I was in the small library at the side of my walk-in closet when I heard my loud doorbell. I was shocked to see the delivery man; I hadn't ordered anything. Maybe it was a gift? I signed the paper and locked my door. I opened the box handed to me and saw a long dress designed with real diamonds from top to bottom. I immediately dropped it out of shock. This must be a mistake; it can't be mine. There was no card in the box, and I didn't want to touch the dress—it's made of real diamonds! Something is wrong. A freaking diamond dress is laying in my living room. I need to call my besties.
Within two minutes, both of them were at my house. Bella and Ariel live super close to me, like SpongeBob, Patrick, and Squidward. When they saw the dress, they both screamed like they were in a haunted house.
"This can't be real diamonds," Ariel said with tears falling from her eyes for reasons unknown. She smiled crazily and picked up the dress, making it step out of the white line I had drawn around it with chalk. When she felt the diamonds, she immediately dropped it back down. We all stared at the dress like it was a mummy.
"This is a new piece Diamonte created," Bella said, looking at her phone screen. "Nobody was able to own it because it was priceless. Even if it had a price, it would be a trillion dollars!" Bella screamed the last word, and we all screamed together.
"Are you sure someone gave it to you?" Ariel asked.
"Why would I have it in my living room, Ariel?" I replied, shocked and shaking. We heard a loud thud and saw Bella fainted. We immediately carried her to the large couch, and Ariel went to fetch some water.
"I HAVE TO RETURN THIS!" I said, looking at the dress.
"What? Are you out of your mind?" Ariel said, "We could be trillionaires! Anytime we feel too lazy to bring out our phones for transfers, we could always throw a diamond at their face!" Ariel said happily.
"It's too expensive, Ariel," I said, unsure about keeping it. "What if it was a mistake?"
"Maybe you have a secret admirer who knows you're going to the party. Maybe that's why he gave it to you," Ariel said beside Bella's unconscious body.
"The only people who know are you two and Jasmine," I said, wondering who sent it.
"It's surely not us. Maybe Jasmine. I mean, she is a fashion designer, and this looks incredibly beautiful," Ariel said, looking at the dress in awe.
I nodded, put on my mask, folded the dress back into the box, and immediately drove to Jasmine's house, despite Ariel's protests. Jasmine had given me her address when we met at the coffee shop. I never thought I'd use it, but this was an important matter to discuss. I got off my Lamborghini, brought out the box, and knocked twice before she greeted me with a warm smile and hug.
"Hi, Jasmine, long time no see," she said, stopping when she saw the box in my hand. Maybe she recognized it because she sent it to me, right? She led me into her large living room. I sat on the sofa made of animal skin and didn't waste any time telling her about the dress and showing it to her.
"Jasmine, I'm really sorry for saying this, but I can't accept it," I said, looking apologetic. But she looked confused.
"But K, I didn't send this to you. Its price is more than my net worth. Whoever gave you this is stinking rich, darling," she said, looking at the beautiful, shining dress.
"So, if it wasn't you, how can I return this?" I looked worried.
"K, it's a gift. You have to appreciate it and wear it. It would look really sexy on you, trust me," Jasmine said, holding my hand. I hugged her and stayed for some tea since she insisted.
"You know, when my husband isn't around, I get really bored and have no one to accompany me. That's why I'm alone right now. Thanks for coming, K," Jasmine said with a smile on her face, making her look cute. She was tall and slender with perfect skin color and long, silky hair, unlike mine. My hair was thick, bushy, and super curly, like African hair. I'm African, but I don't really talk about it. Some people think it's a wig and try to pull it off, like Ariel, until I told her it was my real hair. Then she realized that I looked African.
"Why are you looking at me like that?" Jasmine asked, sitting beside me with a cup of tea in her hands.
"Your hair, it's really beautiful," I said awkwardly.
"Oh, yeah, a lot of people tell me that, you know? But I'm in love with yours. Looking at it, you are African, right?" she asked to confirm.
"H-how do you know that?" I was shocked. This was the first time someone didn't think it was a wig. Because of my name, character, and light skin, other people thought that I was Japanese or American.
"I don't think your hair looks like a wig. Besides, even though I have perfect hair, I own tons of wigs and can easily tell the difference," she said and sipped her tea
"Oh," I said. She was really smart and comfortable to be around with
"So, South African, Rwandan, Kenyan, Ghanaian—where are you from?" she asked curiously as I sipped my tea and gulped it dow
"Nigerian
"Oh, I love that place! I've heard a lot of good things about it. Richest country in Africa and great Jollof rice," she said
"Yeah," I said with a smile
"I would love to visit, to be honest, but I can't risk getting malaria. I'm not saying this in a bad way, but you know, I can't just take that chance," she said, trying to ease the tension she created
"No problem. To be honest, I left Nigeria when I was nine, so I can't really remember things like that
"Oh," she said, surprise
We finished our tea, and I told her I had to leave. I returned home with the box in my hands. Bella was already awake, and Ariel immediately came forward when she saw me
"What did she say?" Ariel asked worriedly when she saw the box. She understood
"It wasn't gifted by her but someone else," I said slowly
"Oh my," Bella said, fanning herself with her hands
"I will keep it. I have to appreciate this. They said it was priceless. Imagine the lengths the person went to get this," I said, looking at my two best friends, and they hugged me
Ezekiel
To be very honest, giving the dress was nothing. She was worth more than that, and she must know I will remind her anytime she forgets that she is worth more than a trillion. I watched how she hugged her friends with the box in her hands. I went to no great lengths to acquire that dress; I simply gave Diamonte a deal he couldn't refuse. Everyone in business has an aim, and Diamonte's was a partnership with E-Tech Support, the organization I own. Diamonte wants it because E-Tech is also owned by the government: 80% by me and 20% by the government. This means anything I do under the radar is ignored by the government as long as I help develop technology they can use in wartime. I own most of it because I founded it, and it was significant enough to catch the government's eye, making it bigger, better, and indestructible. Diamonte owning 10% of my share means he is also protected by the government, no matter what he does. I don't care what he needs the power for as long as he fulfills his end of the deal, which was to provide the dress for my lady. Before taking it, I told him he should be lucky to have a goddess wearing his latest piece. He agreed, and I left his office while he bowed to me. I would do anything for my woman because I'm obsessed. She is my addiction, my lifeline, mine
e.ele.d.y.d.e.d.."d.e.d.."n.d.a.