Searching for Love, Found Wealth

The party was filled to the brim. Some people wore funny outfits that made me wonder if it was a Halloween party. I hated Halloweens. I held Gladys’ hand close so we won’t miss her.

Mom decided to carry baby John in her arms to avoid him being knocked over in his trolley.

“Um, my cousins, I have to pick them up. I’d be back” Rueben said to me before leaving. I nodded before he sped off.

He could take his time, I hoped mom would be finished here before more of my classmates came.

I quickly saw Cara and the Isabella.

She was at the celebrant’s chair, Cara was seated besides her. Like an advisor. They must be really close.

Mom waved at someone and ran to meet the person. One of her colleagues spotted. I don’t get why she wasn’t freaked out.

I stood with baby John in my arms and Gladys at my right hand, staring at the huge cake on Isabella’s table. It had a huge book on it, looking like a law book.

Perhaps our dear Isabella wanted to be a lawyer.

Someone knocked a drink into my red dress. I glared at the soul as he just stared at me instead of apologizing.

“She’s wet” Gladys reminded. He mumbled something and looked down.

I pushed him away and went to the back. I made Gladys hold her baby brother while I tried drying off some of the red liquid with her handkerchief.

If it wasn’t the beginning of some train of bad lucks, mom came and told me that she was told to report baby John to a doctor.

She had earlier taken him for some tests. The doctor called and said he needed to see the baby.

I asked that we leave immediately but mom said we should wait for a bit? For this mess of a party.

I didn’t get it. The Martinez was basically hated and spoken ill of but nearly everyone in the town where here, attending their grand daughters birthday. Speak of backstabbers.

Gladys tugged at my arm while I was contemplating leaving mom here and rushing baby John to a hospital.

She pointed at the boy that had bumped into me without apologizing. He was still staring at me. I looked and he looked away.

I pulled her hand down. She shouldn’t bother about him.

It still felt weird knowing someone was gazing at you.

I get the female leads in movies and why they always walked up to the person and ask why they stared. But I wouldn’t do it. Cos I wasn’t in a freaking movie.

The MC of the party rose to where Isabella was and began babbling about how she would be loved by all and only good things would come to her.

When he mentioned that he hoped that her kindness would increase with her new age, people around me had snickered.

Isabella had clenched her fists and stared at the man. So she wasn’t as nice as I had thought. The MC was really playing with fire to have exposed her like that.

“Dear, follow me” mom burst out from no where and dragged me with her. I nearly lost Gladys in the crowd.

We were now walking into the big mansion in front and I wasn’t liking the chills it was giving me.

Lots of eyes followed me. As I walked deeper into the mansion, the eyes became less friendly.

Mom barged into a room without knocking. There was an elderly man with a small girl, about Gladys age, there. The girl was reading a small book, she smirked when she saw me.

Mom told me to sit besides the man. I did so obediently.

I noticed the girl smiling at Gladys but Gladys looked away.

“Let the girls get accustomed to each other. They’re cousins. Let them play outside” the elderly man said to me.

That wasn’t much of a reception, introduction or greeting I was expecting from a person I met for the first time. I let go of Gladys hand.

The small girl walked to her with some good body carriage, “Hello, I’m Mirabella. Nice to meet you”.

What was with all their names sounding like Barbie royalties?

“Gladys” was all Gladys replied with. I smirked. Maybe Gladys was really not good with new people. It reminded me of out first meeting.

“Wanna play outside?” Mirabella offered. It was weird that she was insisting to play, with someone she doesn’t know, even when the someone was obviously not in the mood.

Mom just sat there without saying anything.

“I don’t know here. And how are we cousins?” Gladys asked innocently.

The girl giggled, “Let go out first. I’d show you around”. That was suspicious.

Gladys turned to me and I winked at her. She shrugged and left with the girl.

It was only after they left that the old man started introducing himself.

I already expected he was my eldest ‘grand-uncle’. My mom’s eldest uncle. No wonder she sat so still and obedient.

“This is the first time we are meeting, Kiera. You look a lot like your mother” he smiled. I smiled back, I got that a lot.

He turned to my mom with a serious face. “You see, I was wondering if our families will make up for the time wrongly spent in meaningless malice. Maybe the kids would grow up to love themselves” it sounded like a question.

Meaningless malice, by my own understanding, caused by them refusing their son’s loved one.

My mom’s face reddened. I couldn’t fathom exactly what she was angry about.

“I need my father’s properties. You said if I show you my children, you’d hand them over” she gave a fake smile.

I wiped off any smile from my face, as well.

“Well, sharing of properties and inheritance are given only to people that are part of the family. Live with us, bear our name, and you’d get your inheritance” the man answered slowly.

“Do you hear yourself, sir?” I blurted. He turned to me.Property of Nô)(velDr(a)ma.Org.

“Are you aware this is blackmail? Since when do someone have to be part of a family to earn their INHERITANCE. What’s hers is hers”.