HAPPY EIGHTEEN
She was eighteen. I'm aware because we share a birthday.
On that day, their mansion was loaded with different guests. It was her birthday party. Almost all people from the upper class, a few from the middle class, and none from the lower class had attended. Their wealth was something that amazed me. They slept poor and woke up rich.
The rise of their status class left many of us dumbfounded. Among the people present was her father, James Berriton. A local business tycoon who suddenly became worldwide He had the temper of a lion. No one dared to crack jokes in his presence. He always wore an emotionless face, covered by chillness and aloofness. Though he was in his late forties and still handsome, people always mistakenly believed him to be a bachelor. His looks made him into what he was. A womanizer! Magazines were covered by his pictures with different women.
Then there was her mother, Rosalis Berriton, a tigress. She fought almost every day on the streets; she had a sharp mouth and a great ability to slander others. Her behavior never escaped paparazzi notice; hence, like her husband, she was always in the spotlight.
Her big sister was not left out; Jude Berriton had the temper of their mother. She was an apple. She was pampered, adorned, and treated like a queen. She was given anything she wanted. She was known for her bitchy, sassy attitude. She was also rude; she never gave a damn about who she was rude to.
And then there was her little brother, Brighton Berriton; he was cool from the outside but a dragon from the inside. Just like his dad, he was a womanizer. Ladies fought for spots on his bed, taking advantage of the fact that he was now at their disposal. He used them and dropped them like a hot brick.
All these family members had a similar trait: They loathed Heather with such passion.
Heather was the second born in this family. Though she was from their family and shared the same blood with them, she was treated indifferently. She never received the love that her siblings did from both parents. I bet that was the reason she was different from them.
She was calm, sensitive, beautiful, caring, and loving, and she treated everyone equally. She was also blessed with a unique voice, and if it were not for her parents' constant denials to let her use it, she could be a worldwide singer. She was also known for her perfect ballet dance moves. There was no competition; she participated and left without emerging a winner. Ballet was what made her happy. She lived for it just like she believed ballet existed for her.
She had extra-long, thick black hair, which I always had the urge to run my fingers through. She had a beautiful, small, round face, which I wished to touch one day. Her eyes were a beautiful work of art; they were chocolate-brown and glassy. Every time our eyes met, I found myself drawn into them.
Her thin, wet pink lips were always curled upwards in a seductive smirk. It will be a lie if I don’t mention the number of days I fantasized about kissing them. They looked juicy! There was this strange look she gave me whenever we were alone. It disturbed me for days and nights.
She sometimes wore a painful look in her eyes, and I understood that look well. Even though she had never told me, I knew deep down she wished to be treated the way her siblings were treated.
During her birthday celebration, I helped her get ready since I was her only friend. We were like blood siblings. Though we never talked much, we still understood each other. Instead of cracking jokes or gossiping like normal best friends do, we always pulled each other in a tight embrace and listened to our heartbeats.
Sometimes, holding hands made us understand what one of us was going through. That day, as I helped her put on the black, body-hugging dress her parents had bought for her, I couldn’t help but gulp. She was so beautiful. It being the first time I saw her in black, I couldn't utter a word.
In the evening, her parents came and took her to the living room, hand in hand, where the party was to take place. We couldn’t understand why her parents were suddenly nice to her. I sensed something was fishy, but given what I had seen on her face that day, I decided to ignore the thought. I never wanted to shatter her hopes that her parents would start loving her.
When the party was coming to an end, her parents announced in front of everyone that they had decided to let their daughter pursue what she had always wanted: ballet dance. She was shocked beyond belief. I was too.
Later, when I helped her change clothes, she told me her dad had introduced her to a man her spirit didn't sit well with. I later came to know the man was supposed to be her teacher. He was to help her with her ballet classes. I recall asking her why her spirit didn't sit well with her so-called teacher, but she kept mum and gave me a strange gaze I never understood.
"There is something I've never told you, Star." She broke the silence after a while. She used to call me Star.
''Mmh!'' I urged her to continue.
"I like girls." She dropped the bomb, and I was left chocking on my own saliva.
"How sure are you, and is there any girl you like? I mean the one who made you realize you like girls." Coming back to my senses, I asked her.
"Yeah! She has always been with me. " "I am only afraid that she isn’t gay because she could have realized how beautiful I am long ago." Saying that, she rose from the couch we were sitting on and slummed on her bed.
Because it was late at night, I bid her goodbye and retreated to my house. On my way out, I found the courage I'd never had before and decided to tell her what I'd always wanted to say before it was too late. I never wanted to miss that chance.
