Chapter 4 : Doubtful Love
Deep inside Sarah knew James was pretending and why he was pretending was the question making her fear the worst. Sarah avoided James standing opposite her holding Serena in his arms and started going through the dresses packed in boxes one by one. Each and every dress was beautiful and expensive, but nothing matched aura and elegance of the black one.
"So you like them?" again the sexy part of James interrupted and she slowly lifted her gaze. Knowing James was good for nothing and he was capable of anything made Sara feel uneasy around him. Sarah never thought anything good about him as a human being who can marry a woman twelve years older than him just for money can do anything.
"Yeah. They all are beautiful." Sarah complimented the dresses, "Thank you." She let out a whisper thinking how her surprise to him will pull the rug under his feet and his face will be worth watching the next day.
James moved forward,"Saru please wear that black one. It'll look good on you." Serena said before James could utter anything.
James looked at Serena smiling widely. He really adored his daughter as she was his second reason to live and she was equally close to his heart as the first reason was.
"Awe." Sarah uttered before reaching out to Serena and pulling her round rosy cheeks gently. James stood there staring Sarah in a nerve racking manner while Sarah tried hard to focus, avoiding to face at his pair of oceanic orbs.
Sarah didn't really recognise what his deep blue eyes did to her whenever she looked at them. His gaze hypnotized her and She acknowledged that wasn't beneficial for her. In previous five years Sarah spent nights in the mansion which could be counted on fingers and during that time all the encounters she had with James were nothing but tension filled glares.
She remembered clearly whenever James approached her for flirtatious chats she dismissed him rudely, but after James turned CEO of the Mount Enterprises taking her dad's position she insulted him whenever he knocked into her.
Everything changed after one night and post that James turned the trouble maker as he never left an opportunity to tease her leaving her in an awkward situation always.
When she visited the mansion for the vacations six months back, she stayed four nights at the house before leaving for trekking and camping. Remembering third of the four nights always made her uncomfortable, although it should've been James to feel ashamed, but he went on to tease Sarah again and again for his fault.
He sure was an opportunist to marry Jenna and take over the job and Sarah loathed him for being one. Sarah's plans for him were the only thing to make her happy and she begged for them to succeed making James bite the dust.
"Hello Everyone." A soft feminine voice cut off both of them. James turned to spot the source of the voice while Sarah stood on her tiptoes to get a look from James' shoulders of Lucy standing in the entry. Lucy stood looking all decked up for the dinner at the infamous Andersons wearing a red deep neck gown and natural make-up on her extremely pure skin while her shoulder long blonde spiral locks bounced perfectly on her shoulders.
"What are you doing.." Sarah trailed off as she lost balance and keeping herself from tumbling over rested her hands on James' shoulder while he didn't move allowing her some time to regain her composure. She could feel his hard muscles under the fabric of his tee, "Careful." Lucy said worrying for her best friend.
Lucy approached them hurriedly while Sarah regained her place while removing her hands from his shoulders and lowered her gaze embarrassed.
James turned to face Sarah, he fed her a look over and placed his hand on Sarah's cheek. Feeling his cold touch caused her skin heat up and she raised her chin up to match his aphrodisiacal eyes, "Are you alright?" He asked innocently.
Sarah cursed herself for giving him an opportunity once again to draw into her skin," Yeah. I'm...fine." she finally let out softly brushing away hair strands from her face while staring at the bright pink wallpaper with fairies imprinted on it.
"Saru you should be careful. No one would like a bruised bride on wedding!" Serena warned cutely showing her little finger to Sarah as a warning.
James chuckled on Serena's innocence and placed a gentle smack on her cheek and then rubbed his straight nose against her cheek inhaling her sweet fragrance. Sarah felt jealous of Serena as James tickled Serena making her laugh hysterically.
Seeing James kissing Serena playfully made Sarah to crave for him. She never had such belief for any guy not even her boyfriend.
"Okay, so we are exiting. Time's running, Sarah get ready quick." James let out softly dragging out Sarah from her thoughts,"Lucy it's good you're here. Help your best friend to get ready for this special evening. He added emphasizing on the word 'special' and left with Serena.
Sarah thanked Jesus for making him go away. She sighed deeply, letting herself fall on the bouncy mattress of the layer. She attempted to figure out why James was being all sweet with her when she hates him.
"Wow! I didn't know the man was a gentleman cum hottie." Lucy teased Sarah raising a brow as she sat beside Sarah on the seam.
"What the hell are you doing here?" Sarah questioned Lucy dropping the conversation about James.
Lucy made a face and pretended to be hurt by Sarah's words, "Sarah darling, I am your best friend and only friend, hence I thought of being near you on this special occasion." Lucy smiled widely and circled her arms around Sarah while Sarah embraced her back in a tight hug.
