The bright light from the sun flashed its rays on the windows of Isabelle’s room, reflecting sharply on her face. Her heavy eyes red from tears were forced open after applying a little pressure. The occurrence of the previous night came back to her like a group of chicks running to the mother hen.
A throbbing pain in her head and knees hit her hard as she tried to lift her body, an aftermath of the constant wailing and kneeling through the night. Then, she abruptly turned to examine her surroundings. The last thing she remembered was kneeling weakly beside the dining table. She must have fallen asleep there, how then did she get to her room?
She touched the other half of the bed and felt the coldness. Liam had slept in the room but his manly scent still lingered strongly everywhere. Her heart fluttered at the thought of him bringing her to bed but it didn’t last for long, as the hurtful words he had spoken to her kept ringing in her head.
A light knock came on the door.
“Hello…” A woman who seemed to be in her early thirties greeted as soon as Isabelle opened the door, confusion written all over her face.
“Who are you?” Isabelle asked as her brow furrowed in suspicion at the stranger standing before her, wondering how she had come into the house.
“Oh! Mr Callahan didn’t inform you?” The woman asked in surprise before stating the purpose of her presence. “I’m a fashion stylist. I came to prepare you for today’s gala”
That was when Isabelle remembered, she was going to be treated like a porcelain doll again. She was going through another hectic day of smiling, shaking hands, and initiating conversations. She pulled the door ajar for the woman to come in.
The fashion stylist pulled in a large box, almost as large as a wardrobe into the room, to the uttermost surprise of Isabelle. She, like a professional in a line of work, swiftly arranged her tools and equipment in front of Isabelle’s makeup table.
The woman grabbed Isabelle’s face with her palm and stared directly into her eyes, “Why the dark circles, as the fiancee of a rich man, you should learn to take care of your health. Now, you’ll need a warm bath with scented oils,.. thank goodness I had all of that covered up” the woman bantered to and forth to which Isabelle merely nodded. How could she tell the woman that the same rich man was the one who had caused her pain?
The stylist prepared a bath for Isabelle, who couldn’t stop praising the woman in her heart. The warm bath had relaxed her tensed muscles, relieving most of the stress.
The stylist pushed Isabelle to sit on the chair and stared intently at her through the mirror
“You are a beauty. But why does it look like you’re locked up in a cage” the woman curiously asked, her gaze made me feel like she could see through me.
“Now tell me” she continued as she tossed my hair. “What do you love doing?… I mean what do you find most attractive in this small world of ours?”
Her questions hit a soft spot in Isabelle’sheart and for the first time in a long while, she felt the urge to express herself, “Nature, ma’am. I find nature more attractive than any other things in this world” Isabelle said with a bright smile on her face. The first she had shown since last night.
“Hmm…. Tell me more” the stylist encouraged me with a smile that made Isabelle more energetic as she began to describe the beauty of the world in her view. She also listed the paintings she had made in the past and what the inspiration was all about.
“Wow… That’s a lot” the woman commented with a hint of surprise in her tone. “Do you still paint as much as you like?”
The answer to that question got stuck in Isabelle’s throat and thankfully, the woman was able to detect the uncomfortable expression on Isabelle’s face, “it’s alright. I understand your plight” the woman empathized as she handed her a small piece of paper, “here’s my business card. Anytime you need a studio to explore call me”
That was the last words they spoke to each other until the stylist was done with her work. She smiled with satisfaction as she gazed excitedly at the perfection of her craft.
“Let’s go, Mr. Callahan is waiting for us”the stylist disclosed as Isabelle took a deep breath and walked out of the door, descending the stairs with care and caution until her eyes rested up on Liam who sat comfortably on the sofa, reading a magazine. When he finally noticed her presence, a little glow flashed through his eyes for a moment as he glanced at her but quickly looked away.
“Thanks for your service, your work is much appreciated” he complimented the stylist who bowed slightly and left immediately.
Then he averted his gaze to Isabelle, “Let’s go. You know how it goes” he remarked as he walked ahead of her, not minding that she was trying to keep up with his pace.
***
The moment Liam and Isabelle stepped on the red carpet with each other’s arms interlocked, the flashing of camera lights continued endlessly until they got into the main hall for the event where important beneficiaries were present.
As usual, they both went about greeting the guests and deliberating on one business idea or the order while Isabelle painfully kept maintaining the elegant smile on her face while still having to endure the deathly glares coming from the women in the hall.
Suddenly, the lights went out causing a huge uproar in the hall.
“The problem will be fixed in a minute, please bear with us”a male voice stated with an assured tone which reduced the commotion in the hall as everyone waited patiently for the power to be restored.
Suddenly, a bright light shot out in the room, not general but from a projector that displayed some images that threw the hall into chaos everyone shifted their gaze to Isabelle who was standing right beside Liam, with a deathly pale look as she stared at the projector in bewilderment.