Joanne*
The women of the white Ale-o house are nothing special, if there is one thing I’ve learnt today.
They were impolite, though they tried to make an effort to use their words carefully, but in the end they just said whatever they felt like. Whoever it harmed was irrelevant to them.
Basically, the club was created after Anna’s fiancé, Asher, gifted her the beautiful Gazebo for her birthday, and wanting to be a show off about it. Anna decided on a women’s club where they can help each other out with any difficulties another woman’s facing. And at the end of the year they donate a hefty amount of money for nearby orphanages.
Because of the “good” they do and how fancy they dress and are, many people look up to and respect the women of the white Ale-o house.
If people walked on sand, these ladies walked on golden eggs.
And today I became one of these women.
And I really felt sorry for the people who looked up to these ladies thinking they spend their time cracking their wallets with how much they want to help the next orphanage with. Not knowing their main focus on this club is all about reputation.
Because despite their kind gesture every time of the year, what they talk about people in the Ale-o house is as displeasing as ever.
On the outside they talk about coming together and helping their fellow women, but only if you’re the same status level as them.
I used to be a manager at a department store before I got in this situation with Hardy, and they would definitely not try to help me if I approach them with that title. But with an introduction as Hardy Bensimon’s fiancée, things would definitely take a different turn.
Funny.
These ladies do not care about anyone but themselves and the Ale-o house is just for show offs and gossips.
Blending in? That would be a piece of cake.
–
After spending two hours at the Ale-o house, I was finally driven back to the mansion. Where unfamiliar maids rushed me like red ants and started to take off my attire, and my goodness I couldn’t be more glad.
I was soaking my body in the warm and nice smelling water inside the tub. When Trinity’s voice and knock took over the bathroom’s door.
“Can I come in?”
“Sure” I cleared my throat.
Making her way inside the bathroom, Trinity squatted close to me, her face beaming with curiosity and excitement.
“Okay… okay how was it? Meeting these ladies of the white Aleo house. Are pretty? Fancy? Do they really eat and drink from golden cups and plates like people had said?” Trinity’s question made me giggle.
I shake my head, letting my smile linger.
“They’re all snakes”
Trinity smacked her lips and let out a gasp.
“What do you mean by that?”
“Are they fancy? Yes. Are they wealthy? Yes. Are they mean. Hell yes” I sighed.
“Can you elaborate more” Trinity sighed.
“I dunno trinity, that’s all I can say for now. I am exhausted and this warm bath is doing the trick right now” I breathed out a sigh.
“Okay you can choose to tell me later after dropping by Hardy’s”
I turned to Trinity. “What do you mean dropping by Hardy’s”
Trinity gawked at me.
“Did I fail to mention that earlier? Every time you go to the Ale-o house, you have to report to Hardy every conversation that happened there.”
“What?” My voice was loud.
“What am I? Some kind of spy? FBI? Why doesn’t he just bug the place and eavesdrop”
“And doesn’t that sound weird to you?” Trinity scoffed.
“Trust me, it’s better than me reporting to him the conversation these women had privately”
“And why do you think he sent you there?” Trinity shook her head with a smile.
“Shit” I cussed. “The thought of even having a conversation with him is already stressing me out”
Trinity laughed.
“Do you need help washing your back”
“I’m good” I sighed, yet again.
“Look… maybe the first night would be weird, reporting everything those women talked about. But I promise you, Hardy’s doing all these for a good cause… and like I have mentioned before. Just make him fall in love with yo-
“Oh my Gosh Tri! Not your weird idea again” I deadpanned.
She abruptly got on her feet.
“I am just saying, you’re a woman for crying out loud, seduce Hardy and you’ll get everything you ever wanted, be it your freedom”
“Yeah I’m definitely not listening to you anymore….
I said and pushed my body further into the water including my head.
Under the water, I heard Trinity’s chuckle before the door faintly closed.
–
It was 9pm, Exactly three hours after having dinner and yet I was feeling hungry again.
Trinity had just left the room after coming in to tell me Hardy was waiting for me in his damn room.
I decided to have a plate of something before going to see him, but trinity was so against it.
I finally decided to go see Hardy and just standing outside his door, I was already second guessing the conversation we were going to have.
I placed a light knock on his door and his subtly reply of “come in” Had me rolling my eyes.