Sarah separate her body from Lucy's and rose from the bed, "It's getting late I need to get ready."She complained while Lucy had a look at the dresses lying on her bed, "Wow! These are beautiful." Lucy yelled in delight. Lucy picked the black dress from bed, "Wear this Sarah. You'll look amazing in this." She uttered holding it on Sarah trying to figure out how good Sarah would look wearing that.
Sarah paused for a moment, trying to predict out what James would feel if she will wear his suggested dress?. Her thoughts came back blank. On Lucy's insistence and getting tempted by dress' beauty Sarah decided to get into it.
Sarah changed into the Black dress while Lucy gathered the make up things which would suit Sarah and compliment the elegant dress. Lucy determined to go with the earrings, smoky makeup and lip gloss. As soon as Sarah exited the bathroom, Lucy screamed in astonishment, "You look damn good." Lucy covered her mouth with her hand. Sarah approached the dressing table stealing a glance at herself. She really was looking like a princess in knee length royal black dress. She gloated thinking how Daniel will be mesmerised looking her like that, "See I was not kidding. You're looking gorgeous." Lucy emphasised in each and every word.
Lucy made Sarah sit in front of the dressing table and Switched on the hair dryer. She applied black eyeliner on Sarah's lids while Sarah blowed air drying her hair,"Can I ask you something?" Lucy seeked Sarah's permission.
"Shoot." Sarah allowed her raking fingers through her dull hair.
"Do you really love Daniel?" Lucy's unusual query made Sarah pause. She switched off the hair dryer, putting it apart and faced Lucy.
Sarah knew Lucy wouldn't ask something unusual till it really worried her so she calmly looked at her taking Lucy's hand in hers, "What makes you ask that?" Sarah responded with a query.
"Just answer me first. Do you love him?" She commanded Sarah to answer.
Sarah kept silent for few moments and eventually letting out a deep sigh, she twisted her lips to speak,"Yes I do. Why would I decide to wed him if I don't?" She answered softly.
Lucy seemed really unsatisfied with her reply,"Have you had sex with him yet?" Lucy asked bluntly.
Caught off guard Sarah wrinkled her nose on the inappropriate query at the inappropriate time, "What sex has to do with love?" She again answered with a query.
"It has. Love is about submitting your soul to someone....and you aren't ready to submit your body to someone whom you claim to be in love with?" Lucy's serious tone and firm expressions forced Sarah to think for a while.
"Come on Lucy you're saying as if I am a virgin." Sarah complained.
Lucy crossed her arms raising her brows, "No you aren't. Let me remember, you indulged yourself in a lip to lip kiss thrice in your life time. Starting time was with Luke and then twice with Daniel." Lucy taunted sarcastically.
Sarah didn't know what Lucy was trying to prove by repeating all that,"Lucy." Sarah trailed off when Lucy shot her a grim look.
"Correct me if I am wrong. You stopped Luke from having sex with you midway because you couldn't carry the pain of his shaft entering you and he dumped you for that?" She paused, staring the ceiling with her right hand on her hip while Sarah just shrugged her shoulders not knowing what to say.
"After that Daniel came into your life and you haven't allowed that poor soul to get near you because you don't feel like having sex? Are you serious?" Lucy added reminding Sarah how her first boyfriend Luke dumped her. Sarah stopped him from having sex when he eady was in her because the pain turned unbearable for Sarah. Later that first experience of having sex Sarah never felt like having sex again.
The temptations sometimes did force her to have sex, but the bitter experience with Luke always stopped her, "So what's my mistake if I don't feel like allowing Daniel to get in my pants?" Sarah snapped. "The answer is simple. Because you don't love Daniel, damn it!" Lucy hissed from clenched teeth. Not desiring to hear anything more Lucy got busy applying makeup on Sarah's cold skin as Sarah sat motionless on the seat.
Lucy's query really confused Sarah and lots of questions invaded her head making her think once again if she really loved Daniel or not. Luke was an idiot and so was Sarah when she dated him, but Daniel was much more respectable and responsible. She tried defending her choice in her psyche.
The confusing thoughts were driving Sarah crazy and she couldn't think straight. A couple of soft taps on the door, dragged Sarah out from her sea of thoughts.
She transferred her gaze to the entrance looking at Joseph standing at the door,"Ma'am you're being called downstairs. Guests have arrived." He informed softly wearing the usual welcoming smile on his round face.
"Okay we're coming." Sarah dismissed the butler quickly as Lucy gave her hair final touch making the black spirals bounce on one shoulder perfectly. Sarah grabbed her spectacles to wear, but was broken by Lucy, "Don't wear these." She commanded holding her wrist tightly.
