Ashley's POV
I groaned in bed as the sun beams spread through my curtains. I can't remember when last I slept for this long.
I heard the sound of my doorknob turning. I opened one eye to see my sister walking in. Without any warning, she ran towards me, landing directly on my stomach.
"What is wrong with you?" I yelled pushing her off.
"I just wanted to show my sister how much I love her," she answered settling herself right next to me.
"Then love me less," I groaned in pain. "Aren't you supposed to be at school by now?" I asked sitting up straight. Katy was already fully dressed in a school uniform.
"I'm starting at my new school today. My driver is coming to pick me up," she answered. "It still sounds weird that I'm saying it. I thought it was only a rich people thing to say." she rambled.
She hopped off my bed, standing right beside me. "Too bad you are not pregnant, the two of you would have made gorgeous babies. All they would have to do is look one hundred percent like Tristan."
"Just get out," I snapped throwing a pillow at her. She quickly doughed it.
"Fine, I'll go." She whined.
Katy had already disturbed me from my sleep. I pushed my blankets off of me, and placed my feet off the bed and slipped into my morning shoes.
I walked out of my room, rubbing my eyes as I made my way to the bathroom.
"Aren't you supposed to be getting ready for work?" mom asked as I bumped into her in the hallway.
"I have a day off," I lied.
"Your boss must be very generous with you these days," mom answered crossing her hands over each other. I could tell she was suspicious.
"Mom, did Ashley also tell you that she got a promotion at work?" Katy asked enthusiastically as she walked into the hallway.
She couldn't have said this at a more inconvenient time. Mom was already suspicious.
Mom's expression changed to a happier one. "Congratulations, honey," she said, pulling me into a hug. "How did this happen?" she asked.
"Well, the manager was really happy with my work. He also happened to need an assistant, so he promoted me." I lied. I had already figured out what I was going to say.
"Well, do you think we should invite your boss over for dinner? You know, just to thank him. I could even bake him a cake for you to take to work tomorrow." She suggested.
"There will be no need for that," I answered hoping mom would get the idea out of her head.
I didn't want my mom to meet Tristan. It would be awkward if I invited Marcus and he claims to have no idea why I was even promoted. As for Tristan taking the cake, I've never seen him eat a meal that isn't higher than my paycheck so I'm not sure he would accept it.
"Of course, we should." Mom insisted. "You know what, I'll stop by tomorrow where you work and make sure that I invite your boss myself." She continued. She didn't seem like she was getting the idea out of her head.
"No mom," I looked at her with pleading eyes. "Besides, my boss is a very busy man. I doubt he would want to come to this neighbourhood." I tried to reason.
"Well, you'll never know unless we try." She insisted. "I think I'll go and invite him today. I'll make my delicious lasagna tonight." She continued.
It seemed like all my lies were about to blow up in my face. I was already pretending to be sick today. For Marcus or Tristan to find out that I had been lying would be disastrous.
"You should stop mom, you don't want to make Ashley feel uncomfortable in front of her boss," Katy interjected.
"What are you two keeping from me?" Mom asked crossing her arms. "Don't think I don't notice. Why don't you want your boss to come over?" She insisted.
"Now you are just making things up. Did you have your morning coffee yet? Maybe you are still half asleep." I insisted.
I took her arm to walk her to the kitchen hoping it would be enough to distract her.
Mom pulled her arm away from mine as she stopped us in our tracks. "Ashley, what has been going on with you? Last night you didn't eat anything. You just locked yourself in your room. You hardly talk to me anymore. Don't think I don't notice how you and your sister and Ivy lock yourselves up in your room and whisper amongst yourself. I want to know what is going on." She demanded. Her tone had become more serious.
"Nothing is happening. I just had a really big lunch yesterday. I wasn't in the mood to eat last night." I defended. "Nothing is going on," I added.
"Besides, I don't think you want to talk about some seriously hot twenty-five-year-old guys in magazines. That's why we locked ourselves in her room," Katy added.
"You are too young for that," mom pointed out.
"Are you in some kind of trouble?" She asked returning her attention to me.
"Mom, everything is alright." I tried to assure her.
She sighed audibly. "There was a package that came for you last night." She pointed downstairs.
Katy and I looked at each other relieved before following mom downstairs.
