Chapter five 

The bathroom door opened, and Cherie walked out, adjusting her dress. Kristine froze.

"I'm done," Cherie said, looking up, but froze when she saw Kristine. "Why is she here?" she thought, looking from Kristine to Noah.

"Uh, I... I will excuse you guys," Cherie said and hurried out of the room.

Kristine bit her lip and also left the room.

At the dining table:

The table was filled with a variety of food as everyone sat around it. After blessing the food, everyone proceeded to dig in.

Just as they were about to dig in, someone walked in holding a bouquet of roses. All eyes were on him. Cherie gasped. It was the guy from the store.

"I hope I'm not too late," he jibed, walking towards them. "This is Theo. I invited him... hope you don't mind," Kristine said.

"Theophilus Winter of Palmer Winter?" Thomas asked, scrutinizing Theo.

"Yes, sire," Theo replied.

"The vice president's son?" Cherie thought as she stared at Theo.

"Welcome... do have a seat," Genevieve said.

Theo bowed slightly before walking up to Genevieve and handing the flowers to her.

"I didn't know what you like... but I thought every beautiful woman likes flowers... so I got this."

Genevieve smiled widely as she received the flowers.

"Thank you... this is beautiful," she said, beckoning the maid to take the flowers.

"I'm glad you like them," Theo replied and his eyes met Cherie's. "We meet again," he jibed and winked at her.

Cherie blushed.

"Do you know each other?" Kristine asked.

"Not really... We met coincidentally at the mall today," Theo replied.

"Let's eat, please," Genevieve said, picking her spoon.

Everyone dug in. They ate in silence for a while.

"Zayn... how's the preparation for the anniversary coming along?" Thomas suddenly asked after gulping his food.

Zayn dropped his cutlery. "It's going well... Dad," he replied, wiping his mouth.

"Good... if you're finding it difficult, you can ask your brother for help," Thomas said, reaching for his glass of juice.

"There won't be any need for that... Zayn has handled everything perfectly well," Genevieve replied to Thomas.

Then she turned to Cherie, diverting the topic.

"I heard you're the illegitimate daughter of the Ashworth family... Noah, how could you make such a mistake?"

Cherie choked on her food and began coughing. Theo was quick to pour her a glass of water as he proceeded to pat her back.

She gulped the water and dropped the cup. "Thank you," she muttered to him.

"I'm sorry if it bothered you, Mum... but I'll handle my own affairs," Noah simply replied.

"Noah isn't at fault here... the one who pulled tricks is to be blamed," Kristine butted in.

"Isn't that right, Cherie?" she blinked at Cherie.

Cherie nodded slowly with her head bent as she picked her food.

"Kristine dear... when do you plan on getting married... my son is still single," Genevieve said.

Kristine smiled shyly as she stared at Noah, who was busy with his food.

"I already have someone in mind, Mother."

Genevieve's expression changed, but she managed to conceal it with a smile.

"Is that so?... I wish you good luck then... I hope you consider my son if things don't work out between you and the one you have in mind," she emphasized the last word as she exchanged glances with Noah.

"How's it going at the presidential office... Noah?" Noah took a sip of water before replying.

"All good, Mum," he simply replied and proceeded to continue eating.

But Genevieve had no intention of letting him be.

"I heard news of your illegitimate birth got out... that's really sad... and now you have to marry someone of illegitimate birth ... isn't that so unfortunate?" She let out a chuckle.

"Can we just eat quietly... please?" Thomas butted in, attempting to shut his wife up.

Feeling suffocated, Cherie excused herself from the table and went outside.

What's so wrong about being born out of wedlock? She thought as she took a walk in the large compound, Genevieve's words ringing in her ears and disrupting her thoughts.

She stopped before a lake at the far end of the compound. She squatted before it and clutched her shawl. It was quite chilly.

Suddenly, someone tapped her on her shoulder. Startled, she got up and turned to see Theo.

"It's quite chilly out here... why don't you go back in?"

He said, staring closely at her.

Cherie sighed, turning to him. "I'm fine, thanks,"

she said simply, facing the lake and looking ahead as she sighed.

Theo picked up a stone.

"Do you know that throwing stones into water helps ease your mind?" he said, throwing the stone into the water. The stone skipped on the water a few times before going out of sight.

He picked another stone and gave it to her.

"Why don't you try it?"

She took it and also threw it into the water, but it sank right away.

Theo chuckled.

"That's not how you do it."

He picked a stone and proceeded to demonstrate. "You stand sideways and squat a little, then you turn the stone..." He threw the stone, and it skipped across the water. "You throw it."

Feeling elated she smiled and Also picked a stone.

"It looks quite easy... okay, here we go." She bent slightly and turned the pebble sideways before throwing it. The pebble skidded off on the water, and she giggled. "I did it."

Theo faked a sad face.

"Oh, the student has surpassed the teacher." He turned to her. "Are you this good at everything? You should be the president of a country." He jibed, and she giggled.

"If you'll kindly vote for me."

"Yes, your excellency,"

Noah came out of the house with his phone plastered on his ear.

He heard a giggle from a distance,curious he went to check .

“Theo plucked a flower and proceeded to place it in Cherie’s hair As she squatted, oblivious,to pick more pebbles..

Noah held his hand before he could place it in.

“What do you think you’re doing?”

Cherie heard Noah’s voice, startled. She Tried to get up but stepped on her dress and slipped into the lake.

She screamed as she fought to swim.

Following the scream everyone rushed outside.

Noah pushed Theo away and jumped in to get her out.

They got out and he placed her on the floor.

She was shivering so he took off his jacket and wrapped it around her.

“We’ll take our leave now”

He said to his father as led her out after glancing at Theo.

Kristine and Theo exchanged glances.

NOAH’s MANSION

"Fill her bathtub with hot water and make sure she soaks in it,"

Noah said to Lilian as he walked inside.

Cherie alighted, shivering. She took slow steps into the house.

Noah was at the cellar pouring himself a drink when she walked in. He took his gaze away when he sighted her.

"How dare she flirt with another man... is she trying to humiliate me?" The thought made him more angry.

"You're not only a liar... but a whore too?" he asked, dropping the glass noisily.

Cherie continued slowly to the stairs, her heart pounding. Noah, furious that she ignored him, walked up to her, grabbed her hand, and forcefully swirled her to face him.

"You don't walk out on..." Cherie dropped lifelessly on his chest..