"You just hold on, you'll be alright," said Mr McDonell.
"Angel, Carly... my..... daughters," Mrs Barclay could hardly breath with the face mask the paramedics had put on her face as they laid her on the stretcher, dragging her down the corridors of the hospital. Mr McDonell was by her side the whole way.
"You hang in there. I'll make sure that your daughters are here."
"Please.... if.... if anything happens to me..... take care of them. I've a bad feeling something is going wrong right now."
"Don't say that. Nothing is going to happen to you."
As they approached the doors leading to the emergency ward, Mr McDonell knew he shouldn't follow Mrs Barclay any further.
As the stretcher went beyond the doors of the emergency ward, Mr McDonell took his phone and decided to make a call.
***
"Where is Carly?"
"And who might you be?" Mr Walters asked with a frown on his face.
"I just happen to be her sister," Angel replied as she took a few steps towards Mr Walters.
"Oh. I now see the similarity between you two," Mr Walters held his chin.
"Enough chitchat. Where is my sister?"
"I'm afraid you can't see her right now. She's busy."
Angel now stood a few feet away from Mr Walters. She had simply forgotten that she was moving and that Eric was slowly coming behind her.
"I don't care if she's busy. I'm her sister and you're going to move out of the way right now."
"You seem like a tough one. I bet you're a rough as your sister when it comes to fulfilling a man's pleasure now, aren't you?"
All of the sudden Angel closed the distance between her and Mr Walters and a huge slap was heard across the whole bar. For a moment, nobody moved and the whole place seemed like a ghost town.
Angel was furious and her pretty face was screwed in anger. She felt she could tear the whole world apart after what Mr Walters had said to her. It was now pretty obvious that her sister wasn't what Angel thought she was and that broke her heart completely. She felt like killing the huge man in front of her and she didn't care if she ended being the murderer at the end of the day.
Mr Walters paused as he tried to take in what had just happened. He looked at Angel with fire in his eyes and his face became red with anger that he looked like a hot cooker pot ready to blow up any second.
"You had the guts to slap me, you stupid girl!" exclaimed Mr Walters. "You're much of a whore as your sister!"
Mr Walters raised his own hand to return the slap, but all of the sudden, Eric quickly found himself in between Angel and Mr Walters as he held Mr Walters' large hand. He pushed the hand away and he looked directly at Mr Walters straight in the eyes.
"Hasn't your mother ever told you that it's wrong for a man to hit a woman?" Eric asked. "Looks like to me you were never taught any manners."
"You shut up, boy! Don't come into business that doesn't concern you."
"Well, I won't let you disrespect her, okay? Just bring her sister down here and let's solve this."
For a second, Angel who stood behind Eric couldn't believe what was happening. How could a stranger she just met a few minutes ago stand up to defend her like this? She pushed that thought aside for a moment. All she wanted to do was get her sister and leave the place.
"You don't tell me what to do in my own place," said Mr Walters, "Carly isn't going anywhere until she does her job."
"You're going to let us through whether you like it or not," said Angel.
Eric couldn't stand it. He took Mr Walters by the collar and dragged him away from the stairs. The two men soon struggled with each other as they knocked over tables and chairs. Mr Walters gave Eric the first punch on the jaw and Eric landed on a table knocking over a few chairs. He stood up and gave Mr Walters an upper cut and Mr Walters crush landed on a table breaking it in half due to his huge weight. Angel just looked in horror as she watched the fight.
"Come on, let's go get Carly," said the bartender as he took Angel's hand to grab her attention.
"But... Eric..," said Angel but she heard Eric address her.
"You just go, I'll take care of this guy, go," said Eric with a cut on his lip.
Angel and the bartender went up the stairs and they found themselves along a hallway. The bartender dragged Angel to the door at the end of the hall.
"She must be in here," said the bartender as they stood a few feet away from the door.
Angel went closer to the door and slowly held the door knob and turned it. When she slowly opened the door, the image she saw in front of her eyes made her erupt like a volcano.
"CARLY!"
***
"Time is running out, Diana," whispered Mrs McDonell, "the guests are all here and Leo is still no where to be seen."
"I tried calling Eric's phone, but it's off as well," said Diana in a low voice, "the bride will be here any moment now."