I still wasn't entirely sure that mom had gotten over the idea of inviting my boss to dinner.
Sure enough, there was a package waiting for me downstairs. It had already been ripped open, revealing some beauty products. I noticed the bath salts and the moisturizer that was right on top. Layla wasn't joking when she said she would send me 'some' beauty products.
My mother needs to stop snooping through my things.
"Oh, that," I whispered pointing at the box.
"Where did you get all that stuff from?" Mom asked, her suspicious tone returning.
"I can't believe you actually won," Katy jumped in, her eyes filled with happiness. "When you told me about the lucky draw they were running at your workplace to raise funds, I thought it was a scam. I didn't think you would actually win."
"Yes," I replied, trying my best to project a more enthusiastic reaction. "Actually, when they read out the winners yesterday, I didn't even show up. I had no idea I'd won. One of the prizes was a box full of gifts to pamper yourself." I added to Katy's story.
Mom's reaction again seemed more relaxed. "If I ask all these things, it's not because I like getting into your business, I really worry about you." Mom smiled wearily.
Through our blinds, we noticed a car pulling up outside our yard. It must have been Katy's driver.
"You should get moving," mom said, rushing Katy.
Katy smiled as she picked up her backpack right at our front door.
Mom too collected her things as she made her way out of the house.
"Mom," I called out stopping her in her tracks.
"Yes," she answered.
"I want to move out," I said.
I wonder what her thoughts were on that. Maybe if I moved out she would stop snooping so much.
Her initial reaction was puzzlement before she burst into laughter.
"You? Move out." Mom laughed. "Please, you don't even do your own laundry. I still have to fight with you and your sister to put your dirty clothes in the laundry room. What will you eat if you move out? Nothing but two-minute noodles? I still can't figure out how you even work at that hotel." She continued to laugh.
"I know how to cook; I think I'd be able to survive on my own," I answered.
"Don't fool yourself, I'm afraid that you'll find a way to burn water let alone make a meal every day. You'd be back here in less than two days." She continued.
She dismissed my idea by simply laughing it off as she walked out of the door.
I'm pretty sure she was convinced I had gone mad and was simply delusional.
I pushed every thought of my mom away. It was time for me to put on the best performance of my life. I needed to inform Marcus that I wasn't coming to work because I wasn't feeling well.
****
Convincing Marcus that I was sick didn't take much effort at all. I told him that I'd be better by tomorrow. Next, I got ready to go to Layla's house. She had texted me that her driver would come and pick me up. Only heaven knows how Layla got my number.
The driver came right on time to pick me up. I fiddled with my fingers anxiously throughout the car drive.
I noticed all the properties around here were becoming more elaborate, some having their own golf course.
The car pulled into a property. Its large silver gates opened, welcoming us in. The mansion was further down with a large garden in front. I think the place had its own golf course as well as a tennis court further down.
The car was finally parked in front of the mansion. Stepping out of the car, I gasped in surprise.
The place was gorgeous.
Its walls were painted white with grey tiles for the roofing. There were large vases of flowers guarding the entrance to the double doors. The details of the place continued to impress me; it looked very modern.
I knew Tristan and his family were rich, but I had no idea they could be this rich.
I was then greeted by a maid who gave me directions. "Walk straight down the wall, you'll find the madam there." She instructed.
I nodded and then followed her instructions. It led me into the living room.
Everything looked antique and well-polished.
A man emerged from the living room. He smiled back at me, holding a glass of whiskey.
"Good day, I'm..." I paused. How was I supposed to introduce myself? As the woman who was lying to his son that she was pregnant. I wonder if he even knew about any of this.
"Ashley, right?" He answered. "You must be my wife's latest victim." He chuckled.
So, he must have been Tristan's dad. I could see the resemblance. They had the same jet-black hair with the same eye colour. He seemed a bit more laid back unlike when I first met Tristan.
I couldn't help but stare at him dumbfounded. How much did he know about me?
"I know everything. You can relax." He spoke.
His words made me feel a bit more relaxed. I couldn't help but think about what he must really think about me.
He smiled at me again as he gestured for me to follow him.
He led me to the opposite exit of the house. We ended up on a balcony.
Right down, I got a view of the pool.
There were several white sunloungers lining one side of the pool with umbrellas over them.
The pool looked enormous. I'm sure it takes up more space than my house.
