Chapter 26: Chapter 26

~Akeyla’s POV~

I sat down on the bed going through the information that Mr. Martins had given to me. He was rarely at home but he told me Ella’s assistant would come and see me today.

“Oh God.” I groaned as I dug my hands into my hair. This was like I was reading for an exam. It was a good thing I studied business in school, it could have been hard to learn these numerous stuffs in the tab. What he told me was that I would be deceiving the Abiola’s family into thinking that I was Ella, he didn’t tell me that I was going to go over to the company with Jayson soon

I really have no idea how i was going to pull everything off. I glanced at my phone hoping to see a call from Mr. Martins but there was nothing. Was he expecting me to just memorize everything imputed in the tab without putting me through them himself? Wow, he must really have trust in me when I had none in myself.

Knock knock knock

I snapped my head to the door as I heard the sound of someone knocking. Who was it? Mr. Martins? Did he finally realize that giving me lengthy info to go through might not really help in this whole plan?

“Come in.” I said as I stared at the door waiting to see who would walk in.

The door slowly opened and I saw a tall fair skinned lady who should probably be in her twenties, walked into the room. She was wearing a black suit and a pair of oversized glasses which I presumed to be medicated. I looked closely at the girl and my brain did a quick calculation before I recognized the face. She was Henley, Ella’s PA. This was exactly how she looked in the picture I saw while reading through the info except with the glasses she was wearing.

“Good evening, Miss Ella.” She greeted me with a straight face as she walked over to me. “How are you feeling now?”

I smiled awkwardly as I looked at her, “Uh, I’m fine. I’m better now…Henley.”

She blinked at me with a surprised expression on her face and I wondered what I had said wrong.

“You uh… You never call me by my name.” She smiled awkwardly. Wait, what? Ella did not call her by name? What did she call her by then?

“Oh, things um, things change.” I gave her the fakest smile I could form.

She nodded and adjusted her glasses before bringing out her tab. “Mr. Jayson would be coming over tomorrow…”

“Um, Henley?” I cut her off.

“Yes, Miss Ella?” She answered me.

“What time do you think Jayson would be coming over?" I asked her hoping she would know. The rude fiance did not even tell me a date, he just said he would be forcefully coming over to see me. I still didn't know how I would cope with him, he would be a pain in the ass I bet.

She pressed her lips together in a tight line, “Did he say he’s coming over?”

Oh, it seemed she had no idea. I thought personal assistants were supposed to know these things?

I sighed, “Yes he is, he told me that yesterday.” I said to her.

She nodded her head, “Well, he could come tomorrow since you would be up on your feet next week.”

“What do you mean?”

“There would be a party next week and you are going to attend it with him. From there, you would officially meet his family.”

Wait, Ella had not met his family yet? What sort of marriage was this? I had never seen anything like this before. I guessed it was because it was a contract marriage though but even still...

“Would there be cameras around?” I asked her.

“There might be, there might not, it’s not certain.”

I grew anxious at the thought of cameras around. I hated anything that had to do with the public. I did not even have a single picture of myself in my cellphone and despite Brenda's endless effort to take me pictures, it always turned out futile.

“Even if there would be cameras around, it wouldn’t be a problem for you…” She smiled at me. “You don’t get anxious when it comes to things like that anyways."

Oh sorry to break it to you girl but I am not Ella, so I would be anxious as hell.

I simply nodded though, “Oh, yes, of course.”

“Is there anything you would like me to do for you Miss Ella?” She asked me as she adjusted her glasses again. They seemed too big for her, why didn’t she get her size?

I shook my head, “Uh, nothing really. I am alright, thanks for coming.”

She narrowed at her eyes at me as if surprised and then she smiled, “I would take my leave now, Miss Ella. Call me when you need me.”

I smiled at her. “Alright, I will.”

She turned around and exited my room.

I heaved a sigh before I turned my focus back to the tab I was going through.

After a short while, I took my bath and wore a house wear that I found amongst the different other brands in the wardrobe. I made my way out of the room and started walking downstairs. Mrs. Stella had gone to work and Grandma Sarah was still sleeping so the house seemed quiet.

“Good evening Miss Ella.” Each of the maids I past as I walked, greeted me and I made sure to give them the perfect smile and for some reason, they seemed shocked or surprised. Was it because I smiled at them? Was I not supposed to smile at them? Oh God, this was going to be hard. It had only been a few days here and it looked like years had gone by.

I walked out over to the pool side where I met two male servants who stood there. One of them quickly ran over to me.

