Fractured

Chapter 2

The invite

These bastards had cost him a lot of money during the last shipment; he paid a lot to these immigration officers, but like Oliver Twist, they always came back asking for more.

He had to do something about them too.

Nobody was too big to kill with the right amount of connection.

This was one reason he needed to be a close ally to Hesling. This invitation came just at the right time.

“To the dock, Phil”. He told his driver and right-hand man.

“Yes, Sir”.

**********************************************

Back at Hesling’s Mansion, everyone was busy doing something.

Matthew had spent two days here without going back home, he didn’t mind one bit. He was always well-fed by Mrs Tim whenever he slept over.

He had a crazy soft spot for her that made Norbert jealous at times. But Norbert didn’t mind sharing the old lady’s love with his friend.

“Jame, please call Mrs Tim for me”. He told his butler.

The man nodded and disappeared.

“That man mirrors you, he hardly says anything, Jesus!”. Matthew said.

Norbert laughed. He was even in a good mood.

Just then Mrs Tim knocked and entered.

“You called, Sir”. She said.

“Yes, Suzanne. Have you eaten enough food today?”. He asked her fondly.

She laughed and nodded.

“I practically live in the kitchen, Sir. I eat as much as I want”. She said,

“Don’t look like it to me”. Matthew inserted.

She rolled her eyes playfully at him.

“All good genes, Sir Matthew”. She smiled.

“f**k, call me Matthew, Susie. Please, I can’t remember how many times I’ve told you this”. Matthew looked like he was about to cry.

Norbert laughed. He had seen this scene too many times, but it never got old.

“Alright, let’s get right to business, people. Shall we?”. He asked, all traces of laughter had gone.

The other two sat straighter immediately.

They watched as he walked to the intercom and called the butler.

“I need you here, James. And please tell the gardener and the cleaner to join you. We are waiting for the three of you, so be snappy”. He hung up before James could say a word.

The cook looked at Matthew, and Matthew looked at her. Both were speechless.

“Say what’s on your mind before you choke”. Norbert groaned.

“They’re going to have a fit”. Matthew said immediately.

“Why, because of the ugly scar or because of…” He didn’t finish.

“Oh shut up, Norbert. There’s nothing wrong with your face. If I had a child and he looked like you, I’d bless the lord every day. So stop being a b***h about something you couldn’t control”. Mrs Tim was breathing heavily.

The room was dead quiet.

She felt like crying. She’d never spoken to him that way. But she was tired of seeing the hurt look on his face whenever he talked about that scar. She wanted him to know scars were okay too.

When the two men kept staring at her like she was suddenly ten feet taller, she couldn’t control it anymore.

She started crying.

“I’ll leave, Sir. I’m so sorry for my outburst. I don’t know what came over me”. She was already walking to the door.

Norbert shook himself.

“Come here, Suzanne”. He waited till the old woman was in front of him then he pulled her into a hug.

“Thank you, I needed to hear that”. He whispered

“Now stop crying before James comes back and assumes someone died”. He finished.

She laughed while still sniffing. Shook her head and was led by Matthew to wash her face.

Just as they returned from the bathroom, the other three entered the room.

Norbert stood taller and calmly watched the expression on the faces of the two men who had never seen him.

“Good lord, but he’s almost beautiful”. One whispered

“Or a fine ghost that has come to hunt me”. The other said before passing out.

Matthew couldn’t hold his laughter this time, he laughed hard and loud.

“I told you you need to go out into the sun more, you look like a vampire but without the fans”. He teased his friend.

“That wasn’t so bad”. Norbert laughed too.

“See what I meant, Sir?”. Suzanne said calmly.

By this time, the gardener had woken up, but throughout the meeting, he refused to go close to his boss.

He just kept staring at him like he was in love but scared at the same time.

When Norbert had given them instructions on getting workers from outside for the ball and they had all left, Matthew said, “I doubt your cleaner and gardener heard a word you said, Nor”.

Norbert just shook his head.

That wasn’t so bad.

