Reunited with A Friend

April stayed in bed longer than she should. In truth, she was already awake very early in the morning, but she didn't leave her room at all. She pretended to be asleep when a staff knocked at her bedroom door around eight. 

Basically, she had an inkling that the staff was going to remind her that it was time for breakfast. However, she preferred to stay in her room while breakfast was still ongoing. Intentionally, she planned to skip breakfast. Though surely, Amy would be looking for her, she was actually hiding from Mag, especially from Vincent. 

Predictably, Vincent took his breakfast by eight in the morning because he always left for work by nine. 

Mag was easier to avoid since that woman couldn't stand being around April as well. So, most probably, Mag would stay clear of her way, as long as she knew April was in the mansion. However, Doreen was another story.

Looking back, last night's dinner turned out very awkward for April. Since Vincent insisted to have dinner together, she had the surprise of her life when she saw Doreen at the dining hall waiting for Vincent. Vincent had never mentioned anything about Doreen. Actually, it was evident that Doreen was caught by surprise too. But then, April didn't expect Doreen would be so welcoming to her. Yes, they were friends back then, but she never knew that Doreen would still like her in the same way as she did before. Maybe she was not aware of what went on between her and Vincent.

Vincent...

April ended that thought quickly. She didn't want to go back to that.

During dinner last night, April was updated by Doreen that she and Vincent got married. She was even asking why April wasn't there during the wedding ceremony.

April didn't explain her side and it seemed Doreen was keen not to pry about it. Doreen and April ended up going back to their younger years before Doreen went abroad to study. In truth, they were really good friends. So, Doreen ended up entertaining April throughout dinner. In contrast, Vincent was very silent, as if he didn't care about anything both women were talking about.

Even in the past, April had always admired Doreen for her natural beauty and sophisticated personality. She was after all born to a very rich family like Vincent. However, Doreen had always been sickly and frail. Despite that, April had always imagined being like Doreen when they were in their teens. Doreen was like a princess and Vincent a prince.

April stopped at that thought again. He saw him as her prince then. But then, she guessed that was a girl's fairytale point of view back then. In reality, the real prince and princess lived happily ever after. So, it was Vincent and Doreen, not her.

April checked her phone for the present time. It was now ten in the morning. She was positive that Vincent wouldn't be in the mansion anymore.

She stood up to take a quick shower. After that, she realized that she didn't have anything with her but a set of clothes she always tucked in her bag, in case of emergencies. But she recalled that she had used it last night already.

Suddenly, she had a crazy thought. Since everything in her room remained the same, maybe...

April groaned in frustration when she opened her old closet. There weren't any clothes in there.

Like timing, she heard Amy's voice from her bedroom. 

"April honey, I took the liberty of having your clothes from your closet washed by the staff last night."

She heard Amy hollered.

April wrapped a towel around her body, then slowly, she went out of the bathroom.

"Oh, Amy, thanks. You're my guardian angel!"

April exclaimed as she embraced Amy from behind. Amy was still carrying her folded clothes in her arms, so she couldn't move.

"Oh, so I am your guardian angel now? What happened to my being your fairy godmother?"

Amy replied, turning around to hand over the clothes to April after April released her from the embrace.

April took the clothes, with a smile, full of gratitude.

"I've grown up, Amy."

April answered, with slight humor in her tone. But it was true, she had changed. She had learned a long time ago that life is not a fairytale. Sadly, she learned that the hard and painful way.

This made April frown a little.

That slight reaction was easily noticed by Amy.

"What's wrong honey?"

Amy asked with concern again.

"Oh, nothing Amy. I'm okay."

April lied to the motherly chef.

"My child, you really did change. You used to be carefree..."

Amy commented, worry still in her tone.

It was Amy's turn to hug April tightly.

"Oh, Amy, don't you worry about me. I'm fine. I am just a little bit tense. You see, I need to find a job. My boss fired me yesterday."

April tried to sound a bit cheerful and honest, so Amy wouldn't continue worrying anymore. She kissed Amy on the cheek. Then, she turned to return to the bathroom with the folded clean clothes to get dressed.

"Go to the kitchen when you're all dressed up. I will prepare you some brunch. You can't go job hunting without food in your stomach."

Amy said, before exiting the room. Actually, she wanted to suggest to April to just get a job in one of Vincent's companies, but then she was definitely sure April wouldn't have agreed to that. Amy had always known how April wanted to be doing things on her own. So, Amy just closed the door behind her, without any other words said. She headed to the kitchen.

************

Soon, April was walking toward a fancy studio with a very classy façade.

After finishing the lasagna that Amy had prepared for her, she had searched on Google for the whereabouts of her only friend Camille.

She was able to find out that Camille was the head of a modeling agency here in Atlantic City. Her company trained and booked talents for different commercials and other media ventures.

Camille was terribly surprised from receiving a phone call from April.

It was a logical reaction because the last time she saw April was when they both found out about April's pregnancy. After that, nothing more.

April knew Camille was truly surprised, well, she even sounded hurt on the phone. However, April didn't want to say over the phone the details of what really happened to her. So, she just told Camille she was coming over to her studio.

When she entered the studio, Camille was already in the reception area, waiting for her.

At first, April noticed the frown on Camille's face. But it changed quickly to a wide smile.

"Oh goodness, April! What happened to you? It's been years."

Camille exclaimed with mixed emotions. 

April guessed that Camille was still upset for not getting in touch with her for such a long time. But knowing her friend, Camille couldn't get mad at her really. So, Camille surely felt concerned.

"Hi, Camille, you look great! I have missed you."

April said, truly meaning it.

Camille gestured to the sofa at the reception. They were the only people there at the moment. But she heard the sound of voices in an adjacent room. She guessed that a photoshoot must be in progress.

"Where have you been, April?"

Camille was staring at her friend intently.

April stared back but seemed unsure what to say.

"You were supposed to see Vincent then. But I never heard anything from you. A man came and gave me a note from you. You just left. You didn't say anything more, nor called... just sorry and goodbye."

April was bewildered by Camille's words. So, that was why Camille never looked for her!

April's mind was spinning. Nobody else would have searched for her, except for Camille. The anger started to grow in her heart again. Everything was planned. She was hidden without raising any suspicions!

In her discovery of this well-planned fate of hers, April got so upset, that she was not able to control her tears from falling.

"April, what's wrong?"

Camille reached out for her hands and squeezed them. She was obviously alarmed by April's sudden tears.

So, for the next hour, April told her side of her story to her only friend. Camille cried along with her. She felt the anguish and anger that April felt during those years.

"Oh, April, that creep! He's such a heartless devil! He was supposed to take care of you. How could I have believed his actions?"

Camille paused to breathe deeply, in order to take control of herself at least. She was truly upset with everything she found out.

"All those years, he even helped me! I thought he was being nice because he was broken for losing you! He's such a pretender! Did you know that this agency, my company, was opened by Vincent? He gave me this job! Oh my, I was fooled by him as well!"

Camille exclaimed in disbelief, at how Vincent had been such a liar. 

April was staring quietly at Camille, as if in deep thought.

Camille suddenly took notice of this and that stopped her from her ranting.

"Hey, April? What are you thinking about?"

Camille asked in utmost curiosity.

Hence, April hatched a plan to get her revenge. She shared with Camille her ploy.

April wanted to get employment and enter the company of Vincent, so she could gather evidence of Vincent's crimes and then hand it over to the police to convict Vincent. She would pretend to be trustworthy for Vincent to let her stay even more.

Although he was now an official billionaire CEO, April was positive she would find his secrets and she would finally achieve the revenge she had been wanting for such a long time.