Chapter 6: Family Gathering

Angeline looked at Bryan in confusion, wondering why she felt disappointed by his cold demeanor. No, Bryan had been cold from the beginning. So what did Angeline expect? The servants began to attend to Angeline. As in a real salon, Angeline was transformed into a completely different and beautiful person. First, she was asked to soak in a therapeutic-scented bathtub. Angeline was obviously delighted as she had never been pampered like this before. Next, the servants gave her a body treatment with a scrub that left her skin incredibly smooth. Her unkempt wavy hair was cut to shoulder length, looking neat and shiny with bangs that fell just above her eyebrows. Angeline wore a sleeveless, knee-length dress that showed off her slender yet beautiful figure. She wore high-heeled shoes and minimal makeup that still accentuated her charm. Angeline stared at herself in the mirror in disbelief. She didn't even recognize herself with this transformation. In the dining room, the head servant taught Angeline how to eat and drink properly, using different utensils with different functions, which proved to be quite a challenge for her. She kept making mistakes, which caused the head servant to scold her. Angeline even practiced walking gracefully without dropping the stack of books on her head. She spent the whole day practicing to become an elegant and graceful woman. There could be no mistakes. Everything had to be perfect without anyone noticing. That night, after an exhausting day of practice, Angeline was finally allowed to eat to her heart's content. Extremely hungry, she devoured a plate of rice and several pieces of fried chicken. She even ate all the bread on the table. "Why did you eat everything?" the head servant scolded, causing Angeline to choke. Angeline was handed a glass and took a sip just as Bryan arrived with his secretary and lawyer. Angeline stopped drinking and immediately got up from her seat. "Please, sit down, finish your drink and take a deep breath," Bryan said without looking at Angeline. Angeline put down her glass and wiped her mouth, which had spilled a little. The head servant saluted and left, followed by the other servants. Angeline looked around in confusion but remained silent. "Why aren't you sitting down?" Bryan asked. Angeline sat down nervously. The atmosphere had become more and more somber. Bryan looked at his secretary, who promptly handed him a thick document. "I need you to memorize everything in it. From now on, you are the child of a professor who died ten years ago. You live alone, have no siblings or relatives, not even friends. You live in California and have a bachelor's degree in design. You own a not-so-well-known boutique, but you have many clients among society women," John, the secretary, explained, pointing out some key points Angeline needed to know. "Why... do I have to change my identity? Does that mean my name will change?" "No, your name will remain Angeline Felicia; only your background must meet the standards to become my wife. And during the contract you must never contact your family." "What? But they'll worry-" "Here is a new phone and number for you. Use it during the contract period. As for your family, we will take care of them. Until your contract expires, your family will be our responsibility. We will make sure they live well without any financial difficulties," Ace, the lawyer, interjected. Once again, Angeline was speechless. No matter what, her needs had been met by Bryan. And now she had to abide by all agreements during the course of her contract. "I think the explanation was sufficient since you remained silent. Memorize everything tonight. Tomorrow we will meet my family and discuss our marriage," Bryan concluded. "Wait! So soon?" "Yes, why not? Do you want to postpone it? I don't have much time. Get ready; my driver will pick you up at seven in the morning." Bryan got up and left, followed by his entourage. They left Angeline, who was still not used to everything. She could only sigh and run her fingers through her hair, which had been so neat and tidy just moments before. The next morning, Angeline had been ready for an hour. She even had a light breakfast of a piece of bread and a glass of milk. Having woken up at four in the morning, Angeline, who was used to sleepless nights, was not surprised by this new routine. She did, however, take some time to leisurely read the document she had to memorize. "Did Mom and Michael have breakfast?" Angeline muttered, longing for her family. But reality reminded her not to think about her family. Angeline had to complete her one-year contract. No more, no less. A car arrived and the driver got out to open the door for her. Angeline walked gracefully; there was an unmistakable change in her appearance. Her face had become more beautiful and radiant, her makeup subtle yet captivating. Her demeanor was elegant and poised, a far cry from the Angeline who had been running from job to job just to make ends meet. During the ride, Angeline continued to read her documents. She didn't want to make the slightest mistake. She was determined not to disappoint Bryan and to do everything to the best of her ability. After a while, the car arrived at a prestigious hotel. Angeline was impressed as she entered the lobby of the hotel. John was waiting for her. Angeline tried to stay calm and not look around as she walked up to John. Bryan was already inside the hotel, engrossed in a phone call with a client. John greeted Angeline and walked her to the elevator. They reached a luxurious private dining room reserved for VVIP guests. Several waiters appeared to fill the water glasses on the table. Angeline felt nervous, especially when Bryan arrived, still focused on his phone. "Good morning, Mr. Bryan," Angeline greeted, smiling broadly with her eyes wide open. Bryan just looked at her coldly without returning her greeting. Angeline felt uncomfortable with Bryan's behavior, but her discomfort lasted only a few minutes as more people arrived and took their seats at the long table. The table quickly filled with the arrival of important and high-ranking individuals. Angeline was in awe and never imagined that she would be in the presence of such charismatic and high society people. Their eyes were filled with surprise and disapproval as they looked at Angeline. They were all amazed to see Bryan sitting next to her. Various opinions about Angeline's presence circulated among the guests, but no one dared to ask Bryan directly. Until Mrs. Rose arrived, accompanied by Lucy, a distant cousin whom she intended to marry to Bryan. Mrs. Rose cast a sharp glance at Angeline, who could only muster an uncomfortable smile. The atmosphere grew tense and Angeline became increasingly nervous. She even finished her glass of water. A waiter came over to refill her glass, and Angeline nervously thanked him. Her behavior caught the attention of everyone in the room. "I'm going to marry her this week," Bryan suddenly announced, taking everyone by surprise.