Chapter Fifty - Two

" Won't you answer it? Albert asked Valerie.

" Valerie" ...

Valerie was lost for words. She didn't know how to explain that she can't answer the call. She breathed a sigh of relief when the call ended.

" Why don't you want to answer it? " Albert asked her again. He smelled something fishy when Valerie looked at him dumbfounded. 

" I.. I wan..." Valerie was cut short of what she wanted to say when Albert asked her if the person she was calling was really her old friend. Albert noticed that she didn't want to talk about it so he kept quiet.

Valerie reduced her ringing volume to the lowest, so that it doesn't ring out. 

" Please stop. " Albert said to the chauffeur. Valerie looked at him questionably. Albert paid for the transport and they alighted from the cab.

" We're richly dressed today. " Albert said to her. " Let's go to the nearest boutique and get cheaper ones. "

Valerie exhaled loudly. She felt irritated by everything about Melissa. Albert took another cab and they drove to the nearest boutique. As they entered the boutique, eyes swept to their direction and people began to whisper. The ladies in the boutique drooled over the man that was present amongst them. Their dressing spoke of the level of their affluence. Valerie walked beside Albert with shoulders high. She felt proud when she saw that people more especially the ladies, whisper about them.

" He looks familiar. " One said. She seemed to know Albert but can't point where she saw him.

" Who's that lady? "

" His girlfriend, i think. " The other answered. Valerie didn't regret coming to the boutique because of the praises she received. They went into the boutique's dressing room and changed into a quite cheaper clothe. Not to poor, not too expensive but moderate to the eyes. They also bought a customized bag where they packed their clothes in. They left the boutique immediately after that, and strolled down the road to a fruit shop. The fruit seller gasped when she saw Albert. Valerie became upset when she saw the wild gazes the woman sent to Albert.

" You look really handsome. " She commented. Albert smiled and said thank you to her. He paid for the fruits he bought and then tipped the lady. The lady bowed in greeting as she handed the bag to Albert.

...

...

" Are we also going to have changeover of a cheap hair? " Valerie asked all of a sudden.

Albert swept her a quizzical look. " Hair? " He wanted to be sure of what he heard.  What do you mean? "

" I mean, i hate the fact that I'm always going to transform myself, just to fit into something i know nothing about.  Imagine, how we are dressed.  We are not even going there in our private car. " Valerie nagged.

Albert ignored her and stopped another car that drove them to Melissa's house.

...

...

They halted in front of Melissa's gate. Albert turned to Valerie, " My father is a small business man, my mother sells provision. What about you? " 

Valerie took a deep breath and replied to him, " It had eluded me. "

" Your father owns a coffee shop and your mother bakes. Don't forget that. We ought to be careful with what we say to her. Ok? " Valerie an affirmation.

Albert knocked at Melissa's gate and the security guard at the gate post opened the gate.

" Good evening Sir. "

" Good evening Ma'am. "

The duo replied him and walked into the house. They were received warmly by Nora and some other maids. Nora instructed a maid to alert Melissa of the duo's presence. She ( Nora ) went in and came back with a tray containing a bottle of red wine and two wine glass.

She pop open the wine and filled the wine glasses with it. 

" Please be patient. She'll soon join you. " Nora told them. She bowed and left.

Valerie kept rolling her eyes. She didn't feel like taking the wine, so she pretended not to know it exists. Albert glanced a warning at her and she immediately took her own glass to drink. The thudding of footsteps was heard from a distance and gradually it became louder. Melissa walked into the sitting room with a beamed face. She walked towards the duo and they stood up as she drew closer. The trio exchanged greetings and sat down after that. 

" You're highly welcome. " Melissa said to them.

" Thank you. " Albert and Valerie responded.

Melissa pouted her lips like a child. " My brother left few moments ago. I really wanted you both to meet him but ... " Melissa trailed off.

Albert exchanged glances with Valerie whose eyes were popped out. 

" You mean Gregory was here? " Valerie asked. The other two, Melissa and Albert looked at her quizzically. For Albert his heart skipped and cold sweats broke from his face. 

" What were you thinking? " Albert asked Valerie with his eyes.

