SHE'S AN ORDINARY PAINTER

"What?" Jane widened her eyes with surprise. She couldn't believe what Cass was saying, that means Chris never for once thought of getting married to her. He was only doing this for his parents. Although she knew about that but it hurts her when she remembers he was only doing this for his parents not because he's in love with her. She always wished one day he will open his heart onto her.

"Yes, he did it." Cass inserted, still wearing that smug smile on her face. "He came to me begging me to be his wife and as my childhood friend I couldn't deny him of that. He was scared of the kind of lady his father was going to bring for him. And when he found out it's you, it made him more angrier. He told me he can't imagine living with you throughout his life."

Jane continued to listen to her, in as much as her words were making her heart shattered into thousand pieces. She found it hard to believe he would say such a thing, why doesn't he see her more than a friend?

"That's why he came to me, that's why he wanted me to marry him because he sees me as the one he wants to spend his life with, you're just an ordinary painter and you shouldn't try to fit in in his league. It will only hurt you." She continued, looking to over to where Chris stood on the stage. "I'm just advising you as a friend, listen to me if you don't want to be miserable for the rest of your life."

"Why are you saying all these to me?" Jane asked, trying hard not to be affected by her words. "Are you by any chance in love with him?"

"Do you know why I like you?" Cass slaps her shoulder playfully. "You're very intelligent, you can read the handwriting on the wall. Of course I'm in love with him." Her smiling face suddenly twists into a mean look.

"Of course I'm in love with him and you're a threat to me." She inserted. "Why would I be around him all the time if not for the feelings I have for him. I have always harboured this feelings for him from childhood, I have always been in love with him but when you walked into his life. He can't seem to focus anymore….."

"I thought you said he isn't in love with me?" Jane asked, looking at the expression of her face. "So how am I a threat to you?"

That question of her took her by surprise, she didn't know how to respond to her. It caught her really off guard that she was finding it difficult to answer. "Well….. because….with you on the way, he will never acknowledge me more than just a friend, you….keep coming in the way of our relationship."

"You need to stay in your own lane, go find a man who match your status." She continued. "Ethan is around, you should go be with him and leave Chris. He belongs only to me."

"The thing is that I'm already his fianceé and you don't expect me to reject him twice." Jane prompted, smiling at her. "Yes, I know he doesn't love me, he doesn't see me as the woman he wants to spend the rest of his life with and if he's doing this for his parents, I don't mind so long I get to be with the man my heart desires."

"Yes I'm not the same status with him and I don't care, I'm not trying to fit in. I just want to be with the man my heart wants and don't worry about him not being in love with me. I know how make him fall for me, I know how to make that happen."

This sounds like a duel to me.

Cass was rendered speechless, she thought if she says all that to her, she might give up, judging by how emotional she can be. But instead she took her by surprise. Jane watched the way her eyebrows furrowed together, creating a wrinkle in her forehead. Her eyes tell of how much her words were affecting her. She can't take it anymore, she has listened to her enough.

Cass and Chris might have shared a history but she and him will share a future now. After all she's his fianceé.

"I'm warning you, you don't want to get burnt in the fire. You will be the one to loose at the end. Cass prompted, throwing daggers at her with her eyes. "Yes, you're his bride to be but does the whole world know about that? To them you're the woman who had a fight with their Rock star. They despise you, you have created a room for hatred in their hearts since you fought with him over unimportant thing."

Those words of her made Jane's face turned ice, yes she's his wife to be but does his fans know? And if they find out, will they accept her?

She turned to her attention to Chris as he sang. The fans cheering for him including her sister and his brother. Everybody was loving the way he sings. She saw his face glowing with excitement. She saw how he was moving to the beat Miko was creating for him. If only he feels a thing for her.

He touched every fan hands that reached up to touch him and he was loving it. "See how happy he is…." Cass inserted. "He needs a lady who will always keep him this happy."

.

She ignored her and continue looked at him, their eyes met and he smiled at her. She returned his smile with a weak one. After some minutes he was done singing. The whole crowd cheered for him.

"Ladies and gentlemen, you know me as popstar Chris." He said. The people cheered. "I think it's high time you knew…" Everyone focused their attention on him, wondering what he has to say.

"And they said beside every successful man there's a woman." He inputs, the whole place became quiet. Jane could feel her heart pick pace at what he said. Where is he driving to? "There's this woman beside me, who stood by me when I was an upcoming musician. Who encouraged me to purse my dreams, who believed in me."

