A Fatal Obsession

Chapter2

The last party Kimberly attended was three years ago, the night before her sister's tragic death.

Lisa's eyes narrowed, concern etched on her face.

“Kim, what's going on? You've refused to attend parties for years, and now you're excited about this one?”

“8 pm at Georgia Garden, the host is Williams__”

Lisa raised one nicely shaped eyebrow.

“McCalister?”

“Yes.”

“How? We would never get in. Parties thrown by the wealthy are for the wealthy.”

“There's an open invite for every beautiful lady.”

All these words sounded too good to be true. The brown eyes suddenly sparked with realization, finally the pieces were adding up, from her friend’s mischievous laughter to her monstrous face when she looked in the mirror. Williams McCalister had actually invited all the beautiful ladies.

Finally!

“We have a party to get to.” Hair flying, Kimberly swung around, strode to the wardrobe by her bedside, and opened it.

“What do we wear?” Lisa asked as she jumped from the mat and walked up to Kimberly who was already searching for what to wear.

After searching the wardrobe for a long time, they both couldn't find any clothes worthy of wearing to a party, not to mention one thrown by Williams. All that was in the wardrobe would pass for gardening clothes, the kind of clothes you wear for a shift at a coffee shop. They both exhaled loudly.

“So many clothes but nothing nice for a party. Nothing worthy to wear.” Lisa hissed, clothes were now lying in a messy heap on the bed and on the floor.

“We need better clothes, we should probably shop for something nice.”

Kimberly looked at Lisa and smiled, this girl seemed to have forgotten that they were just bartenders at a local bar in town and they didn't have much. Shopping for nice clothes shouldn't be part of their expense as their salaries can afford only so little.

“You have so much money, my darling," sarcasm dripped in her tone.

“No, but you do.” Lisa pretended not to have picked a sarcastic tone. Kimberly gave her a wicked look.

“You seem to have forgotten that our pay is the same.”

“I know, my love,” She blinked, trying her hardest to feign a puppy look.

"You know, I have a bad spending habit. Besides, I'll do well to get us perfumes.” Snapping her fingers in the air while swaying her hips dramatically,

“Anything to smell niceeeeee…,” she sang, playfully. Kimberly slapped her hips.

“Ouch…”

“Be serious,” she yelled at her.

“I'm serious though.” She said, still feigning the puppy look.

“Put that face away. You seem to forget that it doesn't work on me.”She knew she would have to spend so much money, most likely all the money she had in her savings if she wanted Williams McCalister to notice her.

Her entry into the party had to be loud, she needed to wear something nice. Makeup was a necessity too, although, it wasn't like she needed it to look beautiful but she needed to look extraordinary.

“Shopping it is,” she exhaled deeply. She would definitely be broke after this, but this was a necessity, at least if she wanted him to notice her. Lisa clapped her hands in excitement, she was ready for a makeover.

Soon, they were in a cab on their way to TRACE. Trace is a vibrant shopping mall that offers beauty services as well as spa treatments.

Trace wasn't too expensive to afford but as Kimberly sat in the car, she was lost in thought, her three-year savings was about to go down the drain. She sighed, she was beginning to have a headache, but for what it's worth__

She was thinking of the many things she would achieve.

Finally, she was this close to achieving her dreams, she could feel it.

“I can't believe it, we finally get to be in the same space as the Almighty Williams McCalister, not to say party with him,” Lisa chartered away excitedly.

“It's so thrilling.” She pretended to shiver.

Kimberly couldn't relate to her friend’s excitement, her excitement was for a different reason.

She didn't worship Williams, no, he was no idol of hers. If anything, she despised him.

The cab pulled up at Trace, a two-storey mall, and as Kimberly and Lisa alighted from the cab, they were in awe. They finally got to shop at Trace at least once in their lifetime. Trace wasn't the biggest mall in town, nor was it the most beautiful, but they felt like they were in heaven.

“Let's go, let's go,” Lisa chanted with childlike excitement almost jumping up. Kimberly followed closely behind her, she was about to regret her decision, she was definitely going to be broke after this.

“Argh,” she muttered, suppressing the urge to hiss. As soon as they got to the door, the sliding glass doors parted and immediately, a fragrant air hit their nostrils. The sweet, heady scent of perfume and cologne wafted through the air, mixing with the savory smells of food court cuisine. Kimberly could feel the taste of coffee on her lips__courtesy of the coffee and chocolate store nearby __ it was fresh and left her craving a cup of iced Americano.

This is heaven, Kimberly thought as she looked around. Now that they were inside, Trace was bigger and more beautiful than it looked on the outside. It was divided into sections with glass doors. The first floor had about nine sections; a food court, ice cream parlor, coffee and chocolate place, etc. While on the first floor, one could notice the bustling activities on the third floor. The third floor was a fashion boutique with just two sections, one was the female section that sold female things only, ranging from fancy clothes to shoes to bags……. The other was the male section with ‘MALE’ boldly written on the sliding doors.

“Kim,” Lisa tapped on her shoulder.

“Act natural,” Kimberly nodded but she was still relishing in the paradise she found herself. Lisa was no different, she couldn't help herself. She kept turning around trying to get a better view every now and then.

Hypocrite, Kimberly thought. Wasn't this the person who was asking her to act natural? They had to leave, she held Lisa's hand and pulled her close to her, as she started walking in the direction of the elevator.

*

It was 7:30 pm by the time they were done with their makeover. It was hard to recognize them as they looked so glamorous.

Kimberly was in awe as she gazed at her reflection. She had never been this confident her entire life, she was feeling like a queen. Her strapless emerald green evening gown hugged her curves, accentuating her hourglass figure. The vibrant emerald hue ignited her skin, making it glow with a warm, golden light. Her hair, now a rich blonde, cascaded down her back in loose, flowing waves. As she moved, her sleek, high-heeled silver sandals sparkled, the ankle straps and stiletto heels exuding elegance. Her light makeup enhanced her natural beauty, with smoky sophistication defining her eyes – soft gray eyeliner, rich brown mascara, and a hint of shimmery eyeshadow. A bold, berry-red lip color added a pop of color to her overall look, while a subtle glow on her cheeks completed her radiant appearance. Silver drop earrings with tiny gemstones and a small beaded silver bag perfectly complemented her outfit. With her curves on full display, Kimberly exuded confidence, knowing her body was undeniable.

Lisa on the other hand had settled for something loud__more like flashy.

She wore a daring, black diamond-encrusted jumpsuit that showcased her toned physique. Her raven-black locks were styled in a sleek, high bun, adorned with intricate, silver hairpins. The sharp, angular lines accentuate her piercing brown eyes. She wore strappy, black stilettos with silver buckles that elevated her height and added edge to her look. The stilettos' sharp points and towering heels seemed to dare anyone to cross her. Her makeup was bold and ruthless: dramatic winged eyeliner, bold red lips, and flawless, porcelain-like skin. Her eyes gleamed with a calculating intensity__

“I can't wait to be at the party already.” They were now sipping their coffees at the coffee and chocolate place as they waited for their ride. The taste of the coffee reminded Kimberly of the good old days. The one she had rather not remember, one before the storm. Her sister always got her this coffee. She could remember the first day she had seen Williams McCalister, he was the reason her sister had bought her the coffee that she now liked. Same old Williams McCalister that she now wanted dead.

She took in a sharp breath as murder scenes made their way to her head. There was no escaping her wrath for Williams McCalister. This was the beginning of a hard life for him, she knew it and she was more than ready to be his doom.