Eight

Things hardly made Mike laugh. But, at that moment he found himself laughing out loud. He stared at Amelia's stepmother as if she had just made the joke of the century. His gaze moved to Amelia who was quiet and touching the small bag in her hand like it held the most important things in the world. He said nothing in response to her joke, but she repeated it again.

"My daughter Ava will be your wife"

Mike stared at Ava, truly she looked beautiful in the Barbie kind of manner but he didn't feel that first attraction he felt with Amelia. He was seeing both of them for the first time, yet he felt strangely connected to Amelia. But, he had no interest in this Ava.

He focused his attention back on Amelia as if her stepmother hadn't said anything. "As I said, we could work it out if that's the reason for your proposal."

Amelia wasn't listening to him though; her gaze was on her stepmother who was staring at her in a strange manner. Ava also wore a frown on her face. Mike could read their emotions like an open book and he wore a frown on his face. He was sure that with their presence, he was never going to get through to Amelia not to think of having a meaningful conversation. Maybe it was the right time to have that conversation with her father, he excused himself.

Getting to the study without a guide wasn't that difficult, unlike their mansion, the Jave's house was the easiest to navigate. He found her father sitting in front of his desk and concentrating on the book in front of him. He hadn't bothered closing the door to the study while he was busy.

Mike cleared his throat to get his attention. The moment he saw Mike, he closed his book and gave him a smile. It was a smile Mike knew too well. Mike also smile at him.

"I see you are done talking to your fiancée. What do you think about her?"

Mike's gaze moved to the chair. He hadn't bothered asking him to sit, he was really eager about this marriage thing. Maybe that was why his parents were able to convince him to have it in secret. Who would want their daughter to marry in secret?

He allowed himself to sit on the chair comfortably before responding, "It would have been okay if your wife hadn't interrupted. It had come to my notice that you guys want me to marry your other daughter and not Amelia."

The shock on his face meant he had no idea what he was talking about. Amelia's stepmother came in on cue with her daughter behind him. He tried to get a glance at Amelia but she didn't follow them. She smiled at him and moved closer to her husband, talking in a hushed voice that he could barely hear. He waited quietly for them to complete whatever discussion they were having. Meanwhile, Ava took that opportunity to sit beside him. She smiled at him but he could barely give her a glance.

She wasn't the type he took to bed. At that coming from him was big. He was a player, and having sex was an outlet for his emotions especially when he heard the news about his family online. Things they ought to tell him were things he heard from strangers. People who had no idea who the Afonsos were knew more things about them than he did about his family.

"We will make a nice couple, don't you think?" Ava's voice brought him out of his thought. He glanced at her and back at her parents who were still having whispered arguments.

"Not interested."

Ava looked shocked as if she hadn't been rejected in her life. He guess she was one of those spoilt brats who usually have whatever they desire, but he wasn't an item she could have just because she desire him all of a sudden.

She wasn't giving up though, "I'm more beautiful than Amelia, and I think our children will be beautiful."

She wasn't as beautiful as Amelia according to Mike but telling her that was striking a conversation with her, and he was certain that was her goal. She wanted to strike up a conversation with him and paint herself as a good person. He had met a lot of people like her, so it was barely a surprise. When she saw that he wasn't responding, she continued buttering herself up. "I will make a better wife than Amelia. You haven't even met her before. She is rude and definitely not the type you will want for a wife."

She had resulted in bad-mouthing her sister, He smiled. If there was something he hated, it was people who weren't loyal to their families. No matter what his family did to him, he would always be loyal to them.

Finally, her parents turned to him with fake smiles plastered on their faces. Her mother took a seat opposite them and her father sat on the chair he had been on previously.

He cleared his throat in a noisy manner that irritated Mike, "Mr Afonso, I am very sorry for the misunderstanding. It is our daughter here…" she pointed at Ava who had a wide grin on her face. "… she was the one we intended to show your parent. It was due to the fact that she was absent that day that made us introduce Amelia, but now that she is back, we think it's better if both of you who originally meant to be together, get together."

Mike smiled. This family was trying to play a game on him. If they think his family was a joke they could give that lame excuse to then they had another thing on their way. "I don't care if it was a mistake or not. I will only marry the lady that was betrothed to me or we could as well cancel this marriage completely. Let me know when you guys decide." Without waiting for their response, he left the room.

Amelia knew they were going to blame her even before Ava came to her room. It was her fault that they had arranged for her to marry a stranger nobody knew about. Now that the stranger was so good-looking that their precious daughter couldn't take her eyes off him, it was her fault that the stranger insisted on marrying just her.

Ava was throwing things on the floor of her room in annoyance after the guy had left, "I knew it. I knew mum shouldn't have let you see him before talking to him. You are nothing but a witch. I was certain you have bewitched him."

It was a new insult to Amelia. Now she had the power to bewitch people. If she truly had powers she would have used them on better things than bewitching a stranger.

She sat on the bed staring into nothing. "I am sure he will change his mind soon enough."

Amelia thought, there was no one that would see them together and pick her over Ava. Ava had the privilege of using the best skin products in the world, and she always has those sessions where they work on her skin. Amelia had used only things she saw on her skin.

"You better pray he comes back and choose me or I will show you hell in this house." She dropped the last lamp on the floor shattering it into pieces, and then stalk out of the room in annoyance. Amelia let out a breath she had no idea she was holding, now that her plans to use Mike as an excuse to escape this hell hole had bounced. She had no idea what to know. All she knew was she had to find an alternative way to escape.

She picked up her phone and messaged her closest friend online, 'I need help."