"So help me God Frederic Dion, If you touch my daughter's trust, you and I are over." My mother leaves that bombshell in her wake.
Okay.
I'm not the only one terribly disappointed. For my mother to be this serious... I turn to my father, he looks visibly shaken too. This is serious... He goes after my mother, leaving just Lydia and me.
I don't have the strength to deal with this woman, I can't even conjure the strength to endure her. She's that tiring and I haven't known her long. And of course she won't let me leave just like that...
"I'm sorry, please try to see things from my perspective." Like I said, tiring. I don't know what she thinks this is - a movie?
"Your perspective must be really bleak to need one fifty million for a sense of security."
I don't like her. I can't like her.
Being around her sucks out any good feelings I feel. She irks me. The way she looks at me, it's not pronounced but I can feel the malice there, malice towards me and I don't know her outside my father's relationship. It's instinctive - stay away from her, everything in me screams. I don't understand it but I can't ignore it either, it's that strong.
"TT..."
"Don't call me that. We're not close. I've told you this before, you're in a relationship with my dad, not me. Don't keep dragging me into it." I cut her off. I don't think I've used this rude tone with anyone in my life.
Something's off with her. I don't hate people, I really don't but this Lydia Quinn has my hatred.
She'll reveal her motive soon enough, I hope she will. Can I fast forward to that moment, pretty please? Sigh... that would be nice, I wouldn't have to tolerate her face then.
"When your brother's here, we'll be family." Really like discarded chewing gum stuck shamelessly on a shoe. You can't shake her off, she's that sticky.
"Yeah, sure. We'll see about that."
My ice cream's waiting for me.
The following days are dreadful in the house, the atmosphere is so suffocating, more so I can't find an excuse to stay out, I have nowhere to run to.
I've been hiding away in my room. My and Fin's room...
Where is Fin? He hasn't called me then and I can't get through to him. I hope he's alright...my stomach is knots because I realised, would something happen to Fin, no one would tell me...I'd still be waiting for him here.
My husband's gone missing and I have no one to talk to. Sigh...
I miss being held by him, tonight is one of those nights I will really need Mr Merwe's steadiness.
Yes, I'm on my way to the gala, I'm leaving from the company. Got ready here - the risk of either mom or dad asking me to be their plus one was high, the war at home is high risk so I had no choice but to seek refuge at the company, also I don't want to be either of their date. They take turns being nice to me...
"My diamond, you shine brighter than the brightest diamond. So beautiful!" Ha, like that would make me forgive him. I haven't forgotten how he's making me attend this avalanche waiting for collapse of a gala. But he's right, Steven's designs are to die for.
I'm wearing a black strap dress, the bottom of the dress is a wide flowy skirt with a slit that starts mid thigh and the back is open from the middle while the front is follow covered. The design with my frame and skin tone - match made in heaven - let's not forget my signature blood red lipstick, my hair's in a bun...I look really, really pretty.
Where's Mr Merwe right now, isn't he afraid his wife is going to be snatched away?
"You've been stalling, we need to go." He's right, I've been changing from this dress into that one for more than an hour, until I ran out of excuses to day about what's wrong with the dress.
"Didn't you say I don't need to be there long? Why are you in a hurry now?"
"It's best to go early and leave early rather than go late and leave early." Says him, I don't think anyone will notice when I arrived, I'm not that popular.
Where are you Mr Merwe, your wife is being bullied by her manager. Sigh... I really miss him.
"Okay, let's go."
He's not going as my manager tonight but as Chris Hardwell. Yes, Chris is from a family that has hotel chains. He's run away from home but once in a while they'd call him to attend some events on their behalf, it's an arrangement he made to maintain his freedom he says.
The Smiths have many hotels in the country and abroad, this new venture I heard is a pet project to test their successor, Michaelson Smith - Sebastian's best friend. He and I didn't come across one another often, I can't say if he's cross with me or not - not like I have to worry about that, I'm not a VIP, I won't be greeted by the man of the hour personally. If I look at it from that perspective, this won't be as bad as that, all I have to do is get photographed enough and leave. Whatever else needs to be handled will be taken care of by Chris.
Yes. All of them will be busy networking, they won't have time for me.
How nice that would be...
"We're here." Great. To the wolf's den I go. How bad can it be?