He had a feeling he hadn’t felt in a long time.

He felt good.

—————————————————-

“Wake the hell up, Amber!”. An annoyed voice yelled.

The redhead beauty jumped from the bed like she had an army she suddenly needed to defeat.

Kate, her best friend, laughed.

“b***h, you are beautiful and all of that, but right now you are a mess, and you smell worse. Please go clean up; I’ve got big news”. Kate said.

Amber’s ears perked up instantly, not necessarily thinking about anything in particular, though, yet big news was good news in her books.

“What news…?”. She was about to say.

“Hush, girl. No talking till you’ve brushed away the foul-smelling spirit that dwells inside your mouth, get it done fast”. Kate dramatically turned away from her. At this point, Amber has no choice.

She scoffed and walked sluggishly into the bathroom. She’d had a long day at work last night, she was exhausted and she needed food and one of Kate’s Massages.

Twenty-one minutes later, Kate knocked on the bathroom door, rousing her from her sleep.

“Still alive, Greenie!”. She yelled.

“Yes, Cat., Can you imagine that I just fell asleep here. Anyway, Nothing much”. Amber replied, standing up from the mini bathtub that gave her the comfort to sleep off.

“Who the hell falls asleep in the bathtub?”. Kate said in disbelief.

Amber raised her hand sheepishly “Me”. She said, smiling like a fool though.

Kate rolled her eyes.

“Here. Eat”. Kate kept a bag of bagels and a cup of coffee in front of her.

Amber squealed and dived in like a hungry wild cat.

“I wonder what I would do without you, Cat”. She said almost tearfully but yet respectfully.

“Nothing. Absolutely nothing. Now eat up and stop being a sissy”. Kate laughed.

Amber smiled gratefully and finished up all that Cat served.

“So about that big news, what’s up with that? Am all ears”. She asked, sitting down close to her friend.

Kate dropped a small piece of paper that was cut from a newspaper in front of her.

Amber was wondering what that could be for.

“Read. And read slowlyyyy”. Kate dragged.

Amber laughed and started reading.

The more she read, the bigger her eyes became. She possibly wasn't expecting this news as it was.

“Oh my God!”. She exclaimed, more or less, in amazement.

“The one and only Norbert Hesling?”. She whispered.

Her friend nodded in agreement.

“One and the same, my girl. One and the same”. Kate said. “I had the same expression on my face when I saw it. The ball is also all over the news; all the big shots in this country and beyond have been invited; it is going to be lit!”. Kate finished with so much enthusiasm.

Amber was quiet for a while, deep in her thoughts.

Slowly she turned to her friend. She was still lost in her thoughts, and only staring at her for a few seconds.

“So why did you bring this? What made you feel we needed this?”. She laughed sadly. “We are nobody”.

Kate looked at her as though she was mad. Yes, that was not the response she expected from her after reading the newspaper.

“Girl, you are the smartest and most beautiful woman I have had the pleasure of meeting. Body, face and soul. Elegant!

But are you stupid right now? Look at this part of the newspaper, sis”. She pointed out where she meant.

Amber skimmed through it.

“Ohhhhhh! See that! So they need servants for the ball”. She laughed.

“Damn straight they do. And we are going to apply”.

“Right”. Amber Heard herself.

“Who knows, you might meet Prince Charming, and I’ll have the opportunity to have beautiful godchildren” We just could be that lucky. Kate giggled with glee.

This time, Amber burst into laughter. They were very close friends and so, sometimes, Kate lived in her head.

“So how do we go about this now? How do we apply or who do we send the application to?”. She asked, the excitement slightly rising.

“Great question, I don’t know. It doesn’t say. We will just go there tonight ”. It was Kate’s turn to feel sheepish.

“Okay then, good!

Fortunately, it’s my off day, so let us try to take more rest. It says the ball is here, the day after tomorrow. If we get it, we will work like slaves”. Amber said.

“Fairs”. Kate agreed.

Within an hour, both girls were passed out on the floor as they were both tired.