Diana and Mrs McDonell were standing in the kitchen as the waiters and waitresses came in and out carrying with them wine and other beverages to serve the guests. The cooks were at work as well and the two women stood in the middle of the kitchen wondering what to do next.
"Have you called Fred?" asked Diana.
"No, let me call him, I hope his phone isn't off," said Mrs McDonell.
The phone in Mrs McDonell's hand vibrated and she looked to check. She signed in relief as she answered the call.
"Thank goodness you called, honey," said Mrs McDonell, "there is a tragedy going on back home and we need you here."
Mrs McDonell paused as she listened on the phone. Diana waited eagerly as she looked at Mrs McDonell.
"What do you mean there is even a more bigger problem?" Mrs McDonell almost exclaimed.
Diana knew the look on Mrs McDonell's face and also that things weren't going to end well. She was ready to cover her ears as she made a count down in her head.
"WHAT DO YOU MEAN LISA'S IN HOSPITAL RIGHT NOW!"
***
Angel grabbed her almost half naked sister by the hair and almost threw her to the other side of the room. Carly hit her back on the wall. Angel stood in front of her sister and the look on her face couldn't express how her heart felt.
Carly had a shocked look on her face as she looked at her sister.
"Ange.... Angel, how did you....?" Carly stammered.
"Shut up! Shut up, Carly!" Angel exclaimed.
Carly was left speechless as she stared at her sister. Everything seemed to have gone the other way round for her today. After things were going on so well with Leo, her dear sister had now found out the truth about her job. But how did she find out?
"So, is this what you have been doing this whole time?" Angel asked with her hands on her hips. "Instead of going to school you here acting like a whore!"
"Angel, its not what it looks like," said Carly.
"Then what is it, Carly? I just saw you straddled over some man and you're saying its not what I think it is?"
"Excuse me, may I know what the heck is going on here?" came a voice behind Angel.
Angel angrily turned around to face the stranger behind her. His untucked shirt, his loosened up tie and messed up hair made Angel think of the worst. She felt like spitting on his face.
"You stay out of this," said Angel, pointing a finger at Leo.
"But I won't allow you to treat her like that," said Leo.
"I can do whatever I want with her because she is my sister," Angel wasn't afraid to look at Leo in the eye.
Leo pushed her hand pointing at him aside. "Don't you dare try to point at me again, do you hear me?"
"Or what? You will kill me? I'll like to see you try."
The bartender who was at the door came to stand in between Leo and Angel.
"Please, don't fight," said the bartender. "You aren't going to tear each other apart here."
"You're right," said Angel, "we can't fight here in this office. We better go downstairs and fight there instead."
Angel reached her hands beyond the bartender's shoulders to hold Leo's collar and tried to scratch his face. The bartender tried to hold Angel far away from Leo but Angel was doing all she could to get her nails to sink into Leo's skin.
"Angel! Angel, stop it!" Carly called out to her sister but it was no use.
Eric soon appeared by the door already looking as messed up as Leo. When he saw the image in front of him, he couldn't help but look. Angel seemed a whole lot stronger than he had thought. If it wasn't for the bartender holding her, she would have ripped Leo up into shreds. Eric also had to intervene.
"Leo, let's go now," said Eric as he entered the room and took Leo by the arm.
"Wait, Eric, I'm not leaving without Carly," said Leo.
"Are you mad! There is an angry sister right in front of you and you think you would bypass her? No way, man, I don't want you to end up dying in the end. You're going to get married. Let's go."
Eric took Leo by force out of the office and they went downstairs. The place was all trashed up with broken chairs and tables everywhere. Mr Walters was down on the floor with the workers surrounding him hoping that he was alive.
"What the hell happened here?" Leo asked.
"Long story, I'll tell you later. We better go right now," said Eric.
The two cousins went out of the club and went to the parking lot. Leo entered the car in the driver's seat and Eric found himself in the passenger's seat.
"I'm the one who is supposed to be driving, Leo," Eric complained.
"No, we aren't going anyway," said Leo.
"Are you nuts? We have to go right now!"
"Not without Carly."
"Wait a second, are you telling me the wedding is off?"
Leo looked at his cousin for a while and leaned on the driver's seat. He passed his hand through his hair looking totally confused.
