Under His Authority

“Love, they say, will turn you into a pale icy corpse. With sea blue eyes and withered roses to s**** the warm dark blood that flows from your torn veins. Love will buy you coffins as a souvenir to bury the brokenness of your heart,” Ava clapped the huge pages of the book together and sighed. “Who writes this nonsense?” she wheeled her pink leather swivel chair to face her friend. “I call it bullshit though; only good things can come from loving. What do you think, Isa?”

Isabella halted from scanning through a long list of names. “For a starter, I think the writer is as realistic as I am.”

“I wouldn’t call it realistic; I would say you are both pessimistic bullheads instead.”

“You think so?”

“I know so girl,” Ava straightened her back from the chair and leaned forward. “Tell me, why are you always so biased against love?”

“I am not biased, Ava. I just know more about it than you do.”

“We are agemates, how would you know more than I do?”

“How would I not?” Isabella returned. “You’re like a princess who has only lived a sheltered life, look at you, what could possibly hurt you in your divine heaven of pink clouds?”

Ava glanced around the office like it was foreign to her. She had to admit that Isabella was right on that one, she was really in a divine heaven of pink clouds. From the pink painted walls to the expensive frames and fine furniture in the office. She stretched her arms and legs forward, observing her suit in shame…It was pink as well.

“Even princesses do have their own share of chaos,” she muttered in defeat. “It must be terrible outside my sheltered life.”

“You’ll never know till you feel it yourself,” Isabella, Ava’s best friend since they were six explained. “Believe me, it’ll be sooner than you think.”

“Are you hexing me?” Ava asked, steering backward.

Isabella lets out a brief laugh. “No girl, it is a fact.”

A fact Eva did not care to believe, her fantasy had always been simple. Wait for your prince charming, marry him, make sweet love on your wedding night and then have…well, kids scared her, not that she found them bothersome though, she feared them thanks to her mother.

“Derick, has he not called?” Isabella asked, skimming through a pile of files.

Ava sighed. “Nope, he hasn’t, I am certain he is just busy.”

“It’s hilarious how you make up excuses for him, it’s literally your third relationship anniversary,” Isabella angrily smacked some of the file on her table. “He should be here with a bouquet of flowers, diamonds and whatever else rich couples’ gift each other on their anniversary.”

Ava was getting amused at her friend’s anger. Isabella was of course her knight in shining armor.

Once when they were teenagers, she had thrown a girl into a trash can for spilling coffee on her. She had even punched a guy once for hurting her feelings. She was that type of friend.

“Isa, he will definitely call. I trust him.”

“Well, I don’t,” Isabella retorted then mischievously narrowed her eyes at Ava, the anger vanished instantly from her face. “Girl, did you see Lucas Liam on Tv last night? Gosh, he was so damn hot. I swear I would have swooned.”

“Swooned? I doubt he is that hot.”

“He…I forgot,” Isabella shot her eyebrows up and twisted her lips which were sparking with red lip stain. “You do not even know who he is.”

“Why should I? As far as I am concerned, no one comes close to Derick,”

“Derick is a love toy; Lucas Liam on the other hand is the type of man you’d just want to lay with and spend his money. No feelings attached,” Isabella waved her hands to demonstrate her day dream.

“Isa?” Eva disregarded her friend’s fantasy, she remembered something more important. Her new car would be shipped that very day. “Isa, did you forget too?”

“Forget what?” Isabella queried, dropping her head to the pile of files.

“The car daddy bought for my birthday last week, I am getting it today,” her body tickled with joy and anticipation.

“What type did he get for you?”

“The latest type of car, customized in pink as usual,” she could feel her cheeks grow hot.

Of course, she was her daddy’s girl. Only daughter and heiress to his multi-million fashion company that was even named after her. The biggest clothing company in the city of Las Vegas.

Her daddy, Mr. Mateo Danielson, loved her more than anything in the world. If there was any word more than love, it would be it. He would give up anything and everything he had just to see her happy, and she knew just the right buttons to press when she needed something from him.

However, her happiness faded away when she noticed the perch of sadness on Isabella’s face. “Are you okay, Isa?” she fell back on her chair. “Are you upset?”

