Here's Chapter 3. Enjoy 💖

A young lady with a cheery smile on her face, walked through the lit hallway of her home. She had just gotten a job in one of the most prestigious bakery in Delta State. It had always been her dream to work in a place like that and her dream had just came true.
    Looking at the brown envelope from the bakery in her hand, she was more eager to spread the news. Excited, she ran to her mother’s room. “Mother would be so excited when she hears the news.” She thought.
     She was about to enter her mother’s room when she  heard something that made her stop in her track.
      “I know it must be hard to train a daughter who doesn’t know anything or how to do anything. So what do you do?” Said a familiar voice.
     
“Isn’t that Aunt Lily’s voice? What is she doing here?” She whispered to herself.
      “ I don’t know. What do you suggest I do about her?” Asked Ellie’s mum.
    
“Onome, you can just cage her at home before she drags your family name to the mud with all her failures. I mean there’s no help for her. We’ve tried everything possible” Replied Aunt Lily.
     “Yes, we tried everything but nothing worked so I guess we could try that. We are going to need a plan.
    
Shocked, Ellie ran to her room in tears with the word ‘failure’ ringing through her ears.
      Ellie woke up from her dream panting and sweating  except it wasn’t just a dream. It had actually happened. The pain still fresh like it happened yesterday.
   

  Putting on her lamp at the side of her bed, she got up from the once clean sheet that was now soaked with her sweat and went to the bathroom to splash water on her face. Washing her face, she flashed back to that night. That was the night she ran away from her home to a friend’s home for two weeks and then decided to come to Garden City. Ellie had decided to prove them all wrong  by becoming a model, by doing what no one will expect her to do.
   
  Ellie got out of the bathroom and wiped her face with a towel. She sighed and went to bed. What was I thinking?  I don't even know the first thing about being a model. "Ellie, just get ready to be laughed at. Tomorrow  is going to be a long day."  Whatever made her to give up on her dreams working in the bakery, she didn’t know. She switched off her lamp and cried herself to sleep.

  ***
          
        Tyler’s head was spinning over the loud noise. First of all, he doesn’t  know what he was doing here and secondly, it was way past his bedtime. Not that he had a bedtime or something of sort but still he had to get to work on time tomorrow or should he say today. It was two in the morning and he was in a club because he was celebrating with his girlfriend. Tyler didn’t know the first thing about celebrating but he sure knew it wasn’t done in a club. Well at least to her it was done in a club. You just have to throw a party and there is the popping of champagne.
     
   They’ve been here for hours since the time he got a call from Darlene to come celebrate with her. Tyler got up from where he was sitting and stumped into the crowd to look for Darlene. Once he sighted Darlene, he took her by the elbow and yanked her to a place less noisy. “Darlene, let’s go home now!!.” He shouted at the top of his lungs.
   
    “What? Why? We just got here.” Darlene screamed as she danced to the rhythm of the music.
     
   “Funny.” Tyler said sarcastically. “We came here 12pm and it is 2 in the morning. I thought you had a photo shoot today?” He sighed. “I missed my 3’0 clock meeting with the agent yesterday.”
         By then it dawned on her that she needed to sleep early for the photo shoot. “Oh my God!  Why didn’t you tell me?” She said with horror in her eyes and headed for the exit. “Let’s go”.
   Tyler ignored her question “Finally. We are never dong this again. Come on. I will drop you at your place.”
    “Thanks Tylie.”
    “You welcome. Just make sure you get enough sleep and wake up early for the photo shoot.”

    *               *              *                *
    Ellie walked into the building of the Star Modeling Agency more than eager to get a job. She had decided not to go home after much deliberation. “ I mean, so many great men in the past started from the bottom, some were even cleaners. So mine is not any different.” She thought to herself. Once she was inside the building, she headed straight to the counter and applied for the job.
   
