Chapter 1: The engagement ceremony turning into a doomsday

Thud!, Scarlet fell off from the chair she was sitting on . The words Kevin had just said kept buzzing in her brain like bees.

" Ladies and gentlemen,can I have a moment please because there's a special a nouncement I would like to make and it goes mainly to scarlet." Kevin stood elegantly on the well decorated podium holding a microphone wearing a green suit with a white tie. His emerald green eyes held a smile that wasn't because he just looked like trouble.

Gasps and murmurs were heard among the guests who had come to witness the cold billionaire getting engaged to scarlet and the sudden news had took very many people by surprise not totally believing it.

"I think it's high time this game comes to an end,in that I will consider myself as the best planner and an amazing actor,I mean dear scarlet, Ohh I had forgotten you're nolonger dear to me and fiance to be. I have never loved you and guess what? ,the illusion of loving you I created to coerced your fragile heart to deeply fall for me was truly amazing and worked making my game so easy and simple. All I wanted in this so called relationship was to win the bet I made inorder to get a diamond factory for my project."

The sudden blow of this revelation shocked everyone but scarlet her mind at first was in denial but Kevin went ahead to narrate the reason behind loving her with fake smiles, gifts and company.

She thought she had won a jack pot for taming the cold billionaire with her love but it was the other way around and everything was all fake. Simply it was a well laid out trap for her and she fell deep into it . Oh dear she was truly naive when it came to relationships and love and thought someone who claims to love you would genuinely mean it. Some people sympathized with her while others gloated for her misfortune because in the beginning they felt like she wasn't a match to the most sought bachelor and on top of that the self made billionaire in Freedom city.

Trying to collect herself together, Scarlet stood up with red eyes from crying and her gaze listless and found the voice she had lost and was determined to ask why he had choose her to make a bet on her genuine feelings.

" Kevin! , what did I ever do to you ? ,and why would you do this to me in front of so many people and on top of that amongst the guests. " Scarlet asked with tears streaming down her face. She felt like her heart was pricked with thousand pins and breathless.

But met with silence. Holding her white gown,she took slow steps until her fragile figure disappeared in front of them. Ritah who was unable to make it to the ceremony because of her busy schedule rushed home the moment she saw the news.

Scarlet didn't know how she managed to reach home but she entered the sitting room and it was Ritah's butler who opened the door for her. He just gave her a hug like a daughter because no words would comfort her broken heart. Ritah arrived a few minutes later and immediately ran to the room upstairs to check on her best friend. Scarlet lay in the bathtub like a dead soul . Ritah kept banging the door but Scarlet was emersed in her sorrow that she couldn't hear anything at the moment.

Ritah got very worried and immediately called the butler to fetch the spare key , opening the door,she panicked when she didn't see anyone and almost broke down but her eyes caught sight of an open door to the bathroom. She finally found Scarlet's body sinking at the bottom and totally lost it. She called the butler to help and call an ambulance. The good thing the pulse was still active but slow. The doctors arrived and put scarlet's body on the stretcher and immediately went to KS international hospital. She was taken to ICU and after few hours,the doctor in charge called for the immediate relatives.

" Doctor am her immediate relative, is something wrong?" Ritah asked with tears brimming in her eyes.

" Don't worry doctor Ritah but there's something you should know, your friend is two weeks pregnant and if not for your realization,she would have lost the baby and her life but it seems like the life inside her is tough. The doctor blowed the news to Ritah who wiped her tears and went to the ward where scarlet was placed and still unconscious. Kevin got wind of scarlet's pregnancy and ordered his men to deal with the thing or the so called fetus in her stomach since he didn't want to do anything with the bearer of the child.

Ritah had just got outside to buy refreshments for her best friend but the moment she returned,she found an empty hospital and panicked to call the security on that particular floor to check the whereabouts of the patient.

Limping towards the bathroom,my legs fail to support me directly falling on the floor with a thud!, the floor is typically covered with green algae all over because of the heavy down pour everyday. Sitting in a corner of the bathroom, tears stream down my face that is now full of wounds. I feel like shouting at the top of my lungs to complain to the creator why my life is miserable?

This slippery green algae is so disgusting that I feel like retching right now. Not a single thing in my life as ever gone right but things always end up a total disaster. Starting from the shabby house with leaking roofs,the old dirty mattress,the worn-out clothes,the parents who do nothing but argue on every single thing especially when they don't agree on similar things.

The nonsensical dad,an emotional mess mother and I don't care sister who would do anything to get out of this devastating situation. I completed high school last year,my results were good enough to get me into a descent university but too bad the tuition isn't available to pursue further Studies. I entered into the world of hustlers but my dia things are so tough out there that I would rather prefer to stay in school than facing the real life in the world.

Having tried several jobs but all end up disastrous like I remember a certain lady who operated a small restaurant. When I applied for being a waitress she said to me, " girl I would have right away given you the job but you're too beautiful that am worried these garage men will disturb you and make you their wife so, that will be a " No!" for me.

The way she started made my hopeless life to somehow brighten up but all my hopes was dashed into air .

