Cassandra Vitale
I walked back into the room, Candice sprawled all over the bed grinning based off of the hangover she was having.
"Who is it?" She asked lazily, sitting up to see who entered the room.
"Oh, it's you," she said, laying back on the bed cuddling the pillow that was beside her.
"Yeah it's me" I said, trying to hide the tension that lingered in my heart.
I walked into the walk-in closet and started getting dressed in an ash sweat pants and a black big shirt to fit in and a black face cap to hide my face from whoever is going to recognize me.
I do not normally wear face caps, but for whatever reason Anthony kept me out here in this mansion and out of shadowbrook to stay at the outskirts, then danger must be looming ahead and I've got to hide my face from whoever would recognize me as Anthony's wife. Not like Anthony showed people around his wife, he was so secretive about everything including his marriage. Only a few people around him recognize and know that I'm his wife.
"Did you bring the pain killers? Or any drug for this hangover?" She asked, her gaze fixed on the ceiling.
"No, I didn't! But Selena will," I replied from the walk-in closet, the tone of my voice a little higher so she could hear me properly.
I pulled out a drawer, that was filled with different brand of perfume ranging from the Prada paradoxe eau de parfum to YSL libre Intense Eau de Parfum to the Valentino brand, to the Giorgio Armani My Way Eau de parfum. I was confused on which I should choose from, i swerved my index finger from the left to the right and ended up picking the Prada Paradoxe Eau de Parfum
I got all dressed up ready to leave, I checked myself out in the mirror. My sweatpants check, my big black shirt check and my black face cap check, my black sling bag check, the lipgloss on my naturally plump cherry lips check, and my black high top all stars sneakers check. Everything was okay and going according to plan. My long black dreads flowed down my shoulders as it should be to cover whatever part of me it could cover to avoid getting recognized.
I was so happy these fits were in these walk in closet I did not know what i was going to wear if these weren't present in the closet due to the fact that most of the clothes in the closet were mostly dinner gowns, outing gowns and everything that screamed luxury and i definitely wasn't looking for such attention right now.
I walked out of the closet into the room. I don't know if it was the fact that the perfume was really scenting strongly or the sound of my footsteps that made Candice stand up from the bed. Her face startled as she gave me a once over and then a questioning face.
"Where are you going?" She asked, looking at me confused.
I walked over to her and sat beside her on the bed. I placed my hand on her thigh as I began narrating my situation and how I felt.
"Candice, I have to leave the house. The orphanage needs me right now" I told her, tilting my head to get a better view of her face and reactions.
"What happened in the orphanage?" She asked, her brows knitted together as she looked at me waiting for an answer.
Before I could answer her, she popped in the next question.
"You know Anthony put you here outside of Shadowbrook because it isn't safe, you know that right?" She asked again, her face a mask of worry and fear at the same time.
"Yeah I know, but I really have to go to the orphanage Candice, I really do" I said, trying to persuade her, so she could be on my side and just support me because I was transfixed between obeying my husband and going to what I love the most and I needed my best friend approval.
"Should I come with you?" She asked, looking at my face awaiting approval from me.
"No Candice. I need you here to make sure the security and Selena doesn't find out I escaped out of the house. If I take you along with me I might draw too much attention, so just make sure they don't know. Can you do this for me?" I pleaded, my eyes widening slightly trying to imitate and display the puppy eyes I'd often seen in movies hoping they would work.
"Cass, I can't…." I cut her off mid-sentence before she could complete whatever thing she had to say.
I knew she was going to say no and stop me from going, but nothing was stopping me, not Anthony and definitely not my best friend.
"Candice, I need you to trust me okay?"
She nodded slowly in response.
"But can't we just send the security men over there or even tell Anthony, they'll handle it properly" she said again, trying to persuade me.
I shook my head in disagreement, telling Anthony would only draw his mafia shit towards the orphanage and bring too much attention and I wasn't ready for that right now.
"Please! I beg of you," I pleaded with her, her face lightening up a bit from the worry and fear she was wearing on her face.
"Please be safe out there! Okay?" She said, sternly looking at me.
I nodded in response like a little child. I was really happy Candice was helping me with this. Candice and I have been friends forever, I met her a few months after I lost Maria in that alleyway. Candice has been really supportive to me in everything I wanted to venture into and she would always fight for me whenever anyone tried to do anything funny with me.
Looking at Candice, my gaze caught the scar she had on her face as a result of a fight she had because of me. I had not realized that the scar was still evident. She had that scar because some guy that was racist decided to treat me like I was shit and Candice wasn't having it all. She approached him and wanted to beat the hell out of him, not until he brought out a pocket knife and cut her on her cheek. We are both blacks, my dad was Asian and my mom was a black American so you could say I was interracial. Candice lost both of her parents and she was living with her aunt, she hustled in the street for a living hence that street lifestyle and the urge to always fight and defend herself whenever there was a threat.
I touched the scar on her face as I looked deeply into her eyes.
"I thought this scar would have cleared up by now" I said, looking at her intently.
"I think I like scar on my face." She said sarcastically.
"Besides, it's proof that I always got your back and would do anything for you. So be careful out there" she said, hugging me tightly.
"I will" I whispered in her ears, breaking the hug.
I bade her goodbye and walked out of the room.
"Yes Selena, please bring the Drugs now" Candice said behind the door. I believe she used the room telephone to call Selena. I quickly walked downstairs and waited for Selena to go give Candice the drugs. This would serve as a sort of distraction for me so at least Selena would be off my neck. A few minutes later I could hear Selena knocking on the room door and Candice welcoming her in.
I quickly ran out the house front door, luckily for me the security men had finished their gymming session by then.
I ran out of the compound and continued walking, not looking back. The walk to the road seems never ending, the forest gave me an eerie vibe but there's nothing I could do other than to just keep on walking. I finally caught sight of the main road. I squealed for joy and ran towards the road.
I stood by the road side, my arm stretched out, with my thumb sticking up, a silent signal to any driver that would be so kind enough to stop and drop me in town.
I stood there for approximately an hour. There was no sign of a car or human. What was I expecting? Seeing a car out here? At the outskirts. People rarely travel this time of year so the possibility of seeing a car at the outskirts of Shadowbrook was very low and getting an Uber to come get me from all that distance would waste a lot of time. I guess I should have just ordered an Uber after all. I wasn't familiar with this area to even know if there was a bus station or not. Thinking back to yesterday when Candice took us to a club, left me in wonder how she knew the location of a club. All my life knowing Candice I never heard her say she was ever coming to the outskirts of Shadowbrook. Was she here before?
I was about losing hope when I finally saw a lady walking up to me, she looked awfully familiar. She drew closer with every step she took. She was wearing the maid uniform just like the rest of the maid Back at the mansion. She got even more closer and I recognized her immediately, she was definitely one of the maids back at the mansion.
"Shit! She's definitely going to spill "I said underneath my breath.