Her heart started thundering fast, is he going to call Cass's name? She's the only lady who has been with him throughout his quest of becoming a becoming a musician.

Cass smiled as he continued listing the qualities. She casts a look at Jane and smiled the more when she saw the expression on her face.

"The lady who has the purest smile and soul, her kind nature drew me to her. In three words, she's a wonderful person. Ladies and gentlemen, I'm using this opportunity to introduce to you the woman I'm getting married to."

"You're a getting married?" One of the celebrities. "To who?"

Jane stiffed at his words. What is he doing? Why is he saying all these?

"To her?" He pointed towards she and Cass. For a minute, her breathing stopped. The whole crowd looked at their direction.

Cass smiled when she saw Chris pointing at her. She stood up gracefully but was caught off guard when Chris came towards their shade and took Jane by the hand.

"What are you doing?" Jane whispered at him, looking at all the faces present.

"Just come with me, you're my fianceé and I think it is time for me to introduce you to everyone." His smile was full of kindness that she felt herself melting under it. When he said that, it warmed her heart . She never expected him to call her out talk more of introducing her to the medias.

"Whoahoooo." Fortune clapped from where she sat beside V. "Go on Sis, it's your time. Emerge."

Vincent also joined in clapping with some of the people there. Some were giving her angry glares and some looked at her with questions in their eyes. Majority of them were giving her mean looks. Cass fumed with anger at what Chris did. She thought he was talking about her, she's the only woman who ever stood by him through thick and thin. Why would he choose Jane over her?

"Chris, I don't think I can do this." Jane inserted feeling nervous. "I'm not use to having all the attention on me and why didn't you discuss this with me? I would have prepared myself."

"I wanted to surprise you and don't worry I'm by your side, you shouldn't be nervous. Besides you're my fianceé." He continued smiling.

Don't let his words get to you. Her inner self warned. This is only an act, he's doing all these because his parents might be watching him since it's a live event. Like Cassandra said, he's only doing this for his parents. Nothing special.

After some hesitation from her, she finally followed him to the stage. She stood awkwardly beside him, wearing a nervous smile on her face. She felt her hands sweating again, she wasn't use to having all the attention on her. She looked at the faces there, some were smiling, some giving her mean looks and others have questions written over their faces.

"Her?" One of the guests there asked, he looked more like a fan. "Why her? What about Cass, weren't you both a thing?"

Jane's heart completely went blank at that question, they didn't accept her. They didn't acknowledge her. They all want him to be with Cass, she will never be his. His fans doesn't like her.

"I and Cass are never a thing." Chris answered, noticing the change in her countenance. "I and Cass are just friends. We aren't dating."

"I remember you." A female guest inserted, pointing at her. "You're the same lady who had a fight with him, you're always creating problems for him. Why are you then getting married to him. I thought you said you don't like men who cheat on their wives?"

"She doesn't even match your status, Chris." One popular female musician said. Jane is one of her fans, she loves her songs and it felt like a dream come true when she saw her. She's her idol, she even requested for her autograph which she did sign but she talking trash about her isn't what she will tolerate.

"She's just an ordinary painter." The female musician whose stage name is Oliviaseth added. "Why would you pick her and not Cass?"

Their words were causing chaos in her heart and she felt tears building in her eyes, threatening to fall down. She kept quiet and listened to them, she looked at Cass and she bet she was having a good time watching her get taunt by their words. Her lips curved into a bitchy smug smile.

"Come on guys, he has the right to choose whoever he wants to get married to whether she has the same status like him or not. What matters is he's getting married after the long wait." One guy commented.

She couldn't understand how the press came close to her and bombarded her with questions. Questions she didn't know how or where to start answering from.

"Tell us Miss Jane, what made you accept his proposal?" One of the press asked.

"Where you trying to fit in?" Another asked. All of a sudden, she felt dizziness and might faint any moment. She needs to get out of here soon before it becomes too late.

"Tell us, how you met him?" Another inserted.

"Who asked each other out first?"

"Chris tell us, why didn't you say you were getting married to her?" One of the press directed her question to him. Some of them already have writing pad with them, ready to jot down what ever he or Jane say. He guessed this was a very wrong idea, if he knew she would be attacked this way by his fans and his co celebrities. He wouldn't have done it.

"Enough!" He commanded, making everywhere go dead silent like a grave yard, he looks at Jane but she was casting her gaze on the floor. He really felt sorry for making her go through this, she isn't talking or making a flinch. She was just mopping at the floor as if to find some remedy there.

