[Amanda]
I was ready before 6, pacing in my room and black backless chiffon dress. The dress was picked out by one of Dominic’s personal stylists who arrived around the afternoon with a hoard of dresses and shoes and after having a sumptuous lunch; I had been herded to the dressing room and stayed there for 2 hours. From styling my hair into a fashionable French braid to doing my make-up - all in all, when I finally looked at myself in the mirror I saw another woman standing in my place.
[Amanda]“Sir is waiting for you downstairs”, a new attendant informed me when I came out of my room. My heartbeat spiked up. Taking a swift glance at the floor-length mirror in the hallway, I left the condo. Alex was waiting for me near the elevator and when he saw me, he smiled and said, “You look beaut
[Amanda]I swallowed back the tears as I stared at the plate full of pasta. Did Dominic still remember that I did not like appetizers? Did he still remember that my favourite Italian dish was pasta in the red sauce?
[Amanda]We walked out of the restaurant with the receptionist saying, “Visit Soon”. I turned back and nodded politely, but Dominic seemed to have become another person as he walked ahead without another backward glance. I hurried along. “Dominic, wait”, I called from behind. He stopped but did not turn back.“What happened?” I asked confusedly. Did I make him mad for some reason? Was it the ‘we should move on’ thing? But wasn’t I stating the truth? I gazed at him but he refused to look at me and for some reason, it made me mad and sad. Mad because how dare he treat me like dirt and sad because...because I have no clue why.We walked back to the car in companionable silence when suddenly I heard the sound of something, a shutter? I almost halted in my tracks when Damian suddenly grasped my hand in his. Without looking at me, he mumbled, &l
[Amanda]“Why are we taking this inconspicuous car again?” Alex asked me for the third time as he drove towards the area where I lived. I also made him wear normal clothes as in no suit but a plain shirt teamed up with a pair of black denim.“Because you and the car will stand out if we came in Mercedes instead of this one”, I gestured vaguely at the interior of the four-seater. Alex had agreed to accompany me and I also refused to take any bodyguards much to Dominic’s dismay. He manoeuvred the car and parked it a few buildings away from the place I lived in. I wore the mask that Alex gingerly handed me and got out.“You go to your apartment and gather your stuff, I’ll talk to the landowner”, Alex suggested. I nodded before entering the building. I gave him the direction to the landowner’s flat before climbing up the stairs. The apartment
[Amanda]2014…“Dom, where the hell are you taking me?” I whine for the umpteenth time, squirming in the passenger seat. It’s annoying when your eyes have been blindfolded. “Just be patient for 5 more minutes”, Dom coaxed. Today was our 1st anniversary as a couple and I knew Dominic was up to something. He seemed all secretive for the past few weeks. I tried to ask Jace, but he evaded my question skilfully, the bugger.I huffed and leaned back in the faux leather seat. I heard him chuckle. Then, after what felt like an eternity, the car finally came to a stop. I heard Dominic get out of the car; the door clicked shut before I heard the door of the passenger seat open. “Take my hand”, Dom said softly. I promptly did so as he helped me out of the car.Then all of a sudden I was being picked up, bridal style. “W
[Amanda]2015....“If you think that we are going to look after you then you are mistaken”, my mother said sharply, not even letting me go past the threshold of our house. I gaped at her. How can a mother be so cruel to her own child? She was looking at me with disgust and disappointment. I tried to look past her shoulder and I noticed dad peeking out of the living room but not even trying to come in and defend me. If this was family, then I was out of luck. My brother was out of the country and in no way would he ever defend me either. We were always at loggerheads, anyway.Her sharp words stung more than anything. I wanted to cry, sob at her hurtful words, but no tears would come. Maybe I was just too shocked to speak or even cry. “Then...where will I go?” I asked, hopeless and desolate. She shrugged nonchalantly as she started to push me out of the door, “What do we know
[Amanda]2015…“Did you manage to find any job?” David asked me a few days later. I could understand his impatience even though he was trying very hard not to show it and I understood...how long could a person allow another human being to live at their spare apartment for days? I chewed on my bottom lip, unable to give him any proper answer.He sighed, “Don’t take this in the wrong way okay? But if you want I can arrange for you to go to Hannah. You can even talk to her and chalk out something. You can live so miserably forever, Mandy”. His tone was almost pleading. He knew me since I was a kid. He was my brother’s friend, a few years older than him and his affection stemmed from the fact that I resembled a lot to his late younger sister.“Dominic already~” he began, but I cut him off, “I don’t want to hear any
[Dominic]I was this close...this close to divulging the secret. Damn this lie was costing me a lot. I fiddled with the cufflinks as my mind veered back to the times I have subtly tried to track down Mandy. My lips curved up involuntarily. My Mandy. She has changed. I sighed as I thought about how she had changed from the delicate girl to a woman who has weathered and has seen a lot in her life.Those good for nothing family of hers had kicked her out! The audacity they had is astounding. But in a way, I guess it was for the good. She wouldn’t want to know their current financial state. Finding her….had been tough. With my busy schedule and fame, I couldn’t track her faster. Now that I did, I am forced to behave like I don’t care for her anymore. This...this pretentious separation was taking a toll on me. These past few days I had gotten enough concerned and worried glances from my staff. They