A Naive Bride for the Sophisticated CEO

Chapter 24: A loud scream

So many taxis passed by Amelia, but she wasn’t ready to stop one. Her head was full, her eyes were blurry due to her tears, her heart was broken.

An hour back, she thought she finally got control over her life. She thought she could now make money and survive without her uncle, but she was wrong. The happy fantasy was washed down the drain by James.

She looked at the company’s building for the last time and began to shuffle down the streets. She tried so hard not to call Freddie and tell him about it because she believed he would be busy, and she didn’t want to be a distraction.

She held her bag firmly, grasping it tightly under her shoulders as she walked. This time, she wasn’t going to let anyone snatch her new phone and money from her.

Almost everyone they passed by Amelia looked at her. Something caught their attention. It was either the way she sobbed home, or her fitted skirt.

When Amelia noticed a young couple staring at her, she realized they were whispering things to themselves about her skirt.

She quaffed and increased the speed at which she walked. At the moment, she began to regret that she changed her sense of fashion at all. She thought she improved it, but it seemed like she worsened it.

She got to the front of her apartment and ran up the stairs. She hit her corridor in no time and saw Elena locking her door. She was heading out.

“Elena,” She mumbled loudly from where she was, and Elena lifted her head and saw her.

“Hey. Amelia.”

Amelia shuffled to where she was in tears, and as she approached, Elena saw tears on her face. She felt a great urge to laugh when she saw her outfit, but she controlled it very well.

“Baby girl. Why are you crying? Are you okay?”

Amelia shook her head and when she got to her door, she rested her back on the door weakly.

“What happened at work?” Elena further asked, moving a bit closer to her.

“I was fired, Elena. For no reason at all. Now I understand what you meant when you say he can fire me because of the slightest thing.”

Elena heaved a sigh and touched Amelia’s shoulder in pity. “What was the slightest thing you did? Maybe it seemed slight to you, but it isn’t slight at all.”

“I didn’t do anything, Elena. I swear. I was so eager to see him and collect his phone number I lost yesterday night, only for him to arrive, looking very cold and angry. The next thing I knew, I was out of the company.” She broke into more tears again.

“Oh my… I’m so sorry, Amelia. You don’t feel good at all. Let’s talk in your apartment, okay?”

Amelia turned to open the door, and Elena took this opportunity to free her throat by letting out an inaudible laughter.

Amelia walked into the house and before she could look at Elena, Elena’s face was back to the pitiful face she had earlier.

“Come in.”

Amelia stepped away from the door and let Elena in. She got to her couch and fell flat on it. Elena exhaled softly and approached her.

“I hate my life,” She groaned as she kept her face buried in her couch.

“C’mon, Amelia. Don’t hate your life because you lost one job. There are other jobs out there, baby girl. Don’t get so worked up about this one. Moreover, shouldn’t you be happy you finally got away?”

“Hun?”

Amelia raised her head from the couch and looked at Elena.

“Shouldn’t you be excited? You have gotten away from Mr. Charles, don’t you know? There is nothing bringing you and James closer anymore. You don’t have to be his wife anymore.”

Amelia heaved a sigh and sat up. ‘I never even thought of that.’ She thought.

“Trust me, Amelia. This is the best thing that has ever happened to you. You are free from that Psychopath, and you are crying? C’mon, Amelia! You should be glad!”

Elena smiled cheerfully and hit Amelia’s leg softly. Amelia smiled and looked at the leg she hit. It reminded her of the wound she had nursed for a few days.

She stared at the dark mark, and Elena noticed it. She also saw the mark and furrowed her brows. © 2024 Nôv/el/Dram/a.Org.

“What happened to you there?” She asked, and Amelia looked up.

“My female cousin almost chopped my leg off with her heels at my surprise graduation party.”

“What? She is so cruel!” Elena exclaimed, and Amelia shrugged.

“I was so distracted with work that I forgot about my wound. If I had thought about it when I was rushing out this morning, I wouldn’t have worn a skirt that exposed it. Maybe this is why people kept staring at me on my way back home.”

“So this is why you wear long and big clothes?”

“No, not only this. I have been like that since my childhood. I don’t like exposing so many parts of my body.”

“Really? But this is quite exposing.”

“Yeah, I know. I was stupid to think this would make Mr. James see me differently.

“Amelia, listen to me. You don’t have to change for anyone, okay? Be yourself. You look beautiful with or without exposing your body. You deserve someone better. Forget about James!”

