Unexpected Creature

2: "Oh, that's Clementine Zalekun."

 It was true when Clementine said that she had no interest in awarding ceremonies since she would always win. When she just started up her perfume company, she already had a lot of customers including famous celebrities. Many entrepreneurs offered her partnerships and collaborations but she just straight up rejected them without hesitating for a second and without giving any explanations why she refuses their offers. She was more than confident that her business would not fail and that her business would be one of the best businesses in the world without a doubt. Being the daughter of the owners of the biggest wine business and juice business also adds up to her success. Even if she did not need anybody to help her and her business grow successful, being unsuccessful as a Zalekun was never impossible in the first place.

“What should I wear? Should I go for a funeral theme? A rainbow theme? A wedding dress? Ugh, why do I have to look good in every clothing I wear?” Clementine said as she was feeling frustrated on what outfit she was going to wear to the wedding ceremony that would surely grab the whole ceremony’s attention. She grabbed each of her outfit and held them in front of her upper body while checking herself out in front of the mirror wall inside her big walk-in closet. She groaned as she aggressively messed her hair and looked back to her own reflection, only to repeat the same thing again when she saw how perfect she still looked even after messing up her hair. “Audrina, what do you think should I wear to the awarding ceremony?”

“You would make everyone look at you in awe if you wear a bright dress to the awarding ceremony, My Lady,” Audrina spoke from the speaker in a calm manner. Of course, AI virtual assistants do not change voice tones in their own will anyway.

“Great! I’ll go for a funeral theme then,” Clementine said with a grin on her face as she took her long sleeve slit black dress from the hanging pole, which was specifically where her black dresses were. For accessories, she chose a pair of simple silver earrings and a silver bracelet on her left wrist.

A fact about Clementine was that she would always pick an opposite option from the option given by anybody she asks opinions on. She basically does that because she loves being a unique person and she dislikes having the same thoughts with someone else such as choices in outfits. Basically, this fact about Clementine relates to why she and Lily had an intense fight earlier in the clothing store. It would definitely be astonishing if Clementine ever agrees or goes for someone’s opinion or choice.

“Audrina, remember to have cops over immediately the second a burglar breaks in, okay? Also, if there is a visitor in front of the gate, point a laser beam to them and tell them that I am not at home. You don’t want me to get rid of you the second you fail to do those, don’t you?” Clementine strictly said as she put on her 4-inch black heels in her other walk-in closet.

“Understood, My Lady,” Audrina replied.

Aside from hating people from entering her mansion, she loathes any living creature who steps in her mansion with their dirty shoes or feet. There was this one time when Seville visited her mansion for the first time and since he was too occupied by the beauty of her mansion, he proceeded to the living room with his sneakers on. With anger in Clementine’s eyes, she took her bolt action rifle and aimed on Seville as she threatened him to take his sneakers to the walk-in closet by the entryway and mop the areas, which he took steps on, or else she would fire the gun. Until he was done mopping the floor clean, she returned the rifle and forgave him as if nothing happened. Although it gave Seville a trauma, Clementine actually never loaded the rifle on purpose because she just wanted to scare him and she had no plans on being a murderer.

“Take care, My Lady,” Audrina said as Clementine stepped out of her mansion.

The sun had already calmed down as it was already going to set when Clementine stepped outside though she still wore her luxurious black shades as she stood in front of her mansion like she was a protagonist in a film who was ready to go and kick the antagonist’s ass in a fancy party.  People would have thought that she was a mentally ill person if they could see what she always does before going to the outside world. Basically, no one does not really pass by her mansion since it is located far from the areas of the city where people normally go. After imagining how the sun admired her so much to the point that its sunlight only focused on her (there was actually no sunlight), she realized that she had to go in the elevator to get to the parking lot. She groaned as she went back inside the mansion and entered the elevator.

“Audrina, down,” Clementine commanded and stared at her own reflection when the elevator door finally closed. With the small black hand bag hanging on her arm and 30 carat black diamond earrings, she thought that it was no doubt that she would be the classiest and most gorgeous woman to ever attend the awarding ceremony. She sighed as she imagined how all of the photojournalist would desperately want to take tons of pictures of her when she sets foot on the venue.