  Hours later she was settled in and was already done cleaning the third floor with the help of some of her colleague. Ellie was about to go and rest when Lisa, her colleague called her. “Ellie, Madame Chiamaka Ani is looking for you.”
       
“Oh, right away.” Ellie quickly went to her office. “Ma’am I was told you asked for me?”
         “Don’t you know how to knock before entering? And yes I did.”
          “I am sorry Madame Ani, it won’t happen again.”
         
  “That’s your problem. The reason I called you is not to scold you about your street manners.” Madame Ani got up from her seat and walked to the window with her back to Ellie. “Ellie when I chose you for this job I saw myself in you, I gave you this job for a reason and don’t make me regret it.”
       
   “I won’t Ma’am”
       “Oooh. it’s not just by saying that, you have to prove it. I need you to go to the shooting scene and do a good job there. I trust you know what to do.”
     

“Yes Ma’am.” With that said Ellie left Madame Ani’s office and went to the photo scene. “I wonder what she meant by she sees herself in me.” She snorted “ I can never be like her.”
       
  Ellie arrived at the scene and noticed the model was missing but that wasn’t her problem, she quickly began work. She went to the closet and started arranging the clothes so that she could clean-up. Minutes later, Ellie was done with the closet and was about leaving when a sparkly golden knee-length gown caught her eyes.
   

Ellie hesitated for a moment but she took it and put it on. If Madame Ani or anyone else caught her,  then she would lose her job. When she tried it on, she was amazed as to how a dress can make one look so classy. It took one dress to make her look like a model “Forget it. No one will see me here.” Ellie started doing some model pose in front of the mirror and then  she froze when she saw who was in the mirror.
   
***

“Where the hell is Darlene? Can someone please find me Darlene?” Chidi Madu shouted, the anger and frustration evident in his voice. The company has given him this job to handle with a lot on the line and he wouldn’t let Darlene be the reason for losing his job. For crying out loud, he was the executive producer and his job is to make sure everything goes as planned. He walked up to the Director “James, did you get a hold of Darlene. I don’t know what happened but I know we are thirty minutes behind schedule. So please help me find her or we are all dead.”
     
The director, James  Amadi was headed  to the closet, his eyes showed worry, anger  and fear. Darlene was his friend and he had pulled some strings to get her that job and now she just want to screw him up. “Darlene is going to pay one way or another whether she likes it or not” He didn’t care anymore, if she cant be serious with anything, then he won’t be serious with her.
   
  He took his phone from his pocket  and dialed Darlene. What he saw next made him stop dead in his track. “Who are you and what are you doing in here?”
    Ellie quickly turned “ I..I was sent here by Madame Ani to clear this place.” She said trembling.
   
  “Oooh… really? So what are you doing in that dress? Did your Madame tell you to also do that?”
 
  “Don’t get me wrong. I was just trying the dress, I wasn’t going to steal it.”
      “Come here, I will report you to the police. Such crime will not go unpunished.” James dragged her out of the closet to the photo scene.
         
  Chidi noticed the commotion at the other side of the room and went quickly to see what was going on. “What is going on here?”
           
“Sir, this woman is a thief. I saw her in the closet with this designer gown on.”
    
“No. I am not. Please believe me” Ellie said in tears.
           
Chidi shook his head thoughtfully “ What is your proof?”
        James looked at Chidi surprised “Look, I know what I saw…” Chidi pulled him to a corner before he could finish.

“James, I need you to be wise for once in your life. That woman there is our only chance out of this mess.”

“Wait. What?” James said still surprised as to how Chidi is taking all this lightly as if nothing happened “Look, I just told you I caught that woman trying to steal from us and you are here trying to give her a job opportunity?”
   
“And so? You gonna wait here for Darlene to show up? What if we lose our jobs. Besides she just wore it, it doesn’t mean she was trying to steal it .”  Chidi knew the girl was innocent and James was just carrying out his frustration on her.  James was so blind that he wasn’t seeing the golden opportunity- the only opportunity in front of them. “She looks like a model material. What do you say?”
      