I stepped into his unfamiliar dark room, with the smell of this perfect cologne of minty pine wood and raspberries taking over the room, I don’t know if I can described the smell perfectly, but it was what my brain could alter.
I wanted to scream ‘turn on the freaking lights in this room’ when I bumped into something and found myself falling on something soft.
“Oh for fuck’s sake” I heard Hardy cuss and immediately, lights went on in the room, brightening the place.
It gave me more insights and I found myself on his bed, and the thing I had bumped into was a short cabinet close to his bed.
Great.
What a deadass coincidence.
I had to comfortably land on his bed.
And gosh don’t get me started on how soft his bed felt.
“So are you here to get comfortable or talk” Hardy’s voice made me sigh and slowly sat up.
The least he could have asked was if I was okay.
But no, he just wants tea from the white Ale-o house.
He should sure buckle up, cause they said so much about his ex wife Lisa, thinking it would make me mad.
“Start speaking” Hardy ordered.
Like a robot, i started to speak, trying my best not to show any emotion as I let the words out.
There I told him literally everything from the beginning to the end.
About how I got in and immediately the women brought Lisa up.
The way You could tell Hardy was trying not to make any reaction at the mention of Lisa . But his eyebrows failed him more than twice.
I told Hardy about how the ladies talked about lisa being a former member of the club, and how he forced her into marrying her and how she was not a piece of cake to handle, Chloe’s words, how she literally had more than other ladies had.
how Hardy would always get her more expensive things and she would be an obnoxious show off about it, how she rubbed it in everyone’s faces, when she got pregnant, making Ruby feel bad because she and Spenser her husband, had been having difficulties trying to conceive.
And how I found out from Jane’s slip of tongue or should i say she intentionally slipped words that Lisa actually killed herself by hanging killing both herself and her unborn child, literally ending the entire Lisa conversation. And then they had to talk about something that wasn’t about Lisa, which was donating to this newly built boutique in the city.
I didn’t leave a single detail and laid everything down for Hardy.
“Those darn women” was the first thing Hardy grumbled the moment I stopped talking.
I said nothing and just watched his expression, which he didn’t seem to care to hide anymore.
“Classic. How you’re finding out about my dead wife with just your first day of showing up there, those women will always let their mouths wander”
Watching Hardy, I kind of felt sorry for him, if I were in his shoes and someone spoke that much about my dead wife.
It would hurt me so much.
I didn’t know the kind of person this Lisa lady was, but I could tell she was just living a healthy life and all these women hated her success.
Could it be that one of them had anything to do with Lisa’s death?
Because the moment they all had the chance to speak about Lisa again seeing me in their midst, they picked up such opportunity so I wouldn’t like her too.
And I know that was what Hardy wanted from me to do.
Act like I hated Lisa too.
The thought of all these was making me deadly hungry.
After almost a decade of silence, Hardy breathed out a sigh and took a seat on the edge of his bed.
“During your third meeting with them, you’re going to announce your pregnancy”
I wanted to ask why. But I figured it wouldn’t be my place.
Hardy knew what he was planning and he might just shun me up and told me I should just do what he asked instead of trying to figure out anything. Since I’m nothing but a tool he’s using.
I nodded.
“Can you drive?” Hardy asked.
All of a sudden?
“Um…” I shook my head. “Even though I was too broke to afford a car, I was kidnapped by your men a week before my driving test to get my license”
Hardy briefly glanced at me and I shrugged at the questionable gaze he gave me.
“It’s nothing but the truth” I shrugged again.
He sighed, defeatedly.
“Okay how are you holding up? Do you think you can learn to drive pregnant?”
“No”
I said immediately.
“Whatever is convenient for you”
He sighed, not happy with my reply.
“Are we done… can I leave, I’m starting to get really hungry” I got on my feet.
“Sure… leave, eat and get all the rest you want, Next week is going to get really crazy”
I stopped on my tracks
“What is happening next week?” I had to ask.
“You’ll know when the week arrives” Hardy mumbled, getting on his feet.
I didn’t care to press on the matter and just decided to take my leave.
I opened the door and was about to walk out but let myself get a quick glance at Hardy.
He looked sad, that sappy, pitiful expression as he watched me go.
Somehow it throbbed something in me, and somehow I wanted to know what really happened with Lisa.
.
.*