THE FISHMONGERS HEIRESS

Fat, short, and dressed in a long, pink gown. A gown that must have been given to her by someone taller and thinner than her, with brown, extra large shoes that had seen better days, and large eyeglasses that she had a habit of pushing to the brink of her nose with her middle finger, plain Claire Noone was the kind of girl who could easily blend into the background of any movie. Today, Claire was heard whistling softly, and a beaming smile on her face as she walked towards a large gate some miles away. Suddenly, she stopped when a tall lady in white pajamas stepped in front of her. "What's up, Claire? You seemed to be in a hurry. " "Am good, Jane. I'm going to a show with a friend, and am already late," she raised her chubby arm and peeked at her cheap wristwatch, and then frowned at the thought of d**k, who hates to be kept waiting and would be furious at her. Jane peeked at the screen of her iPhone Eleven, then at Claire, and then giggled. "You are going with d**k, right?" Claire nodded her head. There was no point in denying it, everyone in the school knew she was going out with d**k. They had made fun of their relationship, got tired, and then jumped into another topic. "I need you to deliver this package to Rotherham Elegance Hotel. A friend of mine is about to propose to his girlfriend." Jane opened her palm to reveal a beautiful case. "I'm sorry, Jane. d**k would be furious if -." "I'm paying you five hundred dollars for a few minutes' walk, Claire. Why don't you call d**k and beg him to wait for you?" Claire's mind immediately began to calculate how to put the five hundred dollars into good use. Such an amount is a windfall of money and will solve most of her present needs. "I have been trying to contact him, but his line is not reachable. I guess the network sucks." "You need a new phone, dear. And it must be an iPhone." Janet peeked at her phone, giggled, and mumbled," You ought to be online in chatterbox apps right now. That's part of the reason why you need an iPhone." Chatterbox is the school chatting app and is only available on the Apple Store. "What's going on in Chatterbox?" Jane giggled. "Something you will soon know about. Get a better phone so that you won't always be left out." Claire agreed she needed a better phone. Her Android phone had been malfunctioning for ages and was about to kick the bucket. But she didn't mind being left out of the gossip going on in Chatterbox apps. After all, all their topics were targeted at her. "Maybe I should give this to you when my Dad gets me the latest iPhone as my birthday present ." "Yes, I will love it. Thank you, Janet." "What did you say, Claire? We are wasting more time with this conversation." Claire inhaled and exhaled louder. She didn't want to disappoint Jane, who had been one of the few students who were friendly with her. And besides, she needs the cash. "Can you help me to message him on your phone? Tell him something unexpected has come up and that I will be with him in thirty minutes." "Sure, Claire." Jane placed the diamond-shaped case into Claire's palm. ", Be careful, girl. "This contains ten thousand dollars worth of a ring. Look for Mr. Abraham and give it to him." Claire couldn't afford to hide her excitement when Janet counted five hundred dollars and gave it to her. God always works miraculously. She had been sick with worries about how to get the money needed to buy an iPhone 12 for d**k. That's what he demanded for his birthday, and she couldn't forget the bluntness on his face when he threatened to dump her if she failed to get him the phone. Four years ago, the city of Deadwood became heated when Claire Noone, the daughter of a roadside fish seller, got a scholarship to study at the prestigious Rotherham High School. Known as the school for the sons and daughters of the rich and the super-rich, almost all the peasants prayed for such an opportunity for their children. Since Claire's scholarship did not cover her feeding and clothing, she had to do menial jobs to meet up. As expected, this earned her insults and scorn from the majority of the students, who already felt belittled by the presence of a pauper among them. A year ago, d**k got admitted to Rotherham High School and asked Claire out. Even though she desired him, Claire had been skeptical about the relationship because d**k was handsome and the son of a millionaire. But d**k soon proves himself by defending Claire from being bullied and also sticking with her. And in a few months, a solid relationship grows between them. Students pointed their hands and then laughed at Claire, who seemed to have grown thick hair to their taunts and bullying. And the chatter and gossiping only subsided when she stepped out of the school premises. Just like Rotherham High School, Rotherham Elegance Hotel belongs to Mrs. Helen Rotherham, the billionaire wife of the late Mr. Francis Rotherham, and the owner of the Rotherham group of companies. Nestled in the most beautiful part of the city, the Rotherham Elegance Hotel not only stands as a beacon of luxury and serenity but comes with a price that makes it only affordable for the rich alone. The first time Claire stepped there, she couldn't help but fall in love with its majestic facade adorned with cascading ivy and sparkling fountains, and was mesmerized by the lobby, a grand atrium bathed in natural light. Her eyes almost fell out of their sockets when she saw the white marble floors that spiraled upward to an inviting reception area, and she would never forget the warm smiles and cool refreshments that were bestowed on her. When Claire flashed her student identity card, the tough-looking bodyguard allowed her into the VIP section of the hotel, and one of the bartenders who noticed her stepped towards her and asked, "Welcome to Rotherham Elegance Hotel. How may I be of service to you, ma'am?" "I'm here to see Mr. Abraham -." Claire suddenly looked horrific, paused her speech, seized her breath, and the ring in her palm fell to the ground. A few distances away sat d**k, her boyfriend. He had his face buried in Emily's face, his lips glued to her lips, and his arms around her waist.