did not tell you?"

I needed to tread carefully here. "Maybe he did, it just skipped my memory. I'm sorry."

"It's okay. I think we're going to be good friends. You seem nice and are very pretty." She complimented.

I flushed a bit. No one had called me pretty. "Thank you. You're pretty too."

"Why, thank you." She was dressed like a model. Well, when your brother was the richest man in the country, money and fashion would never be the problem.

Speaking of which, it was three months since our marriage, Blake was really doing as he had promised. He had renovated the thrift store and was now having designer clothes flown in. He said I should start with marketing other brands until I was done with my fashion designing course and could start making my own brand.

He was a playboy and I did not involve myself in his life. We had never been intimate for the whole of the three months which was okay to me. Not like I wanted my hot, handsome husband kissing me with the same mouth he'd kissed his many conquests with.

Blake was not really a hard man to live with. I'd come to realize he was a complex guy and I needed to understand him. There were days he was cold and harsh towards me, I could live through them. Sometimes, he was nice and easy to tolerate.

We co-habited quite well.

"Let's get you a room." I was about to help her with one of her bags but my maid, Phina beat me to it. "Thank you."

Twenty minutes later, she was showered and in the living room with me, the TV was on but we were more interested in knowing each other and drinking champagne.

"What are you doing here?!" The voice boomed angrily, almost startling me out of my seat. My flute had almost slipped from my grip.

"That is no way to welcome family, Blake." Ellen pouted, looking adorably offended.

"Uhm...that is very true." I put in.

"Shut it!" He growled.

I did not need to be told twice. I watched the drama unfold, wondering why Blake would be treating his family so horribly.

"What are you doing here, Ellen?" He spat the question as though he was talking to an enemy.

"I just returned from Italy, Blake. Can I not come back to where I belong?" Ellen looked so hurt that my heart went out to her.

How could he be treating his own sister as trash? It was unacceptable and I was going to let him know it.

"Can we talk, Blake? Please." I stepped closer to him.

He eyed me in annoyance but still went with me.

"Why would you do that to your sister? Let her stay, please." I pleaded.

"Don't even dare, Riana." He warned.

"I know you don't want me to interfere but I'm so lonely here. I'm yet to get the perfect fashion design school for me. I can no longer reach Lexie and you are unbothered about it. Always telling me she's fine and receiving treatment. Ellen is here and she likes me. We have bonded, please, I want her to stay. I can not be lonely in this big house." I appealed to him hoping it would get to him somehow.

"Fine." He conceded angrily and left.

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"What are you doing?" She opened my room to join me on the bed where I was currently surfing the net on everything about fashion design a week later.

"Just a little research." I told her.

"Let me see." I made space for her to see what I was doing.

We were talking about my thrift store and how to go about running it. My phone rang, I picked it.

"Hello." Blood drained from my face. "What?! Wha-what do you mean?" No. No. That was my dream. My life. "Okay, I'm on my way."

My whole body was trembling. I jumped down from from bed to go put on some clothes.

"What is wrong, Riana?" Ellen jumped down after me, she was confused and panicky too.

"M-my s-store. It's on fi-fire." My words were broken. Oh my goodness! No. Not again! Was I not allowed to be happy? Damn this life I was born into!

"What?! Oh my goodness, I'm so sorry. Let me wear something better, I'll come with you." She rushed out of my room.

I nodded. I really needed all the support I could get. I was ready to reach the floor any minute. Why did this happen to me all the time? Just when I was about to achieve something, a bad event ruins the whole plan.

I got my keys and ran out of the room. I saw Ellen come out of her own room then. "Give me the keys, Riana. You don't look like you can handle the wheels."

Without any argument, I gave her the keys, clutching my phone tightly so it wouldn't slip from my quaking hands.

We entered one of the three cars Blake had bought for me and zoomed out of the compound. I was thinking of the possible worse case scenarios that could be happening in my store.

I wiped tears as Ellen drove expertly through the little traffic. I jolted when my phone rang again.

"Be calm Riana, so you don't injure yourself." Ellen advised.

I checked the caller ID. Blake. Nerves twisted. "It's your brother. Maybe he had heard."

"It's not your fault it got burnt. Just pick and hear what he has to say." She encouraged.

I picked. "Hello Blake." I waited a beat, then frowned. "Who is this?"

Ellen threw a furrowed glance my way before turning her attention back on the road.

"What?!" My heart leapt out of my chest and flew out the window, onto the road where it was crushed. "O-okay."

"What is it?" She asked when I dropped the phone.

She was just a blurry figure, tears fell incessantly. My heart and mind could take no more bad news. I felt like I was floating despairingly into space. "Blake was just involved in an accident and is in coma."