The taxi dropped Eva off at the gates of Denna Hills, and she began her slow walk towards her family residence. The temperature had dropped several degrees already, the crisp autumn air biting at her exposed skin, but Eva was determined to get home as slowly and as late as she could, kicking the lazy pebbles lying on the pavement. The estate street was almost empty at this hour, its silence broken only by the occasional, distant barking of guard dogs. Eva couldn't help but wish she had a car, a sleek little vehicle her father would have bought for her without a second thought, just as he provided everything her sister ever requested, but his dismissive words echoed in her memory: "Foolish people are a disaster to the road." Maybe if he had paid even a sliver of attention to her, he would have realized she had taken driving lessons and aced them all in preparation for getting a car on her 18th birthday. But no one had remembered her birthday. It was a waste of brain cells to even think about it.
She finally approached the Macmillian residence, a sprawling modern mansion adorned with flower beds and sharp designs, but the house wasn't as silent as she had expected it to be. A small, formal crowd was gathered at the entrance. There was her father, his black hair sitting neatly on his head as he spoke in low, serious tones to another man dressed in a tailored, uniformed suit that screamed of a status far higher than even Denna Hills. Then there was her sister, Zora, draped in an elegant white gown, her face meticulously painted with makeup as usual, holding their mother's hand sweetly. They were the ideal mother-and-daughter duo. Even though Eva was the exact copy of her mother in features, she just didn't fit into their polished picture. Nothing going on in this house was ever her business, so she slipped into her role, putting up her foolish daughter act and approaching them with the clear aim of offering a quick greeting and passing through to her room.
"Hello Mummy, hello Daddy, hello Sister, hello Guest," she greeted, layering her voice with a sugary, foolish smile.
Her mother and sister frowned immediately upon seeing her, and he
Her father, instead of offering a reply, gave her a stern gaze and questioned, "Where have you been all day after school?" He never cared where she went, so this line of questioning was a surprise, but Eva was always prepared.
"I went to the library to read and get good grades," Eva said, infusing her tone with a touch of hopeful naivety.
"Go get your bags ready. You are going to stay with your husband," he declared, his voice leaving no room for argument.
This made Eva frown, and her carefully maintained act almost dropped. "Daddy, I am still a baby; I am not married," she said immediately.
"I married you to 6th Anderson already, so hasten up and don't let the Anderson butler wait for too long," her father said, and she could hardly believe her ears. She only then properly registered the man her father was speaking to, and he was indeed the wealthy Anderson's butler, but that didn't make the prospect of marrying the 6th Anderson any better at all. They were in the same university, though he was a lecturer. The rumors about him were scary and chilling: that he had a severe mental illness and always needed someone to kill every full moon. She had seen him a few times on campus, and he carried a cold, intimidating aura that made her believe the rumors one hundred percent. She had seen the news online about his family hunting a partner for him and had even pitied the poor soul who would be chosen, never once imagining she was the one.
"I still love everybody; don't push me away, Daddy! I don't want to leave you! I heard 6th Anderson is scary!" Eva suddenly cried, her voice breaking as she rushed forward and clutched her father's hand tightly, as if her life depended on it. She could feel the wave of irritated annoyance emanating from the small group she called family.
"He isn't scary; they are just rumors. And if you don't go with the Anderson butler, I will never speak to you again or give you chocolates," her father threatened, his voice cold.
"But I don't want to leave you," she wailed, pouring on the tears.
"I would come see you, alright?" he said, the promise hollow as he pried her desperate hands from his arm.
"You promise?" she asked, looking up at him with watery, pleading eyes.
"Yes, I promise," he said, his patience visibly thinning. "Now go."
"My bags..." she started.
"The Anderson would provide everything you need, Madam," the butler finally interjected, his tone polite but firm. She didn't want to go at all. She was being married off as foolish Eva, suddenly shackled to someone whom she might need to become Peace to save herself from.
"Go already and quit being more stupid than you already are," Zora spat, her face a mask of utter disgust.
Eva sniffled, letting her shoulders slump in defeat. "I can't even look inside one more time," she mumbled, a final, futile attempt to delay the inevitable.
"Another day," her father said, the dismissal final.
Eva finally gave in and walked numbly towards the waiting luxury car. The butler got into the passenger seat, and the chauffeur began the journey. Eva found it hard to believe she had been so summarily married off. She understood nobody liked her, but not to the extent of giving her away in a transaction without even consulting her, without a care for whether she would be killed by the man she was married to. Her father didn't care; the Anderson family had probably offered him a big sum, and she was the victim. How tragic. She buried her head in her lap in the car, making her sniffles loud and pathetic to make her acting more believable even though her primary thoughts were now about how her everyday life would become a game of survival. The butler, on the other hand, though he also found her behavior foolish and simple-minded, couldn't help but feel a pang of pity for her. After all, no matter how foolish she was, she was still human and didn't deserve what her family had just done. But what was it of his business?
The car drove through the Andersons' multi-million naira estate, a place of such opulence it made Denna Hills look ordinary, but it didn't stop at the main mansion. Instead, it drove on to an isolated bungalow nestled in a desolate part of the vast estate, then stopped. This only confirmed the rumors further. Why was he cast away from the family heart if he was just as sane as everybody else? The butler walked out, but Eva didn't move until he walked to her side of the car. She looked out at the house with palpable fear, her big, cute doe eyes wide. Looking at her like this, it gave one the undeniable urge to protect her; unfortunately, she was only a good actor.
"Come on, Madam, this place is very safe, and the Sir isn't home at the moment," the butler said gently.
Eva had the urge to ask, 'So what happens when he returns?' but kept it to herself. "Really?" she asked, her voice small and impossibly cute.
"Yes, Madam," the butler replied.
She cautiously walked out of the car and followed the butler, who approached the door, typed a code into a keypad, and waited for the click of the lock. He then let Eva step inside. The interior was neat and perfectly arranged, not a single thing out of place, but it was stark and dull, too boring and sterile for Eva's hidden vibrant personality.
"The house is stocked with anything you could want, Madam. Have a good night's rest," the butler said, and before she could respond, he shut the door behind him. The distinct sound of the electronic lock re-engaging echoed in the silence, and Eva shook her head negatively. First, she scanned the house thoroughly, her eyes sharp as she checked for any hidden cameras or monitoring devices. The moment she confirmed there were none, she dropped her act immediately. Her posture straightened, the foolish look in her eyes replaced by one of sharpness. At the very least, she had to enjoy herself on her first night. She walked straight to the kitchen, pulled open the refrigerator, and found it indeed fully stocked with premium goods. A genuine, bright smile finally graced her features. A feast night for sure.
On the other end, in the main mansion, the butler walked into a grand study. An elderly lady with a full head of grey hair was seated gracefully in a high-backed chair, glasses perched on her nose as she went through a leather-bound book. This was Old Madam Anderson beside her; Old Sir Anderson was fast asleep in his armchair, a tablet still held loosely in his hand, but no one bothered him because he loved his peace.
"How did it go?" Old Madam Anderson asked without looking up from her book.
"Brought her back, and she is currently in the 6th Sir's residence. Nothing different, same as rumored," the butler reported.
The old lady hummed. "Hopefully he wouldn't send this one to the middle of the sea," she said, a chilling casualness in her tone. "You can leave," she added. The butler bowed deeply and walked away.