Chapter one
2165 Words
Ann sat painting a portrait of her, her husband, sister and parents as they never had a picture of them together.
She tried to make it realistic enough to look like a picture “ this would be perfect to present to mother” she told herself smiling at the masterpiece she had painted.
Her radio played an advertisement break playlist on her favourite radio station where they sent messages and asked for advice.
“The next message is from a fan on our show, its from Ann clark” Ann excitedly turned towards her radio and tuned the volume higher, she smiled as she listened.
“I prepared a surprise gift for an important family event tomorrow” the radio host read Ann's message.
“I don't know if it's good enough, to my parents I've never been a good daughter”
“Please give me some words of encouragement”
“That was her message” the radio host ended.
“Hmmm, your parents might not be best at expressing their love” she went on.
“but I'm sure they love you and will be happy,its not about good or bad it is the heart in it that counts, all right? Ann your parents will know what is in your heart because you are family”.
The radio played another playlist request and Ann added final touches to the painting.
“It's finished” she said with a broader smile on her face.
She picked her phone and took a picture to send to her husband “what do you think?” she typed under it and clicked send.
Claire Charles's sister burst into her room with her phone up to Ann “Ann mum's calling” she said with.
“Mother!?” Ann took the phone and answered.
“My dear please have some dishes prepared, I'm having some friends over in an hour” her mother in-law said over the phone.
“ An hour?!” Ann quickly stood up and dashed towards the kitchen.
“The girls really want to come, what can I do” her mother in law said.
“Don't stress too much about it just prepare something simple okay”
“M-mother” but the called had already been dropped.
Claire came up to her and took her phone from Ann turned and was walking out.
“Claire where are you going?” ann asked.
“Coffee shop, I'm job searching”Claire said without looking back.
“Eat before you go, maybe you could tidy up the living room while I cook” Ann said curiously hoping she would agree on it.
“Darling don't stress about it, that's what she said” Claire replied Ann coldly mimicking her mothers words before walking off.
Ann quickly rushed to the bathroom to clean off the paint stain and got to vacuuming the living room quickly as she had barely one hour to prepare meals for an unknown number of guests as her mother in law never disclosed the number of people she would usually bring home.
After a knife cut and 5 course meal preparation later Ann was done cooking and served her mother in law and her friends with judging looks on their faces as they looked at the dishes on the table.
“Ann when you don't have time, ingredients and skills that's what a delivery is for” her mother in law said after dragging Ann away from the dining room for scolding.
“Since your friends were coming I had to put in extra effort and make it special for guys mother” Ann said.
What? Your best? You call serving my friend barely cooked meals your best?”
“You could have ordered Chinese food and deserts and called it a day Ann” her mother in law said nearly in fake tears.
“Or did you plan to embarrass me infront of my friends?” she added sternly looking at Ann.
“No m- mother of course I'm not trying to embarrass you” ann said,she briskly took out her credit card and handed it to her.
“Here mother take this,get something nice for you and your friends” she handed it to her.
With pretence rejection her mother in law tried rejecting it “now you are trying to call me and my household poor Ann?”
No mother no I'm not I just want you be alright, here take it please you're doing me a favour take it” she pleaded with her.
“If you insist”She reluctantly took the card from Ann and walked off with a frown.
Mother” ann called out to her
“Yes, can I help you?”
“I'm going to my parents place, since they'll be busy with the event tomorrow I figured I should have dinner with them ahead of time” ann said.
“Okay, take Charles with,you will you”
Her mother in law asked
“At least your family's highly influenced connection could get him a better job” she added on.
“Mother I already told you, Charles loves his job and insists on remaining there”
“Ann why are you so dense,don't you see he is just saying so cause he doesn't feel welcomed”
“Excuse me?!” ann was surprised as she had never noticed.
“I hear your sister might marry Tate, and he is the CEO of Tate's private sector where Charles works” she continued “do you want your brother in law to be your husband's boss?”
“You want to make Charles feel so small?”
Thoughts about what her mother in law had said ran through her mind as she drove to her family house.
She picked up her phone to call her husband but he didn't pick,she dialled up her mother and she didn't pick as well.
She got to the house and it was empty
“ mum?!!, belle?!!” she called out but no response
She called her moms private secretary
Two rings and he picked up “hello, Mr Paul I'm home and can't find mom or belle anywhere, do you know where they might be?”
“They're at the event venue, they didn't let you know?”
“N- no it must have slipped my mind” she stuttered.
Should I send the driver to come pick you up?”the secretary asked.