“She does look model material, but she is a novice. We could use her. But what about the contract we signed with Darlene? We can’t just breach the contract?”
    
“Darlene breached the contract first.” He pointed out “I will take care of everything. Now let us just get this shoot over with” Chidi left James in his thought and went  to meet Ellie who was about to be dragged to the police station “Please, I didn’t do anything wrong. Please, believe me.”
   
   “She did nothing wrong, I misunderstood the whole thing. She was just doing her job.” James said with disdain. “I am sorry Officers.”
Immediately, the handcuffs were let loose “ Sorry for the discomfort Miss?”
   
“Ellie. Thank you so much for believing me.” Ellie thanked James
     
  “Oh no. Thank him. I only did this for my sake and others, so if you think you are free, you are wrong cause I am going to keep my eyes on you.”
 
  “I don’t understand. What do you mean?” Ellie asked confused as to what he meant by that. Is she still going for another punishment?
   
“Ellie, what James here mean to say is that you get to be our model for today. Our model did not show up and so we need you. You think you can do that for us?”

  Ellie couldn’t believe it, a model for a day? Is she dreaming?  Somebody pinch her. She gets to be a model for a day. She has being offered this platform in a platter of gold, all she need do is to impress them and persuade them to take her. “OMG…Please. Thank you so much.” She hugged Chidi and James and stopped when she noticed their sly expression. “So sorry.”
 
  “No time for this. Please get her dressed. We are behind schedule.”
    Few minutes later and Ellie is in front of cameras in a white background. It was a greek setting . She wore a toga with a yellow flower on her head. Jewelries adorned her hands and her legs. It was hard at first but now it was easy to flow with the camera and in the end, everything came out perfect. “Nice. Good work everyone.”
   
  Ellie got out of her toga to her normal janitor wear and walked over to James “Thank you so much.” James ignored her. She figured he would talk if it involved business only “How did it come out.”
 
  “You see for yourself.”
 
   “WOW!!” That was all she could mutter. For a novice, she sure was good.  “It is great.”

“I know, I sure know how to do my job well.”
     
“What? I wasn’t talking about you.” James went into a fit of laughter. Ellie was shocked. “Okay, this is weird.”
         
  “What? Can't I laugh?”
       
  “Sorry. It’s just that…” She didn’t manage to complete her sentence when a strange lady cut in.
       
  “I am finally here. Sorry for coming late. Now we are back in business.”
       Chidi came forward “Darlene, YOU ARE LATE!!” He shouted furiously
   
   “Whoa, take it easy. I am here now”
     “Well no need, we just finished. We got a new model to finish the job.”
    
“You can’t do that, you are breaching the contract.”
    
“Well, you should have kept to your own side of the bargain. Who do you think you are to make us wait here all day?”

Darlene ran to James for help, hopefully, he could help “James tell him that he can’t do this”

“I already have Darlene . We will resolve your contract issue tomorrow.” Chidi walked out of the studio angrily.
  
“Who is the tramp that stole my job?” Darlene looked over at the computer with the model’s picture and noticed it was the same girl standing close to James. “They swapped me for a cleaner? This is the highest insult ever.” She said with irritation. She fanned herself with her hands as if it was going to drive the shame away. She walked up to Ellie. “This is not over cleaner. Mark my words.” Darlene locked eyes with her to make her point clear and she was going to prove to her that nobody messes with her and then she left.
   
Ellie hadn’t even realized that she was holding her breath throughout until Darlene left the room. She looked at James hoping he would give her some kind of comfort but he just turned and walked out of the room with his things. “Okay that’s it. I am out of here.” She quickly went back to the Janitor's changing room to cool off. Everything had played so fast, she became a model, she had a photo shoot as a real model- not that it was ever a dream for her but for once in her miserable life, she felt like she had accomplished something big.
   