" Valerie " That ... Valerie blinked her eyes when she realized that she'd made a huge mistake.

" Do you know my brother? " Melissa asked her.

" N..No. I have seen him once. I mean, when he came to our house. This house, you know what I mean. So, I heard you call him that. " Valerie responded. She could hear her heart pound so loud. She gasped for breath and forced a smile on her face.

" Are you ok? " Melissa asked her.

" I'm sorry. I think I need to use the comfort room. " Valerie stood up and walked briskly to the visitors' comfort room. She pressed against the door immediately she entered the comfort room and slipped down to the floor as her wobbly legs could not carry her.

Her breathing came in short gasps and she gradually became hot. Her face turned pale and her eyes reddened. She inhaled deeply and crawled to the mirror. She kept her hand on a stool ( a small chair with nothing to support your back or arms) and gradually stood up with its support. She looked at her reflection in the mirror.( So horrific!) Valerie couldn't believe that she could change just because of a lie she told. She felt the urge to urinate and she did that immediately. She turned on the faucet and washed her hands. She also washed her face and took out a small towel from her bag which she used to dab her face. The towel was all smudged with her make-up. When she dried her face, she began to apply her make-up again.

...

In the sitting room, Albert and Melissa waited for Valerie to join them. Their worries grew by the minute.

" What's taking her so long? " Melissa broke the silence.

" I don't know. " Albert replied, shrugging his shoulders.

They kept quiet and kept on glancing at the door at the other end ( the door of the comfort room ).

...

Valerie was satisfied with her make-up. She walked towards the door and halted when she was distance away from it. " What do i tell them? " Valerie mused and exhaled loudly. She smirked when idea came to her mind and she immediately turned the door knob.

Finally, she was out of the room. Valerie walked awkwardly towards the duo in the sitting room. She sat down very slowly and rested her back on the sofa chair.

" Are you okay? " Melissa asked her. She shooked her head in negation.

" Should I call a doctor? " Melissa said.

" Oh no. " Valerie manged to gasp. " I need to take a rest. "

" Please take her home and take good care of her. " Melissa said to Albert and then offered to drive them home. The duo declined the offer and handed Melissa the fruits they bought for her.

" She needs this more than I do. " Melissa told Albert. Albert thanked her and they left the residence.

...

...

Albert and Valerie got into a cab and gave the chauffeur their home address. The chauffeur was taking aback when they told him where they were heading to.

" They look rich. Though their outfits don't speak of that. What if they're related to the Smiths? " He wondered to himself. So, he increased the fare. Albert didn't really care about that. He paid even more than he was told and they alighted from the cab as soon as they reached their residence. The cab man thanked his stars for making him earn more than he expected for a month, in just one drive.

Albert knocked at the gate.The security guard at the gate post opened the narrow gate. He was shocked to see Albert and Valerie alone. He bowed and greeted them, scanning the outside environment, in search of their cars. He allowed them inside and followed suit.

Albert led Valerie into the main building, and up the stairs till they reached her room. Valerie gave him the key to her room and he opened the door. He also led her to her bed.

" I feel a bit weak. " Valerie told him. 

" It's just the both of us in here. Now tell me. You did this to save yourself from the mistake you made. " Albert said to her.

" No. " Valerie denied. " It's caused by the menstrual cycle in women. It just popped out, suddenly. " 

Albert said nothing about that again. " I'll call Eva to take care of you. I'll be in my room then."

" So fast? Won't you stay a little? " Valerie pleaded. 

Albert shooked his head and made for the door. Valerie threw the pillow on her bed away, in anger. " He's too mean. " Valerie kept saying.

Albert called Eva as soon as he left the room and gave her some instructions. Eva was pissed off when Albert told her she was going to stay with Valerie. She finally went to Valerie's room. She noticed the door was slightly open when she wanted to knock at the door. 

" Ma'am. " She called, but heard nothing. Her mind skipped when some imaginations flew to her mind. She recalled the strange silhouette she saw the other day. " What if he is inside? " She thought to herself. 

Then, she summoned courage. She pushed the door slightly open, a little and then peeked inside.

" Ouch! " Eva yelled when something hit her head.