She gave Sarah an understanding look and grabbed her hobo bag kept on the bed. Unzipping it she grabbed a box from it,"Here, I bought contact lens for you." She said uncapping the lens. Sarah smiled on Lucy's gesture and unique manner of showing love.
Sarah held her hand and turned over a thankful smile while wearing the contact lens. Sarah wore stilettos matching the embroidery on her attire and they both rushed downstairs. Sarah's heartbeat raced as they edged towards the hall.
Sarah and Lucy paused, "What is Emily doing here?" Lucy asked shocked looking at Sarah as they saw Jenna sitting and chatting with Emily.
"I don't know." Sarah answered furiously as she glanced over the hall for Daniel but all she could see was Jenna and Emily sitting on a couch and James standing in one corner wearing a suit while Serena stood beside him in a gorgeous pink frock.
James paused looking at Sarah looking gorgeous in the black dress. He rejoiced as Sarah obeyed him and put on the dress he told her to wear as his sweet talks worked with Sarah. James gave a sly smirk seeing Sarah spotting Emily as he knew Emily was also on Sarah's hate list.
Emily started as a secretary at Mount Enterprises but soon she turned Jenna's best friend and now they both were together and it was impossible to classify them. Sarah hated Emily because Jenna spent most of her time with Emily in stead of her children and Sarah's dad.
James waited anxiously for Daniel to arrive as he couldn't wait for the fun to commence. He urgently wanted to see the reactions of Sarah and Jenna when Daniel would drop the bombshell right on their heads One more reason for him to rejoice was Jenna would be charged for all the happenings and the fire of hatred between the mother daughter duo would be filed.
Correctly from the moment Sarah spotted Emily in her house, she knew nothing was going to go as planned and surely some trouble will come her way,"What is this bitch doing here?" Sarah asked Lucy pacing in the corridor.
Jenna kept on chatting with Emily royally ignoring her daughter and James. She was well aware about her future and her husband's will hence now she didn't fear anyone.
Emily sitting beside her passed her a smile, "Jenna are you sure your plan is going to work?" Emily whispered doubting Jenna's plan while not letting the doubts come on her expressions.
Jenna ran her a tiny convincing smile while sipping on her coffee, "Not only it will work, but all the blame will go to James." She boasted her planning skills, "And then we will sit back and see Sarah ripping him off." She added keeping the cup back on coffee table.
"I think we are underestimating Sarah."Emily uttered softly making sure no one listens to their conversation.
Jenna leaned back on the soft cloth of the couch,"She's my daughter, Emily. Who'll recognize her better than me?" She passed a smirk to Emily while she rose an eyebrow at Jenna,"So when are you going to execute your plan?" Emily asked anxiously.
Jenna put her hand on Emily's thigh and rubbed it gently assuring her not to worry,"It'll be all done till tonight." Jenna let out playing with her fingers. "What if James proves his innocence?" A reluctant Emily put forth another query.
Jenna gave her a strong convincing look, "Sarah won't listen to him darling. Don't worry too much you already know his past, right?" Jenna explained. Emily went on,"And considering his past the cops won't listen to him too." She smiled adding some lime to her green tea.
A butler approached Jenna and Emily pacing quickly, "Ma'am there's a guest outside. He's telling Daniel Whilkes as his name." The butler let out softly.
"Let him in." Sarah yelled from upstairs before Jenna could answer. The butler left hastily as Sarah rushed down the stairs along with Lucy. James too paced towards them to look like a part of the family. Sarah stuck out right beside Jenna,"Please put a pretence of a loving mother, at least for today." Sarah guided Jenna sarcastically,"And I'll like if you don't interrupt in our family issues, aunt Emily." Sarah taunted Emily while Jenna shot her a murderous look.
Sarah's heart jumped up to her mouth as she waited anxiously for Daniel to enter the hallway. Her sight was fixed at the entrance, searching for her beloved. In the few moments Daniel walked in wearing a drab grey suit.
James chuckled inwardly thinking at least he'd come in a suit unlike their meeting in the afternoon where he just walked in his office wearing a sweaty tee on 3/4 shorts. The suit really made him seem like a respectable guy.
Sarah ran uncontrollably to him and grabbed him in a tight squeeze. She was excessively happy to notice he didn't hug her back. She loosened her grip on Daniel as he pulled his coat making flow perfectly. "Don't be nervous." Sarah whispered in Daniel's ear wrapping her hand around his as they walked towards the remainder of the members waiting for them.
"Daddy that is the groom?" Serena
whispered to James. James gave a chuckle at Serena's cute query and ducked his head matching her gaze,"Sshh." He placed his finger on lips signalling her to be quiet,"He's not the groom. He's the broom." He laughed softly pointing three fingers at Serena and waving them in front of her which was the signal for her to keep the talk a secret. Serena covered her mouth with hands and glided by a chuckle.