To match with her black outfit, Clementine chose to drive her black Jaguar F to the venue. She had a total of 30 cars parked in her underground parking lot; she had collected every luxurious car brand that ever existed. Anyone would definitely think that a lot of people were probably living or visiting her mansion because of the number of cars parked but of course, as a billionaire, Clementine would just scoff at them and probably show them each of her car’s plate number to prove that they all belonged to her. Yes, all of the plate numbers of her cars are customized the same, which is CLE 1995, since she did not care about the car’s registration or anything and because she did not want to memorize every different plate number of 30 different cars.

The gate automatically closed after Clementine drove out of her home as Love to Hate Me by BLACKPINK played in her car stereo. Clementine took her shades off when she started driving since it was getting dark and she did not want to get into an accident which would damage her physical self and car. Every building in the city began to light up as the pink sky slowly turned dark and every sidewalk was occupied by different kinds of people. Some were on the way home while some were on the way to have more fun since the next day would be a work/school day.

“Negative days, negative nights. Baby, you’re wasting all your time!” Clementine confidently sang loudly with her eyes shut even if her voice kept cracking when the traffic lights turned red. She was lucky to be saved from humiliation of what she was currently doing since her car windows were completely tinted and her car was soundproof. With a private car, it could be nice to have a lover for Clementine but unfortunately, she had zero interest in any person.

Since the soundproof of Clementine’s car allows her to be able to hear external noises, a loud car honk from behind interrupted Clementine’s singing moment and made her jolt from her seat in shock. She immediately looked behind with a sharp glare and saw a silver Mercedes with completely tinted windows like her car, making her unable to see what the face of the jerk who shocked her look like. She realized that the traffic lights already turned green and even if she wanted to fight with the driver, she just groaned out of annoyance and continued to drive again.

Different luxurious cars were parked in front of the five-star hotel where the awarding ceremony is held. Four valets were given car keys to take their cars and park them in the underground parking lot. All of the people who were dressed classily and formally were businessmen and businesswomen as well whose businesses may or may not be currently failing. Several photojournalists were also present outside the venue to take pictures of every entrepreneur who just arrived. Basically, some entrepreneurs attend awarding ceremonies in fancy outfits even if their businesses were growing bankrupt because they could meet other entrepreneurs who might give them offers or opportunities to rise their businesses once again.

When Clementine successfully parked in front of the hotel, she could see how all of the photojournalists turned their cameras immediately to her car as they suddenly did not care about the other businesswomen who were arriving as well. The other businessmen and businesswomen turned their attention to Clementine’s car as well in curiosity. Obviously, they did not have to think twice on who was in the car since the plate number of her car is well-known to everyone excluding some new entrepreneurs in the business industry. Also, no one would even dare to have the same plate number as her.

“Oh, that’s Clementine Zalekun.”

“She’s so pretty, what the heck.”

“Why is she wearing shades when the sun already went down?”

Different kinds of comments were being whispered among the crowd as multiple camera flashes constantly appeared at the same time toward Clementine when she stepped out of her car with her shades on. Actually, Clementine wore shades even with the sun down on purpose because of the camera flashes that she knew would be directed to her. She kept a poker face as she gave the valet her car keys and lowered her shades to look at the five feet, three inches tall valet.

“I trust you to only park my car properly without touching anything other than the wheel, pedals, and gear lever,” Clementine told the valet lowly as she gave him a sharp gaze, making the valet swallow a lump in his throat and nod swiftly. She pushed her shades back and gave him her car keys as she turned to the entrance.

The thought that Clementine was having at that moment was that she wished that the catering provided strawberries as well because she was craving for them. She did not care about what the other people were whispering about her to each other since she thought that she was still above them no matter how bad their comments were about her, which is why she was just thinking about strawberries while walking towards the entrance of the hotel.

“Cle!” Clementine stopped on her tracks when she heard a familiar honeyed voice calling her name from behind.

Clementine noticed how the crown turned their attention to the newcomers so Clementine turned around as the first eyes her eyes met belonged to the person, she found annoying the most. She looked at the other three people with a disinterested look as she elegantly stood straight on her spot while watching them walk toward her. Tyson Zalekun and Charli Zalekun, the owners of Zale and Oju, the country’s best-selling wine brand and juice brand, along their two children, Cara and Seville, had arrived to the venue. Cara looked at Clementine in the eyes as well as they held an intense staring contest.