"She is right there," He pointed toward the pool. He then returned inside the house, probably not wanting to be a part of this madness. I didn't even get his name.
I climbed down the stairs on the balcony.
Layla jumped off the sunlounger and removed her sunglasses.
"There she is!" Layla exclaimed enthusiastically.
She stood up to hug me. I responded to her hug reluctantly.
She pulled away, smiling back at me. "I didn't think you'd work that fast." She said.
Layla read my puzzled expression. She collected the tabloids on the small table between the sunloungers and handed them to me.
I looked through the tabloids stunned. I was on the front cover of every one of them. My face was hidden in all of them, but Tristan's face was clear in the pictures as he fielded me. It surprised me that all the covers featured me, just from different angles.
'Who is the secret Cinderella?' One of the headlines read.
'Who is the business tycoon's new flame?'
'Trouble in paradise between hotelier Tristan Montenegro and Madison Riley?'
I ignored the headlines in the rest of the tabloids as I skipped through all of them.
I sighed in relief. At least none of them actually captured my face.
"This calls for a moment to celebrate," Layla clapped her hands together. "Lucy!" she yelled.
Her expression changed as she was hit with a realization.
"Oh wait, she is not here today," she whispered. "Margaret!" she yelled again.
A woman came running toward us. "Yes ma'am," she answered.
"Please bring us two mimosas," Layla ordered.
Margaret nodded before returning to the house.
"I want to know everything that happened," Layla said. She shifted her body to face me, her eyes filled with excitement.
I told her every detail of the story, starting from the time I bumped into Tristan. She seemed more excited as the story progressed.
Margaret returned with our drinks while we laid under the umbrellas.
I took a moment to think. "Have you ever stopped for a second to consider maybe your son is smart enough and you should let him make his own decisions?" I asked. "Tristan really doesn't seem that interested in Madison. Do you think that this whole thing may be unnecessary?" I asked.
She laughed. "Do you really think I'm doing all of this just because of Madison? She is merely a fly to me," she said.
Her response really made me curious. What was Layla really planning?
"The truth is, there will always be women like Madison. The only way to solve that is to get him married. I'm going to find him a wife. For that, I need Madison far away so he can stop making excuses." She smiled.
My eyes widened.
"You are going to find him a wife?" I repeated.
"Don't act so surprised. It's not like you have any plans to marry him," she said.
I stayed silent. I agreed to help Layla get rid of Madison. However, I didn't think it was okay to push Tristan into something like marriage, at least by manipulating him into it.
She sighed. "I'd advise you not to get too attached. Remember you're not even pregnant. What would he do if he found out the truth?" she asked.
She had a point. I couldn't ever fall in love with Tristan.
"Nothing would ever happen between us." I swallowed hard. "Why don't we start talking about the real reason I'm here?" I asked.
"Well, you are here to relax and spend the day with me." She said.
"Did you change your mind about the makeover?" I asked puzzled.
"Well, I don't usually say this to people but you are perfect as you are." She spoke. Something told me that it was a lot more difficult for her to admit than it seemed. "Besides, it would be too suspicious if you just suddenly showed up all glammed up." She reasoned.
"You could have told me this earlier. I missed work for no reason," I said.
"Well, from what I gathered, last night turned out really well for Tristan and you. If he doesn't see you for the day, he'll keep thinking about you. Too much of a good thing at once can be a bad thing." She answered.
I was still annoyed that I missed work on the second day I was promoted.
"Okay," she raised her hands. "It's time for me to assess the damage. I want to know who else knows about this?" She asked.
I was still confused by her question.
"Who else knows you are not pregnant?" She clarified.
"Because A, you are a bad liar and B, because girls like you always tell someone." She answered.
"What do you mean by girls like me?" I asked.
"It's clear that you don't have a backbone for scheming. Literally, pick up any romance novel and you will be that girl who has a friend whom she tells everything." She answered.
Wow.
I sighed. "Well, my friend knows about it," I confirmed. "And my sister," I answered.
"Can we trust any of these people? I'd hate for any of this to come out." She said.
"Yes," I answered. "Ivy would never say anything and you just gave my sister a scholarship so you are pretty much her biggest fan."