  “Ellie? Your attention is needed in Madame Ani’s office.” Her colleague called out to her from the door post 

 *        *        *

"Ellie!!!!  You still have floor 10 to clean stop lazying around"

"Oh, uhm...sure. I am coming" That was their supervisor, Kate. She was so bossy.

"Be fast *jor*"  What was she actually thinking. She was a janitor. Time to come back to reality. Ellie then got back to work.

As soon as she was finished for the day, she went home and immediately went over to the coffee machine to make herself a cup of coffee. Today was a hectic one and she really needed it.

She checked her tecno k8 for any new message or missed calls but there was none. Strange, why was she checking her phone in the first place. Not like her family had her new number but she was secretly hoping that they would somehow have found information about her whereabouts. Where they even looking for me? She thought.

She really missed home, though she was never welcomed by her Mum. Though she would give anything to go back and feel the warmth that just comes naturally with it, that no other place can give, the laughter, the feeling of having a family that she was never a part of but experiencing all that was a bliss. Her mum may not have liked her but her brothers did and her dad also did before he died.

She had remembered one time she got into a fight with a girl from high school about an assignment she refused to let her copy. After the fight and much scolding from the principal and from both of their parents, the next day, Ese, the girl Ellie got into a fight with called her boyfriend, Ogaga (who surprisingly beats girls) to beat her up. Her brothers immediately came to her rescue and gave Ogaga the beating of his life and Ese a big scare that anytime they saw her coming, they head in the opposite direction but things didn't go well for her after that  day.

Her mum had scolded her and told her she was nothing but trouble and  rained insults on Ellie, her words were spat like venom.

She had said "Ellie, all you do is give me problems throughout your life. Can't you be a good daughter like everyone else?" Ellie knew she was right, she wasn't so good with house chores since her Dad always pampered her. She was almost spoilt but she was still human with feelings but this woman didn't give a damn.

Funny thing was that Onome, Ellie's mum didn't even apologize for saying those words and went as far as starving her for the rest of the week.

Sometimes, Ellie can't help but question her existence and ask God if she was really ever meant to find true happiness.

Why can't her supposed mum love and accept her for who she was. She wasn't perfect but there was always room for improvement. Why did he create her? For her to suffer and to get hurt or what? She couldn't help but ask. If her life wasn't like this, then maybe...

"Owwww, Oghene!!" She had mistakingly poured the freshly brewed coffee on her delicate skin while serving it in a mug.

"God, what was I thinking?" Oh yeah, about how miserable your life can get

She quickly rushed to the sink and rinsed her hand where the coffee had almost burned her. "Aah" she groaned inwardly in relief as the water cooled the burning sensation. Once done, she dried her hand and applied ointment on the affected area.

Immediately, there was a rapt knock on the door. "Yea,coming" She opened the door to see a lanky man in what happens to be Sky View Hotel's uniform.

"Yes, how may I help you?" She managed to give him her best smile and failed miserably cause she knew why he was here. "Good evening madam"

"Evening" she said with anticipation.

"You are due to leave tomorrow by midnight"

"Oh" She managed to say although she knew what was coming "Thank you" He nodded as she closed  the door  behind her and walked back to take her already warm coffee. She had not really given this a lot of thought.  She have never been serious about anything but this was her first time alone and she has a lot to worry about like things her parents should be worrying about. Her job wasn't paying well enough and the money she brought with her has been spent on  her accommodation and transport. She would have to find an apartment somewhere close to work. She would have to take excuse from Madam Ani.

God help her with that but she needed to clear her mind for a bit before she wallowed in self pity and besides she hadn't taken her time to explore the city.

This was a good opportunity to pass out the time since she wasn't doing anything useful.

She put on a jean trouser to go with a loosed blouse and slipped into a leather jacket as she left the room after making sure the door was locked.