I get out of the car...lights everywhere. Well, it's pretty... people tend to behave at gala's - no? I hold onto Chris' offered arm for dear life, I have a bad feeling about tonight. We walk the red carpet, there's press invited, they take pictures of us before we get inside and I haven't let go of Chris' arm once.
I'm not timid, I swear I'm not but there's this foreboding feeling that I'm walking into a trap...I can't shake it off. I need a distraction but I can't start drinking right off the bat. How depressing...
"Why are you so nervous?"
Why? Is that a rhetorical question? My parents are going to be here and I'm not sure if they're bringing troublemaker Lydia, most of my ex friends are going to be here and I don't know how they'll try to cause trouble - not to mention the Druids, not just Sebastian and Mikayla. Oh, where to end? And the one person I can lean on is somewhere in Country C. Why wouldn't I be nervous? Does he think I'm a superhero? I can't juggle all of it peacefully...
"Let's get this over and done with."
Our assigned table isn't in the spotlight, thank goodness, I look at the names there and find Margaret's. Not surprising, we're known widely as inseparable - they're not in on the latest update and the other three people aren't bothersome. I'm the only one at the table, Chris has dumped me to go about his business. In his words, babysitting me isn't worth his freedom. I really should consider getting a new manager...
"TT..." I know that voice, haven't heard it since I came back from York - Margaret. I turn to the sound of the voice - I do miss her and not so angry anymore. Hmm, she looks different, her hair isn't black anymore. I tend to forget she's a brunette. Pretty. I guess she finally let go...good for her.
"Mar." Well, I can't erase the feelings I have for her that simply, she's my ride or die.
"You look good."
"So do you."
"It's good to see you."
"It's good to see you too."
No one says anything after that charade and we burst out laughing at the same time. Like I said, I can't erase my feelings for her and despite what happened in York - those feelings haven't dissipated. She was put in a difficult position and I don't know if I would've acted differently.
I know, you're rolling your eyes but come on, haven't you said things in the heat of the moment? Don't expect perfection from me. (￣ヘ￣;)
We're clinging to one another now,
"Oh TT, I missed you." Won't cry, should not cry at the dinner table.
We shift her name plate next to mine and sit. Where to begin, so much has happened since York...
"How did it go with your dad?" Well, her parents have the best relationship and her mother is the greatest but that stepfather of hers - no judgement - he's...tricky.
"I think he's going to file bankruptcy soon." What? But...
"Apparently he gambled and the investment fell through." Damn... I wasn't expecting that. He really needed that ransom money then...
"You can't cover what they owe?" Margaret's businesses are doing fine,
"I wanted to but my mom forbade me. They're fighting nonstop. I guess she doesn't want me to clean up after him." Wow. So my life's not the only hectic one. Her life more so though...I feel bad now, what was I complaining about?
My father is friends with Margaret's stepfather - well, as friendly as anyone can get with my father and my father is good with money, I mean that man can turn dust to gold, it's his talent...why do you think I have trust fund worth so much...then, couldn't he have hired him?
Is this the reason for that manic idea of his?
He has to know, as much money as dad has, he won't give it out just as much.
"Anyway, tell me about Ms Trent Dion, there hasn't been news about you at all." Which one to drop on her first? All my news are...too exaggerated,
"I got married."
"WHAT!" There...all of them would get that reaction. She's so loud, few people close give us side glances. She didn't mean to...
"Scream a little louder, why don't you?"
"When, how, to whom? And you didn't invite me? Not cool Trent. Not cool." She's going to scream again, I bet.
"Infinity Merwe."
"WHAT!" I close my eyes at her shout. Seriously... but this reaction doesn't get old though. It's fun.
"That Infinity Merwe, Infinity Merwe?" Honestly, never gets old. She's making me miss him more, that handsome face...
I really miss my husband.
"How, where did you meet him...when? How long have you been married?" She's close to sitting on top of me, that's how excited she is.
"Remember that guy who bought me a painting at that charity event?"
"No...no way. Are people who just came out of jail that good-looking?" Ha. That's what I said.
We're so busy catching up, we don't realise people have moved to our table.
"Well, Trent Dion, why am I not surprised to see you here?"
The grating voice catches us by surprise, we lift our heads simultaneously and are met by a very shining visage of Sara Tilli, of course Mikayla Druid is there and another new face to their squad...how promising.
I forgot about this troublesome neighbour of mine.
"Mrs Tilli, I don't think I've sent messages to any married men recently, have I?"