That was the most devastating day in my life. I always feel like as if there's a monitoring spirit of poverty walking besides me. Or maybe my ancestors made a deal with the devil so that our entire family dies of misery and poverty. Moreover I heard one time that the devil always selects beautiful people to do his evil deed. Do you that you can find a lady who's not beautiful but married to a man of every woman's dream. This life has no formula indeed.

" Scarlet!, why are taking so much time in the bathroom?" That's automatically my Mom, she sounds so bitter because she hasn't had breakfast since morning yet it's approaching midday. Holding the walls, I steady myself while wrapping a small towel over my body. Limping back,I enter the small house looking around if anyone has seen me , sighing I close the small door with my heart almost jumping out of my chest.

Opening the wooden small window facing opposite the heap of rubbish dumped in this area from the great metropolitan city to provide some light inside ,stretching my small hands under the small cabin,I start rammaging through the outdated rusty metallic suitcase,I grab a blue pale dress due to constant washing and wearing it. Applying some olive oil on my body now am good to go.

Oops! , what should I put on under my feet probably am gonna put on those black boots

that nolonger accommodate my ever growing feet. Whenever I put them on,I have to put some medicine on the blisters caused by the small black boots. Putting on a mask to hide my face that has wounds all over at the extent of scaring a child. With a walking stick,I limped to where my mother was seated under the mango tree with her friends who knows nothing but to gossip on whoever is passing by.

" hey! Scarlet what happened to you? , don't tell me that you got hit again by someone." Melinda said, I could hear the gloating in her voice but I can't do anything about it since she's older than me.

" Why do you spend a lot of time when taking a bath?, don't you know that time is money." She's at it again,hmmp! Says the lady who spends most of her time doing unproductive things like gossiping in the whole neighborhood.

" Scarlet! Are you hearing what am saying because your silence speaks a thousand words maybe you're busy cursing me in that tiny head of yours . Snapping out of my daze due to her loud voice,I apologize right away.

" Am sorry Mom,I will never do it again."

" You better not do it again or else you will suffer the consequences." Warning me repeatedly I nod my head.

My Mom she behaves like she owes anyone money. Her wrinkled face tells it all that she has lived a very difficult life. Her once beautiful light skinned face has faded away with time. Her sunken eyes with skinny body structure like a malnourished child sometimes scares people to come near her . Those who are used to her appearance are okay with it.

Shoving her hands into the worn-out pocket of the skirt,she hands me two thousand to buy some food stuff from the market. Oh will we ever cook a good dish apart from sweet potatoes and silver fish. This kind of dish when taken constantly brings a heartburn resulting into ulcers. Bypassing the trenches with flowing dirty water and sewage released by those in the uptown without giving a damn of those living in downtown. The stench smell makes it difficult to even have a proper meal. This is the disadvantage of living in crowded places with poor sanitation.

Don't you guys think that our life is so pathetic? ,I don't think that anyone of you could survive in this kind of environment. It's like how some Authors describe Africa as a terrifying place meant for torture with dangerous animals, though life is complicated especially when you don't have money,but let me tell when you explore it's beauty you might even desire to stay behind.

Don't get me wrong! It's just a fleeting memory from the many novels I have read. Walking along the dumping site with a small road connecting to the junction,I find people forming a crowd,I get curious that's why am gonna join them to find out what's exactly happening in our neighborhood. By the way this is the largest dumping site where the greater metropolitan dumps rubbish. Trucks collect rubbish from big cities. This makes the area to be smelly with large heaps of rubbish like a mountain, this however is so risky towards our lives since the houses are below the heaps. A reporter is in the middle interviewing some ladies.

" Hello! ,how are you lady?" The reporter asked the lady who was so excited.

" Am not complaining as you see." The lady replied with a smile.

" So how are you able to live and survive in such a place." The reporter asked raising his microphone. " We are used to this kind of life because there's nothing we can do about it."

" By the way are you pregnant because you're glowing." The reporter asked catching the lady off guard.

" Am not pregnant but this is the results of the stenchy smell and the expired products we pick from the heaps." The lady replied shocking the reporter who felt like vomiting.

" So you guys mean that you eat those expired foodstuffs." The reporter asked again because he thought that she was lying.

" Yes." The lady said.

" Hello,sir ! what kind of businesses do you operate in this area."

" We operate a number of businesses because you know those people in uptown spend lavishly and most clothes that are still reusable end up on the dumping site,so we collect those clothes and take them back to the city for resale.". The man replied with a smile reaching his eyes.

" Do those rubbish collectors have a lot of money?" The reporter asked again.

" Of course they have a lot of money since they resale things from the heaps." Okay thanks for the interview see you next time. The crowd dispersed as the reporter entered his car.

I should actually continue my journey since I have got to know everything that has happened. Reaching the market place, it's buzzing with people everywhere as they shop their food stuffs and different things. Roaming the whole market,I end up at the last stall where Phil works.

" oh! My beautiful my Queenie Queenie, how are you?". Phil greets me excited.

" Am okay but where have you been all this while because the whole of last week you weren't around." I asked him worriedly.

" Nothing serious but some family issues,so what should I sell you my Queenie Queenie hmm." He comforted me asking what am gonna buy . " I would like sweet potatoes and silver fish." I told him checking out the various heaps of sweet potatoes. Picking the large heaps with small sweet potatoes.

" Is this your choice." He asked without batting his gaze from me.