“Should we make it hot as usual Miss Ella?” He asked me.

I blinked at him with a confused look. Make what hot? What was he talking about?

“Um, what is that?” I asked him.

I pointed to the water, “The water, ma.”

“Oh, the water? Um…” I rubbed the back of my neck. “No, I am not going in for a swim.” I answered him. How would I go for a swim when I couldn't even swim? Trust me, I wasn't good with water at all and if Ella was the opposite, then things would be hard.

He nodded, “Okay. Should I get you your usual wine then?”

Wine? I guessed Ella drank wines then, there was no way I was going to do that. I hate alcohols. They should just take it that I developed a change of taste because I would not be forced into drinking. I dd not think I could get used to such luxury. So many servants at your beck and call and there is even a pool at the house where one could relaxed. I shouldn't even get used to it by the way. I guessed it wouldn’t really be easy for someone to sit back and watch everything go away. I could understand Mr. Martins a little even if I felt he was still wrong.

“No, don’t worry. I just want to relax here for a moment. Thank you.” I smiled at him.

He paused for a moment before he nodded. “Alright Miss Ella.”

I walked away from him to sit on the chair. Just as I was about to rest my head on the chair, a maid approached me. I sat up and stared at her as she came.

“Miss Ella.”

Was she not the girl that Mrs. Stella called Akira?

“Yes, Akira?” I answered her.

She widened her eyes and gaped. “You… You just called my name?”

Oh God, was I not supposed to?

I smiled awkwardly, “Um, Yeah. Is that not your name?”

She nodded rapidly, “Ye… Yes, that’s my name.”

“So what is the matter?” I asked her so she wouldn’t press on with the name thing. I shouldn’t have called her by her name.

“Uh, Miss Rihanna and Miss Elizabeth are here to see you.” She informed me quickly.

Wait, who were those again? Rihanna Rihanna Rihanna. Oh! Ella’s friends!

“Where are they?” I asked her.

“They are inside. I didn’t know you were here, I would have told them to come here.”

“You um, you can just tell them to come here.” I said to her.

“Yes, Miss Ella.” She replied and just as she turned around to leave, I saw two tall girls approaching. It took me a moment to recognize them despite I had seen their pictures already. They wer dressed in obviously super expensive clothes and I didn't need one to tell me that the bags in their hands were the latest editions.

“My Gabby!” The dark skinned girl who was Rihanna screamed in a loud voice as she ran over to me.

I stood up to my feet with an awkward smile on my face. What should I say, what should I say?

Rihanna pulled me into a tight hug that I almost stopped breathing.

“Oh Gabby, you have no idea how scared we were.” She said as she continued to hug me tightly.

I smiled nervously and patted her back. “Uh, I… I am alright now. How are you guys, too?” I asked them. I had been informed that the two of them got into an accident with Ella.

She finally let me go. “I am better now.”

“Aw, Gabby.” Elizabeth also pulled me into a hug almost choking to death. “I have missed you so much.”

“Me too.” I said quickly hoping she let go of me so I don’t pass out.

After all the hugs and all that, we all sat down.

Rihanna grabbed my arm. “You have become thinner, Gabby.” She pouted her lips.

I stared at these girls who I was only meeting for the first time. I had always been very thin. I guessed Ella was a little fatter than me.

“I know right.” I replied her with a nervous smile.

“Is it just me or do you look thinner than the way you looked at the hospital?" Elizabeth asked with a furrowed brow. Oh God. They must have definitely visited her at the hospital. Was she going to catch on? What would I…

“You have to put on back some weight, okay?” Elizabeth added with a smile and I sighed.

I nodded, “Of course.”

“The accident was my fault…” Rihanna started to say with a sad expression on her face. “I shouldn’t have asked us to go that party. If I didn’t, Ella wouldn’t have driven the car and the accident wouldn’t have happened.” She looked down.

Elizabeth reached for her hand and caressed it. “Don’t say that Rihanna, it was no one’s fault. We should be happy everyone is fine and healthy now.”

I swallowed hard as I watched them. I could not bring myself to imagine what would happen if they found out that I was not their real friend? That their actual friend was still lying as a vegetable in the hospital fighting for her life.

I placed my hand on theirs and smiled at them. Have I made the right choice? I hadn’t even met the fiancé and family yet and I was already having second thoughts but then, where else was I going to get paid such an amount of money and even the sum of 500,000 was already deposited to my account yesterday. I couldn’t back out now, it had already begun and I had to play this until the very end.

XOXO