"Very well," she answered. "I'd like to end this thing as soon as possible before he starts asking for any doctor's appointment or shows any interest in seeing your family. The fewer people we involve in this whole thing, the fewer people who get hurt." She said reassuringly. "Is there anything else I need to know?" she asked.
I took a moment to think. "Well, Madison asked me to spy on Tristan. She wants to know his every move." I informed her.
"Typical for someone as insecure as her." She laughed.
"I haven't given her a response yet," I said.
"Well, you should tell her that you'll do it. That way we can keep an eye on her and give her false information." She said.
She could get any information and she'd find a way to turn it into an evil plot.
My phone rang stopping Layla from finishing her plan.
"It's Tristan," I answered staring at my screen.
I couldn't help but feel a bit of excitement.
"Answer it," Layla spoke.
I paused for a moment before answering the call. "Hello," I answered with a cough.
"Hi," Tristan answered mirroring my excitement. "I asked around and Marcus said you weren't coming in today because you are sick. Are you feeling alright?" He asked.
"I'm okay, it's just morning sickness. I was vomiting constantly this morning and I felt a bit lightheaded but I'm much better now," I lied.
"Okay," Tristan answered letting out a sigh. I could tell he was relieved. "I hope it wasn't because of any of what you ate last night." He spoke.
"No, not at all." I cut him off. "The food was delicious," I answered.
Layla sent me a signal to hang up the phone. She was very persistent in her request, and she shot me a glare.
"I was just..."
"Listen, I really have to go now," I said, cutting him off.
Layla took the phone from my hand and hung up.
I didn't even get to say a proper goodbye to him.
"Let's keep the conversation short and sweet so that he doesn't forget you." She said in a matter-of-fact tone.
Tristan's dad returned, this time wearing his own sunglasses.
"Honey, you've been working this poor girl. You should take some time to relax. He suggested. "Tristan is a grown man; he will be fine. How about we go out for the weekend, and spend a few days together with just the two of us?" He looked over at me with great enthusiasm.
Layla chuckled. "We have been married for the last thirty years, we see each other every day. Why would I possibly want to spend more time with you?" She shut him down.
His smile dropped.
I guess I wasn't the only one Layla was mean to.
"Too bad, I wanted to tell you that your necklace had arrived." He announced.
"You mean the diamond one?" Layla answered.
He answered.
She jumped off her seat enthusiastically. "I'll be right back." She said.
Just like that, the two of them disappeared into the house.
I placed both my feet on the sunlounger to help me feel a bit more relaxed.
Not too long after, an elderly woman approached me.
"Hello there dear," she greeted with a smile.
"Good day ma'am," I answered getting up.
Judging by her age and the way she was dressed, she was probably Tristan's grandmother.
"You are?" she asked.
"I'm Ashley... I'm just visiting." I answered.
She paused to take a look around. "Well, why not take a walk with me?" she said. She smiled at me sweetly. There was no way I could say no to that.
I nodded. She hooked my arm with hers and she led me toward the garden.
She seemed extremely friendly for someone I had just met.
"You know. I have a grandson that I'd like you to meet. I'm sure the two of you will get along quite well. He is about your age too." She smiled.
"I don't think that will be necessary," I replied anxiously.
"Nonsense, I'm sure the two of you would enjoy each other's company. He is very hard-working, he is sweet and kind. He is handsome too, although if you ask me I don't think he needs to hear any more of that." She spoke.
We both laughed.
"He sounds lovely but I'm pretty sure I may be out of his league," I answered.
She stopped and turned to face me as she cupped my chin. "Love knows no bounds, my dear," she said.
Her words hit me hard for some reason. I couldn't help but turn my head away.
I didn't feel anything for Tristan. The two of us were too different. Besides, as Layla said, Tristan was going to hate me when he found out the truth.
I was further distracted from my thoughts when my phone rang.
"Please excuse me," I spoke.
I stepped aside to answer the call. It was Tristan again. His timing couldn't be more perfect.
"Hi," I answered.
"Are you okay?" he asked.
"Yes," I answered. "You don't have to check up on me all the time." I laughed.
"Okay, so what are you doing right now?" He asked. I could almost hear the smile in his voice.
"Nothing really," I answered. "I'm just sitting at home, watching TV." I lied.
"Good, I'm right outside your house." He spoke.
"What?" I whispered.
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A/N: Thank you so much for reading, I hope you enjoyed the chapter.
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