“No it's okay, you must be busy” ann said
“I was going to send him to pick something up, can you bring it instead?” Mr Paul asked.
“Okay, whats that?” she asked.
“Oh my its my job, I shouldn't stress you” he added on
“No it's alright besides you are much needed over there and I can bring it over for you” Ann said.
“Where is it?” she enquired.
“ let me take you up on it then, its a document in a white envelope in the second drawer of your mums office desk”
Okay I've seen it, is that all?” she asked on.
Yes ma'am, thank you very much you can meet your husband when you get here”
“Charles, oh he's been very busy with work though I tried calling but he didn't answer the phone, I guess he should be in an important meeting” she said.
“Well I thought I saw him in the crowd belle was presenting a painting to” Mr Paul said.
“Well I'm sure you must have seen wrong” Ann said almost like she was convincing herself.
In the event venue belle in front of people who were mostly bloggers and tourist or painting lover she stood in front of a multicoloured painting like stain mark design on them
One blogger asked her “how do you look at a painting ma'am?”
How do I look at a painting” with a questioning look on her face
“Uhhmmm……how should we look at a painting?” she said, turning to the painting behind her to take a look at it.
“Like this” she said pointing at her, glistening her eyes in a smile shape.
The crowd laughed and cheered on.
Charles stood behind the crowd admiring belles’ presentation like she was the most beautiful woman he had ever seen, like he wasn't married to her sister while he recorded her on his phone.
Another blogger asked “what type of paintings do you like Miss Belle?”
“I like neoclassicism and Romanticism, I like paintings that looks nice when looking at it
Isn't it just human nature to be drawn to beautiful things?” belle said.
“Wether it is a painting or person” she said all while looking at Charles through the crowd.
“Okay that's it guys thank you very much, please enjoy the rest of the events” she greeted them as she walked off and Charles followed.
“ Hey Charles, did you get the videos?” she asked him
“Yea-yeah I did, here I sent them to you hope you like them”
“Okay thank you very much charles, you're the best” looking at her phone she tapped his arms and walked off.
He watched her walk off till she was invisible, smiled and headed to the refreshment area.
Ann’s mother had a group of wealthy friends who loved to spend on anything so long as they were expensive, a few had an idea of what they were buying while the rest just bought them because they were pretty.
She hosted them on a mini round table of five while they talked over champagne.
“Oh my I didn't know the artist's final touch had unreleased paintings,” one of the ladies said.
“Remember he was in America during his break before he changed his style” Ann's mother replied.
“I found one that his patron had received as a gift, I'll need to redo the brochure,” she said proudly.
“ oh my, what does it look like? The second lady asked.
“It's of no use anyway the madam here is going to snatch it, she is a huge fan of the artist's touch,” the second lady said again looking at the third lady beside her.
Ann got to the venue's parking lot and immediately dialled Charles's phone again “gosh!, why isn't he picking up!!!” hurriedly grabbed her purse and the painting that she had sealed.
Few steps, she came across his car parked in the parking lot “well that's a shocker, why wouldn't he tell me he would be here” she said to herself.
Just before she could look away from it, her eyes came across an envelope on the ground beside his driver's side door, she picked it up curiously and looked to see any description on it but none, she immediately put it in her purse and headed inside.
As she walked in she saw her husband standing with her dad and some else who seemed to be an interviewer, walking up to them she locked her arms with his
“Oh hello ma'am, and you are?” the interviewer asked.
“I'm his wife and he is my father” Ann said pointing to her dad who gave her a warm smile.
“It's my husband who came up with the logo, ‘the clarks under one roof’ he's so smart” she said all while looking at him smiling.
“Wow Mr Clark you must be proud to have such an amazing and beautiful family” the interviewer said.
Ann and Charles walked off towards an empty table.
“You should have told me,I would have come with you to help” Ann said to Charles.
“It's okay I wanted to” he replied.
“Thank you” Ann said while she broke a soft smile at him.
“For what?” he asked curiously.
“Just, everything”
“Please don't be like this is again, it makes me feel bad” Charles said with a stress look.
“Okay then don't tell me you're sorry either”
“I won't say thank you and you won't say I'm sorry”
“The first person who messes up grants the other person's wish”
“Okay sure” Charles answered.
“I'll see you later, let me go find mother” Ann pecked him on the cheeks and turned to walk away.
“I have something to tell you…… After the event” Charles called out.
“I hope you can hear it without getting angry” he said.
“Why would I get angry? You must have had your reasons” Ann said, reassuring him with her smile.
“I trust you Charles” she said and ran off.
- Writer
