Company Limited || Isaiah Jesus

Prologue

"Remember tonight... for it is the beginning of always."

***

"Catherine!!" came the shouting from downstairs. "It's time to get up!"

Catherine's eyes fluttered open. She never liked early mornings, but getting up for work was even worse. She worked in the family's flowershop. It was not what she wanted, but she didn't have a choice, her father insisted. George Hastings was an important part of the community and didn't accept dishonour. He always demanded respect both inside and outside of his family. Marie Hastings, mother of Catherine, was a good wife, always obeyed to her husband and did everything she had to make her family happy. Of course sometimes even she couldn't make everybody happy. That is how Catherine ended up in the shop.

"Catherine!" came her mother's voice again.

"I am coming!" she shouted back, getting out of the bed. Her blonde hair was a mess like every morning and it was always a struggle to tame her locks. While she was fighting with her waves she was thinking. She was always a daydreamer and loved to disappear in her own world. Her mind was wandering in fictional lands, exploring every corner of them, where true love existed and the good always defeated the bad. She was also a realist who know these dreams will never come true, but she never lost hope and she swore to herself she never will.

As she finished her hair and quickly put on a knee-long skirt and a loose white blouse, she was ready for the day. She descended the stairs and delicious smells reached her nose. Her mother was an excellent cook and she felt like the breakfast will be the best part of the day already.

"Good morning, mother" Catherine greeted Marie, the woman looked like she didn't even slept, since her make-up and hair was styled perfectly even on this early morning.

"Good morning, dear" she looked up at her daughter, already tired from this before it's even started and it could be seen on her face.

"What's wrong?" aske Cate as soon as she noticed her mother's expression.

"Nothing" she tried to divert the conversation "You have to hurry up, the shop must be open in twenty minutes."

"I know, I know, but I have to eat something before I leave. I am starving" Cate said as she plopped down on one of the chairs around the dining table. Her mother put down a plate full with bacon and eggs in front of her. "Thank you"

"Catherine, you must leave soon, your father won't be pleased if you get late" Marie looked at her with a worried glance.

"He is already there, right?" she asked back, shoving food into her mouth quickly to soothe her mother at least a little.

"You know he is, he is always there" came the answer with a bitter expression. Your father was obsessed with the flower shop, Cate never understood why, of course it was a family business, but something other than that must be in shadows. Because after all she knew nothing was ever what it seemed like in Small Heath.

***

The shop wasn't far from the Hastings house only a few streets away, a 10 minutes walk to get there. Catherine arrived to work two minutes late, and she knew this was a big mistake. She prepared herself for the inevitable shouting, but to her surprise when she opened the door, her father wasn't alone. Two men were there discussing something quietly with George. The strangers wore long coats and flat caps and truly looked frightening.

When her father noticed Cate, his eyes filled with rage, but he held himself back, beacuse of the men. She knew she would get her scolding later. The strangers also looked at her, but she shyly lowered her gaze and headed for the back of the shop to be out of the way. When she got behind the counter, she dared to have closer look on the men. One of them had incredibly blue eyes, the other was taller and looked older, but it seemed the previous one was the boss. She quickly averted her gaze and scurried for the back door.

"I will send someone for more" she heard one of the strangers say as she closed the door behind herself, but not completely, her curiousity get the better of her and she left the door slightly ajar, so she could peer over the edge.

"Of course Mr. Shelby" her father reassured the men as he handed a square, white box for them. The blue-eyed man accepted it and with a nod turned around to leave the shop, the taller one following. Cate quickly closed the door without a sound and pretended she didn't hear anything when her father burst through the door.

"Catherine!" he was raging, but she expected it. She was afraid of her father, but she knew he would never hit her, he was more the one for verbal abuse, however Cate learnt to zone out during his shouting sessions and hide in her own little world. Now she was thinking about these strangers, the Shelby family, she heard about them, not good stories and she was wondering what they had to do with her father.

Her father was throwing insults at her head, and she pretended she felt herself guilty, but her mind and soul was elsewhere, trying to find a calmer place inside of herself and escape from this ruthless world. Oh how she dreamt of a knight in shining armour to save her and take her away from this loathful city.