“No, I am not,” Isabella said dully, as if Ava could not see her squeezed face.

“Are you angry that dad gifted a car to me?” Ava understood her friend. She did not mind that she got upset from time to time. Unlike Ava, Isabella came from a lower-class family, she was only able to attend high school and college because of Ava’s plea to her father for her sponsorship. Immediately after college, Ava offered her a job in her father’s company.

“Why would I, Ava?” Isabella inhaled deeply. “I just…” her phone rang, interrupting whatever it was she wanted to say.

Ava watched as she picked up her phone and hurried outside.

Isabella returned quickly into the office. “I am sorry, Ava, it’s my mum.”

“Is she alright?” Ava asked, genuinely concerned.

Isabella gave a nod. “She is. Can I close early from work today? My mother said it's urgent.”

“Sure, you can take my car. I will just ask dad’s driver to drop me home.”

“No, Ava, you do not…”

“I insist, Isa,” Ava brought out her car keys from one of the drawers in her table. “Stop acting like we are strangers, we’re best friends.”

Isabella’s face eased into a smile. “Thank you, Ava,” she collected the key from her friend. “I will be sure to bring it to work tomorrow.”

“It is totally fine,” Ava shared in her friend’s smile.

Isabella packed her water bottle and files in her big purple handbag that went with the purple shirt she was wearing on her black pants. She walked to Ava’s desk, gave her a hug and started heading towards the door.

“Greet your mum, tell her I will be sure to pay her a visit during the weekend.”

“Sure,” Isabella answered over her shoulder. “Make sure not to call Derick first.”

Ava grinned guiltily; she had just been thinking of calling him. Well, that bitch must be psychic.

Boredom overcame her as soon as her friend left, she gathered her things and departed the office. Trailing the path to her dad’s office.

Tap-tap-tap

“Come in,” her dad’s deep baritone voice called from inside the office. Ava hopped inside merrily like a child to see her ever serious father, almost burying his head into his tablet. In her opinion, he was such a workaholic but she of course kept that opinion to herself, his hard work was the only reason she got to live such a lavish lifestyle. Though, sometimes she wished he would also give himself a chance to live his own life. He had been living for her ever since the day her mother abandoned them.

Her father was a fair skinned man of fifty-five years. His hair was silver and shaved in a way that it was always swept to the back of his head. He looked no older than forty years and most times, people tended to doubt his age. He still had a youthful swagger mixed with what Ava considered to be sugar daddy vibes. Despite his age, she always observed how girls around her age and even younger eyed him whenever he passed.

The plain aura of the room dimed her gleam but once she saw the pink neck pillow clinging desperately to his neck, she started to beam again. Her dad did not like pink but she would often gift him pink items to keep as souvenir from time to time and watched his tortured forced smile as he accepted them.

“Hi dad,” she said as she shut the door behind her. “Busy?”

“As always, baby girl,” he peered at her through the glasses that sat on the bridge of his well molded nose. “How are you?”

Ava collapsed on the onyx fur sofa beside his sapele desk. “I’ve been better,” she curved her brows in a frown.

He placed his tablet on the desk and took off his glasses to give her his undivided attention. “What is it, my dear?” he asked with concern.

“Derick dad, he still hasn’t called or checked up on me.”

“Is that so?”

“Yes,” she squeezed her face even more. “I was thinking he’d surprise me but I doubt it, it is going to be nightfall soon.”

“Have you tried calling him?”

“No,” she pouted childishly. “Isabella told me not to call first.”

“What is it you told me?” he snapped his finger forcing himself to recall a memory. “You said you have a spare key, right?”

“Yes dad,” she narrowed her eyes at him in confusion. “What are you thinking?”

“Maybe you should buy a gift and surprise him?”

“Apt!” Ava clasped. “Why did I not think of that earlier?” she grinned widely at her father. “You’re so amazing, dad,” She jumped out of the sofa. “I should definitely stop by the men’s jewelry section downstairs.”

“Not so fast, young lady” her father said, he opened his locker and threw a key at her. “That’s for your new ride.”