Amelia chuckled and bounced her head. She felt happy with Elena’s words. After her uncle, she was the only person that had boosted her self-confidence a little.

“I love you, Elena.” She pouted her mouth after saying it, and Elena divulged a thin smile.

Elena began to feel her bag vibrating, she guessed it was her phone ringing, so she hastily picked it out. She checked her screen and saw it was her mother calling.

She stared at the screen with an angry look for so long that it disconnected.

“Why didn’t you answer it? Who is it?” Amelia asked out of curiosity. She could sense the anger in Elena.

“It’s no one.” She threw her phone into her bag.

Amelia slowly nodded, she wanted to mind her business, but the phone began to ring again.

“The person seems desperate. Pick up and listen to what he or she has to say. You don’t have to say anything, but it’s better than not hearing what’s going on at all.”

Elena clenched her jaw and sprang to her feet in outrage, catching Amelia unaware.

“Don’t you tell me what to do! Mind your goddamn business, okay? This is my shit, not your stupid shit! Mind your f**king business!” She poked the air as she yelled.

Amelia blinked severally in awe and disbelief. She never expected such a switch of attitude from Elena. Elena reached for her bag and stormed out of her apartment.

“Why is she so mad at me? I was just trying to help.”

Amelia laid on the couch again and closed her eyes. Her eyes were heavy and stressed. She wanted to sleep badly.

~ At Evening ~

The sudden noise from her bag kicked Amelia out of her sleep. She sprang up and looked at her bag with sleepy eyes. Her phone was ringing.

She picked her phone and saw “Uncle Freddie” on her screen. She smiled and excitedly answered the phone.

“Uncle,” She called, gluing her phone to her right ear.

“Hey, Amelia. How are you?”

“I’m fine, Uncle. How are you?”

“Charles told me you got fired today, and I need to talk to you about it. Can you come to the house? I would have preferred your apartment, but I’m passing a different route home. We need to talk tonight. Can you come home?”

Amelia rubbed her eyes and bounced her head.

“Yes! I can. I’ll take a taxi as soon as possible.”

“Good. I'm expecting you.”

Freddie hung up the call, and Amelia sprang to her feet. She hurried to her bedroom and opened her closet.

She pulled out green palazzo pants and a black big round-neck shirt. She got rid of her clothes and put them on. She felt more comfortable in them because they were big.

She rinsed her face in the bathroom, never paying attention to her rough, wavy hair. She wore black flip-flops and grabbed her bag before heading out.

She ran down the corridor, totally forgetting about Elena. She got out of the house and noticed nightfall was near.

“Wow, I slept for so long.”

She saw a taxi approaching right in time, and she moved closer to the road and waved it down. She got into the taxi and took off immediately.

She checked her phone and realized it was 7 pm. She shook her head in disbelief and exhaled.

‘I must have been so tired.’

*

“We are here, Ma’am.”

“Thank you. She drew out a few dollar notes from her bag and stretched it to him. He collected the money, and she alighted.

She lifted her head and stared at the building for a few minutes. Memories of how bad she has been treated in the house rushed into her head.

She gulped hard and headed into the compound, which was all lighted up as usual.

She got to the door and opened it. She didn’t bother to knock because they never locked the door until it was midnight.

The aroma of baked bread filled her nose as she walked into the living room. She looked towards the kitchen and smiled. The maids were doing wonders once again.

When she saw Freddie wasn’t in the living room, she proceeded to the staircase, heading to his room.

She got to the uppermost part of the staircase and was about to step her foot on the second floor, when Ava appeared in front of her out of nowhere.

Amelia was startled but quickly held onto the railings. She withdrew her leg and stood on the last tread.

“Hello, sister…”

Amelia’s heart began to beat very fast, it thumped against her chest like it was going to tear through it.

She grabbed the railing tighter and kept moving back slowly because Ava didn’t stop moving closer with an evil grin.

“You are back, right? I missed you so much.” Ava teased.

Amelia’s flip-flops were halfway off the tread. She began to sweat profusely at the fear of falling off.

“Ava, can you please move away? I’m going to fall off,” She mumbled, and Ava scoffed.

“That is exactly what I want.”

She moved her hand to her and aggressively poked Amelia’s chest.

Unfortunately, Amelia’s flip-flops slipped off the tread, and she lost balance.

Amelia’s hands got off the railings, and she fell backward with a loud scream.

“Ahh!!!”