"Leo? Are you okay?" Eric asked. "Talk to me. Are you through with this wedding or what?"
Leo stared down for a second and looked up at Eric.
"I've made up my mind, Eric. I'm not going to marry Kim."
***
"Oh, look the bride is finally here," said Amanda loudly to grab everyone's attention in the house.
Amanda was standing by the front door of the house with Oliver and they saw the car pull over in front of them in the driveway. The driver of the car went to open the door for the bride and Trina, her best friend came out from the other side of the car to help out with the bride's dress to prevent it from getting dirty.
Mrs McDonell and Diana quickly appeared behind Amanda and Oliver as they heard the announcement of the bride's arrival. Mrs McDonell was left speechless as she saw the bride.
"What are we going to do now?" Diana asked. "The bride is here and Leo is a lost cause."
"You better find a way to fix this, soon," said Amanda, "we don't want to be part of an angry bride's wrath now, do we?"
***
Angel turned to look at Carly taking in deep breaths like an angry bull. Despite all her energy wasted trying to attack the stranger who almost made love to her sister, she felt like choking her own sister to death.
"How could you do this Carly? Haven't mum and I provided you all that we could? We have a roof over our heads and we provided you education, and this is how you show your appreciation?"
"Angel, let me explain," said Carly.
"Explain what? How much greed and envy has driven you into doing all this!"
"That's not it, Angel."
"Then what is, Carly? Seeing you here has helped me realise that mum was right. You're just like our father who always wanted money for selfish and stupid reasons."
Angel quickly left the room and the bartender followed. Carly found her clothes and dressed up quickly calling out to her sister.
"Angel, Angel, you've got this all wrong," said Carly as she put on her shirt in the hallway, running after her sister. "Just listen to me!"
Angel reached the bottom of the stairs where Mr Walters was now gaining consciousness. Angel bypassed him and was heading for the main door.
"Angel! Please listen!" called out Carly as she also reached the bottom of the stairs.
Before Carly could go further, a hand gripped her wrist tightly. She turned around and she looking straight at Mr Walters who was badly beaten up and he looked horrible.
"Where do you think you're going?" Mr Walters asked through broken teeth.
"Let me go, you're hurting me," said Carly as she struggled to get away.
"You're not going anyway now. You're are now my property."
Carly turned to look if her sister was still around hoping that she could be rescued. But it was too late. Angel had already walked out.
As Angel stepped out of the club, her phone started to ring. She got her phone from the pocket and when she checked the caller ID she saw a strange number. Angel answered it anyway.
"Hello?"
"Hello, is this Angel I am speaking to?" came a male voice.
"Yes, it is. How may I help you?"
As for Eric and Leo, the two begun an argument in the car.
"This isn't happening, Leo," said Eric, "you can't just change your mind over some girl!"
"Well, you better believe it," said Eric, "the wedding is off."
"Aren't you even worried about what your mother is going to do when you tell her! She will blow up like a freaking time bomb!"
"I already made up my mind, Eric. I'm going to drive us back home and tell everyone."
"No way, man. You're making the biggest mistake of your life. Before we go you better think about this first."
"I already made up my mind," Leo put the key in the ignition and started the car, "I'm going to tell everyone the truth."
While in the bar.....
Carly was still struggling to get away from Mr Walters' clutches. The big man wasn't letting her go anywhere.
"Please let me go," begged Carly, "I need to talk to my sister!"
"It's quite clear that she won't listen to you even though you try," said Mr Walters, "you belong here now and that's final."
All of the sudden, something large crash landed on Mr Walters head with so much force that he passed out as he laid down on the floor. The bartender had hit Mr Walters with a broken leg of a table.
"You hurry and catch up with sister," said the bartender, "I'll deal with everything here."
Carly nodded and ran for the door.
Angel just stood there on the road with her phone in hand. Her whole body felt numb. Everything around her seemed to vanish after she had just heard the news.
"Mum, is dead?"
She didn't know whether to tear up and cry as she couldn't feel anything. The news had shut all her senses completely that she didn't even hear her sister call her from behind and also didn't realise the car coming from a corner.
"ANGEL!"
Before Angel could realise it, it was already too late. All she could feel in the end was pain. Then everything became dark and she knew nothing more.