***

Tyler had just finished his meeting and had gone through the paper work on his desk. He really felt tired and he sure could use a lot of sleep. Darlene had almost caused him a lot of trouble. That would be the last time he would listen to her about anything. He knows she can be so stupid sometimes but she was really good at her job. She was one of the best model he could think of.

He rubbed his tired eyes and headed out of the office "Sophie, I would be retiring for today"

"Okay Sir. Good night" His secretary replied.

"Night, see you tomorrow"

He got into his car he had parked in the parking lot and got himself relaxed for a minute. He sure was tired.

He started the engine and swerved his way into the busy road but he was too busy thinking about other things to notice a girl in his front. The next thing he saw was her body making impact with his car and she was knocked unconscious.

What have I done? He thought. The last thing he needed right now was a scandal. He quickly got out of his car and carried the lady into his car. People had gathered around the scene and he just gave them an  'it's-okay-I-will-take-it-from-here' look. With that, he zoomed off into the busy night sky.

***

Ellie woke up with a throbbing head. It felt as if it collided with a hard rock. She tried to move but her body failed her miserably and she decided not to move again. She wasn't only feeling the pain on her head now, it was all over her body. Her ribs felt broken. Well, at least a few, she thought. She then realized her head was in some kind of...bandage? She thought but it was bandaged in an unprofessional-like manner. What happened? She though and then her eyes snapped open. "Where am I?" She stuttered.

The place looked alien, what had happened to her? She had been in so much pain to even notice her change in environment.

She took in the sight of the dimly lit room. It was dark. It's only source of light was the moonlight that filtered in through the opened double doors leading to the balcony.

The night view was beautiful with twinkling stars decorating it  which was breathtaking and the breeze entering inside the room made everything so peaceful making her almost forget she was in possible danger.

There was a big mirror at one end of the room. The room was all white she thought with a little of black outlines on the objects. She happened to be in a massive bed. The sheets were white and cool. The bed was so soft that she didn't want to leave but safety first- where was she? What had happened to her that she had a bandaged head?

Then she remembered what had happened. She had taken a walk exploring the city and was about to cross the express when a black range rover hit her and then there was a black out.

If she was really in an accident, then why wasn't she in the hospital? "Oh God, so many questions" she grumbled to herself.

She heard footsteps approaching so she quickly pretended to still be unconscious. She had to be on alert in case of anything. She doesn't even know this person.

She heard the door to the room open and felt a presence lingering close to her as if to check if she was unconscious. Before she knew what she was doing, she swiftly attacked the person who happened to be a man and trapped him in between her legs and her body cried at that move since she wasn't fully recovered but Ellie could care less "Wow, karate movies did pay off" She said beaming with pride but her happiness was short lived when the man took the upper hand and straddled her underneath him.

She noticed his muscle flex during this movement and the moonlight illuminated a very masculine outline of this man. His chiseled jaw was strong and firm. She couldn't figure out this man's face due to the poorly lit room and he was backing the only source of light.

"So you are alive?" He half asked
"What? Should I be dead?" She snapped

"Woah! Take it easy. You must have hit your head pretty bad." He got up from Ellie  and sat on the edge of the bed.

"Why didn't you take me to the hospital?" She asked after she had calmed down. At least she had the right to know why.

"Well, I didn't want any more trouble and I have a reputation to think of."

"Your reputation?" She asked with irritation evident in her voice

"Yes, but..."

"Your reputation is worth more than someone's life?" Ellie caught him off "I had an accident because of you and all you care about is your reputation?" She asked with anger mixed with irritation, sadness and guilt. Gosh, what was wrong with her head?

She looked up to see he has gotten off the bed "Where are you going?" She asked angrily.

"Well, I am going to put on the light if you don't mind Missy" He was already getting irritated by her bossy attitude. When Tyler switched on the light he turned around and that came as a shock for the both of them "You!!" They both said in unison.

A/N: Thank you guys for reading.  Please don't forget to comment and vote.  Till next time 😘😘