"Heather!" I called out, "I discovered how beautiful you are since three years ago." I confessed.
Fortunately, our relationship started. What we never knew was that it was about to end soon and forever.
OUR SECOND FIGHTPete sang in a soft, lilting voice as she withdrew the yellow curtains from her window. Her lips parted as her cheeks curled upwards for an uncontrovertible smile. For the past two weeks, her life felt different. Maybe it was because Heather had agreed to be her girlfriend.With her, everything felt right. The sparkle she yearned for in her previous relationships, she found in her current relationship. She crimmed her eyes against the morning sun, closing back the curtains she had once withdrawn. As others marvelled at the morning sun, she despised it. It made her almond-shaped, jewel-green eyes weak.Jumping from her bed, she ran downstairs to have her breakfast."Ding!" Her phone chimed, and her heart skipped a beat. Blushing, she giggled as she hurriedly read the message. It was from none other than her gorgeous girlfriend, Heather."Aren’t you coming to escort me to the airport or are you afraid you will cry in front of me?" The message was read.Her face dropped
FINALLY, ABROAD!The seven-hour journey was exhausting. Three hours had passed, and her back ached. Excusing herself, she went to the toilet. She slapped her cheeks, slightly blushing, over what had happened earlier before she boarded her plane. She could still feel Pete’s tongue on her pussy.She giggled like a teenage girl as she took her phone from her pocket and touched Pete’s picture on the screen. The photo has been serving as her screen saver for seven years now. She took it when they were twelve years old. She used to sneak into Pete’s room and watch her sleep.Slowly, her mischief grew into an obsession, and the obsession became a habit. She could do anything to her except watch her sleep. After some time, when she tried to stop herself from doing it, she realized she couldn’t since she was head over heels with Pete.A year later, when they clocked thirteen, she had mustered up enough courage. She had decided it was time to confess her feelings toward her before it was too la
NIGHTMARE COMING TRUE"Heather!" A familiar voice called her name, but she couldn't recall where or when she had heard it.In shock, she looked around, wondering what she should do. She was trapped in the middle of nowhere. A land filled with white sand surrounded her."Heather, come." The voice called again, and a portal opened in front of her.Afraid to step on it, she stepped back and tried to run away. A gush of wind from nowhere waved, passing through the land, and with a thud she fell on the other side of the portal."Hello!" She called when shock evaded her."Hello!" She called again, and her own voice answered her back.Birds sang above her, and she looked around in surprise. She was no longer in the middle of nowhere, but she was lying in the forest. The forest hummed with life around her. She twirled around, gazing up at the canopy, searching for the birds that were singing sweetly.She crimmed her eyes as the sun broke through the cracks, lightening up the dirt path ahead o
FIRST ESCAPE ATTEMPTA week had passed since Heather had learned her fortune. Tears brimmed in her beautiful, brown glass-like eyes and flowed down her high-cheeked bones when she recalled what her dad had said over the phone."I'm sorry, sweatheart. I know I and your mother failed you as parents, but we had no other option. Growing up, you saw how people looked down on us because we were poor. When I heard that there was a man who bought humans in exchange for money, I sold you, dear. I wanted to raise our social class. I'm so sorry." Her dad told him when he called him to inquire if what Alejendro had said was true.She badly wanted to call Pete and tell her how she was fairing. She wanted to tell her she was right since the very first day she doubted her parents, but unluckily, she couldn't do that any more. All her belongings were taken, including her smartphone.She curled up in a foetal position on the dusty ground as more tears streamed down her cheeks.Since she came to learn h
PURPOSE REVEALEDAfter her first escape attempt failed, Heather decided to let go of the thought. Deep down, she knew that even if she succeeded in running away from Ajendro's clutches, he would still find her.Just a day ago, she overheard him talking on the phone with someone. He was assuring that person that none of his packages could slip from his hands easily. After pounding on what he meant, she finally understood; packages were the people who were given to him as gifts after offering help. A few days ago, he explained to her that she was the "package" her dad had sent over after helping him.She also learned that the building she was kept in was not the only building Alejendro used to run his mystery business. She discovered that there were several buildings of that kind—unfinished, abandoned, and ugly—in different parts of the world where these businesses operate.Up until now, Heather had no contractions of fear in her heart. She had decided to accept her fate. She was prepar
DEAL TAKEN"Please, would you tell my dad that he sent over a wrong package? I really do not wish to die at this age. I turned eighteen a month ago, and I wouldn't like to meet my creator right now. When I meet my Grandma in the next world, what will I tell her I have achieved so far? None of my dreams are fulfilled. She made me promise I would go to the next world at the right time. The time when all of my dreams will come true, when I will have all of the world's pleasures to my liking Please, Alejendro, "just do me this one favor and I will forever thank you."Heather had lost count of how many times she had used that sentence to beg Alejendro to free her. She had said it until her brain memorized it. What surprised her is that Alejendro had yet to respond to her plea. The plea was now like a song to him, but he never bothered."Order is taken, lass. When you finally get to meet your Creator, please tell him to forgive your father. He was the one who kept you in this pleading state