Ava could hear her own scream echo in the space of her father’s office. “Oh my God, dad,” her happiness reached over the roof of the soundproof office. “When did it arrive?”

“About an hour ago, I didn’t want to disturb you from work.”

“I am so thankful, daddy,” she gave her father a hug from across the table. “The keys are so beautiful.”

“One more thing,” he bought out his thick leather brown wallet and handed her a card. “Buy the gift with this, don’t spend your own money.”

“I must warn you Mr. Mateo Danielson, your daughter does not spend wisely,” she teased her father.

He grinned like a teenage boy. “I do not mind,” then he wore his glasses again. “If you do not mind, I have a lot of work to do.”

“Love you dad,” she blew him a kiss.

“Love you too, baby girl.”

With that, she was off to the men’s jewelry store at the last floor of the six-story building of her father’s company.

“Good evening, Miss Danielson,” resounded through as she walked into the store that sparkled with all sorts of diamonds, silvers and golden jewelries. It was blinding, very alluring as well.

She sat on the customer’s sofa at the cufflink section.

“Good evening, Miss Danielson,” one of the female workers greeted her.

“Good evening…” she glanced at the name tag on the worker’s suit. Apparently, it would be hard to keep up with the name of all the employees in such a large company. “Can I get the most expensive cufflinks we have?”

“Yes ma’am,” the worker answered, then scurried away. She returned shortly with an angelic pair of diamonds.

Ava’s mouth threw open as she admired the beauty of it. “What is this?” she picked up one of the sparkling cufflinks.

It’s a Diamond canary cufflink, crafted from an 18-carat white gold,” the worker smiled anxiously. “It’s the most expensive we have.”

“How much?” Ava held up the diamond, inspecting it with one eye closed

“Four point two million dollars, ma’am.”

Ava nodded in satisfaction, she pulled out her dad’s card. “Package it.”

When she was done, Ava went to the parking lot in search of her new ride. As she pressed the button on the car. The yellow flash of its red light screamed for her notice.

A pink car, perfect. Just like I wanted it.

She hopped into her new million-dollar car and strode into the busy Las Vegas Road, jamming to Katy Perry’s famous, “Waking up in Vegas.” Swinging her body from side to side as she steered the smooth wheels of the car.

By the way, she thought Isn’t Isa’s mother in the ICU? How did she call her?

Before she knew it, she’d reached the white gates of her father’s mansion. She drove into the multi-car garage, ejected herself from her new car and made inside the mansion that was expensively decorated with luxurious golden chandeliers and red marble floors. On the spotless white walls hung different paintings and artworks which she grinned at whenever she entered, except the one certain portrait of her mother which she could not help glaring at. She wondered why her dad insisted on still having her pictures around.

Ava sighed and jogged up to her…fluffy pink room where she rushed over a hot bath, dressed herself in a body-con pink gown with glittering stones. She let her chestnut hair form a blanket on her shoulder, wore a pair of one of her numerous expensive black heels with a pink designer shoulder purse to complement it. She wheeled as she adored her own reflection on the pink framed mirror in her dressing room.

She was ready to surprise her man.

It was a short drive from her mansion and she gingerly walked to the front of his small apartment, she pressed the doorbell but only silence returned. So the girl followed up with a knock and yet, nothing. She resolved to enter the apartment with her own spare key. Surely, it was even better because she could surprise him even more that way.

Loud wanting moans welcomed her into the dark apartment as she went in. She struggled to grab her phone from inside her bag and followed the source of the sound. Panicking with every step she took. When she entered his bedroom, her gaze fell on a horrifying sight that threatened to rip her eyes out of its socket. Her lips suddenly went dry, her stomach developed an upsetting churn and a lump settled in her throat.

“No, it cannot…it cannot be,” she closed her eyes as if it would vanish the image that was in front of her. When she reopened them, it was still there… Like stains of red grape wine on a white cotton sheet.

“Der…” she tried to speak but even words failed her. She coughed and forced out the words.

“Derick?” the horrid lover of hers turned to her, stunned. And beneath him was an even horrific sight.

“Isa?’