Yes, he might not be in love with her, he might see her as a friend. Even if he's doing this for his parents, still he has some human sympathy in him. Her only crime was loving him and he can't sit back and watch people make fun of her.

Quiet." He commanded as if they're his students. "Why does it matter if she isn't the same status with me or not? I choose whoever I want to marry. Whether her or Cass, that's my decision to make and I choose her." He pulled her close to him, holding the mic in the other hand.

"And I wasn't lying when I told you, she made me who I am, she stood by me. We might have fights or misunderstandings, that's normal between couples or friends. And she only did that because she thought I was married whereas I wasn't." He continued. "You don't have the right to question who I get married to or not, I'm announcing her to you all for you to acknowledge her. I'm the world famous Rock star and I want to get married to her. Why do you all have a problem with that?"

"But we thought you proposed to Cass in that video." One of the guests said.

"I didn't propose to Cass in that video." He inserted, feeling the anger of what they are saying building in him. "We only had a little misunderstanding and I was begging for her forgiveness but I never proposed to her. Jane is my fianceé and she's the one I'm getting married to."

"Very soon, she will be Mrs Jane Ifedigwu and I won't tolerate it if anyone talks trash about her." He pointed at them. "I don't understand why you guys like looking down on people who aren't of the same status like you. She wasn't trying to fit in as some of you assumed."

Jane wasn't even there, I mean her body is there but her mind was else where. She felt her eyes becoming more glossy and she will break down any minute. She freed herself from Chris's hold and climbed down the stage. She didn't look at anyone but focused her attention on the ground, walking like a stranded person.

"Jane?" He called after, dropping the mic on the floor of the stage and ran after her. She didn't even answer or look at him. Everywhere was so quiet, everyone watching the whole drama.

"Sis?" Fort called and ran after her too. Vincent, Chris's manager and DJ Miko followed suit.

Immediately they were out of sight, the cameras and press turned to Cass. Walking towards her, she already knew what they're going to ask her.

"Cass, do you have some words to say about what happened now?" One of them asked.

"Did you know he was getting married to her?"

"Is it true you both are just normal friends?"

She didn't reply in spite of all the questions thrown at her. She knew they just want stories to fill in their tabloids. They're just competitive press from different companies, who will have the top stories that will draw people's attention. But the commotion that happened here right now, she loved it. It worked out in her favour, she won't allow any one take Chris away from her. He belongs only to her.

She knew what happened will got Jane thinking and that will make her call off her engagement with him. She had to endure her all these times and if she can't have Chris, no one else will.

She walked out on the press and made her way towards the exit door. She wasn't in the mood to answer any of their questions and besides she came to watch Chris perform but things turned around to what she never expected. She expected a standing ovation from the crowd when he introduced her as his fianceé but instead she received criticizes.

"Miss, miss?" The press called after her but she ignored all of them and disappeared out of sight.

______________

Jane ran into the inn and shut the door, locking it. She sat down on the sofa, letting the tears water her face. This is the second time she's been humiliated. Why did she ever come to this gala? Why did she even agreed to be his date? Cass was right…..she will only get burnt if she continues being with him. Introducing her in front of the whole crowd took her by surprise, she never expected that but what she never expected more was his fellow celebrities belittling her. Is in the constitution that a celebrity must marry his or her fellow celebrity?

She already lost, Cass won. Chris will never belong to her, whenever things start working in her favour, something destroys it before the manifestation. If she's with Ethan, she won't be experiencing this heart aches. She would be happy with him and have a small beautiful family with him. Sometimes she wished she never met Chris talk more of falling for him.

She wondered why she can't seem to let him off her mind even after everything she had to go through in his hands. Her Mom is always right, she will only get her life ruined if she ends up getting married to him….

"Jane open the door." She heard Chris and the rest shout her name and keeps knocking. "We know you're in there, just open up."

"Sis, please open up." Fort pleaded. "I can't see you devastated like this, it will only hurt me. Please open the door….."

"Jane please listen up." Chris prompted. "I'm sorry for what you had to go through out there, I didn't mean to get you humiliated like that. I'm sorry, please open the door."

"Sis, please I'm begging you…" After some minutes of pleading, she finally opened the door, letting them in. Chris rushed to her, placing her hands on her upperarms.

His eyes are filled with concern and worry as they stare into hers. "Are you okay?" He asked. "I'm really sorry for what happened out there."

"What did you do that?" She finally spoke up, wiping the tears in her eyes. "Why did you have to introduce me out there?"

"I just wanted to the world to know you, to recongize you as mine." He replied.

"I know you're only acting, you're doing this for your parents, you shouldn't have gone to that extent." She began, her voice turned ice and she wasn't smiling either. "I told you it was a bad idea but you insisted on doing it."

"Actually I made him do it." Chris's manager interrupted them. "I told him to introduce you to the world, I told him to announce your relationship with him to the world, after all the whole world will still find out when you marry each other. So I told him this was the right time to do so."

"Without consulting me first?" She asked, folding her arms against her chest. "You know your fans don't like me, they see me as a threat, a distraction to you."

"I'm sorry okay?" Chris pleaded, cupping her face. "I didn't know it will result to this."

"Did you ask him to introduce me as his fianceé for your gain or you actually wanted him to introduce me?" She directed her question to his manager.

"Of course not, I told him to introduce you because it was time to bring you out in the open and besides both of you share a bond."

"I'm classless, I'm not an actress, top model, singer like you or any other influential status in the society. I'm none of them as they said, I'm just an ordinary painter."

"Sis don't listen to what they say." Fort inserted. "Don't take what ever they said to heart."

"Jane, I'm really sorry for that." Chris pleaded. "I'm the one getting married to you not them but I wonder why they did all that? Why did they ask those silly questions?"

"Can you take me home?" She prompted. "Nevermind, I and my sister will take the taxi. I just want to leave here immediately, staying here will only remind me of that incident."

"Already?" Miko asked. "Are you going to let what they said get to you? So what if you're neither a model, actress and so on. That shouldn't bother you."

"If they're looking for status, I can make you one." Chris's manager chipped in. "Chris told me you have a great voice, have you ever thought of using it to gain fame?"

"There's no need for that. Jane said, picking her bag. I don't want fame, I love the way my life is going."

"Hope you think about what I said today and I'm sorry for the making you go through that." Chris's manager said.

"I would love to hear you sing." He added. "Since they want a girl of the same status with Chris, I will give them one."

"Fort, let's go." She snapped, making her way through the exit door. Fortune didn't try to drag words with her and complied, she knew her sister isn't fine and needs some time alone. Really what they said to her was upsetting but she can't just barge in and started defending her sister.

She was happy Chris stood up for her but really she too was lost of words. She never expected that from them.

"Come, I will drop off." Chris inserted.

"I will come along." Vincent said, who hasn't said a word when all that was going on. He didn't even know where to start talking, the whole situation rendered him dumb. He wondered why it should be that way, he thought if a celebrity is getting married. It doesn't matter the person he or she was getting married to.

"Take care." Chris's manager said, directing his words to Jane.

_____________

"Who do they think they're to talk silly things about Jane?" Chris's Mom questioned as annoyance flickered in her eyes. She was watching the whole thing displaying on the wall tv with her husband. When his son introduced Jane as his fianceé, she was really happy but the crowd was....was something she never imagined. Why would they say all that?

"Just because they made fame doesn't mean they have to belittle anyone." She added. "Jane is good for my son, no one else. I wonder why they kept calling that actress name. Why do they want to ship her with him? Some people are crazy."

"At least, our son stood up for Jane. That's at least appreciative but why would he announce her immediately, he should have waited until they're married. Then make it known." Her husband who is sitting beside her, suggested.

"Yes, you're right but I think what our son did is right." She prompted. He was only trying to make her known before they tie the knot. And I don't like that actress of a girl."

"We should pray that Jane won't call of the marriage like she did before." Her husband inserted. "That humiliation was a lot to handle."

"Really that was harsh of them." She said. "And the worst part is the medias are present, of course they will be but the thought of what she will pass through from now on, from his fans and medias is making me restless. She has really suffered enough…"

"Do you think we might the right decision by trying to get her married to him?" She asked, looking at her husband for some advice. "Don't you think we're causing her more problem by pushing her to our son?"

"You're right, she has to go through a lot of humiliation because we only want her to get married to our son." Her husband nodded his head in agreement. "We never for once tried to find out about her feelings, her own happiness. I think we pushed her too far."

"We're demanding too much from her." She prompted. "Because we think she's the only one right for our son, we didn't consider her feelings first, she sacrificed herself for the sake of us but all she gets all the time is criticism."

"She's a genuine person." Her husband said, thinking deep. Our son won't find any lady like her."

"I will have a word with her. I will ask her if she's okay getting married to our son or not. She deserves to be happy."

"I will sue all the people who made fun of her today, they don't have that right. My son is the one getting married to her not them." He threatened.

"Hmmmm." His wife made a sound under her breath.