DOORSTEP DEATHHeather's unconcious body was surrounded by more than four surgeons, both clad in white gowns and blue surgical masks. In a hurried manner, they used sanitizers to clean their hands together with the surgical instruments, which were arranged on the aluminum tray beside the bed, and started their surgery.The head surgeon took a bottle of jik, which was among the surgical equipment in the tray, and pressed it against Heather's cheeks. Her already pale, dry lips opened, and he shoved the contents down her throat.He then signaled the other surgeons to start the operation. Her eyes were first fished out of their orbes and carefully placed on another clean empty tray. They used a bunch of white cotton to stop the blood from oozing out of the empty orbes. They all moved aside to wait for the blood to settle and the jik in her system to take effect, with disgusted expressions on their faces.The purpose of the jik was to make her skin tender for easy peeling off. When the bl
FINDING THE MURDERERA crowd of people murmured on the roadside. Women cried loudly, patting their heads in anger. Men sighed, pulling their real or imaginary beards, probably thinking about how cruel a human being can become. The sons cursed, patting and heaving their chests like angry bulls. The daughters wailed aloud, wondering why a young girl similar to their age was murdered in such a way.The entire police force of the entire town was there to assure people of their security. They examined the mutilated body that was lying in front of the road to see if they could find any visible evidence apart from the truck that they had taken to the police station.At first, residents pleaded with the police to let the car free, noting that the owner may be among the crowd. When they investigated the truck, they believed it belonged to the killer since it was flooded with fresh blood on the back. Despite an announcement to the crowd, asking the owner to surrender him or herself, no one appe
Late in the evening, Berriton's doorbell rang. Jude, who had been sitting in the living room all that time, her eyes fixed on the television, swung her legs off the couch and went to answer it.She met face-to-face with the minister, who stood straight with a wide smile across his face. "Oh my gosh!" "Mr. Harry, is this you?" Jude asked, stretching her hand forward for a handshake."Of course, and you are?" He asked, accepting the handshake."Am Jude. Jude Berriton." She smiled sweetly. "Please do have a seat." I'll go and call my father. "He has been talking non-stop about you," she said, ushering him in, and Harry smirked. "Really? Am flattered." He responded, flopping on the couch. Jude called the head maid and asked her to make him comfortable as she ran upstairs screaming her dad's name.After a while, Berriton came downstairs, accompanied by his wife. His jet black hair was dripping water, which flowed down his shiny skin and settled as large droplets, which made him appear sex
Early the next morning, when the first crow croaked, Berriton's phone rang, waking him from his peaceful sleep. He'd been turning and turning in his bed all night, as if the entire world's black ants had become his bedmates. It was only in the wee hours of the morning that his eyes became drowsy.Clicking loudly, he picked up his phone and rubbed his eyes, trying to take a look at the caller. When his mind clicked on Tanasha, he quickly slipped from his bed, falling down in the process, and a painful groan escaped his lips."What the hell will she call this early?" "Don't she know I'm married?" He complained, blaming her for his fall.He silently walked out of the house in fear of waking up his wife, who was still sleeping, and answered the call."Good morning, sir." "Sorry for calling you this early." A deep voice from the other end apologized. A relieved sigh escaped his lips when he realized he was panicking for the wrong reason—the caller wasn't Tanasha but someone else."Who is t
All the things that had happened in the last few weeks—Heather's death, her threatening letter, and everything else that had happened, including the hospitalization of Mr. and Mrs. Berritton—were left under the bridge as food for the sharks.Berritton was relieved when his heart stopped pounding, increasing his blood pressure, and when thoughts stopped clouding his mind. He had spoken with the entire police force, which was investigating her daughter's murder, and urged them to close the case.And just like he wanted, the case was closed after all; who can say no to him? There was only one thing that was bothering him, but he was sure he would nab it at the perfect time.Though he was a family man, blessed with a wife and two adorable kids who were now in their early twenties, he still had concubines whom he hooked up behind his wife's death.There was not even a single time he feared being caught because he always used his money to silence those he got himself involved with. As he sa