"Joseph please take Serena to her room." James commanded the butler as he paced towards Sarah and Daniel. Serena left with the butler and others marched to the big dining room.
The dining room filled with antique paintings reminded Sarah of her dad and she always felt so close to him whenever she looked at those paintings.
They all seated around the big oval shaped wooden dining table. The room was brilliantly lit as it contained seven chandeliers and the dark blue wallpaper with a roof painted plain white gave the room a beautiful blue shade.
Sarah chose a seat beside Daniel and held her hand still in his, "Oh Jesus! Sarah's blushing." Lucy teased Sarah passing a full grin.
"No, I'm not." Sarah responded tucking a hair strand behind her ear.
"Yes, you are." Lucy burst into a booming laugh, but she broke off quickly since nobody joined her.
Jenna sat there uninterested, "So Mr. Wilkes." Jenna pleaded Daniel's attention,"My daughter, Sarah, wants to marry you and according to her she loves you." Jenna added having no emotions on her expression.
Daniel too sat there with no emotions while Sarah kept on smiling idiotically. Sarah gently pinched Daniel's hand to say something but no response came from Daniel.
Daniel just sat there like a statue and it instantly began to scare Sarah. James on the other side rejoiced the happenings internally.
Not getting a timely response Jenna tried again,"Mr. Whilkes I have no problem with this marriage. You can proceed with this as you both have rights to do so."Jenna let out much more softly this time and pasted a tiny smile on her face as well.
Sarah looked straight at Daniel but he avoided any sort of eye contact with her,"Daniel? Speak up?" Sarah let out softly pressing his palm with her thumb but no reaction.
Daniel's quietness wasn't just scaring Sarah but Lucy too.She knew if things won't work out with him then Sarah won't trust anyone in her life,"Daniel speak up for Jesus' sake?" Lucy tried to wake him from his silence but nothing worked.
Daniel turned to face Sarah
narrowing his brown eyes but Sarah
couldn't understand what he was trying to convey. Daniel rose from
his seat and rested his both hands on the table leaning in front of Jenna, "I have problem marrying her, Mrs. Anderson." He uttered in high. tone just a bit less than screaming.
The words came as shocker to Sarah and she rose from her seat while life and emotions drained out of her body in seconds. Seeing Sarah everyone else stood up and now everyone was standing around the table exchanging looks while the butlers and servants in the room witnessed the scene quietly.
"Leave us alone." Lucy yelled at the staff and they all dispersed in a mini second, "Daniel are you in your senses?" Lucy paused showing him the finger, "You fucking retard just go to the washroom take a shower, poop or do whatever you want to but get your fucking senses back." Lucy yelled at Daniel.
"I'm sorry, Mrs. Jenna but
your daughter is just my friend and I can't
even think of marrying her." Daniel interrupted Lucy as she banged her hand on the table furiously,"And who will marry her? She needs a good treatment from a better Psychiatrist first!" He said yelling while Sarah stood there like a statue controlling her emotions, never wanting to show her family how heartbreaking the scene was for her.
"You fucking Whilkes! You are crossing the line now." Lucy yelled on top of her lungs rushing to the other side of the table. She stood right opposite Daniel, "Don't you dare to utter one single word further." She showed him the finger yelling right in his face.
"Lucy, let him complete." Sarah let out firmly not losing her confidence and calm composure even for a mini second. Sarah surprised everyone specially Lucy by not showing any pain or grief as her boyfriend stood right in front of her insulting her.
Daniel stared the wall flaunting blue wallpaper avoiding to look at anyone,"She is just not normal. She says she's scared of having sex. who says that? Answer me, Mrs. Anderson can a normal person say that?" Daniel asked in a much more softer tone as compared to his previous loud utterings.
"That's because she's not a whore like your mother..you fucking scoundrel." Lucy yelled jumping at him.
Unable to bear Daniel throwing insults at her best friend Lucy raised her hand to slap Daniel but Sarah held her hand in time, "Leave my hand,Sarah. He needs to be taught a nice lesson." Lucy hissed from clenched teeth.
"No one will talk! just let him complete..." Sarah commanded in a broken tone staring the table continously.
James rejoiced watching the scene silently as for him it was nothing but a grand beginning for his plan to break Sarah into pieces. He smirked internally waiting for Daniel to drop the other bombshell injuring
his other target.
Sarah rolled her fists furiously as she swore inwardly to rip off James Anderson to bits for bringing this insult to her. She swore to teach him a hard lesson and make him beg to her on his knees.☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐☐