Sassy Angel’s Secret Sin

(Anj’s POV)

Go straight to the hallway, and then turn right…

I heaved a deep sigh as I carried the elegant arrangement of sunflowers, anthurium, hydrangea, and heliconia for the offering Mrs. Wilbur ordered from Sister Grace. She usually donates at the nursing home, but I seldom see her because she is mostly out of town, joining her husband on his business trips.

The housekeeper had other flowers to bring, so here I am, forced to look for that room where Mrs. Wilbur expected the offering should be. I didn’t have the time to memorize the direction because I was also in a hurry to go back.

Anya said that instead of meeting me, Claire was friendly enough, offering to pick me up outside the gate of Wilbur’s mansion because Aunt Rose asked her to run an errand before going to the party.

“It’s a black SUV,” she told me. “When you get there, let’s meet in the lobby.” She has repeated those words many times, worried that I would wander and get stuck in a room called the library or study room. She often joked that when I was young, no one could lure me into going with a stranger because I disliked candies and chocolates, but anyone could kidnap me by giving me a book.

I used my back to open the ajar door wide after finding the room.

“Finally!” A woman’s voice exclaimed, making me stop walking. The tall arrangement of flowers made it difficult to see who it was, and even if I tilted my head to peek at the owner of the voice, I still couldn’t see her.

“The offering?” Another voice asked, but from a man.

What is wrong with these people? Why don’t they just tell me where to put the flowers so I can go?

“Umm… Yes!” I answered, hesitating at first, but my hands were getting numbed already, so I had to put this heavy thing down. “Where can I put these?” I asked, not moving anymore because I noticed big antique vases and was afraid I might trip and break them.

I hear someone walking toward me. “Here, let me help you,” he said, taking the flower arrangement from me. “Why are you even carrying this heavy thing?” he chuckled as he placed it on the center table, then turned to me again.

the same age as Anya. I saw her pressing her lips

touching his chin as he studied me from head to toe. “Indeed,”

the same university I am studying at, but I am sure she doesn’t recognize me because she belongs to a famous group of students. Anya, Dylan and I usually call them the elite as they are the sons and daughters

now?” My eyebrows knitted, wondering why Jake was studying me as if he was unsure of something. I have seen him in the nursing home several times, bringing goodies to the

arms on my shoulders. “Didn’t they

narrowed. “Umm… They did,” I answered hesitantly, wishing I owned a

black SUV is in

walking toward the driveway and thinking Claire probably knew the famous Jake and Jackie Wilbur. When I got out of the mansion, the driver opened the car door for me, and although I doubted it for a while, I plopped myself

to me. “Where’s Claire?” I asked, panicking

“She’s in

the window. When I breathed in, I inhaled the scent of Jackie’s perfume, loving the bold but not overpowering floral scent. I have never bought perfume in my life because, first off, I don’t have money to buy one, and

have liked doing ever since

and the only noise I could hear was the chime of Jackie’s cellphone whenever she received a reply from whoever she was texting. I

of a private resort. From the outside, we could hear the loud music, but when I peeked outside the window and saw the place Anya had described, I realized this must be it.

we entered the foyer, she left me, joining her friends. I felt like an ugly duckling left in the middle of a crowded pond, panicking about where to go, how to find the stairs,

sounds vibrated through my body, but it seemed every guest didn’t mind as they chatted and drank. My eyes widened to see some men and women dancing with their bodies almost glued to each other. I had to swallow hard, seeing couples making out, not

Jake said, giving me a glass of something green in it. I followed him, quickly consuming the weird taste of green juice in the glass. He laughed when I coughed as heat crept on

asked curiously, my face crumpled after drinking the weird

it?” He had to lean his head closer to my ears so I could hear it. When I get out of here, I am sure I will suffer from

I shook my head.

tasting the drinks on my bottom lip. The cocktail