TROUBLES"Sir, we found the truck that carried your daughter the night she was murdered. We would like you to fly down a soon as possible." The conversation he had with the police earlier kept rringing in his head. Earlier, when Berritton received the call, he boarded his private jet as soon as he could. Thank goodness, his pilot resided not far from his mansion. A sigh of relief escaped his lips when the plane landed. A person could think he was glad because he had landed safely or because there was a good sign her daughter's murderer would be brought to light soon, but that was not the case. Ever since he read the letter, he had never been at peace. He felt like there was a person somewhere who knew all his evil deeds. He was sure the letter wasn't read by a single being, but the fact that it passed through the hands of many made him restless. When Berritton left, his wife ran back into the room, determined to find whatever letter had been brought to her husband and get a glimps
CELEBRATION GONE WRONGJames Berritton couldn't control his joy when he received a phone call directing him on how to sign the new deal which was about to be brought into besiness by the government. Though he was a worldwide business tycoon, he was also employed as a government official.The president had called him earlier and told him about his promotion. To take care of the deal properly, he was promoted from a junior government official to a senior government official."It seems like Heather hindered most of our blessings when she was still alive. It is only two weeks after we buried her and blessings have been flowing in non-stop. Your promotion calls for a celebration, my darling husband. " His wife, Rosalis, cooed, resting her bare legs on her husband's laps."Whatever you say, my darling wife," James replied, blowing kisses on her neck."Yuck!" "Can you both stop your nonsense?" Their daughter, Jude, said, walking in. Her high heels clicked on the golden tiled floor as she mov
FUNERALThe Berritton family, all dressed in black expensive gowns with matching black shoes and headscarfs, stood at the front as the mass was carried on. They all had black handkerchiefs in their hands, which they used to wipe their tears as the mass went on.Almost everyone from every corner of the world has attended. Anyway, who wouldn't if the country's president had also attended? Though more than a million people attended the funeral, not all of them were mourners. Some were busybodies who came to take a look at the legendary Berroton's mansion. It was named the biggest and most expensive mansion in the entire world.Its walls were painted with real gold. It was said that when Berritton rose to power, he made his constructors melt real gold into paint. The chairs inside the house were also made from pure gold. Anyone who managed to walk into Berriton's mansion was mesmerized by what they saw.Many had to be dragged outside by force because they never wanted to leave. The golde
FINDING THE MURDERERA crowd of people murmured on the roadside. Women cried loudly, patting their heads in anger. Men sighed, pulling their real or imaginary beards, probably thinking about how cruel a human being can become. The sons cursed, patting and heaving their chests like angry bulls. The daughters wailed aloud, wondering why a young girl similar to their age was murdered in such a way.The entire police force of the entire town was there to assure people of their security. They examined the mutilated body that was lying in front of the road to see if they could find any visible evidence apart from the truck that they had taken to the police station.At first, residents pleaded with the police to let the car free, noting that the owner may be among the crowd. When they investigated the truck, they believed it belonged to the killer since it was flooded with fresh blood on the back. Despite an announcement to the crowd, asking the owner to surrender him or herself, no one appe
DOORSTEP DEATHHeather's unconcious body was surrounded by more than four surgeons, both clad in white gowns and blue surgical masks. In a hurried manner, they used sanitizers to clean their hands together with the surgical instruments, which were arranged on the aluminum tray beside the bed, and started their surgery.The head surgeon took a bottle of jik, which was among the surgical equipment in the tray, and pressed it against Heather's cheeks. Her already pale, dry lips opened, and he shoved the contents down her throat.He then signaled the other surgeons to start the operation. Her eyes were first fished out of their orbes and carefully placed on another clean empty tray. They used a bunch of white cotton to stop the blood from oozing out of the empty orbes. They all moved aside to wait for the blood to settle and the jik in her system to take effect, with disgusted expressions on their faces.The purpose of the jik was to make her skin tender for easy peeling off. When the bl
DEAL TAKEN"Please, would you tell my dad that he sent over a wrong package? I really do not wish to die at this age. I turned eighteen a month ago, and I wouldn't like to meet my creator right now. When I meet my Grandma in the next world, what will I tell her I have achieved so far? None of my dreams are fulfilled. She made me promise I would go to the next world at the right time. The time when all of my dreams will come true, when I will have all of the world's pleasures to my liking Please, Alejendro, "just do me this one favor and I will forever thank you."Heather had lost count of how many times she had used that sentence to beg Alejendro to free her. She had said it until her brain memorized it. What surprised her is that Alejendro had yet to respond to her plea. The plea was now like a song to him, but he never bothered."Order is taken, lass. When you finally get to meet your Creator, please tell him to forgive your father. He was the one who kept you in this pleading state